II
Chronicles 7:14 (NASB)
“…….and
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, will forgive
their sin and will heal their land.”
Despite this verse appearing in a relatively obscure Old Testament book
that few Christian people ever study, II Chronicles 7:14 is one of the most
beloved and quoted verses in the entire Bible.
It has been used primarily as the motivational verse for church revivals
in America such as the mid-1970s “If My People” rallies in convention centers
all over the U.S. led by Pat Boone.
However,
as with all Scripture, it is important to keep in mind the context of the verse
or passage in question. The object of
this great promise of God is King Solomon.
It was in the first chapter of II Chron that God asked Solomon what He
should give him and of all the possibilities that Solomon could have asked for,
he asked for wisdom and knowledge (1:10).
God’s answer in verses 11 and 12 show how pleased He was with this
request. Solomon’s temple and palace
were built as described in II Chron chapters 3-5. Solomon then dedicated the temple to God with
his prayer recorded in chapter 6. Then
here in chapter 7 God again appeared to Solomon in v 12 as He had in chapter
1. God says in II Chron 7:12, “I have
heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of
sacrifice.” What was Solomon’s prayer
that resulted in God answering him in II Chron 7:12-22?
Solomon
asked for two things in his prayer---(1) allowing Solomon to sit on the throne
of Israel (II Chron 6:17) that God answered in 7:16-22 and (2) answering the
prayers of His people (II Chron 6:18-42) that God answered in 7:12-15. So this famous verse of II Chron 7:14
actually results from God’s answer to Solomon’s prayer that He listen and
respond to His people’s prayers.
When
do the people pray? Again, reading
Solomon’s prayer of II Chronicles 6, Solomon described 7 different scenarios
when people pray:
1.
Sinning
again your neighbor (6:22)
2.
Defeated
before an enemy because of sin (6:24)
3.
When
there is no rain because of sin (6:26)
4.
When
there is famine, pestilence, and other judgments of God (6:28)
5.
Foreigners
who are God-fearing (6:32)
6.
Before
going out to battle (6:34)
7.
When
people sin against God and He delivers them to an enemy (6:36)
God
says in II Chronicles 7:14 that He responds when His people do four things: humble themselves, pray, seek Him, and turn
from their wicked ways.
When
people are hurting, when a nation is hurting, when people and circumstances are
desperate, people become humbled and pray individually and collectively. But, there are two other requirements for God
to forgive sin and heal the land---(1) people must seek Him and (2) turn from
their wicked ways. These latter two
requirements are much more long-term than being humble and praying for
help. Repentance of sin, both
individually and as a nation, must be sincere and a life-long effort to stay
repentant. In other words, repentance
must be genuine and, in turn, bring long-lasting change to those who are
humbling themselves by praying. For too
many, after a short time of humility and praying and repentance, you stop
seeking God and return to your wicked ways.
Since this is a common pattern for individuals, how can we ever expect
this to be any different for nations?
J. Barton Payne in the Expositor’s Bible Commentary said it best
about this verse: "It expresses, as
does no other passage in the Bible, the stipulations that God lays down for a
nation to experience his blessing, whether that nation be Solomon's, Ezra's, or
our own. Those who have been chosen to be His people must cease from their
sins, turn from living lives of proud self-centeredness, pray to the Lord, and
yield their desires to his Word and his will. Then, and only then, will he
grant heaven-sent revival.”
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