A decade of peace was broken when a large army of Ethiopians come against Judah. We are not told what prompted this invasion. We are told that the Ethiopian forces were double the size of Asa’s army. The Chronicler also notes that the Ethiopians had three hundred chariots. This was like have tanks in today’s military weaponry. This was a formidable challenge. Even though Asa has had a decade to build an army and fortify his defenses, this challenge is still overwhelming.
The response of Asa is the response we need:
“Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, “LORD, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; help us, LORD our God, for we trust in You, and in Your name have come against this multitude. LORD, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You.”” (2 Chronicles 14:11, NASB)
Asa cried out to the LORD his God: In his prayer Asa correctly understood that God’s power was not enhanced or limited by man’s apparent strength or weakness. He recognized that this battle belonged to the LORD and called upon God to defend His honor (do not let man prevail against You!).
David Guzik
Notice:
There is no one to help besides You
Help us, LORD our God
We trust in You
It is Your Name that is also at stake
You are our God
Do not let man prevail against You
“So the LORD routed the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled.” (2 Chronicles 14:12, NASB)
Asa and his army chased the Ethiopians to Gerar, south of Hebron, and won a decisive victory. The spoils of war were very large. God had shown Asa and the people what He can do when His people put their trust in Him.
After Abijah’s reign of three years, marked by war with Jeroboam and Israel, Asa came to the throne of Judah and experienced a decade of peace. This is described in 2 Chronicles 14:1-8, where the word “undisturbed” is used three times and “rest” twice to describe the state of affairs in Judah. The word “rest” is the same word used in Psalm 23 where the Shepherd “leads me beside still (quiet) waters.” The absence of war and the presence of God’s blessing brought great prosperity “because the LORD had given him rest” (verse 6).
This is his word to the people:
“For he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and surround them with walls and towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours because we have sought the LORD our God; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered.” (2Ch 14:7, NAS95)
Contrast this with the response of Uzziah:
“But when he became strong, his heart was so proud that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to the LORD his God, for he entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.” (2Ch 26:16, NAS95)
Prosperity can point us toward God or embolden us to turn away from God.
If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper. I make it a practice to read the Bible through once every year.
Daniel Webster
It’s what you sow that multiplies, not what you keep in the barn.
Adrian Rogers
God prospers me not to raise my standard of living, but to raise my standard of giving.
Randy Alcorn
People are usually better in adversity, than prosperity. A prosperous condition is not always so safe. True, it is more pleasing to the flesh – but it is not always best. In a prosperous state, there is more burden. Many look at the shining and glittering of prosperity – but not at the burdens of prosperity.
Thomas Watson
APPLICATION
Oh, if we could only recognize God’s hand of blessing during times of prosperity. If we could only recognize that this is the result of seeking the LORD (three times this phrase is mentioned). God has blessed the United States of America. We have enjoyed great prosperity and the highest standard of living in the world. We have been blessed beyond measure, yet we have failed to realize that these blessings are not the result of our hard work, our effort, our might, or our intelligence. We are the recipients of God’s richest blessings. We have taken these blessings for granted, expected them to continue even though we have forsaken God, and are beginning to see what it is like for God to withdraw His blessing. His harshest judgment comes as He gives us over to the consequences of our sin and disobedience (Romans 1:24, 26, 28). The time is ripe for repentance. We could have experienced revival during the prosperity, had we recognized its Source, but if we continue on our present course, revival will be the only thing that can save us from experiencing His anger.
It seems totally out of character. Rehoboam has just witnessed the consequences of his disastrous decision to lay a heavy burden on the people of Israel. He has sent Hadoram (Adoram of 1 Kings 12:18), the overseer of forced labor, to deal with the rebellion of Israel. Hadoram, the worst possible representative, is stoned to death. Rehoboam flees to Jerusalem and begins to assemble an army to fight Israel.
Then it happens.
“But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD, “You shall not go up or fight against your relatives; return every man to his house, for this thing is from Me.”‘” So they listened to the words of the LORD and returned from going against Jeroboam.” (2 Chronicles 11:2-4, NAS95)
Rehoboam, the king who would not listen to wise counsel, listens to the words of the LORD. I confess, I didn’t see that one coming. It just goes to show that even bad kings (see his epitaph from the post a couple of days ago) can sometimes follow good and Godly advice.
However, this one-off did not change the trajectory of Judah’s downward spiral.
“When the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and strong, he and all Israel with him forsook the law of the LORD.” (2 Chronicles 12:1, NAS95)
Because of this unfaithfulness, God allowed Shishak, king of Egypt, to come up against Jerusalem and prevail. Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and his princes and told them that, since they had forsaken the LORD, He had also forsaken them (2 Chronicles 12:5). A remarkable response followed.
“So the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The LORD is righteous.” When the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled themselves so I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some measure of deliverance, and My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by means of Shishak.” (2 Chronicles 12:6-7, NAS95)
PERSONAL NOTE: I confess that before I started studying 2 Chronicles, the only thing I really knew about Rehoboam was that he was the cause of the division of Israel into north and south. I certainly had not entertained the notion that he was also the instigator of revival as a result of humbling himself before God. Bible study offers many benefits and one of them is the surprising twists we encounter.
APPLICATION
Wow! This shows us that repentance is possible anytime people are willing to humble themselves. If Rehoboam and his princes can do it, we can believe that it is even possible for our proud leaders in Washington, when confronted with the truth, to humble themselves before God as well. When we pray for our leaders, as St. Paul commands us to do, we should pray that they will be confronted with the consequences of their harmful and ungodly policies and humble themselves before the God of the universe. Revival is still possible today, if the conditions are met.
God has His finger on the throttle of history. History is His Story.
Methodists have long been accused of ignoring or rejecting God’s sovereignty (that He is in control). That is not the case.
“God’s sovereignty means that He is absolutely free from creaturely restraints; that is, He is free to be who He is, the God who is holiness and love…. Wesleyans prefer to define God’s sovereignty according to His victorious involvement in the world.”
A Contemporary Wesleyan Theology, Volume 1, pp. 122-3. Carter, Charles W., General Editor. Francis Asbury Press, Grand Rapids, MI, 1983.
“So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by God that the LORD might fulfill his word, which he spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.” (2Ch 10:15, ESV)
This verse seems to offer insight into how God can bring about His will through the free choices of humans. It seems clear from the text that Rehoboam has freely chosen to follow the horrible advice of his young counselors, thus rejecting the counsel of the wise elders. However, God uses this as a means of fulfilling His word through His prophet. The text does not say that God caused Rehoboam to reject the counsel of the elders and adopt the counsel of the youths. God used these circumstances to accomplish His purpose.
For the turn of events was from God: God managed this whole series of events, but He did not make Rehoboam take this unwise and sinful action. God simply left Rehoboam alone and allowed him to make the critical errors his sinful heart wanted to make. (David Guzik)
Note also I Kings 11:14, 23; 12:24. Men may choose particular courses of action, but God is nevertheless working through their own choices. Compare Acts 2:23. In spite of the fact that God providentially allowed Jeroboam to become king, there was no divine anointing, and neither priest nor prophet took part in the coronation. (Henry Morris)
“It seemed to be altogether a piece of human folly and passion; but now we are suddenly brought into the presence of God, and told that beneath the plottings and plannings of man He was carrying out His eternal purpose… He makes the wrath of man to praise Him, and weaves the malignant work of Satan into his plans.” (Meyer)
“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Rom 8:28, NAS95)
APPLICATION
We serve a God whose plans cannot be thwarted. He is so mighty and sovereign that His promises will be fulfilled. This should offer great encouragement, as we seek revival. But we also realize that He works in the affairs of mankind to accomplish those plans. He has ordained the means to revival, and He will keep His promise to send it, when we obey by humbling ourselves, praying, seeking His face and turning from our wicked ways. We can choose our own way, but it will be to our own destruction. He will prevail!
Wandering through a cemetery one can find the names, birth and death dates, and sometimes a word or phrase describing something meaningful to or about the person. The Chronicler included an epitaph, or summary description, of the life of each king. Here are some samples:
“Solomon the son of David established himself in his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him and made him exceedingly great.” (2 Chronicles 1:1, ESV)
Concerning Rehoboam, he says: “And he did evil, for he did not set his heart to seek the LORD.” (2 Chronicles 12:14, ESV)
“And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God.” (2 Chronicles 14:2, ESV)
“The LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David. He did not seek the Baals, but sought the God of his father and walked in his commandments, and not according to the practices of Israel.” (2 Chronicles 17:3-4, ESV)
About Jehoram we read: “And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD.” (2 Chronicles 21:6, ESV)
About Ahaziah: “He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, as the house of Ahab had done. For after the death of his father they were his counselors, to his undoing.” (2 Chronicles 22:4, ESV)
“And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest.” (2 Chronicles 24:2, ESV), but 2 Chronicles 24:17-27 reveals that after the death of Jehoiada, he took a dramatic turn for the worse.
Uzziah also started well but did not finish well. “And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God, and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him prosper.” (2 Chronicles 26:4-5, ESV) “But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the LORD his God and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.” (2 Chronicles 26:16, ESV)
The summary for Jotham is revealing for the contrast between his life and the behavior of the people. “And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD according to all that his father Uzziah had done, except he did not enter the temple of the LORD. But the people still followed corrupt practices.” (2 Chronicles 27:2, ESV)
Ahaz did not follow in the footsteps of his father. “…but he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel. He even made metal images for the Baals, and he made offerings in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom and burned his sons as an offering, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD drove out before the people of Israel.” (2 Chronicles 28:2-3, ESV)
Hezekiah did not imitate his father, Ahaz. “And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done.” (2 Chronicles 29:2, ESV)
Here are some takeaways:
It is one’s relationship with the Lord that is most important.
A good or evil life is defined by whether or not one follows the Lord.
Choose carefully whose life you choose as a model (Ahab or David, etc.).
Does good or evil characterize the direction of your life and summarize the course of your life?
The evaluations of the kings’ reigns were not made by the kings or even by the people. God, through words of the Chronicler, made the evaluation. What do you think He would say about your life?
It isn’t easy for us to gain a proper perspective on the motives and actions of one’s life.
“Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.” (1 Corinthians 4:2-4, ESV)
What an amazing revelation! God desires a relationship and fellowship with the humans He created. These are the same humans who rebelled against Him, rejected His authority, and chose to follow the dictates of their fallen hearts. He desired fellowship with us so much that He paid an unbelievable cost to provide a way for us to have fellowship with Him. “…He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
“God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
1 Corinthians 1:9, ESV, emphasis mine
“that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.”
1 John 1:3, ESV, emphasis mine
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”
Revelation 3:20, ESV
God’s Dwelling with Us through the Scriptures
In the Garden of Eden God walked with the humans in the cool of the evening (Genesis 3:8).
God met with Abraham at the trees of Mamre.
The patriarchs built altars to meet with God and worship Him (Genesis 8:20; 12:7-8; 13:4, 18; 22:9; 26:25; 33:20; 35:1, 5, 7).
Moses met with God at Mt. Sinai, and this is where the children of Israel gathered after the exodus from Egypt (Exodus 3:1, 12; 4:27; 18:5; 19:3, 17; 24:13; 34:29).
Moses met with God in the tent of meeting before the Tabernacle was built (Exodus 33:7).
The Tabernacle in the wilderness was placed in the center of the encampment and God’s presence, represented by the cloud and pillar of fire above it, resided with His people.
“Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.”
Exodus 40:34-38, ESV
Later, the Temple replaced the Tabernacle as the residence of God’s presence among His people.
“As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD’s house.”
2 Chronicles 7:1-2, ESV
When Jesus came into the world, we find that “the Word became flesh and dwelt [tabernacled] among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth” (John 1:14, KJV).
After the sending of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, God has made us His temple (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19-20).
“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”
1 Corinthians 3:16-17, KJV
Peter expresses this reality in his first epistle:
“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 2:5, KJV
Ultimately, God’s presence will be an eternal reality for believers.
“And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.”
Revelation 21:3, KJV
APPLICATION
We have traced the theme of God’s desire to meet with His people through the Scriptures. God does not want us to spend eternity without Him, cast away from His presence forever. Revival begins with the recognition that we are not as close to the Lord as we once were or desire to be. When we experience a renewed sense of God’s presence in our lives, we begin to enjoy again “times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19).
“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.”
Acts 3:19-21, ESV
“This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
1 Timothy 2:3-4, ESV
“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9, ESV
God has made it possible for all men to be saved. The only thing holding them back is themselves and their refusal to believe and receive His love, grace, and forgiveness. Pray for those who are in darkness and do not have a knowledge of the truth. Pray that they may open their eyes to the truth. Pray that we will be faithful to share the truth.
Faithfulness will always be the first prerequisite of the watching, waiting, and praying believer looking for the Lord’s return.
Kaiser Jr., Walter C.. Revive Us Again . Christian Focus Publications. Kindle Edition.
“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.” (2 Peter 3:10-14, ESV, emphasis mine)
“You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:17-18, ESV)
He (Peter) assureth them of the certainty of Christ’s coming to judgment, against those scorners who dispute it; warning them, from the long patience of God, to hasten their repentance: he describeth also the manner how the world shall be destroyed; exhorting them, from the expectation thereof, to all holiness of life; and again, to think the patience of God as tending to their salvation, as Paul wrote to them in his epistles.
Commentary on the Whole Bible, Thomas Coke
From as far back as I can remember, especially as a young child, I heard frequently about the soon return of Jesus Christ in the clouds to judge the world. I was both terrified, thinking that I might not be ready, and troubled, thinking that I would not have time live and enjoy life, that it would be cut short by His return. Such is the thinking of a child. Now days, I find myself praying, “Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus.”
We have what Peter calls in 1 Peter 1:3 “a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” This inheritance is “imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.” This forms a strong motive for service and sacrifice now, knowing that whatever we have to give up here to serve the Lord, He will more than repay at the last day.
Jesus put it this way:
““Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also…. No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Matthew 6:19-24, ESV)
“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18, ESV)
As the song reminds us, “it will be worth it all, when we see Jesus.”
All our efforts for spiritual service will be handicapped and seriously curtailed in their real impact when judged by the standards of the resurrection power of Christ if we do not soon experience a genuine Holy Spirit-attended revival.
Kaiser Jr., Walter C.. Revive Us Again . Christian Focus Publications. Kindle Edition.
I have taken these main points from Revive Us Again, by Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. I have added my own observations to them, but recommend that those who want to dive deeper should consult his work on the subject.
Revivals have often been preceded by a time of deep spiritual decline and despair.
Think of the days of Elijah, when King Ahab, one of the most wicked kings and husband to Jezebel, led the people into idolatry and paganism. The drought that followed Elijah’s pronouncement to Ahab caused the people to rethink their allegiance at Mt. Carmel. 1 Kings 17-19 share the story of how Elijah called a nation back to the true God.
Revival was spurred on in the days of Rehoboam (Solomon’s son—2 Chronicles 10-12), when the kingdom split into the northern and southern kingdoms, as a result of the disastrous policy decision of Rehoboam. The LORD also allowed Shishak, king of. Egypt, to challenge Judah because of their unfaithfulness.
Uncharacteristically, it was prosperity that brought revival in the days of King Asa (2 Chronicles 14). Later, there were military challenges that came against Judah which further spurred on revival.
Revival came in the days of Asa’s son, Jehoshaphat, as a result of a large military force coming against the kingdom (2 Chronicles 20).
Then the LORD appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:12-14, ESV, emphasis mine
Revivals often begin in the heart of one of God’s servants, who then becomes the instrument in God’s hands to stir up an apathetic people.
Think of prophets like Moses, Samuel, Elijah, Isaiah, Haggai, Zechariah, etc.
Think of kings like Rehoboam, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah and Josiah.
Think of leaders like Ezra, Nehemiah, and Zerubbabel, etc.
Every revival in the Old Testament rested solidly on a new and powerful proclamation of the Word of God.
Under Jehoshaphat’s reign, Levites went throughout Judah teaching the law of the Lord (2 Chronicles 17:9
During the rule of Josiah, the Book of the Law was found, read, and obeyed (2 Chronicles 34).
During the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, the Word of God was central to revival (Nehemiah 8).
Revivals are marked by a return to the genuine worship of Yahweh.
The responses of humility, prayer, seeking, and repentance for a strong foundation for worship.
Revival involves the destruction and renunciation of the idolatry that stands in the way of acknowledging and worshiping the true God.
Repentance and the destruction of idol worship is at the center of every reform in 2 Chronicles.
Revival is characterized by a deep sense of sin and an overwhelming desire to forsake it and all that causes it.
Revival in the Old Testament involved the restoration of the offering of blood sacrifices.
Atonement was tied to addressing the sin problem of the culture. In our day, revival should be marked by an emphasis on the sole sufficiency of the atonement (blood) of Christ.
Revival is marked by the experience of joy and gladness.
“for the joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:9-10).
Revival is usually followed by a time of productivity and prosperity.
“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34, ESV)
APPLICATION
These are the characteristics we should expect and should be praying for. Revival is necessary, because spiritual relapse is inevitable.
There is the argument in biblical interpretation that this verse can only apply to the nation of Israel (and possibly, only to ancient Israel). The argument focuses on context, subjects and results. These interpreters say that the context is that of the nation Israel. This verse is found as God’s response to Solomon’s prayer at the consecration of the Temple. It is obvious that his prayer focuses on the nation, their backsliding and its consequences, and the remedy for the situation. Israel is the focus of Solomon’s prayer. The results include the healing of the land, a reference that these interpreters say can only apply to Israel. Israel, after all, had been promised and given the land, and would keep or forfeit it on the basis of their obedience to God. Dr. Kaiser, an Old Testament scholar, has anticipated this objection and replies:
No doubt a significant number of God’s people will object that 2 Chronicles 7:14 has no reference to them because it was addressed to Israel; it is strictly not their mail. But though the desire for a consistent hermeneutic, which underlies this objection, is admirable, the conclusion is wide of the mark on several counts.
Kaiser Jr., Walter C.. Revive Us Again . Christian Focus Publications. Kindle Edition.
Dr. Kaiser goes on to counter the objections with the following observations that are more fully developed in his book, Revive Us Again, Biblical Principles for Revival Today. This book is an expanded edition of his previous work, Quest for Renewal, Personal Revival in the Old Testament. The updated version includes the study of revivals in both the Old and New Testaments.
I will summarize his arguments here. I happen to agree with them, but I realize that not everyone will find them as convincing. I offer them for prayerful consideration.
The subjects are “My people, called by My name.” In the Bible, what someone named, they owned or protected, including cities, the temple, and men and women.
“”The LORD will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways. Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of you.” (Deuteronomy 28:9-10, NKJV)
“Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for Hisname.” (Acts 15:14, NKJV) [Then in the following two verses, James quotes Amos 9:11 as applying in the current situation]
The LORD promises “if My people, called by My name” not “if Israel.”
2, The same principle of interpretation is used that the New Testament authors used in applying the Old Covenant promises to New Covenant believers. On the day of Pentecost, Peter uses the promise of Joel 2:32, “all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved,” to call a new generation of people to respond to God’s call. Paul uses the same language in Romans 10:13. The New Covenant is originally found in the Old Testament and in the context of the house of Israel (Jeremiah 31:31). These promises are embraced by the people of God in the New Testament.
Dr. Kaiser notes: The “people of God” are one, even though we can distinguish several aspects, such as believing Israel and believers in the church.
Kaiser Jr., Walter C.. Revive Us Again . Christian Focus Publications. Kindle Edition.
3. We are given assurance from the New Testament that the Old is relevant and applicable to today’s Christian.
“For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” (Romans 15:4, NKJV)
“Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” (1 Corinthians 10:11, NKJV)
APPLICATION
Certainly, we need to approach interpreting the Bible with careful analysis. We do not want to twist, undermine, or distort the Scriptures. That has often been the case with careless believers, and certainly with false teachers. However, the New Testament confirms these conditions as the way to seek God (see James 4:7-10 and 1 Peter 5:5-9).
As for consequences, we can readily see that God still uses defeat in battle, drought, famine, blight or mildew or insects, plague, and sickness to get the attention of His people and to drive them to their knees in pursuit of His relief (2 Chronicles 6). Solomon even asks that the prayer of the consecrated foreigner be answered (2 Chronicles 6:32-33). History is His Story and we should be alert to the ways that He is seeking to work in our circumstances and in our world to get our attention and call us back to Him.
We must cry out for revival in our generation. We see the marks of unfaithfulness to God and we are beginning to experience the consequences of a corrupt culture. We desperately need to apply 2 Chronicles 7:14, so that we can experience the forgiveness and blessing that only come as a result of obedience to God.
The book of 2 Chronicles is arguably a book of REVIVAL. It begins with the reign of Solomon and traces mostly the reigns of the kings of Judah, focusing especially on those reigns marked by spiritual reform and a return to the pattern of spiritual life that God expects of His people. Particular attention is given to the reigns of the reformers: Rehoboam, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah. “Fifteen of the thirty-six chapters in the book, or almost one-half of the material, are given over to the reigns and revivals of these five kings, for they honored God during their reigns by leading their people in revival.” (1) These revivals happened under various circumstances and followed different paths, but share the components listed in a very familiar verse that can arguably be identified as the theme verse for the book and is at the core of the revivals in 2 Chronicles.
“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 will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
2 Chronicles 7:14, NKJV
What I propose to do during the last 29 Days ofPraying for Revival is to look at revival in the book of 2 Chronicles to seek to discover nuggets of truth that will give us insight today into the ways of revival. I invite you to join me on this journey. I must confess that I do not just want to learn about revival; I want to experience it in a new, deep, and refreshing way as the Holy Spirit leads. Although revivals look differently in every instance in church history, the constants are simple. God sends revival as His people meet the conditions of humility, prayer, seeking, and repentance.
The truth is glaringly evident: God only sends revival when His people are ready to receive it.
I would love to see revival break out in a sweeping movement of God’s Spirit across our nation and around the world. I would especially welcome a mighty move of God’s Spirit in the denomination in which I serve. But however God chooses to move, I especially desire that He work in my own personal life to revive, purify and empower me for His glory and honor.
A tool that will help us focus on our true spiritual condition (thus helping us to see the need for revival and point us toward it) is called a Personal Spiritual Inventory. If you do not have this tool and desire to receive one, please leave a comment to indicate this. Also, you may find another pamphlet, Spend an Hour with God…, a helpful resource as you are developing, expanding, or varying your approaches to your devotional life. Let me know if you would like a copy.
APPLICATION
What are you hoping to experience during these last 29 days of praying for revival? Knowing the conditions of revival set forth in 2 Chronicles 7:14, are you consistently pursuing the practice of them?
(1) Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., Quest for Renewal, Personal Revival in the Old Testament, Moody Press, p. 15.
REVDANS 