In 2 Chronicles 7, the Lord simply reminds Solomon of the previous agreement. They would serve the Lord for a while and then fall back into sin again. The Lord would raise up a judge to deliver them. Israel would repent and call upon the Lord. God would send another nation to judge them. Judges chapter 2 is often referred to as “The Cycle of the Judges.” Israel would fall into sin. We see this blessing and cursing under the Law play out in the book of Judges. Again, divine blessing and divine punishment on Israel were conditional on their obedience or disobedience. Deuteronomy 28 spells out the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience. Because of the covenant relationship, there was a direct correspondence between their obedience and their prosperity, and their disobedience and their hardship. He also promised to bring curses upon them if they failed to obey. God had entered into a covenant with Israel and promised to take care of them and cause them to prosper as long as they obeyed Him. No doubt Solomon would have recognized this warning as a reiteration of Deuteronomy 28. All who pass by will be appalled and say, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them-that is why he brought all this disaster on them’” (2 Chronicles 7:19–22). This temple will become a heap of rubble. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. The immediate context of 2 Chronicles 7:14 shows that the verse is tied up with Israel and the temple and the fact that from time to time God might send judgment upon the land in the form of drought, locusts, or pestilence.Ī few verses later God says this: “But if you turn away and forsake the decrees and commands I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, then I will uproot Israel from my land, which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. “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 I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:12–14). After Solomon dedicated the temple, the Lord appeared to him and gave him some warnings and reassurances. When approaching 2 Chronicles 7:14, one must first consider the immediate context. Because context is so important, a verse whose meaning and application seem straightforward when quoted in isolation may mean something significantly different when it is taken in context. There is also the historical and cultural context-how the verse was understood by its original audience in light of their history and culture. There is the immediate context-the verses before and after it, as well as the larger context of Scripture-how the verse fits into the overall story. The key to understanding any verse of Scripture is context.
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