especially your children? Children tend to soak up more from their surroundings then
we think they are. How we live affects others, especially the little ones our lives touch,
whether they be children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews.
We find a king in 2 Chronicles 33 named Manasseh. King Manasseh began reigning
in Israel at the age of 12, and he reigned 55 years. However this king was not a king
that feared God.
2 Chronicles 33:2 & 3 "But did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, like
unto the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD had cast out before the
children of Israel. For he built again in the high places which Hezekiah his father
had broken down, and he reared up altars for Baalim, and made groves, and
worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them."
Manasseh was a wicked king. In the following verses it goes on to tell of all the evil
that he did. They sacrificed their children, used enchantments and witchcraft, used
wizards, set up carved idols in the house of God.
The high places referred to in the above scripture was specially designated places of
pagan worship. King Hezekiah had broken them down, but his son raised them back
up again.
We see in verses 12 & 13 that God got hold of Manasseh through affliction.
"And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled
himself greatly before the God of his fathers. And prayed unto Him: and He
was intreated of him and heard his supplication, and brought him again to
Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD He was
God."
Manasseh repented. The first things that he did was to take away the strange gods
that he had brought into the house of God. He repaired the altar of the Lord. But
he didn't correct his mistakes entirely.
I want you to notice something here. Manasseh took away the strange gods and
idols from the house of the Lord, but he did not destroy them. Later in verses 22
& 23 we see what happened when Amon took over the throne of Manasseh;
"But he (Amon) did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as did Manasseh
his father: for Amon sacrificed unto all the carved images which Manasseh
had made, and served them; and humbled not himself before the LORD, as
Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more."
Another mistake Manasseh made was in not tearing down the high places.
Vs 17 "Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high places, yet unto
the LORD their God only."
As I stated earlier, the high places were specifically for idol and pagan worship. God
does not want to be worshiped with left overs from idols, it is not pleasing to Him and
He will not accept worship tainted with the world.
How are we doing with our worship? Are we bringing the world into our worship of
the Most High? Are other idols sneaking back into our lives because we just cast them
aside instead of destroying them from our lives? There is a lesson to be learned here
from the way that Manasseh acted.
1. Manasseh only partly obeyed.
Manasseh didn't fully repent. He left the high places intact, and he didn't destroy the
idols and images that he had made to worship. Before we become too hard on Manasseh,
we need to take a good hard look at our lives...for we are guilty many times of the same
things. There's that pesky little sin that we've learned to tolerate because when no one is
watching it still brings us some pleasure. When we bring our worship to the Lord, we are
in fact worshipping in the high places, in the place of the idol, because true worship would
require complete surrender and repentance, and we're still hanging on to sin. We're just
not that surrendered!
Psalms 99:5 "Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at His footstool; for He
is holy."
Psalms 29:2 "Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name: worship the LORD
in the beauty of holiness."
We are to worship the Lord in holiness. We are instructed in 1 Peter 1:16, "Because it
is written, be ye holy: for I am holy." We cannot worship a holy God in a sinful state.
We need to tear down the high places, destroy the worldly idols we are hanging onto and
worship the Lord in holiness and truth, which can only come with real repentance and
surrender of everything we have.
2. We are being watched.
We have little eyes trained on our every move. Manasseh lived a sinful wretched life in
full view of his son Amon. Amon grew up with the high places and the idols and images
that his father made and worshipped. In 2 Chronicles 33:23b it states, "But Amon
trespassed more and more." Amon ended up being more evil than his father had been.
Our children will copy us, and, as in Amon's case, become even worse! It is so important
to set Godly examples to our children and grandchildren...they are watching and will
repeat in their lives what they see in ours.
Deuteronomy 6:5 - 7 "And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart,
and with all thine soul, and with all might. and these words, which I command
thee this day, shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy
children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou
walkest by the way, and when thou liest down and when thou risest up."
It is our job to raise our children to love and fear the Lord. It is not the responsibility
of the Pastor, Sunday School teachers, babysitters to raise our children in the ways
of the Lord. Are we being good examples to them of how to live for God? They will
pick up all our habits, good and bad! What an example of Godly living, if they see us
tearing down the high places and destroying idols, and giving the Lord His rightful
place in our lives and homes. Check today, and make sure that you are not going to
the high place to worship.
God is holy, God is mighty,
And we praise His matchless name for He is worthy;
Let us worship and adore Him, as we call upon His name,
God is holy, God is mighty.
We will praise Thee, loving Jesus,
With Thy blood on Calvary's cross Thou hast redeemed us;
And the blood which Thou hast shed for us demands our fullest love,
We will praise Thee, loving Jesus.
Holy Spirit, cleanse and fill us,
Purge our hearts from every sin that hath beset us;
We need power to obey Thy Word and follow close to Thee,
Holy Spirit, cleanse and fill us.
Alleluia, Alleluia,
Let us all with one accord sing Alleluia;
Tis the song of all the ages that we'll sing forevermore,
Alleluia, Alleluia.
Frank Garlock
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