Third Sunday after Trinity
July 2, 2006
Scripture Readings: Romans 4:1-8; Luke 15:11-32
Hymns: 278; 777; 779; 305; 44

Grace, mercy and peace upon each of you - through your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. The word of God which we will consider this morning is found in the Old Testament book of 2 Chronicles chapter 33, verses 9-16:

9 So Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel. 10 And the LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they would not listen. 11 Therefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze fetters, and carried him off to Babylon. 12 Now when he was in affliction, he implored the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, 13 and prayed to Him; and He received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God. 14 After this he built a wall outside the City of David on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, as far as the entrance of the Fish Gate; and it enclosed Ophel, and he raised it to a very great height. Then he put military captains in all the fortified cities of Judah. 15 He took away the foreign gods and the idol from 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 he cast them out of the city. 16 He also repaired the altar of the LORD, sacrificed peace offerings and thank offerings on it, and commanded Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel.

Theme: Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven!

In the name of our Heavenly Father, who has loved us with an everlasting love; Dear Fellow Redeemed,

Consider for a moment what these three individuals mentioned in the Bible have in common: Rahab, Mary Magdalene, Paul the apostle. Familiar names, all with a checkered background. Rahab was a harlot in the city of Jericho who hid the spies and was saved from death in the destruction of that city, who later became an ancestress of Jesus. Mary Magdalene was one of the women who supported Jesus during His ministry, from whom Jesus had cast out seven demons. And Paul was that great persecutor of the Church of Christ, who heard Jesus on the road to Damascus, was brought to faith and became the great apostle of Christ to His Church here on earth. So what do these three have in common? They were all lost children of God who were brought into His family by Grace, whose past sins were forgiven through Christ, just as ours have been.

This morning we will be reminded of the words of King David, who proclaimed: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven!” as we consider the LORD’s mercy towards evil Manasseh, king of Judah, and as we see how he was restored to serve the LORD. May the Holy Spirit enable us to see that the LORD has mercifully forgiven us as well, and realize that He has restored us to serve Him all our days. Lord sanctify us through the truth of Your holy Word! Amen.

Manasseh is not one of the more familiar kings of Judah. Most of us have a hard time remembering the names of the familiar kings about whom much is recorded in the Old Testament, to say nothing of those kings about whom we have less than one chapter of information. But these few verses which highlight the reign of Manasseh serve an important purpose for us today, demonstrating the timeless truth: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven!”

As one reads through the history of the kings of Judah in Chronicles these two summaries are repeated over and over: Either the king “did evil in the sight of the LORD” and “walked in the way of the kings of Israel” or he “did what was right in the sight of the LORD.” Manasseh’s father was God-fearing king Hezekiah about whom we are told, “he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done” (2 Chronicles 29:2). In contrast, of all the kings who ruled Judah, Manasseh was the worst. Not only did Manasseh do what was evil in the sight of the LORD, even more we are told, “Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel.”

A very descriptive statement, yet one we might think to be slightly exaggerated. After all, how could someone lead God’s people to do more evil than the Canaanite nations who dwelt there before? They were very wicked and idolatrous people. How could it be possible to be more evil than they were? But if we back up to the beginning of this same chapter we find a list of the great evils that Manasseh led God’s people into: “For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; he raised up altars for the Baals, and made wooden images; and he worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. He also built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "In Jerusalem shall My name be forever." And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. Also he caused his sons to pass through the fire in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom; he practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger” (2 Chronicles 33:3-6).

The high places mentioned in that section and throughout the Old Testament, were hills where the people built altars to many different false gods. Hezekiah in his reforms of the religious practices of the people of Judah had torn these altars down and directed them to worship the LORD God in His temple. But Manasseh didn’t stop with rebuilding the high places of worship to false gods his father had torn down, he also built altars to false gods within the temple courts, and in the temple itself, which was the house of the LORD. Manasseh was involved in every evil imaginable. Of all the kings of Judah he was the worst of the worst.

But the LORD in His mercy continued to reach out to Manasseh and His wayward people. We are told, “the LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they would not listen.” The LORD sent many prophets to Manasseh and the people of Judah to point out their sin, but they did not listen. They continued in their evil ways for the majority of Manasseh’s fifty-five years as king of Judah.

We know that the LORD is not willing that any should perish, and that He does not desire the death of the sinner, but as we look at the horrible things Manasseh did during his reign we might wonder if God could forgive such a person. After seeing all the evil that Manasseh had done, we would have given up on him, wouldn’t we? But as we were reminded earlier in our service, we are not saved by our works, but by faith. The LORD knows those who are His, and in His mercy He draws the prodigal back to Himself.

We too have been lost, separated from our Heavenly Father by our sins. We too have gone about as disobedient children, living prodigal lives and wasting what our Heavenly Father has entrusted to us. We too have been distracted by the pleasures of this world and led astray by the temptations of Satan and our flesh. We are no better than Manasseh! We too are ungodly sinners who deserve nothing but God’s eternal punishment. Yet Paul told us that by faith, God justifies the ungodly - Rahab, Paul, Manasseh, and yes, you and me! Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven!

In patience the LORD continued to reach out for His lost child, sending prophets and finally even delivering him into the hands of his enemies, the Assyrians, who took him captive to Babylon. The LORD may use just such a wake up call for us as well. He may send a trial into our lives to get His lost or wayward child to see that we are not as great or strong as we think we are. Then, “when he was in affliction, he implored the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed to Him.”

Just as the prodigal son remembered his father’s love in the depths of his despair, so also did Manasseh. Just as the prodigal son’s father received him and celebrated his return, so also did the LORD receive Manasseh’s entreaty, hear his supplication, and bring him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. “Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.” Thanks be to the LORD for His mercy toward us when we stray! Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven by Christ’s blood and sinlessness!

Earlier I mentioned the names of three people. One was a prostitute, another was possessed by demons, and the third persecuted Christians. Mary Magdalene, after being freed by Jesus from the demons who possessed her, went on to serve her Lord. She was one of the women “who provided for Him from their substance” (Luke 8:3). She eagerly carried the message of Jesus’ resurrection to the disciples on Easter Sunday morning. Paul was stopped in His tracks by Jesus, and also went on to serve the LORD taking the message of Christ crucified and risen again to the people of many different nations. So it is with those who have been brought to drink of the waters of the LORD’s salvation in Christ Jesus. Having tasted His love and mercy they willingly look to serve Him.

After returning to Jerusalem, we are told that Manasseh “took away the foreign gods and the idol from 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 he cast them out of the city. He also repaired the altar of the LORD, sacrificed peace offerings and thank offerings on it, and commanded Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel.” Manasseh humbled himself before the LORD and was restored by the LORD to serve Him.

We also have had our lawless deeds forgiven by the LORD through Christ Jesus. No matter what you have done, God has forgiven you! You are blessed because the LORD has forgiven all your sins. Jesus Christ has lived and died for you - in your place. In order to assure you of His forgiveness He instituted the Sacrament of Holy Communion in which you receive the body and the blood which He gave on the cross to win you that forgiveness.

Having received His forgiveness in Word and Sacrament, you also have been restored to serve the LORD. As restored children of God, called out of our lives of prodigal living, we are the light of the world and the salt of the earth. Let us serve the LORD with gladness, and glorify His name in all that we do.

Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, who have been patiently dealt with by the LORD’s mercy and who are restored to serve the LORD. Certainly we are blessed, because we have done nothing. God has forgiven all our sins in Christ; God in His mercy has brought us to see the error of our sins; God has welcomed us back to Himself when we have strayed; and God gives us the opportunity to serve Him with the remainder of our lives! Henry Baker said it well when he wrote: “Dear Master, Yours the glory of each recovered soul. Ah, who can tell the story of love that made us whole? Not ours, not ours the merit; to You alone the praise! Give us a thankful spirit to serve You all our days” (W.S. 779:3). “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin” (Romans 4:7-8). For all this we give God the glory! Amen.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 Amen.

Pastor Nathanael Mayhew