What one of the most misapplied Bible verses means, and the hope it offers.

Two or three times a year this passage goes through a cycle of frequent quotation. Whenever the news is particularly negative (war, pandemic, economic crisis), whenever some politician seems to be attacking religious freedom, whenever a law is passed that Christians particularly disagree with, this well-known passage from the second book of Chronicles circulates more frequently in hopes of bringing about healing for our nation (in my context, the USA). I even remember somewhere around 2012 or so when Moody radio launched a campaign to pray for our country, which they predictably dubbed the “‘If My People’ Campaign.” 

This text, 2 Chronicles 7:14, falls into the category of one of the most misunderstood and misapplied verses in the Bible, ranking up there with the likes of “Judge not” from Matthew 7. Before we get into that, here is the verse: 

“If my people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

I’d like to take a look at this passage in its context, beginning a chapter before, to see what exactly is being said here. What is the nature of this promise? To whom does it apply? Can we expect the United States, or any other nation today, to benefit from this promise? To give a small hint at the conclusion, I’ll just mention that I’ve purposely misquoted this verse above to accord with the way it is typically remembered.

This statement from God occurred at King Solomon’s dedication of the newly built temple (900’s BC). At this dedication, beginning at 6:1, Solomon faced the people of Israel and said,

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David and has fulfilled it with His hands, saying, ‘Since the day that I brought My people from the land of Egypt, I did not choose a city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house that My name might be there, nor did I choose any man for a leader over My people Israel; but I have chosen Jerusalem that My name might be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’” (2 Chr. 6:4-6)

The nation of Israel’s relationship with God was on the basis of a covenant. This was primarily a land covenant. It consisted of an agreement between Israel and God wherein God gave love, protection, and prosperity to the people while living in the land of Canaan, and Israel would worship God alone and follow all the stipulations of the law. This covenant, mediated by Moses, is subordinate to the covenant God established with Abraham many years prior in which God unconditionally promised Abraham that through his family (eventually the nation of Israel) He would bring a great blessing to the entire world. The national covenant Israel had with God, referred to by theologians as the Mosaic Covenant, is the historical and theological context for this temple dedication.

After bringing up remembrance of the Mosaic Covenant for the people of Israel, Solomon then prays to God:

“Now therefore, O Lord, the God of Israel, keep with Your servant David, my father, that which You have promised him, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your sons take heed to their way, to walk in My law as you have walked before Me.’ “Now therefore, O Lord, the God of Israel, let Your word be confirmed which You have spoken to Your servant David.” (2 Chr. 6:16-17)

This prayer is referring to another divine covenant, the one God made with David, Solomon’s father, which promised perpetual Davidic reign over Israel. This eventually is fulfilled in Jesus, who was born into the Davidic family line and called “King of the Jews.” 

Later that day, God appeared to Solomon in response and said the following (emphases mine):

“I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Conditions of the Covenant

Look at these words that appear in the passage….

“If,” “if,” “if,” “and,” “then”…

This is a very specific, conditional statement that looks to a previous agreement, which is the land blessing/cursing promises of the Mosaic Covenant. In the book of Deuteronomy, chapters 27-29 deal with specific blessings and curses for obedience or disobedience, and the curses listed in 2 Chron. 7:13 (drought, pestilence, loss of food, etc) are all mentioned there. According to commentator John A. Thompson, verse 13 is a bit of foreshadowing that refers to what all will take place in chapters 10-36 during the years of the divided kingdom of Israel. But the meaning is simple and clear. Should the people disobey and live unfaithfully, and God punishes them, and they repent, He will restore them. 

Who are “My People?” 

The logic of the passage is simple enough, so the most important interpretive question here is to ask who constitutes “My people.” If a conditional promise was made, we had better be sure we understand to whom the promise was made. 

It should be clear to the reader that “my people,” in this context, refers to those are subject to the Mosaic Covenant, the members of national Israel. But there are some difficulties here that make it easy for American Christians to think this refers to the United States. 

It says “my people who are called by my name.” As a Christian, a follower of Christ, you could argue this refers to you, since you are literally called by the name of Christ. However, it does not. At least not directly. Think about it this way…there was never a time when ancient Israel was literally called by God’s name. “Called by the name of” a king or ruler is figurative language. In the Old Testament, a name was a reputation, and being called by God’s name refers to being associated with God’s reputation. If you read Daniel’s prayer in Daniel 9, you see this clearly. Daniel is praying for restoration of Israel and removal from their exile in Babylon. Daniel refers back to God’s rescue of Israel from Egypt and he says that through that, “You made a name for yourself,” and then requests forgiveness and restoration from their sin “For Your name’s sake.” “My people who are called by my name” refers to the relationship between Israel and God’s reputation that is either helped or hindered by their behavior. Another view of what “called by my name” means, again according to Thompson, is “carrying [God’s] mark of ownership.” 

In any case, it is an anachronistic fallacy to read the name “Christian” back into what was said at Solomon’s temple dedication. Christians called by the name of Christ is not what is being referred to then. 

The other difficulty that unintentionally encourages Christians to think this promise refers to their country is the phrase, “I will heal their land,” in verse 14. The idea is that if Christians seek repentance in their own personal lives, then God will heal “their land,” the United States, or whatever country they’re living in. The problems with this interpretation are numerous. First, “my people” does not refer to Christians by name, but to those who are subject to the Mosaic Covenant. Second, the Mosaic Covenant is a land covenant specific to Canaan. Third, there is the assumption that if the United States experiences tough times that it is an act of God in the same sense as the Covenant stipulates. Fourth, there is a separation in the modern (mis)application of this between the people responsible for bringing about God’s punishment and those who are to do the repenting and seeking God’s face. 

When God issued this promise, what He was referring to is a nation who has gone astray correcting its course and re-orienting toward God. What we have today is a whole bunch of good, righteous people “in here” who see a whole bunch of sinners “out there,”  and believe that if they will just pray really hard, and those immoral sinners out there turn and obey God, then God will relent from the punishment and we will all be safe and well again. Again, the problems here are vast. In the Chronicles promise, the people who are disobeying and the people who repent and turn back to God are the same people. We’ve already established the promise does not apply directly to Christians today, but even if you think it does, you have to accept responsibility for the state of the country and seek repentance yourself. This verse does not encourage a campaign to enact moralistic reform “out there” so the rest of the country looks like us.

Who can benefit from this promise? 

One of the logical problems with how this passage is misapplied today is inserting a current national entity in the place of Israel rather than the entity that is more closely related, which would be the church. This is not the place to debate whether the literal promises made to Israel are fulfilled spiritually within the church today or not. But despite what it probably sounds like, there is tremendous benefit to be understood from this promise. 

There are two primary ways to read the Bible. The first assumes the Bible is about me and what I must do, and the second assumes the Bible is about God and what He has done, which we are to believe. I would argue strenuously for the latter. In the Old Testament God reveals Himself to us through His interaction with the people of Israel throughout their history. God made certain conditional promises to Israel, and if we consider the nature of those promises, and see how they played out in history, we gain insight into the nature and character of God, and better understand how He interacts with us. The principle we find in 2 Chronicles 7, and can legitimately apply, is towards us as individuals. God is forgiving and restorative. God brings about affliction or chastisement to those of His followers who are living contrary to His Word in an attempt to restore them to fruitfulness. When God does this to us, and we repent, He forgives and restores us. It’s a great encouragement to know we’re never too far gone to be restored in God’s eyes, although a life of fruitless living results in loss of reward in heaven (1 Cor. 3).

I’m not writing this to be a kill-joy or to ruin anyone’s day. I’m not even writing to say that God has no positive dealings with the United States. I’m only saying that if we’re going to look through Scripture to find encouragement or direction as far as what our spiritual obligation is to our country, we should do so in a way that is truthful and faithful to Scripture, “accurately handling the Word of truth.” We cannot expect God to uphold promises He never made. This is being a false witness of God, making untrue claims about Him…obviously something we should take great care to not do.

As Americans we have a responsibility to submit to our governing authorities, and to pray for and support our nation, and God surely has a hand in what’s going on in all nations of the world, but it is not fair to hold God to a promise He never made to America.