Manasseh was 12 years old when he began to reign, and Hezekiah ruled 29 years – therefore Manasseh only knew life in the palace. Also Manasseh was born after God extended Hezekiah’s life 15 years. Therefore we know that all things God does is for the good. Don’t complain too much about God extending Hezekiah’s life! Hezekiah only did one thing wrong in that additional 15 years, and God even used that as prophecy concerning the child that would be born in Babylon after Evil-Merodock let Jerochin out of prison.

Look at what Manasseh did against God:

This foolish young prince, in contradiction to the good example and good education his father gave him, abandoned himself to all impiety,

Transcribed the abominations of the heathen (#2Ch 33:2),

Ruined the established religion,

Unraveled his father’s glorious reformation (#2Ch 33:3),

Profaned the house of God with his idolatry (#2Ch 33:4-5),

Dedicated his children to Moloch, and made the devil’s lying oracles his guides and his counselors, #2Ch 33:6.

In contempt of the choice God had made of Zion to be his rest for ever and Israel to be his covenant-people (#2Ch 33:8), and the fair terms he stood upon with God, he embraced other gods, profaned God’s chosen temple, and debauched his chosen people.

He made them to err, and do worse than the heathen (#2Ch 33:9);

That which aggravated the sin of Manasseh was that God spoke to him and his people by the prophets, but they would not hearken, # 2Ch 33:10.

Manasseh didn’t listen to the life issues he was taught by his parents. That it is no new thing, but a very sad thing, for the children of godly parents to turn aside from that good way of God in which they have been trained. Parents may give many good things to their children, but they cannot give them grace.

Manasseh didn’t listen to the men of God sent to him by God.

Manasseh finally listened to God through affliction – II Chronicles 33:11-13.

II Chronicles 33:11 – took him among the thorns –

a. Because he was running and hid himself where he thought he could not be found.

b. Matthew 13:22 – In the parable of the sower – The seed is received among the thorns, but God makes it to prosper.

Manasseh turned to God because all the other "gods" had forsaken him, and could not help him.

c. He was convinced the Jehovah is the only living and true God: Then he knew (that is, he believed and considered) that the Lord he was God. He might have known it at a less expense if he would have given due attention and credit to the word written and preached: but it was better to pay thus dearly for the knowledge of God than to perish in ignorance and unbelief. Had he been a prince in the palace of Babylon, it is probable he would have been confirmed in his idolatry; but, being a captive in the prisons of Babylon, he was convinced of it and reclaimed from it.

d. He applied to him as his God now, renouncing all others, and resolving to cleave to him only, the God of his fathers, and a God on covenant with him.

e. He humbled himself greatly before him, was truly sorry for his sins, ashamed of them, and afraid of the wrath of God. It becomes sinners to humble themselves before the face of that God whom they have offended. It becomes sufferers to humble themselves under the hand of that God who corrects them, and to accept the punishment of their iniquity. Our hearts should be humbled under humbling providences; then we accommodate ourselves to them, and answer God’s end in them.

f. He prayed to him for the pardon of sin and the return of his favor. Prayer is the relief of penitents, the relief of the afflicted. That is a good prayer, and very pertinent in this case, which we find among the apocryphal books, entitled "The prayer of Manasseh" king of Judah, when he was held captive in Babylon. Whether it was his or no is uncertain; if it was, in it he gives glory to God as the God of their fathers and their righteous seed, as the Creator of the world, a God whose anger is insupportable, and yet his merciful promise immeasurable. He pleads that God has promised repentance and forgiveness to those that have sinned, and has appointed repentance unto sinners, that they may be saved, not unto the just, as to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but to me (says he) that am a sinner; for I have sinned above the number of the sands of the sea: so he confesses his sin largely, and aggravates it. He prays, forgive me, O Lord! Forgive me, and destroy me not; he pleads, Thou art the God of those that repent, &c., and concludes; Therefore I will praise thee forever, &c.

Then Manasseh tried to undo all the wickedness he had done in the early parts of his life.