Last year I looked at the Top 10 Most Shared Bible Verses from 2013 in their context. They have recently posted their 2014 list and to my surprise there are ten new most shared verses, so I figured I’d look at these ten popular verses in their context again this year. Today we will look 2 Chronicles 7:14, which is the third most shared verse of 2014.
The Verse:
…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)
The Context:
2 Chronicles begins with Solomon taking over for King David. His big project will be to build a temple for Yahweh and a huge palace for himself. In chapter 6 we read Solomon’s grand prayer and dedication speech. Note especially 2 Chronicles 6:26-28. Solomon is asking God to hear from heaven and to bless this temple.
In 2 Chronicles 7 Yahweh responds in the form of fire coming down from heaven. Several years (upwards of 13 years) pass between verse 10 and verse 11. In 7:11 Solomon has finished the temple and the Lord appears to him at night (likely going back to 2 Chronicles 1:7).
2 Chronicles 7:12-22 is God’s response in covenantal language to Solomon. It is filled with blessings and curses. 7:14 is part of the blessing section. If you do this (walk in obedience) then I will do this (bless you). But if you do this (rebel) then I will do this (curse you).
This is a very specific promise to a specific people about a specific place. But is this a general principle? Can we apply this in our day? Is it true that if America would humble themselves that God would heal our land?
The Meaning:
Consider with me the date of 1-2 Chronicles. Most scholars have it as around 400BC when the exiles have returned to the land. Also note that the Hebrew Bible closes with 1-2 Chronicles.
I mention this because I believe Stephen Dempster is correct in his book, Dominion and Dynasty, that there is a purpose in the order of the Hebrew canon. It ends on 1-2 Chronicles for a reason.
After the judgment of the exile, the command to rebuild the temple is nothing less than a catalyst for the fulfillment of the prophetic hopes…The goal of the canon is clearly the great house of God, which is as inclusive as the globe…But this has to be understood in the dual sense of ‘house’, meaning ‘dwelling’ and ‘dynasty’…The [Hebrew Bible] orients its readers to the future. As such the Story is unfinished. The long, dark night of exile awaits a sequel—the dawning of a new light that will radiate to the ends of the earth. (227)
The original readers of 2 Chronicles 7:14, as they are rebuilding the temple, would have used this text as a call to prayer that Yahweh would once again bless them and heal their land.
But what of us? We don’t have a temple. Nor do we want one. Christ has fulfilled the purpose of the temple. And so there is a grand sense in which we know from the gospel that when we turn to the Lord in humility he forgives and he heals.
But can America claim this promise? I don’t think so. I believe it is a general principle that when a nation turns to God and humbles themselves that God responds (look at the Ninevites) but even still there is no promise that America will remain as a nation (look at the Ninevites).
Conclusion:
It is not, though, as if 2 Chronicles 7:14 has no meaning for us. Let us use this verse to draw near to Christ. To call upon him for healing. To pray that he would heal our land—but at the same time know that we await a kingdom not of this world.
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