30th.: If My People, Which are Called… Part 2
The Bible noted Manasseh’s prayer of confession,
“Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer unto his God,
… and how God was intreated of him, and all his sin, and his trespass” (2nd Chr. 33:19a).
It was great that Manasseh confessed his sin (2nd Chr 33:19b);
Yet certain prophesied punishments were still blamed on Manasseh. For example,
1. Some 35 years after Manasseh had died, this judgement was written,
“and the Lord sent against him [a king Jehoiakim] bands of the Chaldeans …
against Judah to destroy it … . Surely at the commandment of the Lord,
came this upon Judah to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh,
according to all that he did, and for the innocent blood that he shed,
for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, which the Lord would not pardon.” (2nd Kings 24:2a, 3)
2. God warned Israel about the punishments coming, because of Manasseh's sins
a. (see 2nd Kings 21:10-16),
b. (see 2nd Kings 23:26)
c. “And I will cause them [the people of Judah] to be removed into all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem.” (Jer. 15:4)
Manassh's prayers were not enough for Israel to avoid punishment.
To avoid severe punishment, ALL of Israel had to pray,
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray,
and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven,
and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2nd Chr. 7:14).
But this generation of Israel was not interested.
Unless we show strong corporate (and individual) interest, God might not move much for us.