2 Chronicles 33 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study
2 Chronicles 33 Short Summary:
In 2 Chronicles 33, Manasseh takes the throne of Judah. He was an exceptionally evil king, which led God to punish him by allowing the army of Assyria to take him prisoner. Astonishingly, while in his captivity, Manasseh repented, God forgave him, and God let him return to Jerusalem. Manasseh’s story is an incredible example of God’s grace and forgiveness.
2 Chronicles 33 Extended Summary
WHEN:
Manasseh reigned in Judah for 55 years.
His son, Amon, reigned 2 years in Judah.
Their reigns likely fit within the years 700-640 B.C.
KEY CHARACTERS:
Manasseh – He took the throne of Judah after the reign of his father, Hezekiah.
Amon – Son of Manasseh. He reigned over Judah for 22 years after his father.
WHERE:
Jerusalem – The capital of the Kingdom of Judah and the location of God’s Temple
High Places – The were unauthorized places of worship where sacrifices were made to idols.
Babylon – This city was very significant in the ancient world. It was located about 420 miles (675 km) east of Jerusalem on the Euphrates River.
Hinnom Valley – Jerusalem sat on a hill and this valley was just outside the southwest wall.
OUTLINE:
MANASSEH’S EVIL REIGN OVER JUDAH (33:1-11):
Manasseh became king when he was 12 and reigned 55 years in Judah.
“He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord” (33:2).
He rebuilt the high places and the altars to Baal, Asheroth, and other false gods.
He even put altars and images of idols in the Temple in Jerusalem.
He sacrificed his children to idols in the Valley of Hinnom.
“Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another” (2 Kings 21:16).
He allowed fortune-tellers, sorcerers, and necromancers to practice their evil in Judah.
“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” (33:9).
As punishment, God allowed the king of Assyria to capture Manasseh and take him prisoner to Babylon.
MANASSEH’S REPENTENCE AND GOD’S MERCY (33:12-20):
In his distress, Manasseh cried out to the Lord and “humbled himself greatly.”
God was moved by his prayer and allowed him to return to Jerusalem.
“Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God” (33:13).
Manasseh removed the idols from Jerusalem and the Temple, and worshiped the God of Judah exclusively, commanding his people to follow his example.
After 55 years as king, Manasseh died and his son, Amon, became king.
AMON’S WICKED REIGN IN JUDAH (33:21-25):
Amon began reigning at 22 years old and reigned 2 years.
“He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord” (33:22).
He worshipped all the idols his father had rejected, but he never repented like his father.
“Amon incurred guilt more and more” (33:23).
He was assassinated by his servants.
APPLICATION:
God wants us to repent, even when we are suffering in the punishment of our previous sins.
Manasseh was so stubborn and so wicked! He probably led thousands of his countrymen away from the Lord, but God still gave him a chance to repent.
This chapter is a beautiful example of God’s longsuffering, and His willingness to forgive.
It is also a lesson about the power of Jesus’ blood. There is no evil you can commit that Jesus’ blood can’t cleanse. God extended grace to Manasseh on the basis of Jesus’ future sacrifice.
We often point to people like Paul in the New Testament to highlight the grace of God, but Manasseh is a great example of God’s eternally gracious character in the Old Testament.
