In this series we are examining God’s mercy.

Mercy is God not giving us what His justice requires and what we deserve for breaking His laws.

In the 7^th century B.C., King Manasseh was the 12^th king of Judah. Manasseh was the son of King Hezekiah. You remember after King Solomon the kingdom split into Israel (10 tribes) in the north and Judah (2 tribes) in the south.

Let’s look at the recorded story.

2 Chronicles 33:1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem:

What action did King Manasseh take?

²But 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.

³For 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.

⁴Also he built altars in the house of the LORD, whereof the LORD had said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever.

⁵And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.

What did King Manasseh do with his children?

⁶And 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.

What did King Manasseh do with the Temple?

⁷And 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:

⁸Neither 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.

What did King Manasseh do with the Jewish people?

⁹So 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.

What did the LORD do?

¹⁰And the LORD spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken.

¹¹Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.

How did Manasseh respond?

¹²And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,

¹³And prayed unto him: and he was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God.

What do these verses tell you about God’s mercy?

What do these verses tell you about God’s care?

What do these verses tell you about God’s love?

What do these verses tell you about God’s grace?

What do these verses tell you about God’s righteousness?

What did King Manasseh do?

¹⁴Now after this he built a wall without the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish gate, and compassed about Ophel, and raised it up a very great height, and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah.

¹⁵And he took away the strange gods, and the idol out of the house of the LORD, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the LORD, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city.

¹⁶And he repaired the altar of the LORD, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings and thank offerings, and commanded Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel.

What did the Jewish people do?

¹⁷Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high places, yet unto the LORD their God only.

Remember the words of Jeremiah 3:²² It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

²³They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Great is Thy Faithfulness

Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father; there is no shadow of turning with thee;
thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not; as thou hast been thou forever will be.
Refrain:
Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see;
all I have needed thy hand hath provided; great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, sun, moon and stars in their courses above
join with all nature in manifold witness to thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Our focus – Hebrews 12:¹ Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Our challenge – Dearly Beloved,

Run with your eyes on Jesus alone!

Run in faith that Jesus loves you, has uniquely designed and created only one you, has a good plan for your life, runs with you and will accomplish His purposes for you and through you!

Run in His strength alone!

Run with your eyes on the prize!

Run with the desire to finish strong!

Run with the desire to finish with your lamp burning!

Run with the expectation of being in His physical presence when you cross your finish line!

Run to His glory alone!

Run and keep on running!

Coach Patti