2 Chronicles 33:10-17: a reflection

10The LORD spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they didn’t listen. 11Therefore the LORD brought on them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh in chains, bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. 12When he was in distress, he begged the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. 13He prayed to him; and he was entreated by him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God. 14Now after this, he built an outer wall to David’s city on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entrance at the fish gate. He encircled Ophel with it, and raised it up to a very great height; and he put valiant captains in all the fortified cities of Judah. 15He took away the foreign gods and the idol out of the LORD’s house, and all the altars that he had built in the mountain of the LORD’s house and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city. 16He built up the LORD’s altar, and offered sacrifices of peace offerings and of thanksgiving on it, and commanded Judah to serve the LORD, the God of Israel. 17Nevertheless the people still sacrificed in the high places, but only to the LORD their God.

Manasseh had been among the most wicked of Judah's kings, and God had warned him and his people, but they would not listen. So God brought affliction: the king of Assyria carried Manasseh off in chains to Babylon. And it was there, in his distress, that Manasseh at last turned to God. When he was in distress, he begged the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers; and God heard him and brought him back. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God. The affliction that seemed only a punishment became the means by which Manasseh was brought low, humbled, and turned to God; in his distress he came to know God as he never had in his prosperity. God used the affliction to bring Manasseh to himself. What his years of wickedness and even God's warnings had not accomplished, his distress did: it brought him to humble himself and know God.

Notice what the affliction accomplished in Manasseh: it brought him to humble himself and know God. In his prosperity and power, Manasseh had not listened to God's warnings; he went his wicked way. But when affliction came, when he was carried off in chains and brought to distress, he humbled himself and cried to God, and came to know him. The very affliction that was a punishment became the means of his turning; in his distress he found God. This shows how God can use affliction to bring us to himself, to humble us when prosperity had made us proud, to turn us to him when ease had let us drift. What comfort and success had not done, distress accomplished: it brought Manasseh low and turned him to God. Affliction, hard as it is, can be the means by which God draws us to humble ourselves and know him. God can bring good even out of our distress, using it to turn us to himself.

That is worth taking to heart, for God can use affliction to bring us to humble ourselves and know him. When affliction comes, we can see only the hardship, the punishment; but God used Manasseh's distress to bring him low, to humble him, and to turn him to God, so that in his affliction he came to know God as he never had in his prosperity. God can use our afflictions to draw us to himself, to humble us and turn us to him. When affliction comes, do not see only the hardship; God may be using it to bring you to humble yourself and know him, as he used Manasseh's distress. Trust that God can use even affliction to bring you to humble yourself and know him, as Manasseh, unmoved by warnings in his prosperity, humbled himself and cried to God in his distress and came to know that the LORD was God; for God can turn our afflictions to good, using the very distress that seems only a punishment to bring us low, to humble the pride that prosperity had fed, and to draw us to himself, so that in our affliction we may come to know him.

Lord, Manasseh had been among the most wicked of Judah's kings, and you had warned him and his people, but they would not listen. So you brought affliction: the king of Assyria carried Manasseh off in chains to Babylon. And it was there, in his distress, that Manasseh at last turned to you. When he was in distress, he begged the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers; and you heard him and brought him back. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God. The affliction that seemed only a punishment became the means by which Manasseh was brought low, humbled, and turned to you. What his years of wickedness and even your warnings had not accomplished, his distress did. Show me what the affliction accomplished in Manasseh: it brought him to humble himself and know you. In his prosperity and power, Manasseh had not listened to your warnings; he went his wicked way. But when affliction came, when he was carried off in chains and brought to distress, he humbled himself and cried to you, and came to know you. The very affliction that was a punishment became the means of his turning. This shows how you can use affliction to bring me to yourself, to humble me when prosperity had made me proud, to turn me to you when ease had let me drift. Take that to my heart, for you can use affliction to bring me to humble myself and know you. When affliction comes, I can see only the hardship, the punishment; but you used Manasseh's distress to bring him low and turn him to you. When affliction comes, keep me from seeing only the hardship; help me trust that you may be using it to bring me to humble myself and know you, Lord, as you used Manasseh's distress to bring him to cry to you and know that you are God.