A Dog Returns to its Vomit - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Kings 21:1-6,

"Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother's name was Hephzibah. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them. He built altars in the temple of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, 'In Jerusalem I will put my Name.' In the two courts of the temple of the Lord, he built altars to all the starry hosts. He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced divination, sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger."

Manasseh succeeded his father, Hezekiah, on the throne of Judah. Hezekiah was a good king -  doing what was "right in the eyes of the Lord." We read the following about him, "In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother's name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done. He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.) Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the Lord and did not stop following him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses. And the Lord was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook." 2 Kings 18:1-7.

Manasseh reestablished all of the idolatry his father Hezekiah had rid Israel of. Of note, Hezekiah's father, King Ahaz was an evil king. "In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, Ahaz son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign. Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God. He followed the ways of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son in the fire, engaging in the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree." 2 Kings 16:1-4.

Of the twenty monarchs Judah had, eight did what was "right in the eyes of the Lord" and the rest did what was "evil in the eyes of the Lord." In successive generations of kings in Judah we see the southern kingdom either led to the Lord by the king, or led into idolatry by the king. You might think these kings would get a clue. However, that sinful nature all mankind is infected with draws people in any direction that is away from the Lord.

The two books of Kings can be somewhat exasperating while reading of what seems to me to be a generational approach to the proverb: "As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly." Proverbs 26:11. If it is exasperating for us to read about this history of Israel, I wonder how it made the Lord feel as he observed it?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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