Do you remember in English class when you had to diagram a sentence to show all its grammar parts? Or how about in college when they gave you a story written by someone and asked you to dissect it to determine what the author was getting at? I do, but I admit I was not very good at either. Still, as I look at the verse in 2 Chronicles 7:14 that is so familiar, I have the urge to do a little dissecting.
“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.” [2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV]
“My people who are called by My name ….”
It seems clear to whom God is directing this command. It was not to the pagan nations with their ungodly lifestyle surrounding the nation of Israel. God directed His command for repentance to Israel, His beloved people.
When God gave this command to Solomon on the day the grand Temple was dedicated, He also gave Him the reason this repentance prayer would be necessary.
“If you turn away and abandon My statutes and My commands that I have set before you and if you go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will uproot Israel from the soil that I gave them, and this temple that I have sanctified for My name I will banish from My presence; I will make it an object of scorn and ridicule among all the peoples.”
Everywhere you turn today during this most difficult fear-and-virus pandemic, there is a call going out to “God’s people,” His beloved Church (people called by His name). That call is one of turning back to Him (repentance). We, just like Israel before us, have strayed. We have served other gods. We have worshipped idols of money, prosperity, power, and a half-truth gospel.
The Church in American now has a choice. We can admit how bad our sin is, turn back to God, give Him our heart and our love and follow Him obediently, or we can be “banished” from His presence.
Oh, LORD, may we respond correctly to Your word as You command! Amen.
