14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
This Scripture is quoted quite frequently in Christian circles. But is this a promise for all of God’s people for all time? That if the Christians of a nation humble themselves and repent, then God will heal their nation? Even if it’s a Gentile nation?
Context of 2 Chr 7:14
Let’s look at the context. Solomon had just finished the temple and had just humbled himself, bowed down before God, and prayed a prayer of dedication. In that prayer he asked that if ever the Israelites turned away from God and God brought judgment to them, that if the Israelites came to their senses (2 Chr 6:37) and repented and prayed towards Jerusalem, that God would forgive and heal them. It was a prayer of Solomon for His people.
The context of 7:14 is found in the fullness of chapter 7 in which God is accepting Solomon’s prayer. He is also telling Solomon that if the people betray the LORD and worship and serve other gods, that god would remove His presence from them and send them into captivity.
Clearly the immediate context is God answering Solomon’s prayer, that if the Israelites strayed and God brought judgment, that he would have mercy on them when they repented and restored them.
God’s Unique Relationship with Israel
God has a unique relationship with Israel that no other nation on earth has. Israel is God’s chosen nation to reveal himself to the world. Through Israel the Messiah came and through Israel came the Scriptures.
Because of this unique relationship with Israel, it doesn’t mean that all the promises of God to the nation of Israel are for all the nations of the earth. Not all nations of the earth received the Scriptures or out of them came the Messiah. It was a covenant with a nation unlike any other nation on earth.
All of Israel was to be set apart for God. The whole nation made that covenant with Him that He was their God and they were His people. So it was a different relationship than with Gentile nations. And because of this, the promise in 7:14 was meant primarily for the people of Israel.
The Church in Every Nation
Does this mean that this Scripture has no bearing for the church? Not in the specific sense of the specific context, but in the general sense it has everything to do with God’s people everywhere.
It is especially true when God’s people have sinned against God, whether they are the majority or the minority in a country, that it affects the country. God’s people are called to be light and salt and if if they are walking in sin, they cannot be that. It’s vital to affect the country for the kingdom that Christians walk in righteousness, and if they are not then they should humble themselves and repent.
Does that mean then that God has to heal that Gentile nation according to the promise? He can for sure. Especially if those people are interceding for that nation. But the promise itself again was primarily for Israel. And yet there genuinely is a spiritual element to it.
To illustrate, imagine a nation of the world that has less than 100 believers. If all 100 of those believers confess their sin and repent, is God therefore mandated to “restore the land” of that nation? Even if the rest of their country is living in open rebellion against God? Not necessarily, but he can through prayer.
There is a collective national element in place. When Israel collectively repented for violating their unique covenant, then God was to here. But when a Gentile nation that collectively is doing horrible things before God, yet there are a small number of believers who are walking in humility, repentance and righteousness, the promise doesn’t necessarily apply but the principle of prayer applies.
The principle is that an interceding group of rightoues believers can affect change for the nation is very legitimate. “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (Jms 5:16). So in the general sense, the same result can be fulfilled through the praying of the saints.
So whether it is through the promise or through the prayer, both can be fulfilled through humility, repentance and the seeking of His face.
