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(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
2 Chronicles 33:1–10, “Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem: 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 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. Also he built altars in the house of the LORD, whereof the LORD had said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever. And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. And he set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever: Neither will I any more remove the foot of Israel from out of the land which I have appointed for your fathers; so that they will take heed to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses. So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel. And the LORD spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken.”
Manasseh was only twelve years old when he became king of Judah. Hezekiah was going to die and then was given an extra fifteen years of life. This means that Manasseh was born after Hezekiah was given the extra fifteen years of life. Manasseh was the worst king of Judah to date. He went back to the ways of his grandfather Ahaz and reestablished the worship of strange gods in Judah after a time of restoration to the worship of the true God of heaven and earth. Instead of just closing the Temple, he built altars to other gods in the Temple area and completely desecrated the Temple itself. He burned some of his children to death as he offered them as offerings to these strange and vile gods. He established many evil practices that were specifically forbidden in the Law. The Lord was gracious to Manasseh and sent prophets to call him to repentance but he wouldn’t listen and continued in his evil ways.
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