Hezekiah may have been one of Judah’s greatest kings, but his son was certainly the worst leader of the nation.
We learn Manasseh did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, following the abominable practices of the nations that the Lord drove out before the people of Israel (2 Kings 21:2).
The author of 2 Kings listed the awful deeds of Hezekiah’s son.
- For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he erected altars for Baal, made a sacred pole, as King Ahab of Israel had done, worshiped all the host of heaven and served them.
- He built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem I will put my name.”
- He built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord.
- He made his son pass through fire; he practiced soothsaying and augury and dealt with mediums and with wizards. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.
- The carved image of Asherah that he had made he set in the house of which the Lord said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever.
- But they did not listen; Manasseh misled them to do more evil than the nations had done that the Lord destroyed before the people of Israel.
- Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, until he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides the sin that he caused Judah to sin so that they did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. (2 Kings 21:3-9, 16).
The Problem with Idolatry
I have frequently written about idol worship, but let’s review why God severely judged the idol worship of His people.
(1) Idol worship is a direct transgression of the first three of the Ten Commandments. Idolatry looks at God’s “No Trespassing” signs – have no other gods before me, do not make an idol, and do not make wrongful use of God’s name – and willfully crosses the line.
(2) God’s people were to be a blessing to the nations (Genesis 12:1-3) by showing the nations the reality of Yahweh and living by The Commandments’ agreement they had with Him. They lost any ability to provide the nations an alternative to their pagan practices, when they joined in them.
(3) At the root of idolatry is a manipulative spirit. The Creator of the Universe can never be reduced to fit into human manipulative techniques.
(4) We become like the gods we worship and serve. Satan is at the root of all false gods. He opposed God’s good purposes for humans and attempts to divert their worship to something false and destructive.
Idol worship in Manasseh’s day involved child sacrifice and temple prostitution. The worship of the modern-day idols of sex, money, and power corrupt the people who engage in it and harm countless people worldwide.
Overcoming Idolatry
Several years ago, I read a book by Richard Foster that influenced my thinking about idol worship. The book’s title identified what Foster believed to be America’s three most prominent objects of idols – Money, Sex and Power.
The next time you engage with social media, pay attention to how often these three American gods are featured.
On one hand, they are seductive. Money, sex, and power are presented in a way that make us want what we don’t have. They tempt us to want more money, better sex, and the kind of power that seems to escape us.
At the same time, these big-three American idols are destructive. Think about money. Here is a picture of the difference between one million and one billion.
If you stack one million dollar bills on top of each other, this is what will happen.
- It is 358 feet tall or approximately the height of a 36-story building.
If you stack one billion dollars on top of each other, the size increases dramatically.
- The height is now 358,333 feet tall or 67.8 miles high. Just to visualize this distance, it is 12 times higher than Mount Everest or past the edge of space.
Question: Why does a billionaire need more billions?
A similar analysis could be provided for the idols of sex and power, but if you look at social media you have already read example after example of harm caused by turning these gifts from God into objects of worship.
A Bigger Question: Given the pervasive influence of money, sex, and power in our culture, how can followers of Jesus remain as His faithful followers?
My blog articles will soon cover the ministry of Isaiah. One of the problems in Isaiah’s day was that people wanted God, but also the gods. Another way of looking at the issue is, how can we avoid following God, but also the gods of American life?
As we study Isaiah, I will attempt to provide a more complete answer. Here is a beginning point with a promise to give you more over the days to come.
Isaiah wrote:
“If you consent and obey,
You will eat the best of the land. (Isaiah 1:19)
To consent is to agree with God about how life is best lived. For example, we read the Sermon on the Mount and agree with God that this is the best way to live.
We give Jesus our consent and follow His guidance in the sermon by obeying what He requires of His followers.
Paul used different words to give the same direction.
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:1-2).
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 