I will hear from heaven
2 Chronicles 7:13-14; Prayer is easy; repentance is incredibly difficult.
Modern-day reconstruction of Jerusalem during the 10th century BCE. Model from the City of David, part of the Jerusalem Walls National Park. By יוני שפירא - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0.
“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 7:13-14 NIV
These two verses from 2 Chronicles have a special meaning for me. At about the same time that Barb and I joined a weekly 24/7 prayer group at church, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. That was a time of great uncertainty on how bad the disease was going to be, lockdowns, and both necessary and unnecessary mandates that were causing a lot of fear in the population of the world.
Our prayer team leader used these verses as a way of showing us that we in the team needed to humble ourselves, pray, and repent as a way of demonstrating to the Lord our earnestness in asking for His help. This is why 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 will forever be linked in my mind to the pandemic and its eventual outcome.
In the Old Testament, this statement by God comes at a very important time: the dedication of the temple built by King Solomon (the image at the top of this devotional is a picture of a model depicting the temple during the 10th Century B.C.) The Lord spoke to Solomon in the middle of the night, probably a good time to receive messages from God since the King was not busy with his royal duties and could focus his attention on what he was hearing.
This is actually the second time that Solomon has had the unique honor of having God appear to him, the first being described in 1 Kings 3:5-9. We know from earlier in Chapter 7 of Chronicles that God approves of the temple and the dedication, as He sends fire down from heaven to consume the burnt offerings and sacrifices in 2 Chronicles 7:1-7.
Now the Lord tells Solomon that He has chosen the temple as a house of sacrifice, thereby consecrating the structure. At this point, God offers the people of Israel a much more positive future than their bleak present — filled with drought, pestilence, and disease — would suggest. There are several simple conditions attached to the offer…
If His people “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.” The call for humility is a must, as it shows that the people realize that the answer to their troubles comes from God and not themselves. What better way to show humility than to get down on one’s knees and pray?
How do God’s people seek His face? In the ancient Hebrew, פָּנִים (pānîm) has multiple meanings, both “face” and “presence”. Seeking His face means we have a deep desire to know His character and wanting His presence more than any other thing. Spending time in prayer and worship is seeking God’s face.
Repentance is another condition leading to God fulfilling His promise. He asks them to “turn from their wicked ways”, not just turning their hearts to the Lord in prayer but changing the direction of their lives. Prayer is easy; repentance is incredibly difficult.
When God’s people fulfill these conditions, He will forgive them and ease their suffering. The promise still stands in our present time to all who follow His Son, our Savior Jesus Christ.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Lord, Your promises are eternal. When difficulties come, as they always will in this earthly life, I have faith that through humble and earnest prayer, worship, and repentance, You will hear Your people and provide healing to our world. In Jesus’ name I pray, AMEN.