If My people who are called by My name will 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 will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7: 14, NKJV
Gracious God, what a wonderful promise of healing and restoration You have given us. Please help us to understand it, as fully as our minds can receive it; for Christ’s sake. Amen
This verse is one of my all-time favorites! Let us look at it together.
When the first temple, often referred to as “Solomon’s temple” was dedicated, the temple musicians (instrumentalists and singers) played and sang (perhaps in the form of an antiphon) with such apassionato “…that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God” (2 Chronicles 5: 11-14). And king Solomon’s prayer was so majestic, that “heaven came down and glory filled [their] soul[s].” “Then Solomon knelt on his knees before all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven; and he said: “LORD God of Israel, there is no God in heaven or on earth like you…” (2 Chronicles 6: 13b), that was just the beginning! And God responded with no less splendor, “When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, for the glory of the LORD, had filled the LORD’s house” (7:1).
It was in response to that extraordinary prayer, at the dedication of the temple, that God sent this promise to His people.
“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves.” The first point is that God is speaking to His people; those of us who have taken His name upon us. This is not a call to unbelievers. Not that they cannot partake of the promise, but it is directed to us, who call ourselves Christians. We need to allow meekness, the fruit of the Spirit, to replace the pride in our lives.
“…[P]ray and seek My face.” There is so much power in prayer! Perhaps if we believed this, we would “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5: 17). There are blessings in seeking the face of God. David’s response to God was, “When You said, ‘Seek My face,’ my heart said to You, ‘Your face, LORD, I will seek.’ Do not hide Your face from me” (Psalm 27: 8, 9a). Let us “seek” His face, “while He may be found” (Isaiah 55: 6).
“…[T]urn from their wicked ways.” Chances are, that if we were meek, and prayer became our way of life, and we delighted in seeking the face of God; that would not leave much space for “our wicked way” to develop, would it? Just as light dispels darkness, if God filled our lives with His goodness, evil would soon cease to be (Romans 12: 21).
“[T]hen I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin.” I wonder how conscious we are of the fact, that we are the only persons that can hinder the answer to our prayers. God does not ignore us. We have, by our sins, separated ourselves from Him. “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened that He cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear” (Isaiah 59: 1, 2).
“[I] will heal their land.” In the days of king Ahab there was famine in the land because of the sins of the children of Israel. In our day, all creation is suffering under the load of our sins. How our land needs healing from all the blood that has been shed, all the social injustice that exists, it needs healing from the destruction that we have brought upon nature! We can do our best to try and prevent any further damge being done to planet earth, but I truly believe, that at this late hour in earth’s history, nothing but the second coming of Christ will bring complete healing to our land. However, in the spiritual sphere, God is well able, and willing, to heal the soil of our hearts, by making it responsive to the Holy Spirit.