Repentance

First, there was a column in yesterday's Wall Street Journal I think you might find entertaining. It regards Michele Bachmann, a Republican candidate for President, but that's immaterial (and also in no way any kind of endorsement on my part). The gist of the article is that Ms. Bachmann was once a Wisconsin Synod Lutheran and is now a Catholic (!). It's a good read, and I think you'll enjoy it.

Today's reading told about Manasseh, who apparently spent the better part of his life doing evil, as 2 Kings 21:1-17 points out:

⁵ In both courts of the temple of the LORD, he built altars to all the starry hosts. ⁶ He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger. 

Nice guy--yet another in a long line of kings of Judah who fall off the path and do their own thing. And, as usual, God doesn't take kindly to this punished him. However, unlike some of the other kings, he apparently came to his senses, got rid of the false gods and idols and restored the altar. This is yet another example of forgiveness and redemption for people who are truly penitent and regret the offenses they did to the Lord.

In today's world, we're usually less upset with ourselves for doing wrong as much as for getting caught. In courtrooms real and imagined throughout the world, a common refrain upon handing down a sentence is that the defendant showed NO REMORSE for the crimes they had committed. We've had our share of instances in the Bible where the people, when faced with their sin and shortcomings, immediately repented, changed their behavior and tried to lead God-pleasing lives. Samson saw the error of his ways immediately prior to his death, the Ninevites repented immediately upon being told of their sin by Jonah, and Manasseh, though not as quick, humbled himself before the Lord and repented.

And, lucky for us, this still happens today. We may not set up idols in the temple or worship false gods as overtly as the people of Judah did, but we're still just as guilty and sinful as they were, and just as deserving of God's everlasting contempt. The fact that he's willing to forgive us, just as he forgave Manasseh and every other evil-doer who asked for it, should be among the greatest comforts we'll ever receive.

Scott