“Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14
The people whose king (Solomon) God said this to were undoubtedly His! King Solomon had just finished building and dedicating the temple of God, as well a the kings palace.Up till now, they only had a portable tent to worship in called a tabernacle. The tabernacle was uniquely God’s! It was built under Moses’ leadership, who personally got it’s “blue prints” from God. It was expensive, beautiful and reminisive of God’s all sustaining Good Garden or Eden where mankind once enjoyed God’s Presence before sin came into the world! It represented God rescuing the Israelites from Egyptian slavery and their new identity with and in Him! It was where God met with His own people Israel and where Israel found God’s forgiveness, grace and love.
Solomon’s father, King David longed to build this temple for God. Tents (even expensive ones) represent temporariness. David loved God. At great personal cost, he had led Israel to being, at that time, the most powerful country on earth-to greatness! Her borders expanded. Her people prospered. David longed to build the temple for God in it’s new capital city, Jerusalem. David longed for his people to remain God’s people perminantly and though God wouldn’t allow David to build the temple, he gathered up all the necessary materials so that his son could do so after his death.
So fast forward to temple dedication day and God again identifies Himself with Israel. “If MY PEOPLE, who are called by MY NAME . . .” God absolutely identified them as His own, what remained to be seen was would they perminantly identify themselves with Him!
How perminant is our commitment to God. Are we good, so long as His blessing keeps flowing our way, or can we trust Him not only because of His goodness to us and blessings for us, but his NATURE is good and because Jesus, God in human flesh has PERMENANTLY rescued us for sin?
His commitment to and love for us is unconditional and eternal! Let’s make sure our commitment and loyalty to Him is too!
Think about it!
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