Maybe it's just me but I know that an election season is upon us when politicians dust off their Christian heritage as they try to out-Christian each other in the hopes of capturing the prized Christian vote. Ugh! They desperately try to convince us that they are sincere and devout Christians seeking to reconnect us with the principles of our Christian forefathers so that we can continue to, or once again, be a nation blessed by God. Some religious leaders use this often volatile atmosphere to get their 15 minutes of fame by trying to inject some prophetic wisdom into the political process. While there are some religious leaders who do, in fact, offer some great wisdom, there are many who, without fail, lay hold of the Scripture verse found in 2 Chronicles as some kind of miracle fix for all that ails our nation. Here's how the text reads:
2 Chronicles 7:14
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 will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
This verse is often used by religious leaders around the country as an admonition to America as though it was written specifically for us. Now I don't doubt their hearts are in the right place and the verse does carry contemporary significance, but let's first try to understand the original meaning of the text. To begin with, let’s establish some ground rules for biblical interpretation. I have included the rules of biblical interpretation in the right hand column as a reminder any time you seek to understand any biblical text.
RULES FOR BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION
1) The Bible was written long ago;
2) To people of a different culture;
3) Who lived in a different part of the world; and
4) Spoke a different language.
The general rule of thumb is always: CONTEXT! CONTEXT! CONTEXT!
The sole purpose of biblical interpretation (aka "exegesis") is to bring out the meaning of a given text. Not what we want the text to mean but: 1) What the original author intended the text to mean; and 2) What the original recipients of the text understood it to mean. That's not to say the text is irrelevant for us today. On the contrary, because the Scriptures are God-breathed, they have eternal relevance and significance. Therefore, even though each text has but one meaning in its immediate context, it is relevant for our lives today because of its eternal significance as God's Word. Ultimately, it is our duty to ascertain not only the precise meaning of a given text in its immediate context (to the extent we are able to do so) but to determine its significance (application) to our lives today.
Now let's get back to our subject verse of 2 Chronicles 7:14 and see if we can determine a proper understanding of the text and at the same time answer these questions of relevance for us today:
1) Can this verse be applied to the United States?
2) Can this verse be applied to any country claiming to have a Christian heritage?
3) If the verse is used by the United States, what does that assume theologically and to whom is the "my people" referring?
4) What is the appropriate use of this verse?
In its immediate context, this verse is being used to describe the events surrounding the coronation of the Temple constructed by Solomon specifically and God’s dealing with Israel more generally. The verse is rooted in the Abrahamic covenant promise of land (See previous posting—Label: “Pastoral Care”—Date: 1/11/12—Title: “By Faith, God Makes the Impossible-Possible”) where Israel’s failure to keep its end of the covenant resulted in God’s judgment. That judgment was typically manifested in drought or plagues on the land thereby rendering the land useless as opposed to a “land flowing with milk and honey (Exodus 3:8).” To apply the same principles to the United States is specifically out of context. Primarily because the United States was formed originally and exists currently (along with the rest of the world) during the era of the New Covenant promises of Jesus Christ. Consequently, the verse cannot be applied literally to the United States. Moreover, for the same reasons, it cannot be applied literally to any other country claiming a Christian heritage.
The theological theme of 2 Chronicles 10-36 is generally described as “The theology of immediate retribution.” Raymond Dillard writes, The Chronicler’s adherence to a ‘theology of immediate retribution’ provides his dominant compositional technique…‘retribution theology’ refers to the author’s apparent conviction that reward and punishment are not deferred, but rather follow immediately on the heels of the precipitating events.”[1] Dillard goes on to write, “2 Chronicles 7:14 constitutes a programmatic statement of great importance; it is probably the most widely known passage in Chronicles, though reference to it in popular and homiletical literature commonly apply it in contexts quite foreign to the author’s original use.”[2] We must be very careful when we ask that God treat us today according to his Old Testament promises—particularly since we can’t pick and choose which ones we want and which ones we don’t want! Think about this as it relates to our subject verse in its context (Remember the rules: CONTEXT! CONTEXT! CONTEXT!).
Pursuant to God’s Old Testament covenant with Israel, God intended his chosen people to be a nation of light to the surrounding nations that would point to the God of Israel as the one true God among the pantheon of gods worshipped by the surrounding nations. However, Israel failed to be that light to surrounding nations when they adopted the pagan religious practices of the neighboring nations. Subsequently, the New Testament makes a shift from Israel being a light to the nations to believers in Jesus Christ both individually and collectively as the Church as being the light to surrounding nations; pointing them to the one true God manifest in the flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. The distinction is key with respect to God’s ability to reach all nations with the Good News of Jesus Christ and the fulfillment of the “Great Commission” found in Matthew 28:19-20. In a sense, the shift was God’s way of going international. With a shift to the Church as being the light to the world as opposed to the immoveable object of the nation of Israel, God, in his omniscience, decentralized himself through the Holy Spirit and made it possible for God to become known throughout all the nations of the earth including the United States by the witness of individual believers and the Church collectively.
When the United States utilizes this verse to apply to the United States as a nation, it is invoking a plea that is no longer applicable in the New Covenant era. It assumes that the “my people” addressed in 2 Chronicles are now Americans. (The ramifications of this assumption are frightening if for no other reason than our current President has publicly proclaimed (or maybe conceded) to an international audience that America is no longer a Christian nation! In the Old Testament, it was the duty of the Israel’s leadership (kings, priests, prophets) to always point the people toward being faithful and obedient to God. It was the failure of Israel’s leadership in this regard while at the same time being neither faithful nor obedient themselves that brought judgment on their entire nation. Therefore, if our President is correct and we are being held to the standards of the Old Testament covenant then all I can say is—LOOK OUT!) Relax! (But only just a little.) Replacing Israel as “my people” with Americans as “my people” is clearly out of context, biblically inaccurate and assumes that all of God’s promises to the nation of Israel are now of no force or effect. I can demonstrate this to be patently untrue using just one example: God made an Old Testament promise to Israel that someone from the line of David would always occupy the throne (cf. 2 Samuel 7:13, Jeremiah 33:17). This promise is fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ (not an American by the way)! Furthermore, judgment against land is no longer appropriate given that we are no longer under the Abrahamic covenant as described above. That’s not to say that God cannot bring draught or plagues that affect our land but the United States was never founded on the promise of receiving a land “flowing with milk and honey” in the first place. Instead, this verse should be used as a general principle as it applies to the covenant promise made to believers individually and collectively. Believers have a duty to be a light to individual people and to people collectively as a nation. If we fall away from the truth of Scripture either as individuals or as the Church, God moves to discipline or correct us individually or as a Church. As such, it is true that if we, individually and/or as a Church repent (See previous posting—Label: “Book Review”—Date: 2/22/12—Title: “TrueFaced”), then God will hear our prayers and forgive us. In this way, there is a consistency between the promises of 2 Chronicles for the nation of Israel during the Old Testament era and 2 Chronicles for Christians in the New Testament era.
Now that we have a better understanding of 2 Chronicles 7:14 in its proper context, is it still proper say “God Bless America” and does “God Bless America” as a nation? The answer to both questions is an emphatic, “Yes!” But only insofar as America as a nation plays a part of God’s overall redemptive purposes for humanity. It in no way implies that America or Americans are chosen to the exclusion of or greater favor over other nations or people. It is true that God may use America in more prominent ways from time to time than other nations or people, but that is anecdotal evidence of God’s favor. It is true that God has showered his blessing of freedom, liberty and prosperity on America. However, with such great blessing comes great responsibility—especially for the Church. It is in this environment of great blessings that the Church, individually and collectively, must take the opportunity to be the brightest light possible to the rest of the world by pointing people to the truth about God’s salvation available through the person of Jesus Christ.
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