“HUMBLED HIMSELF GREATLY!”

 2 Chronicles 33:9-13                 (ESV)

“[9] Manasseh led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray, to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the people of Israel.

Manasseh’s Repentance

[10] The LORD spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention. [11] Therefore the LORD brought upon them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks and bound him with chains of bronze and brought him to Babylon. [12] And WHEN HE WAS IN DISTRESS, he entreated (begged) the favor of the LORD his GOD and “HUMBLED HIMSELF GREATLY” before the GOD of his fathers. [13] He prayed to HIM, and GOD was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. THEN MANASSEH KNEW THAT THE LORD WAS GOD.”

From time to time I just CANNOT get a Scripture “out of my mind”!  The verses above seem to be ONE OF THOSE TIMES!!  

King Manasseh “led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray” from the LORD.  How do you think King Manasseh felt about this statement being written for us to read over 2,500 years later?  

But what about my imperfections and shortcomings?  Will they be remembered like King Manasseh’s?  Will they EVER be forgotten by THE LORD?

King David wrote in Psalm 103:13-14 “As a father shows compassion to HIS children, so the LORD shows compassion TO THOSE WHO FEAR HIM. For HE knows our frame; HE remembers that we are dust.”  Our bodies are DUST and HE KNOWS that we are WITHOUT HOPE!  So HE SENT HIS SON JESUS to PAY the PRICE for our sins, something that CANNOT be duplicated by humanity!!

HIS SACRIFICE was completed when HE said “IT IS FINISHED” (John 19:30)!!  JESUS “HUMBLED HIMSELF GREATLY” when HE paid the price for our sins!  We mustn’t look past HIS GOODNESS to and for HIS CHOSEN!!!