Almost 10 1/2 years ago I posted this article but with the upcoming election I continue to see 2 Chronicles 7:14 being used out of context to claim we have promises of God to heal our country. So here it is again to demonstrate that this passage has nothing to do with Christians and the USA.
This morning I received another one of those e-mails misusing 2 Chronicles 7:14, with the claim that if we all humble ourselves, pray, repent and turn to God, He will heal our nation. Well, it sounds good and makes everyone feel good to pass this on, but is it true? Let’s look at the actual passage in the New King James Version:
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 heal their land.
Okay, let’s examine this passage and see if there is any application at all to the USA and our current national problems.
Chapter 7 is about the dedication of the new temple Solomon had built in Jerusalem. But it follows chapter 6, which includes a lengthy prayer by Solomon beseeching God to hear the nation when they sin if they turn back to God and repent. After all the ceremony, which took place over several days, God appeared to Solomon at night (7:12) and responded to his prayer. Now, let’s look again at our passage in context, starting at verse 13:
“When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, 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 I will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
First and foremost verse 14 is predicated on verse 13 (which itself is a response to Solomon’s prayer). WHEN God brings a curse/discipline on Israel, IF Israel repents, etc, THEN God will bring back the blessings. This is a promise to fulfill the prayer request of Solomon.
So, the promise of vs. 14 will be God’s action when Israel properly responds to God’s discipline. Now an important thing to remember is that, from the beginning of the Mosaic covenant with Israel, there was a condition of obedience in order to be blessed. We can see this condition in passages such as Leviticus 26:3-46 where God gives an “if, then” promise: IF Israel is careful to obey God’s commands, THEN God will give them physical blessings. In Deuteronomy chapters 28-30 we find that if Israel obeys God, their blessings will include children, crops, increased livestock, peace in the land, prosperity, and establishment as God’s holy people. In those same chapters we learn that if Israel disobeyed God’s commands, then God would bring discipline - curses - upon them, which would result in a lack of children, poor crops, enemies triumphing over them, poverty, and they would be scattered.
So let’s look at vs 14 with a couple annotations by me: If My people [Israel] 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 heal their land [in accordance with My covenant promises].
We know that the Old Testament is indeed for our instruction (Romans 15:4), but not every promise in it applies to the Christian; many were directed to specific individuals and incidents. Yes, Christians are now God’s people (and Israel also still is), and as a general rule, we know that God blesses those who obey him and disciplines those who disobey. But the promise of 2 Chronicles was a specific promise to a specific nation based on a specific covenant and in response to a specific prayer. Christians can not claim any part of this promise.
The promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14 is based on the covenant between God and Israel; it is not based on God and any other nation or people. When the passage talks about God’s people, it is not about anyone but Israel. The USA has never been God’s people; only the nation of Israel has borne that title. Christians are indeed God’s people, but not as a nation. The promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14 is NOT for Christians.
Christian men and women, please use discernment and quit using this passage for political purposes. This passage is not about America and God has given no such promises to us no matter how much Christians would like to think so.
7 comments:
Thank you!! Like you, I get tired of hearing this verse for our country. But unfortunately, we will continue to see it over and over because of the lack of hermeneutical knowledge.
I'm sorry, but I see no reason why this verse can't be used to encourage and promote better, if not Godly, behavior among our fellow Americans. Would God not respond in the same way to our nation if we humble ourselves, and pray and seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways? Perhaps it's a matter of how it's been used that you find problematic. Can you provide an example of it being misused to better illustrate your point?
Art,
This verse is abused by claiming it as a promise to the USA, which it isn't. Not even close. As noted, the promise by God was for ONE nation and in answer to a specific prayer.
This country, as a country, will never humble ourselves before God. This country, as a country, will continue to descend deeper and deeper into horrid sexual immoralities, degeneracies, murders and mayhem. All we can do is slow this descent by putting conservatives in political offices and judicial positions.
We have plenty of teachings in the Scripture about people in general repenting and humbling themselves before God, etc, and receiving personal blessings. But only Israel has a national promise.
You really don't think God would respond in the same way despite the passage referring to a specific circumstance? It seems to me that the passage also represents a lesson other nations should learn and adopt for themselves. I don't know that anyone actually thinks God extended the promise to other nations, but only believe that He will respond in the same way for doing the same thing the compelled that promise to Israel.
In the meantime, I don't disagree that the likelihood of the entire nation humbling themselves in that way is at all likely, short of some incredibly literal earth shattering event. Even then, we might be a few people short of the entire nation bending the knee.
Art,
The fact remains that this was a promise to ONE particular nation in response to ONE particular prayer. People who cite this passage during political seasons are citing it as a promise to the USA.
As I said, we can use many passages IN CONTEXT which demonstrate how God responds to anyone who humbles themselves before God and repents. Why take this one out of context to prove a point?
"People who cite this passage during political seasons are citing it as a promise to the USA."
That's what I was asking: Can you provide an example of people who are using as a promise to the USA, as oppose to merely citing it as an encouragement that the USA should humble itself before God in hopes of the same response?
Well, the week I posted it was because there were numerous FB posts/comments and for each one I linked to my original post. So I don't have the evidence for you. But it was because of such claims that I reposted the article. I've not seen any since, but if and when I do I'll share them with you.
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