Finding Our Way Back
2 Chronicles 7:14
Our Sunday School lesson today covered 2 Chronicles 7:1-7, 11 which describes the conclusion of Solomon's dedication of the temple. Where after Solomon’s prayer of dedication, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and sacrifices. The glory of the Lord filled the temple so powerfully that the priests are unable to enter. The people, witnessing God's glory, bowed down in worship, giving thanks and praising the Lord.
It also discussed the large number of sacrifices made that day in the dedication of the new temple. We were told that 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep were sacrificed. Friends, can you imagine it? The priests and Levites took their positions, performed their duties with musical instruments made by David for worship. The entire assembly celebrated for seven days, and then another seven days for the festival of Tabernacles.
Now, a couple of things I want to specifically comment on right now are the fire from heaven, and the glory of the Lord. Fire from heaven is mentioned at least 6 times in the Bible. There is at record of it in the destruction of Job’s flocks. Then there’s the judgment of God against Sodom and Gomorrah, and twice we have fire raining down on soldiers sent by the wicked king Ahaziah to arrest Elijah.
There are also times, at least 3 times I can think of, when fire fell from heaven where it didn’t have anything to do with judgment or punishment, but forgiveness and acceptance. Like for instance on Mt Carmel when Elijah’s thrice soaked sacrifice was consumed, and last week we read of David’s sacrifice being heavenly burnt at the threshing floor, and then today, at Solomon’s dedication of the temple.
The fire that fell on Solomon’s sacrifice at the end of his prayer was also accompanied by the glory of God filling the temple. And you know, that’s happened before too, in the wilderness at Mt Sinai, after the tabernacle was completed and sanctified. God came down in the form of a cloud and filled the tabernacle with His presence.
Now, wouldn’t you have loved to be present at either of those times? I would love to experience the fire from heaven, in the acceptance and forgiving way, not the judgment, of course, and the glory of God filling this place. But those few experiences recorded in the Scriptures occurred over thousands of years. They were far from common occurrences. They were unique and given to special people under very special circumstances.
But, if we were ever able to experience the fire and the glory of God in this way, I’m thinking that the circumstances that might act as a catalyst of that are found in a portion of 2 Chronicles 7 that our SS lesson did not cover today. Specifically, that portion that is so well known and most often quoted and misapplied by many. That portion that says, 2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall 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. (Repeat)
Friends, like the fire from heaven and the glory of God we’d all like to experience, this verse was given to a specific person (Solomon), for a specific people (the Jews), for a specific reason (the temple). It’s not given to us to take out of context and use as a lucky charm or a general blessing to all people. It is tied up with Israel and the temple to let them know that if they will remain faithful to the Lord, then they will receive God’s blessings. But if they turn away as they are prone to do, then not only will they experience the chastisement of God, but God will also destroy this very temple He is honoring that day, and the people themselves will be taken away from the land into captivity.
The immediate, historical, and cultural context of this promise from God was specifically given to the Hebrew people and their descendants at a specific time as a warning and a promise. Now, some pastors and theologians stop right there. They’ll say that this verse cannot be applied to us today, but my response to that is, “Doesn’t the Bible tell us that everything that is recorded in the past was given to us today as an example?”
2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: and Paul also tells us that 1Co 10:11 …all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, So, even though much of Scripture was written for a specific time, place, people, and event, all Scripture was given for our reproof, correction, instruction, and as an example and for our admonition, which means our counsel or our guidance. All Scripture can and should be applicable to us today, because if the OT isn’t for us today, then why do we have it? As Christians, why read and study it?
Folks, to my thinking, and I believe I’m being led by the Holy Spirit of Christ, there is application of 2 Chronicles 7:14 for us today. That application is that if we want to get close to God—if we want to experience spiritual revival and renewal—if we want to find our way back to where we belong in Christ, then we must be humble, pray, seek, and turn; the very same thing we learn as Christians throughout the NT.
Before revival or renewal can ever become a reality, the people of God, without regard to what age they may have lived in, must meet the 4 demands mentioned in this verse. Meeting these demands does not guarantee revival will happen because this isn’t a recipe. But if the conditions are met God’s way, then the stage is set, the atmosphere in which it becomes possible and far more likely are just right! Hurricanes and tornados require certain conditions in order to occur, right? It’s not a guarantee they will occur, but it makes it far more possible. Well, it’s the same thing with spiritual revival, which begins with…
1. Humble, kâna? (kaw-nah'). Before any change can occur, there must exist a willingness, and openness to receive truth and change according to that truth. The Hebrew word that’s used her speaks of humility, as in being brought low. Humility is literally “lowliness of mind” and being humble has the idea of being placed under another, like when a large bundle is placed on the shoulders of someone. In this sense, it means to remember who is Lord! That He is God, the Creator and Sustainer, and we are not. Not even close.
When we humble ourselves, we are acknowledging God’s Lordship over our lives. We’re admitting our weakness and reaching out for His power. We are saying, “I can’t, but You can!” This picture is seen in Joshua 5:13-15 where he is told by an angel, the captain of the LORD’s host to remove his shoe, which is the ancient way to symbolize relinquishing control to another, and I’m sure you remember Moses and the burning bush where he was also told to remove his sandals.
Moses, by the way, was known to be a very humble man and he demonstrated that humility not by thinking less of himself, but of thinking of himself less. Even when the Israelites provoked God to the point of God threatening to destroy them all and establish His covenant with Moses, Moses interceded for the people and sought the LORD’s forgiveness for them. He had a true heart of meekness, and he put the people first, just like we’re instructed to as Christians.
Rom 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Giving preference to others, just as Christ gave preference to us when He gave up heaven to come to this sin filled planet to die for our sins. In other words: Php 2:5-8 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: [6] Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: [7] But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: [8] And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Humility is the first step to renewal, to finding our way back. Then comes…
2. Pray, pâlal (paw-lal)' which means to intervene, interpose, plead. To the Christian, prayer is spiritual breathing. It should be easier for us to do than not to do, but often that isn’t the case. We find that it may be difficult to continue in prayer when we aren’t seeing the answers we hoped for, but that’s where walking by faith and not by sight comes into play because ultimately, prayer is an act of faith. We have faith that God hears us even if we’re not seeing the results we had hoped for. We’re still commanded to pray, and we are promised that by persevering in prayer we will be heard and receive.
Jesus gave us the parable of the woman who persevered in prayer so much that the judge finally did something for her just to get her off his back. So, if an unjust judge can be swayed by perseverance, then how much more will our God hear and answer His faithful elect? Luk 18:1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Always to pray, and not faint.
Friends, our chief example is the Lord Jesus who spent much time in prayer. It seems like almost every time you turn a page in the gospels, you read about Him going to a private place, usually up a mountain to pray, but when He asked that the cup (the cross) be removed from Him, the answer He received was more along the lines of 2Co 12:9 …My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
To find our way back, we must come with humility and prayerfully, seeking His face.
3. Seek, bâqash (baw-kash') This is a call to passion and devotion—passionate devotion and to seek is to search for something, enquire, to intensely desire something. The idea is to come to the point where God is the number one priority and desire of our heart! Friends, there is nothing more important in life, more precious, more needful than having God and all He has to offer us.
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus said, “The true worth of a man is to be measured by the objects he pursues.” So, what is your main pursuit in life? Is it money, fame, power, or is it God and the kingdom of God? Would you like to know how to determine what’s most important to you? Then all you really have to do is to take an honest look at how much time you spend either doing or pursuing.
A. W. Tozer wrote: “If we yearned after God even as much as a cow yearns for her calf, we would be the worshipping and effective believers God wants us to be. If we longed for God as a bride looks forward to the return of her husband, we would be a far greater force for God than we are now.”
One of the problems with the modern church is that we have ceased to desire God as we should. We cannot honestly say that we Mat 22:37 …love the Lord thy (our) God with all thy (our) heart, and with all thy (our) soul, and with all thy (our) mind. We have so many pursuits in life that our devotion is fragmented, and we have no place for a first place in our lives. We spend more time on our phones, scrolling ourselves to death—literally, spiritual death, to the light of our telephone screens!
My prayer is that this attitude within us would die the death it deserves, and that we all fall in love with God once again. Finding our way back to the point where God becomes the focus and the driving force of our lives. If you truly want renewal, spiritual revival, then that’s what it takes. Humility, prayer, seeking His face, and repentance.
4. Turn, shûb (shoob) 2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall 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.
“Turn from their wicked ways…” That, folks, is repentance. To turn the face or to turn directions. To go a different way. In other words, God wants His people to stop sinning! Examine your lives. Identify anything and everything that does not please the Lord or line up with the word of God and then eliminate that from our lives.
Gordon MacDonald said, “Repentance is not basically a religious word. It came from a culture where people were essentially nomadic and lived in a world with no maps or street signs. It’s easy to get lost in the desert. You become aware that the countryside is strange, so you say to yourself, “I’m going in the wrong direction.” That is the first act of repentance. The second act of repentance is to go in an alternate direction. The implication is that you not only do this, but you also admit (confess) it to your companions.”
Now, we don’t like words like “repentance.” Just like the blood, substitutionary atonement and other deep theological concepts, many modern churches and pastors have gotten away from their usage anymore. They deem these things and “too bloody”, “too harsh”, “too black and white.” “We would rather speak of only love and faith.” But the fact is that God demands purity. He commands us to be holy as He is holy. If we want to find our way back—if we want true spiritual revival, then we have to follow His rules, not ours.
His requirements are that we create an atmosphere in which we can experience tremendous spiritual rewards from His hand by coming to Him in humility, prayerfully, with great desire to seek His face—to know Him better, and in true and sincere repentance. We have to change directions. There is no other way, and when we do, guess what?
2Ch 7:14 …then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Friends, this is a conditional promise given to God’s people. It was given specifically to the Jews, and I would say that it was given to them because He knew what they’d do way down the line. He knew of all the unrighteous and wicked kings that were in store for them, and how they would lead His people astray. He knew that Assyria and Babylon were in their future, but He also knew that one day, they would come to their senses and seek return. Not only to the land, but to Him. They would find their way back. That is why He laid this out for them ahead of time.
But this also has application for us as well. The life and history of the Jews many times mirrors our own lives. We come to God and then turn away over and over just like they did. So, revival is a real possibility for us. Now, we can’t manufacture it because revival originates with God, not us. This is His sovereign work. If we will follow His directions, then we can create an atmosphere where genuine revival becomes more likely.
It's not a guarantee. The whole USA may not turn in repentance like Israel did in the past, but it can become a reality on a personal level. It all hinges on one word, “If.”
“If my people…” 2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall 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.
“If my people… then I…”
