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13th November 2024
WednesdayReflection
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'Brian Dennert offers'
'a disciple of Jesus that ministers to many'
2 Chronicles 7:14 in Its Context"
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A principle about biblical interpretation, is that the Bible is not written to us but is for us
What this statement means is that the various books of the Bible have as their initial, intended audience a group that is not us.
Within the Bible there are speeches that are given to other people, (when you read "you," it typically refers to someone else).
Thus, it is not to us, but it is still for us, in that it is God's Word, and these words to these other people, have meaning and authority for our lives today.
We need to study passages in their context to see the value for us today; as other writers have said, we need to understand the "then and there" before we look to the "here and now."
However, at times we can easily forget that the Bible is not to us but rather for us.
I know I have fallen into this trap (especially when I first starting reading the Bible), reading words and applying them to my circumstances and surroundings without looking at the context.
One passage I know I have fallen into this trap is 2 Chronicles 7:14, another commonly cited verse that can sometimes be quoted without looking at its context.
This verse reads:
If they (my people ) pray to me and repent and turn away from the evil they have been doing, then I will hear them in heaven, forgive their sins, and make their land prosperous again.
I remember first reading this verse and thinking to myself that this is a promise that if Americans started to pray, then things would go better in the country.
In the process, I seemed to assume that the "my people who are called by name" were the people of this country.
Let's take a step back and look at the context before looking at how to apply it to our world.
The context of this verse is found right after Solomon, David's son, has built and dedicated the temple to the Lord.
God appears to Solomon and tells him that He has heard his prayer, with these words as part of what God says in response.
The overall thrust is that God has chosen this place, the temple, to be a house of sacrifice for the people.
If the people pray, then God would respond and bring the blessings back to the land; the idea of healing is with particular reference to these punishments of drought, famine, and disease.
In saying this, God affirms that He heard, and answered, Solomon's prayer.
Solomon had talked about what happens when the people sin and then turn in prayer, asking God to hear them and forgive them; God confirms that He indeed will do so.
What does this mean for us today?
When I read 2 Chronicles 7:14 now, my mind does not turn to America, but rather to the church.
When God's people - those called by His name - find themselves in sin and experiencing consequence of it but then humble themselves and pray, he brings healing and forgiveness from the discipline we might be receiving from God
This healing would seem less about prosperity in terms of material blessings but more about healing in terms of spiritual effectiveness and ministry.
When we experience discipline, may we turn to Jesus in prayer.
The message for us here is that God will respond to our cries, and has responded by sending Jesus, who does what Solomon could never do (obey God perfectly).
Within this idea, there still remains the truth that if God's people, his church, humble themselves and seek him, they will bring blessings to the world.
The only hope for healing in a land is found when people turn to God, looking to the church living out its command to love God and love others.
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This is an edited version.
The full article and Bible references are avaiable on request
'Dr. Brian Dennert'
is Pastor of Faith Church and is Faith's Pastoral Theologian.
Brian is a disciple of Jesus that ministers to many inside and outside of Faith Church with his work as a shepherd, preacher, blogger and podcast contributor.
Faith Church is a Bible-believing, outreach-oriented, community of believers committed to changing the world one relationship at a time.
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