Twisted Scripture: 2 Chronicles 7:14

Looking back on 2020 it will go down as a year to forget. I found myself in a sense of frustrating irony. We have a government who, throughout my lifetime, has proven to care very little about human life. A government which gives 530 million of US tax dollars to Planned parenthood every year. An abortion mill which in 2019 killed over 350,000 children in the womb. This government which funds abortions mills now all of a sudden, cares about human life, to the point where they shut down an entire country forcing a recession. I found myself frustrated because I cared about human life from the start. I could understand being consistent. But to have a government who has shown no care for human life to all of a sudden, care? That did not pass the sniff test for me. I saw countless Americans frustrated because they could not open their business. Their livelihood and ability to provide for their families was forcibly shut down. In the midst of this, understandable frustration, I saw people seeking to cleave to some hope. I believe, though 2020 was terrible for our country, it was wonderful for the Kingdom of God. More people were forced to examine their lives, see their mortality, and wrestle with the existence of The creator God. In this cleaving for hope we began to see a verse pop up more and more, 2 Chronicles 7:14

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.

Now, I may be a pessimist but I am not the kind of person to just come in and destroy peoples hope. Hope is beautiful. However, when our hope as Christian’s is put wrongly into something or in this case, in the twisting of Scripture, we must bring clarity. Not because we want to dash that hope. But because we want our hope to be rightly placed in God Almighty. The clarity of Scripture, I believe, is where we find our Greatest hope: Christ alone.

1. We have read the text at hand, but we must perform the 3 rule of sound Biblical interpretation which are? Feelings, bias, and manipulation. No, they are? We addressed something important two weeks ago when we looked at tithing and it must be brought up again. Under the old Covenant, God made a covenant with a people and their Nation. Today, God has made a covenant with us in our Salvation through Christ Jesus. But the Old Covenant was to a people and a Nation, Israel. Therefore, the promises God made to the people would affect the Nation and vice versa. 2 Chronicles 7:14has been twisted and applied to the United States of America. The cold hard truth is, God has made no such Covenant with this country. God has made a covenant with us, His people, the church. He has made no Covenant with the U.S. After all, I referred to abortion in my intro, if God did make a Covenant with us, how would he feel about our Nations conduct? You do realize the sacrifice of children was one of the sins committed by the Canaanites, right? If God will do anything to the US, He will judge this nation, not bless it. Thankfully God has made no such Covenant with our Nation.

a. However, God did make a covenant with Israel and its people which is where we find ourselves in 2 Chronicles 7. The context of this verse, what is happening leading up to it is this? The Temple has been built. They have brought the Arc of the Covenant into the Temple. Solomon blesses the people and he dedicates the Temple. In chapter 6 we see something important, Solomon says in 2 Chronicles 6:24-25 “24 “If Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and they return to You and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication before You in this house, 25 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You have given to them and to their fathers.” In chapter 7 as soon as Solomon finishes his prayer 2 Chronicles 7:1-3 “1 Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the house. 2 The priests could not enter into the house of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s house. 3 All the sons of Israel, seeing the fire come down and the glory of the Lord upon the house, bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave praise to the Lord, saying, “Truly He is good, truly His lovingkindness is everlasting.” Solomon offered as a sacrifice 22k oxen and 120k sheep. Solomon consecrated the courtyard. Solomon then held a feast for 7 days, and they held a solemn assembly for 7 days. We now get to the context of our verse; 2 Chronicles 7:11-22

Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lordand the king’s house. All that Solomon had planned to do in the house of the Lord and in his own house he successfully accomplished. 12 Then the Lord appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. 13 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, 14if 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. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. 16For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time. 17 And as for you, if you will walk before me as David your father walked, doing according to all that I have commanded you and keeping my statutes and my rules, 18 then I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man to rule Israel.’ 19 “But if you turn aside and forsake my statutes and my commandments that I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, 20 then I will pluck you up from my land that I have given you, and this house that I have consecrated for my name, I will cast out of my sight, and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. 21 And at this house, which was exalted, everyone passing by will be astonished and say, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house?’ 22Then they will say, ‘Because they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods and worshiped them and served them. Therefore he has brought all this disaster on them.’

b. What are we seeing? Solomon has rebuilt the Temple and the people are sacrificing to the LORD, but we just read in chapter 6 a recognition of God’s covenant by Solomon. His prayer consisted of God’s people being faithful to the LORD and when they were not God would punish them. To bring plagues or to raise up another nation to conquer them. So, when we read 2 Chronicles 7:14 “14 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.” we are seeing very clearly that God’s covenant is not with America or any other country who rips this verse out of its context, it was with Israel and His people.

c. God made it clear, you do what you are supposed to do and I will protect you, prosper you, and most important, forgive you. How interesting is it that? God declares His terms so well. His people know what is expected of them. Serve God and worship Him alone and you and your country will prosper. Do they, do it? No. Not much has changed. We are so quick to abandon the God who saved us to pursue and worship false gods. As you read the OT you see God’s people constantly turning their back on Him and worshipping false god’s. In Matthew 23 and Luke 19 we see the emotions of God, as Christ looks over Jerusalem and weeps. Matthew 23:37

37“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.

Two points to make here, this will transition us to where 2 Chronicles does apply. First, Jesus says, how “often I wanted.” Jesus is calling to His divinity. When we read the OT God the father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit all in one accord as the Living God wanted Israel to worship the One True God. He wanted to gather them and protect them, that was in His covenant with them. That is what we see in 2 Chronicles 7. The second point, because they were unwilling, Jesus weeps over them. What a gut-wrenching image! God has become flesh and we see him now weeping over the people He had been yearning to save, and they are unwilling. I cannot imagine exactly what Jesus is expressing through His tears. His “heart being broken for His people,” does not even scratch the surface. Not only does He weep for them because they refuse to have Him as their God. He also knows that in His righteousness their treason would be met with is righteous condemnation. Jesus is bought to tears for countless reasons, but the text clearly indicates, He wanted His people to know Him, the One True God.

1. This brings us to where 2 Chronicles does apply.

a. I do not think it is difficult for us to see that verse 14 does not apply to us and a Nation. But that does not mean that this verse points us nowhere. We certainly cannot just throw it away as though it is not important. Though this text and the conditions therein do not apply to us there are still conditions within this promise which are consistent in His Covenant with His people today. The reason why? Because these “conditions” are wrapped up in His Character, as we know God does not change. 2 Chronicles 7:14

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.

Here is what we see continuing: if my people who are called by my name humble themselves. First a foremost, no one will ever be a part of the Family of God separate from humility. It can’t happen. Humility is what helps us see our need for a Savior. Humility recognizes “I cannot do this on my own.” Humility helps us see ourselves for who we are, but even more, with that clarity we are able to see God for who He is.

Pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways. We see this yet again in

Romans 10:12–14 ESV

12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

Paul makes the same point. God has never shut the door one anyone’s face. Anyone, who would be humbled, and call upon the name of the LORD will not be turned away. They will not be rejected. They are not too broken. They are not too messed up. They will be called sons and daughters. They will be given God the Holy Spirit and He will begin to work in their lives and He is the seal, the mark of one’s salvation. This, dear brothers and sisters, still applies today.

1. There is one final point I would like to make, though 2 Chronicles 7:14 does not apply to us, it does not mean that God cannot still bring a type of healing to our country.

a. What I mean by that is, God has made a lot of promises in His Word and in those promises we see how He can bring about healing in our Nation, but it will not be because we are a Nation of His covenant, it is more like, our Nation becomes the beneficiary of God’s Work through His people. How does that work?

When God’s people realize that we have a command to Go!: Matthew 28:19-20

Matthew 28:19–20 ESV

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

When God’s people realize we all have a purpose Ephesians 2:10

Ephesians 2:10 ESV

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

When God’s people will be spurred on by the overwhelming truth of God’s Love Romans 8:38-39

Romans 8:38–39 ESV

38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

When God’s people would realize that we are equipped to be bold 2 Timothy 1:7

2 Timothy 1:7 NASB95

7 For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

When God’s people MOVE, how can God not restore a Nation when the people are being saved!? When God is saving a multitude of people the culture is transformed. Now, the brokenness in our culture will be placed under the LORDSHIP of Jesus Christ. People argue, whey did Jesus never address slavery or racism? Because He was never going to come here and say, “Stop it” and we would listen! We are a stiff-necked rebellious creation. Besides, God did that, “Don’t eat from this tree” and we rebelled. But when He takes LORDSHIP over the hearts of sinners, and those regenerate sinners read, Galatians 3:27-29 “27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.” Slavery was not abolished in our country because people stopped reading the Bible or because they were “woke” or because of new age atheistic thought. Slavery was abolished because people upheld the Bible and submitted to the authority of Scripture. Our country can be healed not because God has something special for the US as a Nation. He has no covenant with the US. But He does have a covenant with you and me. He has a covenant with His church. Through God’s people, and the Power of the Holy Spirit, every Nation can be healed through the conversions of sinners to sons and sinners to daughters. One day, the LORD will accomplish this fully when there is no US, Canada, China, GB, etc. It will be His Kingdom that will reign forever more. I am telling you this now, the groans and pains we see rumbling through our nation will never be addressed through political policy or through the crafting of a law. If we want to address the sins of our Nation, we must fight it with the Gospel.

But before we can do that, can we take a step back for a moment? Before we can address the woes of our nation, we must first begin in house. Can we look at our church for a moment? What healing needs to be brought to our church as a whole? What conflict has never been addressed? What hurt has never been brought out? There are people whom the LORD is drawing to Himself and He will use this church as His instrument to bring them to Him. I need you to hear me very carefully, what I am about to say, is not an indictment of anything I have observed. I am calling attention to the American church as a whole, and calling you to have the Holy Spirit search your hearts. God will draw people in, but who wants to walk in from a back stabbing world, to a back stabbing church? Gossip reigns in our world, who would want to leave it out there and enter into it in here? Narcissism reigns in our world. Who would want to leave it there and enter into here? Church, we desire to serve the LORD and do His Will in our community, we have to be honest about what is keeping us from that. Before we could ever hope God begins to heal an entire Nation, it must begin in His church, with those He has made His covenant.