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because of Manasseh

Jeremiah 15:1-9 (JDV)

Jeremiah 15:1 Then Yahveh said to me: “Even if Moses and Samuel should stand before me, my compassion would not reach out to these people. Send them from my presence, and let them go.

Jeremiah 15:2 If they ask you, ‘Where will we go? ‘ tell them: This is what Yahveh says: Those heading for death, to death; those heading for the sword, to the sword. Those heading for famine, to famine; those heading for captivity, to captivity.

Jeremiah 15:3 “I will ordain four kinds of judgment for them” – this is what Yahveh declares – “the sword to kill, the dogs to drag away, and the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the land to devour and destroy.

Jeremiah 15:4 I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the land because of Manasseh son of Hezekiah, the king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem.

Jeremiah 15:5 Who will have pity on you, Jerusalem? Who will show sympathy toward you? Who will turn aside to ask about your well-being?

Jeremiah 15:6 You have left me.” This is what Yahveh declares. “You have turned your back, so I have stretched out my hand against you and destroyed you. I have worn myself out showing compassion.

Jeremiah 15:7 I scattered them with a winnowing fork at the city gates of the land. I made them childless; I destroyed my people. They would not turn from their ways.

Jeremiah 15:8 I made their widows more numerous than the sand of the seas. I brought a destroyer at noon against the mother of young men. I suddenly released on her agitation and terrors.

Jeremiah 15:9 The mother of seven grew faint; she breathed her last breath. Her sun set while it was still day; she was ashamed and humiliated. The remainder of them I will give over to the sword in the presence of their enemies.” This is what Yahveh declares.

because of Manasseh

The Lord tells Jeremiah that this particular wave of destruction will come upon Judah because of Manasseh. There were plenty of evil kings of Judah. Why were his actions so deplorable? His father was Hezekiah, who had a relationship with God. He knew better than to rebel against the counsel of Hezekiah. In fact, Manasseh himself sought the Lord for healing and was delivered later in his life (2 Chronicles 33:12-13).

The reason Manasseh’s evil was so bad was that he had the chance to be an instrument of restoration for Judah, but he chose to be an instrument of rebellion instead.

Lord, you have given us such potential. Keep us from the impulse to throw all that potential away with acts of selfishness.