Redeemable
2 Chronicles 33:1-20
If we want an example of the scope of God's patience and grace, we don't need to look much further than the reign of Manasseh. Manasseh was arguably one of the most evil kings in Judah's history. He decided the gods of the land would better care for him than the God of Israel. He openly made a mockery of God by placing his altars of worship inside and around the temple. He involved himself in the occult, he participated in child sacrifice, anything and everything that could provoke God to anger, he did. In doing so, he convinced the rest of the nation to follow suit, forsaking the One who had established their nation.
Even though Manasseh was actively doing evil, the Lord still reached out to him. He tried to get his attention and the people's through His prophets but they chose to ignore Him, seeing their own ways as good. Even as the Lord was provoked by those that should know better, He still chose to first try to bring them back lovingly, reasoning with them, reminding them of what He has done and of what He had asked of them. When it was clear that would not be enough, God did not give them over to annihilation, but rather got their attention through the Assyrians. And when Manasseh finally came to his senses and returned to the Lord, He was gracious and forgiving, bringing the people back out of captivity.
How much like our own salvation is this? Regardless of our heritage (Manasseh's father was the righteous Hezekiah), we all sin and rebel against our God. He calls to us through our relationships, our pastors, and our experiences to return to Him. His discipline will grow if we choose to continue down the wrong path, because His love is so great, desiring us to come back. When that point finally comes and we repent, He stands ready to restore us to Him.
We don't know how long Manasseh led Judah in sin. We know he reigned 55 years. Even if he only spent one year in sin, the need for repentance was still there. Even if he spent 54 years in sin, God's forgiveness was still complete. No one has ever sinned so little as to not need salvation, and no one has ever sinned so much as to be beyond God's saving grace.
Father, thank you for your amazing grace. Thank you for your patience as you worked to bring us to you. Give us grace and patience to call out to others in the world, letting them know of their need for you, but also letting them know they are never beyond your reach. In Jesus' name, amen.