GETTING THE ATTENTION OF THOSE WHO WON’T LISTEN
GETTING THE ATTENTION OF THOSE WHO WON’T LISTEN
The LORD spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention. Therefore the LORD brought upon them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks and bound him with chains of bronze and brought him to Babylon. And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God. Afterward he built an outer wall for the city of David west of Gihon, in the valley, and for the entrance into the Fish Gate, and carried it around Ophel, and raised it to a very great height. He also put commanders of the army in all the fortified cities in Judah. And he took away the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the LORD, and all the altars that he had built on the mountain of the house of the LORD and in Jerusalem, and he threw them outside of the city. He also restored the altar of the LORD and offered on it sacrifices of peace offerings and of thanksgiving, and he commanded Judah to serve the LORD, the God of Israel. —II Chronicles 33:10-16
Our Lord has ways to get the attention of people. “The LORD spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention.” So, our Lord did something to show who really is in control. He “brought upon them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks and bound him with chains of bronze and brought him to Babylon.” It was only when Manasseh was in distress that “he entreated the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.”
After Manasseh knew the Lord was God and was restored to Jerusalem and his kingdom, he started rebuilding the outer wall for the city. He also “put commanders of the army in all the fortified cities in Judah. And he took away the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the LORD, and all the altars that he had built on the mountain of the house of the LORD and in Jerusalem, and he threw them outside of the city.” Manasseh’s values changed after he came to know that the Lord was God. “He also restored the altar of the LORD and offered on it sacrifices of peace offerings and of thanksgiving, and he commanded Judah to serve the LORD, the God of Israel.”
So Manasseh and the people went from paying no attention to the Lord when they spoke to them to Manasseh commanding “Judah to serve the LORD, the God of Israel.” That was a huge shift in direction. But what did it take? It took hard circumstances to bring Manasseh to the point of seeking the Lord in prayer and when the Lord answered, then he knew the Lord was God and began to follow Him and do what was right.
Unfortunately, many who our Lord is speaking to will not pay attention and He may have to do something drastic in their lives to get their attention. But that is a good thing and Dear Father, You know those on my heart that have heard, but have yet to call on You. May You bring them to the point of calling on Jesus by the power of Your Holy Spirit. Yes, may this be so! https://youtu.be/YnZ-9BDeTFM?t=4411