If My People...
Scripture: 2 Chronicles 7:14 ESV
14 if my people who are called by
my name humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their
wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal
their land.
Devotion
This verse is very popular in Christian circles today. Why
wouldn’t it be? The whole world appears to be in a very big mess. We have a
pandemic that has effected millions around the world. Sickness and death seem
to reign everywhere. For the Christian there are concerning signs in culture.
It seems that the world has moved on leaving Christ and his followers behind.
The forces of evil and disorder seem to be on the march sowing seeds of the
weeds of malice, warfare, abuse of drugs and alcohol. If ever a land needed
healing surely this one does. So, how does this verse help with the mess we
have drifted into?
In order to properly interpret this verse, it is necessary
to set into its context. First, we see that in verse 12 of this chapter God
appears to Solomon to deliver these words directly to him. We also note that
this promise was given immediately after the dedication of the first temple. It
contains the essence of God’s message in the Old Testament according to one
commentator “This paragraph reveals
the heart of the books of Chronicles and is actually Chronicles’ summary of the
essential message of the Old Testament.”[1]
The next thing we note
about this verse is that it is a conditional promise God is not promising to unilateral
forgiveness. And it is not given to just anyone, but God speaks here directly
to the “people who are called by my name”. Although we see in the book of Jonah;
God uses the same pattern of repentance-to forgiveness by a people who are definitely
not “his people”.
God’s promised
forgiveness is conditioned on humility, prayer, seeking God’s face, and finally
repentance. Only when God’s people fulfil these conditions will God promise to
hear from heaven and heal the land.
The final and most relevant
question that must be answered is can we as 21st century Christians
claim this promise for ourselves. Because if it is restricted to Jewish people
of a certain time and place then we attempt to claim this promise in vain. A commentator
helps us out here. “Although God’s invitation is initially given to my people (v. 14), 6:32–33 has made
clear that anyone who acknowledges God’s name and authority may pray with the
same confidence of a hearing. This passage is therefore consistent with others
where the invitation is explicitly extended to ‘all who call on the name of the
Lord …’ (Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21; Rom. 10:13; Zeph. 3:9; 1 Cor. 1:2).”[2] So, it appears that 21st
century Christians can indeed claim this promise. However, we must remember
that it is still conditioned upon our obedience to the conditions mentioned in
the verse. Let us move toward meeting those condition today, so that God may hear
from heaven and heal our land.
Prayer
[1]
Martin J. Selman, 2 Chronicles: An
Introduction and Commentary, vol. 11, Tyndale Old Testament
Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1994), 354.
[2]
Martin J. Selman, 2 Chronicles: An
Introduction and Commentary, vol. 11, Tyndale Old Testament
Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1994), 354–355.
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