Of Jehu, Manasseh, and the 2016 Election

I woke up this morning to some new news ...

(Donald Trump had won the presidential election) and to some old news... (another 3,000+ babies were going to be killed today, while in their mothers' wombs). Both the praises and the laments for the former are LOUD, while the laments for the latter can barely be heard.

Much of the evangelical church jumped on the Trump Train, hailing him as perhaps a modern day version of Cyrus (The Persian king appointed by God [Isaiah:28-45:13] to release the Jews from captivity so they could return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple [2 Chronicles 36:22 - Ezra 1:8; 5:13 - 6:14]). I suppose there is some expectation that Donald Trump will be the one to release us from the captivity of the liberal/leftist/progressive/fascist elements of society, including an oversized and oppressive federal government.

May I submit that Israel's captivity had been both proclaimed by God (through His prophets), limited by God, and ended at the hand of the man appointed by God even before that man was born. So I wouldn't get too caught up in the Cyrus analogy. Perhaps a better analogy can be found in Jeremiah 8. There Jeremiah refers to the impending desolation of Jerusalem and Judah as if it had already occurred. Their fate would be the result of the people's stubborn rebellion and sin. Jeremiah's prophetic vision caused much sorrow, yet while he spoke doom and judgment, false prophets were predicting peace. The kingdom had arrived at a place described in these words:
     "'Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed,    Nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; In the time of their punishment They shall be cast down,' says the Lord."  (Jeremiah 8:12)

"So what does this have to do with Jehu, Manasseh, and Josiah?" you may ask. Jehu was one of the kings of Israel, appointed to be anointed by Elijah (1 Kings 19:16-17) but actually anointed by Elisha (2 Kings 9:1-13). All of Israel's kings did evil in the sight of God, yet among them Jehu was most pleasing to God.
       "And the Lord said to Jehu, "Because you have done well in doing what is right in My sight, and have done to the house of Ahab all that was in My heart, your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation." ³¹ But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart; for he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, who had made Israel sin." (2 Kings 10:30-31)

The main purpose for which God had placed Jehu on the throne was to obliterate the house of Ahab, including bringing wicked Jezebel to her prophesied demise (2 Kings 10:30-37). Perhaps Donald trump's appointed task is to bring judgment upon the Clinton Crime Family. This is just speculation on my part, but the analogy is pretty clear.

Now for Manasseh and Josiah. Here the analogy is stretched a bit regarding the players, but it holds strong as to the over-arching principles. Manasseh was a king in the southern kingdom of Judah. He was extremely wicked...
      "He also built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, "In Jerusalem I will put My name." ⁵ And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. ⁶ Also he made his son pass through the fire, practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft, and consulted spiritists and mediums. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger."  (2 Kings 21:4-6)  "Moreover Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides his sin by which he made Judah sin, in doing evil in the sight of the Lord." ( 2 Kings 21:16)

Because of the sins of Manasseh and Judah, God said that he would destroy Jerusalem and take the people into captivity. This began with Manasseh himself being taken captive by the Assyrian army, a hook being put in his nose, and being taken prisoner to Babylon. It was there that Manasseh humbled himself greatly before God and sought His favor. God heard his prayers and restored him to Jerusalem where removed all of the idols and places of pagan worship. (2 Chronicles 33:11-17) It is important to note that in spite of God's mercy towards Manasseh, which extended to all of Judah, even to 4 generations (although it proved that even the most vile of sinners can find grace through genuine humility and repentance) did not negate the nation's sin of shedding innocent blood. Thus after the 2 year evil reign of Amon, the righteous 31 year reign of Josiah (which included genuine revival), the 3 month evil reign of Jehoahaz, there began the 11 year evil reign of Jehoiakim. It was during this time that the Babylonian invasion began which would ultimately result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity of the Jews. The Bible's own commentary as to why this calamity fell upon God's chosen people follows:
       "Surely at the commandment of the Lord this came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, ⁴ and also because of the innocent blood that he had shed; for he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, which the Lord would not pardon." ( 2 Kings 24:3-4)

I am no more concerned with timing than Isaiah was when he prophesied the Babylonian invasion/captivity during the reign of Manasseh. Manasseh ruled Judah for 55 years - longer than any king before or after him. His sins ushered in the beginning of an Assyrian invasion, resulting in Manasseh being taken to Babylon. His repentance brought about a reprieve followed by a reformation, and several years later actual revival. There is no doubt in  my mind that the USA is as guilty of the shedding of innocent blood as was Manasseh and Judah. We have been doing it for over 43 years now, and God will judge that. When and how are up to Him.

It is interesting to note that the USA has been undergoing an invasion of people from a foreign land whose countenance is fierce and whose ideology of world conquest is veiled by a thin veneer of religion. I speak of Islam. Perhaps there will now be a temporary halt to the invasion. Perhaps there will be some reforms. Christians are well-known for dusting off 2 Chronicles 7:14 periodically, but the fruit of repentance remains sorely lacking. The continued genocide with the church's passive permission continues.

I am encouraging evangelicals everywhere, from the prominent TV figures down to the members of small village churches to take up the banner of Personhood. There may never again be a window of opportunity to put this national sin of abortion behind us and legally declare that personhood, and all of its due process protections, begins at the moment of conception. Whether Donald Trump is a modern day Cyrus, or representative of a repentant Manasseh, the duty of the church to be salt and light remains the same. As part of that, the "3.1.10 Initiative" (contacting our 3 congressmen at least 1 time per month to pass a Personhood Bill, and urging at least 10 friends to do the same) will be moving into high gear. I'm confident that Donald Trump will sign into law such a bill. May our efforts going forward outweigh our passivity of the past. In Jesus' Name!