“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 I will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:21
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a judge for a living? Maybe you know someone who works as a judge or have seen them on TV. It’s not a light job. It is a job to take very seriously because people’s lives and wellbeing are at stake. Now try to imagine a judge who never judged. All they did was defer sentencing to someone else and refuse to determine liability or damages. That would be a mockery of the position right? They wouldn’t be worthy of the job.
God is the ultimate judge who is the most worthy of the position, but sometimes people like to water down His judgement or explain it away out of fear. They like to believe that God is just a pushover so that they feel safer. I read a quote that says, “A god who does not judge is a god of the imagination.” The truth is that judgement is necessary and an integral part of redemptive history as seen in the fall, the flood, the plagues, etc.
A major theme in 2 Chronicles is retribution, or punishment for a wrong act. We see in this book that devotion to the Lord is the means to blessing and prosperity, anything less than complete devotion is sin and God punishes the people of Israel for their lack of devotion. Wow, talk about convicting right?
2 Chronicles 7:19-20 says, “If you turn away and forsake the decrees and commands I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, then I will uproot Israel from My land which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for My Name. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule among all people.” This may seem harsh, but earlier in the chapter God also says in verse 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 I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
The Lord wants our complete devotion, not out of selfishness or because He’s power hungry, but because He knows that is what’s best for us. His retribution and judgement are meant to draw us closer to Him and teach us what life is all about.
If you think about it, God could’ve been a being that is always dishing out retribution and sentencing without concern for us, but thankfully we have a God who gives us hope and a way out because He loves us! If we seek Him, He offers forgiveness and healing. The author of 2 Chronicles was convinced of this and I pray that we will become more and more convinced of this as well.