2Ki 21:1-12  “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion”

In last week’s study we looked at the life of Hezekiah, who represents the elect who are scarcely saved in this life (1Pe 4:18-19). Manasseh, his son, is prophesied as one of “thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, [and] shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon” (2Ki 20:18). Physically, Manasseh was not a eunuch but spiritually he was, being cut off in type and shadow from the heritage that is found in Christ to which Hezekiah, in type and shadow, scarcely attained.

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 
1Pe 4:18  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? 

Hezekiah’s seemingly casual resolve and acceptance of what Isaiah is telling him in 2 Kings 20:18 with this statement “Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken” (2Ki 20:19) typifies for us how God brings us to a place of maturity where we more fully understand and accept the severity and goodness of God even as it applies to those who are sacrificed for us, even they of our own household as Manasseh typified. Understanding the severity and goodness of God happens when we come to believe that He is working all things according to the counsel of His own will (Eph 1:11) – the light and the darkness, the peace and the evil – as will be demonstrated in this section of Kings (2Ki 21:1-12).

Rom 11:22  Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God:(1Co 3:14-15) on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness (Rom 2:4, 1Pe 4:17): otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

Rom 2:4  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 

[It would be better to have not known what we know, and come up receiving fewer stripes than come up having gone back into the world like Titus and Crescens and Demas having tasted of the heavenly gifts (2Pe 2:20-21, 2Ti 4:10, Heb 6:4). That scenario is hard for our flesh to understand seeing God caused every different scenario to His glory, and we naturally contend with Him until we are humbled enough under His mighty hand by the destruction of the man of sin within us (2Th 2:3-6). Once he is revealed by the brightness of Christ’s coming which burns him up, then we see more clearly how we are the clay and He is the master potter who can do what He wants with His creation that has no free moral agency, including how He designates the order of resurrections and the degree to which we remain hardened in our hearts or delivered from that hardness of heart in this life (Rom 9:11-20)].

Rom 9:15  For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Rom 9:16  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. 

Rom 9:18  Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
Rom 9:19  Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? 
Rom 9:20  Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? 
Rom 9:21  Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

Rom 9:25  As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.

Rom 11:32  For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

In this section of Kings, there is a key verse (2Ki 21:14) which brings into focus who represents the beloved elect who come up in the first resurrection being shown mercy first, and who it is that represents those who will be judged in the great white throne judgment or lake of fire (Rev 20:10). In both cases it is very clear that both groups have to endure the wrath of God that is upon all unrighteousness of men (Rom 1:18, Col 3:6). The remnant, spoken of in 2 Kings 21:14, represents the elect who are delivered into the hand of their enemies in order to purify them in this life as expressed with this verse (Rev 2:9-10).

2Ki 21:14  And I will cast off the remnant of mine inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies; (ASV)

2Ki 21:14  There will still be a few of my people left. But I will leave those people. I will give them to their enemies. Their enemies will take them prisoners—they will be like the valuable things soldiers take in war. (ERV)

Rev 2:9  I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
Rev 2:10  Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer:[Rom 5:5, Rom 8:28] behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

On the other hand, Manasseh represents the world’s later repentance that comes in the lake of fire, and interestingly we only read of this repentance of Manasseh in 2 Chronicles 33:10-19 and not in the book of kings that we will look at next week in (2Ki 21:17-18). Interestingly, that repentance spoken of in Chronicles is brought about after having been bound with chains of bronze and hooks which is typical of Satan, the god of this world, who was cast “into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season”  (Rev 20:1-3, Rev 20:10). Manasseh’s repentance, just as Satan’s, will come after having been bound and then brought to repentance in the lake of fire.

2Ch 33:10  The LORD spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention. 
2Ch 33:11  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.

Rev 20:1  And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Rev 20:2  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Rev 20:3  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

Rev 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

2Ki 21:1  Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Hephzibah. 
2Ki 21:2  And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel. 
2Ki 21:3  For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove, as did Ahab king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.

If we contrast what Christ was doing at twelve years old with Manasseh, it paints a picture of two zealous children going in very different directions, one who was zealous to be about His Father’s business (Luk 2:48), and the other who was zealous to undo everything good his father had accomplished in Israel (2Ki 21:3). This contrast of spirits is shown on a larger scale when Christ goes to the Father so the spirit of God can be given on Pentecost to begin a process of liberation (Joh 16:7, 2Co 3:17), as opposed to Satan who is bound for a period of time and when released goes out to deceive all the nations of the world to come up against the camp of the saints (Rev 20:8).

The lesson for God’s children is that we must be obedient children (Mat 18:3-5) who are about our Father’s work, unlike the insolent little rebel-rouser that Manasseh was, who “did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, after the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel” (2Ki 21:2). That is just the natural foundation (12) of all flesh unless the Lord shows mercy to that child by bringing him up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (1Co 2:14, Eph 6:4). 

1Co 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 

Eph 6:4  And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. 

Manasseh typifies those who had the truth in their midst but were never given to be grafted into it as Hezekiah typified having happened. Consequently the fruit of Manasseh’s life was described as follows: “For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove, as did Ahab king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them“.

Mat 18:3  And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 18:4  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 18:5  And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

[Christ in us resists the proud of heart (Jas 4:6), and if we are blessed to be crushed and humbled under his mighty hand (“gives grace”), we will in turn be able to be received, and receive those who are of a kindred spirit (Mat 18:2-3, 1Co 14:32)]

Mat 18:2  And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,

1Co 14:32  And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.

Hephzibah’s, the mother of Manasseh, name means “my delight (is) in her“, taken from the root H2656 that means pleasure or desire. She represents Babylon and the pleasures of sin for a season (Heb 11:25) that Manasseh would seek out for the entirety of his reign as the king of Judah (55 years). His repentance at the end of his life was typical of one who suffered loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire, in the lake of fire (1Co 3:15). The fifty five year reign was a negative witness of grace that had no effect on the flesh of Manasseh who did not learn the lessons of grace that Hezekiah had typically learned in this life being a type of the elect who experienced that process of grace through faith in his life (Eph 2:8) (extended life of 15 years (3×5) 2Ki 20:2-6).

2Ki 21:4  And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD said, In Jerusalem will I put my name. 
2Ki 21:5  And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.

The altars Manasseh built in the house of the LORD typify and witness against what would be in our heavens, “the host of heavens” being the temple of God, if we are not walking in the spirit and only serving our flesh (Gal 5:16-17). These sins of Manasseh being committed in the temple of God are specific to idols of the heart, represented by actual physical idols Hezekiah had earlier destroyed only to have his son set up again. The lesson for us is to be persistent to overcome sin and keep the temple of God undefiled (1Co 3:16-17), which Manasseh, who is a type of the man of sin, was not able to do (1Ti 6:12, Joh 2:15).

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 
1Co 3:17  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 

1Ti 6:12  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. 

Joh 2:15  And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers'(Psa 69:9) money, and overthrew the tables; “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life” (Php 2:12-13)

2Ki 21:6  And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. 
2Ki 21:7  And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house, of which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever: 

These verses in (2Ki 21:6-7) explain why we will be hated by all men for God’s name sake (Mat 10:22), as we stedfastly reject all of the actions of Manasseh by the grace through faith process we are going through that God has made possible for us in Christ, and that takes a lifetime of overcoming and enduring to the end (Mat 24:13).

We reject what all these events typify for us:

he made his son pass through the fire [teaching false doctrines – eternal hell fire – immortal soul – transubstantiation etc…],
and observed times [days, months, times, and years],
and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards [not looking to the Lord for guidance but leaning to our own flesh or on those who are bound by evil spirits being convinced that they are some great authority within themselves (Luk 18:9, Act 8:9, 2Co 11:13-15)]
he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger [walking in the flesh and not in the spirit as we ought (Gal 5:16)]
he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house [worshipping the beast, by thinking we have free moral agency, which is idolatry unto God] 
a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house [that we set up every time we put our thoughts, our lusts of the flesh, lust of the eyes or pride of life, before God’s will (Rev 13:11-15)]” (Luk 22:42, 1Jn 4:17)].

Rev 13:11  And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
Rev 13:12  And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 
Rev 13:13  And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 
Rev 13:14  And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 
Rev 13:15  And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

All these things mentioned that defile the house of God or temple of God (2Ki 21:5-7), all within our sinful flesh, can be overcome as God humbles and receives us as His children (Tit 3:3, Heb 12:6). In our appointed time, or our former conversation of (Eph 2:2), we defiled the temple and now must have our old man destroyed and die daily as the Lord makes His abode on the throne of our hearts, dealing with us as sons and future rulers (2Th 2:8, 2Ti 2:12). 

Tit 3:3  For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. 

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

2Ti 2:12  If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 

That establishing of His name forever within the body of Christ is the promise being spoken of here to Christ and to His Christ “of which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon his son [typifying Christ and His Christ], in this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever” (Mat 16:18). That name can’t be put there unless our heart is changed so we have a hunger and thirst to keep His words (Eze 36:26, Joh 14:23, Mat 5:6)

Mat 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Eze 36:26  A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

Joh 14:23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. [“In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever“]

Mat 5:6  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

2Ki 21:8  Neither will I make the feet of Israel move any more out of the land which I gave their fathers; only if they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that my servant Moses commanded them. 
2Ki 21:9  But they hearkened not: and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel. 

Without God’s chastening grace by which we are received of him (Heb 12:6) we will not “observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that my servant Moses commanded them”. This section of kings is now talking to the whole unconverted world represented by “Israel“, who are seduced by Manasseh, who represents that man of sin on the throne of our hearts who has not yet been judged and destroyed by the brightness of his coming, and therefore “they hearkened not: and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel“.(2Ti 3:1-5, 2Ti 3:13-14)

2Ti 3:1  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2Ti 3:13  But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 
2Ti 3:14  But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

2Ki 21:10  And the LORD spake by his servants the prophets, saying, 
2Ki 21:11  Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols:
2Ki 21:12  Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle.

God would not be a just God if he did not judge us for our sins and iniquities regardless of how we feel about the circumstances that He has created that caused us to err, and so these things, our struggles in our flesh and mind, happen so that “I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth” as we overcome the god this world through Christ (Isa 63:17, Rom 9:17, Rom 9:20).

Isa 63:17  O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance. 

Rom 9:17  For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

Rom 9:20  Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?  

We were not meant to heed the warning of the prophet until God determined that time, and so “the LORD spake by his servants the prophets” for the elect’s sake who read, hear and keep the sayings of the prophecy (Rev 1:3). We now apply these prophesies to the destruction of our old man of sin within and are blessed to understand their relevance for us today. 

We can either be given to hear with spiritual ears and eyes God willing, or be blinded in our ears and eyes to what these words mean [God’s severity and goodness], “Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle“. If God is working with us in this age then the tingling of both our ears [witness of Christ, both our ears] is going to lead to a deep sighing and crying for the abominations being fulfilled in the earth along with a contrite and broken spirit that will bring us unto repentance for those things He shows in us that are against Him (Rom 6:21, Eze 9:4, 1Jn 2:1, Jas 5:16). If we don’t see ourselves as “Manasseh king of Judah [who] hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols“, then we won’t have any need of a spiritual physician (Luk 5:31), and to die daily, not agreeing with Paul’s words and Nathan’s words to David that we are the chief of sinners and the man!(1Ti 1:15, 2Sa 12:7). 

1Ti 1:15  This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 

2Sa 12:7  And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; 

Would that God would grant us the strength and faith of Christ to endure the cross as we bear each other’s burden in this life (Gal 6:2), showing mercy and compassion toward each other as He has done toward us (Rom 9:15)!

Gal 6:2  Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Rom 9:15  For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.