¹ Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. ² He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, following the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. ³ He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had demolished; he also erected altars to the Baals and made Asherah poles. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them. ⁴He built altars in the temple of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “My Name will remain in Jerusalem forever.” ⁵ In both courts of the temple of the LORD, he built altars to all the starry hosts. ⁶ He sacrificed his children in the fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, practiced divination and witchcraft, sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD, arousing his anger.  ⁷ He took the image he had made and put it in God’s temple, of which God had said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my Name forever. ⁸ I will not again make the feet of the Israelites leave the land I assigned to your ancestors, if only they will be careful to do everything I commanded them concerning all the laws, decrees and regulations given through Moses.” ⁹ But Manasseh led Judah and the people of Jerusalem astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the LORD had destroyed before the Israelites. ¹⁰ The LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. ¹¹ So the LORD brought against them the army commanders of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh prisoner, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon. ¹² In his distress he sought the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors. ¹³ And when he prayed to him, the LORD was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD is God.

–2 Chronicles 33.1.14 (NIV)

Imagine you enter into a solemn contract with another party. The success of your affairs depends utterly on that party upholding his part of the contract. If the other party is dishonest or fails to do what the contract specifies, you will fail and lose everything. Imagine further that the other party has a consistent pattern of breaking the terms of the contract, imperiling  you and your venture. But each time you confront the party, he apologizes and changes his ways, at least temporarily. Sadly, however, in every instance the other party reverts to his old tricks. What would you do to that party? What advice would you be getting from your trusted friends and advisors? Chances are your friends would tell you that you are a fool and that you should break that contract immediately so that you can cut your losses. And in the business of the world, this would not be bad advice. Fortunately for all of us, God’s dealing with his people is different from the business of the world.

If you will pardon the incomplete nature of the above analogy, you will start to get a picture of God’s graciousness toward his wayward people. God called Israel to bring his healing love and redemption to the nations. He called Israel from slavery out of Egypt in a mighty act of deliverance and promised to settle them in a new land where they were to be his people to help bring God’s healing to sin-sick nations. But time and again, Israel missed the mark as today’s passage from the OT illustrate. I chose the version from Chronicles instead of its actual assigned counterpart in 2 Kings 21 today because it makes the point I am trying to make more explicitly.

You can read today’s lesson in one of two ways. You can read it from a human and self-righteous perspective. In that case you are likely to read it and see an angry and vindictive God taking it out on people who are just trying to be true to themselves and follow their hearts. If you read the passage through that lens you are reading it incorrectly and missing the point completely because you fail to see what can sometimes (and often does) happen when we “follow our hearts.” You also miss the Big Picture of reality because life is not about humans per se.

Instead, try reading it from God’s perspective, at least as best as you are able. Keep in mind that you are reading another sad episode in the relationship between God and his people. From God’s perspective, his people are failing to uphold their end of the contract. This isn’t a one time occurrence. It is a pattern of stubborn rebellion. Not only are they failing to be the people God called them to be, they have become like the people God had called them to help him redeem! The doctor cannot help the patient if he or she forgets how to prescribe the proper healing.

Now we could debate the wisdom of God calling humans to help him in his redemptive work, but that too misses the point. In God’s sovereign wisdom, God has indeed chosen to call humans to help bring his healing love and redemption to the world and we humans have missed the mark more often than not.

But unlike a human response in the above scenario, God remains faithful to his covenant with his people. Yes, there is punishment for rebellion as we see in today’s story. But read the story a little closer. Despite Manasseh’s terrible wickedness, when he hit rock bottom and cried out to God in desperation, God not only listened to his prayers but answered them! Unbelievable (and sadly many people treat the story as if it really were unbelievable). God did not break his covenant with his people despite their rebellion against him and their waywardness. God punished his people but his covenantal love for them remained (and remains) to this day. In other words, God remained faithful despite his people’s stubborn refusal to uphold their end of the covenant (cf. 2 Timothy 2.11-13).

This, then, is the nature of God. It is good news for us and it is especially good news for anyone who, like Manasseh in today’s story, has hit rock bottom and is at the end of his/her rope. Even in that condition, God loves us and wants us to turn to him so that he can heal us. But he won’t do that against our wishes (cf. Isaiah 6.9-11). He generally won’t do that if we do not ask because that is not the nature of love.

It doesn’t matter who you are or what you have done. You are not outside of God’s love for you if you will only have the good sense to get down on your knees and cry out to God in your utter helplessness and hopelessness. God does not despise a humble and contrite heart (Psalm 51.17). Neither will he despise yours.

Whether you are in the depths of despair or are searching for meaning and purpose in your life, the witness of Scripture is this. Turn to God and seek his ways. When you do, he will heal you and show you how to live so that you become truly human. If you are humble (and wise) enough to listen and obey what God is telling you, you will find healing, hope, meaning, and purpose to live life in ways that your Creator intends for you to live. There are no strings attached. You simply have to have the good sense to realize God is God and you are not and act accordingly. You have the witness of Scripture and countless Christians that verify this truth.

If you have not done so already, what are you waiting for? Submit to God and learn what real forgiveness, grace, and healing is all about.