This sermon is indebted to the work of Crawford Loritts and a sermon he preached at a mission conference in Norfolk, VA March 1992.
2Chronicles 7:11-16
This Is Who We Are, Part 3
Our Place in the Land
There is a new breed of detective show today. One with more brain and less brawn. These cops are no Bruce Willis, surviving impossible odds by wits and a smidgen of luck. The cops I'm thinking of don't give us cute little catch phrases like "Yippe Kai Yeah!"
The cop I'm thinking of is more of a super-sleuth. He or she is known as a profiler. A profiler is a breed of cop that arises out of our need for some way to combat the latest evolution of evil, the serial-killer. Profilers are specifically trained to think with the criminal mind, to place themselves in the shoes of the perpetrator. Their tools are the clues of a crime scene -- the resources used to commit the crime, the victim selected, the evidence left purposely by the criminal to serve as his calling card. From these clues the profiler recreates the crime and then reasons back to what type of person might perform such an act. With the right information, these super-sleuths can give you the approximate age, the ethnicity, probable motive and some of the background of the criminal. All this, simply from piecing together the circumstances of the crime scene.
In the last ten years or so and as recently as this past September, I've heard a lot of the leaders in popular Christianity make proclamations which makes me think of them as profilers for God. Theological profilers, if you will. They watch the horror of September 11 and begin to instantly interpret it as an act of an angry God. Anthrax tainted mail slithers its way through our society on its way to prominent targets, and it is deemed God's judgment. Then in reverent tones they say "If America doesn't repent soon God's going to have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah." They cry out for America to repent. Turn back before the wrath of God comes to rest upon our land. It's time for revival! All the while forgetting that now we see as through a darkened mirror.
And I say, wait a minute. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for revival sweeping the land. I live for the day when I come to church and have to lay on my face in the aisle because the presence of God is so thick, it is the only acceptable form of worship. I am pro-repentance! As a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ, it's a prerequisite. But I want to examine this judgment thing. Instead of simply looking at the circumstances of earth and trying to read into them the truths of heaven, I say let's take a deep breath, pause for a moment and see if the Scriptures can illumine our counsels with wisdom. Instead of dusting the events of the day for the fingerprints of God -- looking for some clue which can tell us what he's up to -- let's go back to the one place where he has recorded his thoughts already, the Bible.
In 2 Chronicles 7:11-16, we find a rather peculiar story. A story that speaks of what can be thought of as a disturbing pattern. I want to spend this morning exploring this pattern -- what it signifies and what it means for us. To do this we need to look at three things. The first is answering the question "Why was the book of Chronicles written?" That completed we then need to answer a second question. "What events lead up to the story in the text?" In other words, what's the context? And finally, we'll explore how the pattern we find impacts us today by asking, "Who's God speaking to?"
Our text this morning, comes out of one of only two books in the Scriptures that records all of human history from creation to the time of the author. In the original text, first and second Chronicles are one book and looking at the two combined is like standing over a time-line and seeing all of history in one glance. The chronicler accomplished this by making the first nine chapters of 1 Chronicles a genealogy that stretches back to Adam. The other book that does this is the Gospel of Matthew.
The reason Chronicles covers such a broad scope is because it was written to answer some huge questions for the people of Israel as they were coming out of exile. It was written for those who were returning to the Promised Land after the Babylonian captivity, when Cyrus decreed that the temple should be rebuilt. The remnant of Israel was returning to a land that was stripped of its former glory known under Solomon and it was kingless, without an heir to David's throne. It seemed as if all the promises of God were null and void. So they naturally asked, "Does the covenant remain? Are we still God's people? Or are we godless?"
The writer of Chronicles answers these questions with his written history of Israel. By including the genealogies in the first nine chapters -- a portion of Scripture known by one commentator as "Scriptural Sominex" -- the writer first shows their connection to our original parents and the promises extended to Abraham. He then pays particular attention to God's faithfulness in keeping his promises toward Israel, especially the promise to maintain David's throne.
In order to do this and give hope to the remnant, the chronicler has to answer two questions:
1. How did they then end up in exile?
2. How do you see God's faithfulness in the exile?
Sound's like a tall order doesn't it? Just remember, the writer was under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
The writer answers these questions by showing a cause and effect relationship between Israel's obedience to the law and the land. If Israel was to remain secure, she must keep God's commandments. She must fulfill her task of being a light to the nations. How does she do this? By living according to the law. Such a life would reflect the glory of God to all those around and draw them into a faith in God. Isn't it funny? That's still what God's people are about today. Jesus said that people would know we are his disciples by our love for one another. In Romans 13:8, Paul says that the one who loves his neighbor fulfills the law. In other words, God's purpose for his people hasn't changed. He commands his people, "Bless the nations with the good news of my grace and mercy that led you up out of the land of slavery -- out of the bondage of sin. Do this by leading lives full of grace and mercy. As I have done toward you in Jesus Christ, do toward your neighbor." Israel failed to live according to that command, and so was exiled.
You see, what the writer does by demonstrating that Israel's disobedience is the cause of their exile is show that God is faithful to his promise. It was Israel who was unfaithful. So the covenant remains -- God's promises stand -- awaiting the grateful acceptance of his people.
We can see this most clearly in v. 14 of our text today.
"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 will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will hear their land."
What the chronicler is saying to his people through this story is "Yes! God is faithful. When we were in exile, we humbled ourselves and prayed, we sought his face and repented of the sins of our fathers and look! God delivered us! We are back in the land! God is with Israel. We are his people and he is our God! His goodness and promises endure forever."
I don't know about you, but this stirs my blood! This is our God people! Faithful. Patient. Forbearing.
Sing to the Lord, you saints of his;
Praise his holy name!
For his anger lasts only a moment,
But his favor lasts a lifetime!
The chronicler shows his people through their history that God's promises endure. They have reason for confidence that though they forsook the Lord, he did not forsake them. God was still with Israel. That's the background for why the text was written.
But now, let's narrow the focus a little and look at the circumstances surrounding the text itself. Although it isn't directly stated in the text, there is a thirteen-year period that lay between v.10 and v.11 of chapter 7. In vv. 1-10, we see Solomon dedicating the temple after its completion. There is feasting, celebration and sacrifices in plenty. All of Israel is packed into the regions surrounding Jerusalem for God's house-warming party. And then, the glory of the Lord fills the temple. Such was the presence of God that the priests couldn't continue with their rituals.
My grandfather, who lived his life as a back-woods Wesleyan preacher, used to tell a story about an old church nestled deep in the hills of West Virginia. The church sat perched on the feet of a steep hillside near the one dirt road that led into the community. Papaw used to say that when they held revivals in that church, the Spirit of God would become so manifest there among them that you could feel his presence long before you ever got to the door. He said you'd be walking down the hill, and wham! It'd hit you. So heavy was the weight of God's holiness on that place, that by the time you got to the door all you could do was fall down face first in awe. The whole assembly, he'd say, would be on their faces, prostrate before God praying. All the whooping and singing they had planned to do was forgotten in the face of such an awesome presence.
That's how I picture the dedication of the temple. All those grand plans, for naught. God fills the place and teaches a lesson in humility on how he will be worshipped. The Scriptures say that God's glory was manifested so greatly that it filled and surrounded the temple so that all present saw it and was in awe.
Just prior to this tremendous manifestation of God's presence, Solomon offered a prayer of dedication asking God to remember his covenant with Israel and to hear the prayers offered in this place. Particularly, Solomon spoke of when Israel walked in disobedience, bringing judgment, that God would hear the cry of those who prayed in this place and respond with mercy.
This brings us to v.11 of our text this morning. The celebration of dedication for the temple is a memory now. Solomon has had time to build the royal palace as well, some thirteen years later. Everything he had in mind to do both in his palace and the temple has been completed. Solomon can rest now. He's got his place, God's got his -- the God of all creation who fills all he has created manifested himself particularly in the city of Jerusalem in the temple. But all the giddy excitement of the day when the temple was first opened has receded behind the press of every day life. And then, God makes a house call. Look at vv.12-16.
The LORD appeared to him at night and said:
“I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices.
“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague 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 will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. 16 I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.
There are a few things I want to note about this text, a few important details. The first is this -- God is answering Solomon's prayer of dedication found in chapter 6. Let that sink in for a moment. This is thirteen years after the prayer is offered. I almost have to wonder if Solomon recognizes what is happening. I know that I find it hard to remember what I prayed last week unless I write it down. This is thirteen years later!
Regardless of whether Solomon remembers or not is not the issue. The issue is that God does, and in his time he is offering an answer. Christian, be encouraged by this. We may not see immediate response to our prayers, but that doesn't mean there is no response. Our God is faithful. He hears and he honors every prayer of faith, in his time.
The second thing I want to note is who God is talking to in this passage. His people who are called by his name. What you have to remember about Israel at this time is that the Israelites were not the only ones in the land. Although they were instructed under Joshua to drive out all of the Canaanites, the Hebrews made a treaty with some and allowed them to live. Since that time, intermarriage has occurred, contact and trade with foreign nations has made Israel prosperous, and the king's heart was being slowly turned to accept foreign gods by his foreign wives and concubines. So the Israelites are not the only ones in the land, yet God is speaking specifically to them.
Now, bearing these two things in mind, let's look again at what God says to Solomon.
"When I shut up the heavens....or command the locusts to devour....or send a plague among my people...."
Okay, let me concede that God is speaking about judgment here. God is saying, "Solomon, there's judgment coming. The people are going to live in continuous disobedience against me and when they do, I'm going to break out against you."
But note who it is God is speaking to? Who is it that God is going to break out against? Is it the heathens in the land? Those who don't believe in God? No! Look at v.14
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from..." what? "Their wicked ways!"
It's his people! They are the ones who are bringing judgment upon the land, not the sinners -- it's the saints! What is so interesting about this passage and what is found through out the history of Israel is that judgment always comes when Israel fails to obey and live out her calling before God. You see, that's the pattern. The prophets are thick with it.
You see, when we speak of judgment, for us it is always, in every way, punitive. Judgment is God getting back at us puny humans for dissing him. So when we see a great woe upon the land, or a dread disease sweeping through a people group, we point and say, "God's mad at them." The problem is that we have a wrong view of what judgment is about. Now, let me clarify by saying there is coming a day when the wrath stored up for those who reject God's offer of mercy and atonement on the merits of Christ's finished work will be unleashed. But folks, that's the final judgment.
My point is this, if we see judgment here -- on earth -- its not because God is mad at those who don't know him. It's not because the slaves of sin play with their chains. It's because his people, the ones he led out of bondage with a strong arm and a mighty hand -- the ones he set free -- return to their shackles. If judgment comes, it comes as a wake up call for his people -- in other words it comes as a means of discipline and its ultimate goal is redemption. That's why we exercise discipline in the church. Why Paul exhorts us in his letters to the Corinthians to expel the immoral brother from the assembly. Not to punish him for being naughty, but to teach him his need for God in the hopes that will lead to Godly sorrow and repentance -- and in the end, redemption. Look with me at the last part of v. 14.
"...then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
Remember the context of the verse. God has come to Solomon in a vision, before Israel is lost in idolatry. And he tells Solomon when -- in other words its going to happen -- the people go astray, here's what you do. Here's how you read the judgment I'm sending upon the land. It's not to destroy you. It's to lead you back home. It's to tell you I'm waiting for you, wanting to forgive and heal. Call my name, ask for help, and I'll be there. God's words to Solomon are more than just words of warning -- they are words hope, words of restoration, words of revival.
May I suggest something here? If there is judgment coming upon this land, its not because of the sin of unbelievers. It's because of the sin of the saints. Our nation isn't going to be judged because of what happens in San Francisco. The recent tragedies in our nation is a consequence of mankind's fall into sin, just as having your fingers burned is the consequence of grabbing a hot coal. It is the result of sin twisting that which should be good – a fundamental belief in a gracious and benevolent Creator – into something violent and evil. But it is not judgment. If judgment comes, it will be because the church of Jesus Christ chose to sleep in the light rather combat the forces of darkness.
Christian, let me remind you that for every finger you point at the unbelieving, there are three pointing back at you. It's so easy for us to see the misfortune of the godless and call it judgment. I ought to know, I often catch myself hoping fervently -- nearly daring to pray for it -- that every reckless driver that whizzes by me talking on a cell phone would meet Trooper Joe over the next rise. What I should be doing is praying for their safety, hoping they will see the danger they present before they kill themselves or somebody else.
It shouldn't surprise us when the unbelieving sin, it should break our hearts. Because we know the riches that they are missing out on. We shouldn't smugly name the consequences they reap from their life of sin as God's wrath. We should weep with them, plead with them accept the free gift of God. Without it, they may not know God's wrath now, but they will.
People of God, here's the message. We have a task to do. If there is judgment coming on the land, it's because we are not doing it. What's the task? We're to bear witness to Jesus Christ our Lord -- manifest the glory God for others to see and be drawn to faith in Christ. Like leaven placed in a lump of dough, we're work our way through out our community, communicating the truth in love. This is who we are. That's what it means to live in the land of God's freedom -- to be a citizen of the New Jerusalem, part of the history of blessing . God never asked us to be theological profilers, pointing the finger of condemnation. Only Christ has that authority. But he did ask us to be his hands and his feet. We need to get about the Father's business before it's too late. The day is coming when Christ will return and this time, it will be as the righteous judge.
