By Ken Blue
We often hear well-meaning Christians quote 2 Chronicles 7:14 as a prayer promise for America. Also, it is implied that God is judging this nation because Christians are not right with God. The assumption is, if all God’s people would repent and pray, the land would be healed. But, since it is not, it must be the fault of the Church.
2 Chronicles must be understood in its contextual and dispensational setting. In addition, these judgments must be understood in relation to the promised curses to come upon the nation of Israel, outlined in Leviticus 26:14-39, if they refused to walk within the covenant made with them. Solomon clearly understood these.
Compare 2 Chronicles 7:13 “If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;” with Leviticus 26:19-20 “And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass: 20 And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits.” These promises of judgment were to God’s covenant people, Israel. Read the context again. “My people,” and “My land,” speak of the Jews and the land of Israel.
Christians do not have a land or a country. Our citizenship is in heaven. We have the privilege of voting for our leaders, and we are commanded to pray for them. But, the application of 2 Chronicles 7 to Christians places an assumption about a promise that is not theirs, and suggests that the problem in any land is their fault, and they can change it. As we have said, this is a warning and a promise to Israel only.
Pastor Ken Blue was born in Boswell, Ark. In 1955 he accepted Christ as his Savior. He and his wife Joyce were married in 1955. They have 5 children. He graduated from Midwestern Baptist Bible College in 1969 and started the Open Door Baptist Church in Lynnwood, Wa. where he pastored for 39 years. Because of health issues (ALS) he was forced to resign as pastor. It is his desire to continue to be used of God to help pastors and believers through this ministry.