When I was a little boy, a girl down the street told me that God the Father was mean and angry, and that only Jesus the Son was merciful.[1] Have you heard this idea? It goes hand-in-hand with the oft-repeated trope that the Old Testament tells the story of a God of vengeance, and the New Testament tells the story of a God of compassion. These are errors bordering on heresy.
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit do not have different levels of compassion. Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” John 10:30. And God never changes, Malachi 3:6. God was exactly as compassionate and merciful under the Old Covenant or Testament as he is under the New. Frankly, I don’t understand why readers of the Old Testament are so obsessed with God’s vengeance.
When I read the Old Testament, I am struck by how evil and rebellious the people are. Even the children of Israel, rescued from slavery through a series of audacious miracles, continue to worship idols and rebel against God—over and over. I don’t blame God for wrath. In fact, sometimes I am amazed by God’s patience. Consider the story of the truly evil king, Manasseh.
King Manasseh led Judah into idol worship and other evils. “Manasseh seduced them [the people of Judah] to do more evil than did the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the children of Israel” 2 Kings 21:9.
(Imagine that. The pagans were so evil, God destroyed them–after giving them 400 years to repent (see Gen. 15:16)–and gave their land to Israel. But now Manasseh has made the people of Judah even MORE evil than those they displaced.)
King Manasseh spent the nation’s money and labor engineering new ways to get more people worshipping idols. “He built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed. He raised up altars for Baal and made a grove [a wooden idol]” 2 Kings 21:3. He even desecrated the temple, 2 Kings 21:4-5.
King Manasseh sacrificed his own children to idols. “He made his son pass through the fire” 2 Kings 21:6. This is how you know King Manasseh was a true believer, deeply committed to idol worship. This was not a political strategy designed to keep his citizens happy, like Aaron when he fashioned the golden calf in Exodus 32. Manasseh was doing this because he deeply believed in it. Otherwise, he would have spared his child.
King Manasseh personally participated in all the occult practices of darkness, including witchcraft, casting spells, and sorcery. Manasseh “used enchantments [potions], and dealt with familiar spirits [‘spirit guides’], and wizards. He wrought much wickedness in the sight of the Lord” 2 Kings 21:6. He also used witchcraft, 2 Chronicles 33:6.
King Manasseh shed much innocent blood; some believe he even murdered the prophet Isaiah. “Manasseh shed innocent blood very much until he had filled Jerusalem from one to the other” 2 Kings 21:16.
My Bible includes this note: “Tradition says that during Manasseh’s massive slaughter, Isaiah was sawed in two when trying to hide in a hollow log (see Hebrews 11:37-38). Other prophets may also have been killed at this time.”[2] (Of course, tradition should never be elevated to the level of scripture.)
Do you see how horrible King Manasseh was? Not only was he deeply committed to his own evil practices, but this man was using all the power of the crown to drag the nation into satanic practices with him. Consequently, God sent judgment. Manasseh was captured, shackled, and taken away to a Babylonian dungeon.
So what did he do? Pray to his ‘familiar spirits,’ his spirit guides? Or check his astrological sign? Or sacrifice a prison rat to Baal? No. Remarkably, he turned to the one true God.
“And when he was in affliction, he sought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed unto him, and he was intreated of him, and God heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord, he was God,” 2 Chronicles 33:12-13.
After decades of ruinous leadership, King Manasseh repents and humbly seeks God. And God forgives him! Not only that, God gets the king out of jail and restores to him his kingdom! And you think the God of the Old Testament is not compassionate? That God is a harsh judge? Look at the life this horrible man lived! Yet, God showed him great mercy.
The man sacrificed his children to idols!
He led the entire nation into idolatry!
The harm this man caused will echo throughout Judah for generations and generations.
How could God forgive him? How?
Because God is not a man. Men honor anger, vengeance, fighting, and killing. But God is absolutely NOT A MAN.
“I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger. I will NOT return to destroy … For I am God and NOT MAN, the Holy One in the midst of thee,” Hosea 11:9.
God is holy. God is just. God enforces limits. He will not tolerate all sin for all time. But he will often tolerate and forgive more than we think. And God is particularly forgiving when we truly humble ourselves the way Manasseh did. Or the way David does in Psalm 51.
“God is opposed to the proud—but gives grace to the humble” Proverbs 3:34.
God, reveal to us your great compassion. Show us your mercy. Thank you that you are HOLY and because you are holy, you are GOOD. You are so good to us, so patient and compassionate. Never let us be confused by those who would say you are primarily a God of wrath. Thank you that you have described yourself for us: “God is love” 1 John 4:8.
AΩ
[1] This young lady also told me that thunder was the sound of God bowling, and that because Eve was made from one of Adam’s ribs, men will forever have one less rib than women. I have since found more qualified Bible teachers.
[2] Chronological Life Application Study Bible, KJV. Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, 2013, p.916 n.2 Kings 21:6.
Household Words: 