If My People…

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. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (ESV)

This scripture has been posted, put on billboards and signboards, preached about and promoted during every crisis in recent history. But there is a problem with it!

It is, of course, true. It is also relevant but there are important things about it which must be considered. Notice in the quote above that the ‘if’ is not capitalized. That is because this is the second part of a sentence. That reveals the necessity of examining the context of this scripture. This context limits the application of the promise. That is our first stop. However, there is a second stop we will make on how there is great and profound truth that is timeless despite the limit of its context.

Context

For the context of this passage, we first turn to 2 Chronicles 6. In that chapter, Solomon prayed at the dedication of the temple.

“When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray toward this place and acknowledge your name and turn from their sin, when you afflict them, then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk, and grant rain upon your land, which you have given to your people as an inheritance.” 2 Chronicles 6:26–27 (ESV)

God heard that prayer and answered. That answer is recorded in chapter seven which frames the immediate context of this passage.

When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, 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. 2 Chronicles 7:13–14 (ESV)

These passages place the context strictly within the confines of the Old Covenant. That covenant gave the children of Israel the promised land. This promise was for prosperity and security within the land as long as they were obedient to the leadership of God.

Solomon realized that the people might not be faithful in the future just as they had often been unfaithful in the past. He prayed that God would be merciful to a repentant people and restore the promises of covenant when they prayed.

Does this mean that the passage is not relevant for us living in the New Covenant?

Today’s context

The beauty of God’s word means that even when the context limits the application of a scripture, the principles God gives us are timeless. While this particular scripture was relevant and contextualized for the days of the Old Covenant, the principles that we will examine transcend time and place.

Here are the principles which are relevant to any time and place.

If my people

The Bible is written primarily for the people of God. It is the story of God’s relationship with his highest creation. This passage is for his people. In Solomon’s day that meant the children of Israel as well as those who had joined themselves to them.

Today, God’s people are all the children of promise – those who have become the children of God through the promised Messiah. True followers of Jesus are the people of God. This verse is directed at followers of Jesus, wherever they are.

The required attitude and action

God lays out several things that must happen. First, we must understand that this is relevant when God’s people have strayed. When the church loses focus on God and becomes less of what God wants her to be, something must change.

In our world today, much of the church is carrying on the work of the kingdom in a powerful and transformational way. In the western world, the church has become anemic with fewer people experiencing the abundant eternal life that Jesus promised. We tend to blame culture for this slide towards unbelief but the church has a responsibility to make disciples. We have the power of the Holy Spirit – gifts and fruit – working in our lives and through our lives. There is nothing lacking in the church. The same power that changed the first century world with the spread of the gospel in a hostile culture is available today. The fact that we are moving backwards and not forwards points to a failure in the church.

Here is God’s prescription for us

Humble ourselves. We sometimes think that the church is right. We tend to give ourselves a pass because we are saved, right? But we must remember how Paul told us (the church) to regard ourselves with sober judgment (Romans 12:3). Self-righteousness is a sin of pride. If we are not willing to humble ourselves before God and ask him to search us, we are not where we need to be spiritually. Until we have reached the ‘whole measure of the fullness of Christ’ (Ephesians 4:13) we are not where we need to be.

Focusing on God, studying his word, listening to his voice helps keep us humble. It is where we belong.

Pray. Some have said that this nation (USA) needs to return to prayer. However, what is really needed is for the church to return to prayer. Prayer is a vital part of our relationship with God. It connects us to God. Prayer as individuals is essential. Prayer as a church united is also essential. Praying with humility and contrition opens the door for God’s blessings in our lives.

Seek his face. This means that we turn to him. It means that we spend time in his word. We read and study and meditate on the scriptures. When we seek his face, we turn away from the influences of the world in order to be influenced by God alone. In the world we are influenced by entertainment, media (commercial and social), world events, politics, friends, classmates, family, colleagues and so many others.

Seeking God’s face means we purposely focus on him and turn down the volume on other influences – even completely eliminating destructive ones.  

Turn from our wicked ways. But we aren’t wicked! According to the Bible, any failure to be obedient to God is wickedness. Any time we are careless with our words, offensive with our actions, prideful in our hearts and selfish in our ways we are wicked. And every one of us has tendencies and temptations that drag us that direction!

Turning from our wicked ways is repentance – a change of our minds and behaviors. Repentance should be part of our lifestyle as followers of Jesus. As we grow spiritually, we continually must change how we think and act, so we become more like him.

The promise

God issued an Old Covenant promise to the children of Israel. He also issued universal promises for us today. Here are some of those promises.

He hears us. When we repent, he hears us. We serve a God who is listening to us. We can always be sure of this.

He forgives us. When we truly repent and seek him, he forgives us. His mercy never fails. He loves us and always wants the best for us.

He heals our land? That is the Old Covenant part of this verse. Remember that the old covenant was a blessing on the land that the children of Israel inherited. The promise to them was for good harvests, prosperity and blessing.

What does he promise us under the New Covenant and what are its blessings? He has promised us eternal life, abundant life, his indwelling Spirit, gifts and fruit of the Spirit, power for service, a rich relationship with him and so much more (including heaven). We experience all of these when we follow the prescription laid out in this verse.

It’s for the church

It is time for the church to embrace this scripture. To take the necessary steps. For the church to be all that God wants us to be, we must return to his word – to this word! When the church gets right with God, it is empowered to change the world! Only the redeemed and empowered church can change a culture, a people and eternal destinies. That is God’s plan for us. We must begin now to embrace that plan.