The Holt County sentinel., 1911-07-14
Manasseh's Wiekedness
and Penitence
Sssisy Sshssl lsssss f~ 10y 10. 1911
Specially Arranged for This Paper
LESSON TExT-ir Chronicles ss:i.2o.

TEAT-'Ccase to do evil,
learn to do weii."-fsa i:is-15.
TTME-Manasseh reigned IS years. from
H. G.. 6N-6i0 lie began In the 2S9th year
of the kingdom NJ Judah.
PLACE-Judah and Jerusalem It's capt
tai Manassch was carried captive to
Babylon for a time.
The Kingdom Of Israel had been de-
stroyed Q quarter OF century before
Manasseh began to reign.
The teacher Of boys or girls may be-
Kin by asking what a lighthouse 10 for.
or Q foshorn. or bell buoy In the har-
Dor. 10 II to tell the sailors where to
90? No. II 10 to tell them where not
to 90. Why are stories Of bad men
told In the Bible. such - the one In
this lesson! They are q warning
They are pictures Of . character that
repels 10. that urges 10 not to enter
any path that leads to that end.
During the long reign Of Manasseh
Jerusalem was st peace while the
neishborins lands we're harried By A.
syrian armies. 20 that Jerusalem had
large share Of the trade Of Palestine
The king and his subjects benefited
IN many ways from the immense In.
crease Of trafnc caused By the inclu.
sion Of Egypt and western Asia under
one empire. The political rank Of
Jerusalem secured to her the chief
markets Of the internal commerce OF
judah. ~ we'll ~ the gifts which Il
was customary for foreign traders to
leave with the lords Of the territories
they visited: and thus In spite Of the
Disadvantages Of its site. the city
must have become . considerable en-.
porium.
hanasseh was the son and heir Of
Hssekish. . great. and. on the whole.
good king. His mothers name was
Hspsibsh. the delight Of her husband.
He was only twelve years old when he
began to reign In foru. hut In Judah
. king was not supposed to BE- Of age
until he vas eighteen. For six years
Mauasssh must have been 10 . great
extent under the influence u bic r.
gents and counssioes. He was the siI.
tesnth king Of Judah. He rsiGued
Atty and ave ysan. The longest reign
In the history Of Judah and israel.
And he did that which was evil In the
sight Of the Lord. Manasssh vas
king Of the Lords people. and his
business vas 70 carry out Gods plan
Of peculiar people who should teach
the nations Righteousness. aud the
true way Of living.
He vas . -AArs boy, unable at flrst
TO assert himself - . ruler. He doubt.
less was waited on. petted, hattered.
courted. treated - . superior being.
whose will should never b checked.
nor fansy thwartsd: with no regular
business. no hard tasks. What Manas.
sch did waA popular and fashionable:
following the ways Of the greatest,
most cultured. most Influential nation
10 the world. then the master Of Judah.
The people we're doing business with
the Assyrtans. Trade demanded con.
formity. Society was dominated by
Assyrisn influences. Moreover. many
doubtless used the same argument
Rabshakeh used to Hesekiah that the
prosperity under heather gods. and
their conQusring power proved that
these gods were miGhtier than Jeho.
yah the God Of the little Province OF
Judah.
Mannasseh degraded true religion
that was meant for the comfort and
elevation OF man. by leading his peo-
pie away from the one true God, the
only source Of help. into all manner Of
useless. irrational. degrading enchant.
ments by which the people sought for
guidance and help. Thus these prac-
tees were treason and disloyalty.
The Lord spaks to ,Msussseh. by
means Of the prophets. Of whom Ma.
hum may have been one: by means
Of his conscience. by the OK.
ample Of his father. by means Of his
conscience. by the written word. BY
providence. II 10 not known Just when
Manasseh was made to pay the pen.
atty Of his sins. but II must have been
after many years Of id0latry.
Wherefore the Lord brought upon
them the captains Of the host Of the
king Of Assyria and Manasseh was
made captive. The records Of Assur-
bsnipai record 4 review Of the 20
kings Of whom Msnasseh was one ap-
parently at Nineveh. Which took
Manssseh among the thorns. I'm
chains" margin. with hooks" AS.
syrian kings sometimes thrust hook
into tho nostrils Of their captives. and
20 led them about.
He had been sailing down the
NIAGARA rapids carelessly. and now he
feels the tossing Of the waves, the
current swiftly flowing by the rocks.
he sees spray over the cataract. and
hears Its roar. Why? In order that
he may stop ere Il 10 too late. The
bitter fruits Of his wrong doing
wrought the desired effect. The prod.
igal came to himself. He besought
the Lord. Jehovah. not the heather
gods no had been worshiping. who
failed him In his trouble.
God showed Manasseh clearly that
he forgave him. by the fact that he
brought him again to Jerusalem.
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