While making a declaration of His sovereignty through Ezekiel, the prophet, the Lord linked three faithful men together. Ezekiel proclaimed,
“The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, if a country sins against Me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it and kill its people and their animals, even if these three men—Noah, Daniel, and Job—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign Lord’” (Ezekiel 14:12-14).
These three men — Noah, Daniel, and Job — were cited for their similarity, specifically for their righteousness. Today, I ask you to consider three other men, namely Manasseh, David, and Paul, who have a similarity. At first glance, it may appear somewhat obscure to determine what these three men, who lived centuries apart from one another, had in common. Bear with me as I set forth similarities shared by these three men and of which we may draw some important lessons.
Consider first, Manasseh, the wicked king of Judah who “did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel” (II Kings 21:2). The Bible records that Manasseh “acted more wickedly than all the Amorites who were before him, and … made Judah sin with his idols” (II Kings 21:11); and “shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another …” (II Kings 21:16).
Now consider David, the king, who reigned several centuries earlier, during the united kingdom of Israel. One of the lowest periods in David’s reign, if not the lowest, was when he committed adultery with Bathsheba. In an attempt to cover up his sin, David killed Bathsheba’s husband (II Samuel 11:14-17).
Finally, consider the actions of Paul, formerly known as Saul. He is described as “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord” (Acts 9:1); making “havoc of the church … and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison” (Acts 8:3); and having done so, he cast his vote against them “when they were put to death” (Acts 26:10).
If, at first, it may have been unclear how these three men — Manasseh, David, and Paul — are similar, it should be apparent now, what they have in common. All three men were guilty of murder — a most heinous crime for which the laws of man render severe penalties and a sin for which God decries and judges (Exodus 20:13; Proverbs 6:16-19; Matthew 5:21-26; Revelation 21:8). Not only did they murder. They murdered righteous people of God.
Fortunately, murder is not the end of the commonality in these three men. All three men repented of their sin. Manasseh “implored the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed to Him (II Chronicles 33:12,13a). David “acknowledged” his sin (Psalm 51:3), asked the Lord to “cleanse” him of his sin (Psalm 51:2), and confessed, “I have sinned against the Lord” (II Samuel 12:13; Psalm 32:5; 51:4). Paul confessed that he “was not disobedient to the heavenly vision” (Acts 26:19) but declared what he himself had done, namely, “repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.” All three men humbled themselves, appealed to God, and repented of their sin.
The most wondrous similarity in these three men is that the Almighty God forgave them of their sin! When Manasseh repented, God “received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back into his kingdom” (II Chronicles 33:13). David sang the praises of God when he said, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity… (Psalm 32:1,2). Paul proclaimed,
“This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life” (I Timothy 1:15,16).
What may we take away from the similarities seen in these three men? I suggest these two truths: First and foremost, our God is supremely merciful. And secondly, God’s mercy extends beyond what man might deem the most heinous of sins. Let no one ever conclude that his or her sin is so severe that God will not forgive. To do so would limit God’s mercy. Manasseh, David, and Paul show us that God is rich in mercy to those who are truly penitent. The Lord proclaimed by Isaiah,
“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18).
