23 But unlike his father Manasseh, he did NOT HUMBLE himself before the Lord; Amon INCREASED HIS GUILT. 2 Chronicles 33
The Bible account of King Amon lasts only five verses, but the lessons/warnings are important to note or repeat. Unlike his father Manasseh, who began as a very wicked king, Amon did not HUMBLE HIMSELF AND SO HE INCREASED HIS GUILT! Believers today are told we should, ‘KEEP SHORT ACCOUNTS’. When we confess OUR SINS to God they’re never held against us. Manasseh in the pain of exile discovered this and met with the God of his fathers. He literally had a CHANGE OF HEART and God RESTORED him to his land and his kingdom. Self-humbling is little talked about in the Church in the West today and even less acted upon. It’s not a popular concept today.
24 Amon’s officials conspired against him and ASSASSINATED HIM IN HIS PALACE. 25 Then the people of the land killed all who had plotted against King Amon, and they made Josiah his son king in his place.
Those closest to Amon assassinated him, in his palace. Amon should have been safe in his own palace, but he was slain there. We said yesterday that CHARACTER ASSASSINATION might be a more common form of this attack today. Believers ‘Cross a line’, when we attack the Character of brothers and sisters in the Lord! God accepts us with all our faults and then with great patience and skill begins the process of changing us into the people He knows He created us to be.
4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand. Romans 14, NIV
4 They are God’s servants, not yours. They are responsible to him, not to you. Let him tell them whether they are right or wrong. And God is able to make them do as they should. Romans 14, Living Bible
We are in a new era today and we must be careful how we speak about Children of God. In the Old Testament, David wouldn’t lift his hand against Saul, ‘the Lord’s anointed’, though Saul blocked him from becoming king. It wasn’t a matter of his own shabby treatment, but God Himself had appointed Saul and he dared not forget that; he FEARED GOD MORE than he wanted the position.
Humbling ourselves is something we alone can do (God won’t do that for us!). Character Assassination is something we should never do, the Fear of the Lord should overrule and keep us from it.
God bless and keep us today. Immanuel, God is with us.