Q:American Christians seem to be comparing modern politicians with leaders who are mentioned in the Bible—good and bad. Is it right to make such comparisons, and who is the most wicked king in the Old Testament?
A: Judging belongs solely to the Lord because He is the only One who can know the motives of the heart. He doesn’t compare us to others because the Bible says that we have all fallen short of His perfection (Romans 3:23). But God has certainly given us 66 books of the Bible to teach us about our fallen human nature and what happens when we defy Holy God.
Manasseh, king of Judah, was certainly a cruel tyrant. His story is told in 2 Chronicles 33. He was an idolater who turned against God and worshiped every kind of pagan deity. Manasseh was guilty of immorality, he practiced every conceivable evil and perversion, devoted himself to witchcraft and was a murderer; even sacrificing his sons to a pagan god.
God’s judgment fell on Manasseh. He was bound in chains and taken away to Babylon. But that is not the end of his story. While the wicked king was confined in the dungeon he had time to think, and Manasseh began to pray. This man who deserved Hell cried out to God for forgiveness—and God answered.
God’s mercy is so vast and beyond our comprehension because He responds to repentant hearts. Not everyone is thrown in prison for their disobedience to God. In Manasseh’s case, imprisonment was turned to blessing because he found the Lord. We dare not neglect God’s warning to repent today, because everyone will not have a prison conversion. “He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy” (Proverbs 29:1). But God’s mercy can be ours.
Q: My grandfather recently died and left his well-marked King James Bible to me. I believe the Bible, but I have never really read it. Many of the words in it sound archaic. Is it true that the KJV is still the best-selling Bible and what does the word “slothful” mean?
A: The King James Bible on its 400th anniversary in 2011 was reported to be the best-selling Bible of all time. Millions of people through the years committed many passages to memory from this version that bear them up through difficult times.
While some of its language is dated, the meaning does not change, just as God does not change. The Bible does speak of slothfulness and the dictionary defines the word as “lazy, idle, inactive, and sluggish,” to name just a few descriptions. The Bible gives warning to those who are slothful. “Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger” (Proverbs 19:15, KJV).
God told the human race that they would spend life tilling the ground (working). He intends for every able-bodied person to be productive and earn a living. We are to do our work honestly, with integrity, and without compromise.
This also applies to living a life for Christ here on earth. We are to be about God’s business as well. The devil’s overriding goal is to block God’s work—part of that work is to read, study, and obey His instructions to us. He tells us how to live—and how not to live—in the pages of Scripture. Becoming a Christian is a work of a moment; being a Christian is the work of a lifetime. “Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established” (Proverbs 16:3).
