He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. (2 Chron. 33:2)
Expanded Passage: 2 Chronicles 33:2-6
On a trip to the lake one day, my three young children were doing what normal kids do when traveling. I often heard “Don’t touch me” or “Stop it” over the course of the trip. Many times I would hear shuffling noises along with some groans or muffled arguments, and to the one who was quietly terrorizing their siblings, I would ask them to stop touching, poking, or staring. The response was, “How do you know what I did?” My response, of course was, “Because I have eyes in the back of my head.” Soon enough, I would feel little fingers parting the hair on the back of my head!
Manasseh, unlike his father, King Hezekiah, did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He undid all his father had done for the people of Israel, and the people of Israel followed. Manasseh did not try to hide his evil from the Lord. In fact, he did it to provoke him to anger. He was not quiet about the evil he did. The list of abhorrent actions was long.
We cannot part God’s hair to find his eyes but we can read his Word that tells us he sees all that we do. As we lead, we can remember that “the eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good” (Prov. 15:3).
Do not try to hide your sin from God.
Carol Jimerson is a wife, mother and grandmother who loves writing, the outdoors, and mentoring. She is an ordained minister in the Wesleyan Church, Penn York District.
© 2024 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
