“If I close the sky so there is no rain, or if I command the grasshopper to consume the land, or if I send pestilence on My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.” [2 Chronicles 7:13-14 HCSB]
How often have we read or quoted or published that verse? I see it everywhere. And maybe because it has become so familiar, we have become a bit immune to the importance found therein.
God spoke those words as His response to a prayer of a young Solomon at the completion and dedication of the Temple. On the day that the temple was dedicated, the glory of God fell. The chapter opens with that profound event.
“When Solomon finished praying, fire descended from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. The priests were not able to enter the Lord’s temple because the glory of the Lord filled the temple of the Lord.” [v1-2 HCSB]
The people of God had received an awesome privilege and blessing, God’s Very Presence came to dwell in their midst. But with that also came a heavy responsibility to remain true to that blessing.
If they failed to remain true, instead of reaping God’s blessings, they would find His judgment. Drought. Famine. Disease. Sound familiar?
Let us be clear about one thing. The judgment that God would send would not be caused by the actions of the pagan nations who did not know Him. It would be the result of the abandonment by God’s people. When they embraced “wicked ways,” God would bring correction. Something to think about, isn’t it?
