When you were young, did you ever push your parent’s so far that they finally said these words…”That’s enough!” If you ever heard those words from your parents, you knew you had pushed them too far. Their patience had reached its limit. In fact, you had taken it a click or two past the limit. Now there would be consequences that would be unavoidable and non-negotiable.
Welcome to 2 Kings chapter 21. That is exactly what’s happening in this chapter. Hezekiah had been a good king over Judah. He trusted the Lord, was faithful to the Lord in everything he did and was described as a good king of whom there would never be another like him. (2 Kings 18:3-7)
But his son Manasseh was just the opposite. Manasseh ranked right up there with Ahab (the king of Israel) as being one of the worst kings ever. Not only did Manasseh worship pagan deities, he…
- Practiced witchcraft. (2 Kings 21:6)
- Set up pagan shrines and altars inside the temple of the Lord. (2 Kings 21:4)
- Sacrificed his own children. (2 Kings 21:6)
- Murdered innocent people at whim. (2 Kings 21:16)
Manasseh was more wicked than the kings whom God drove out of the land before him. (2 Kings 21:11) And God said, “That’s enough!” (2 Kings 21:12-15)
In light of all the God has done for us as individuals, as families, and as a nation…it makes you wonder just how close are we to hearing God say, “That’s enough!”