Even the devil knows the word of God and believes. However like all the wicked, he must refute that Word in any manner or else be revealed for the hopeless case that he remains. Lest we forget how powerful God’s nemesis is, we must look at how incredibly subtle his assaults upon humanity. It is not a shock and awe campaign that humans would expect because of our lack of longevity, but rather a well planned and executed battle strategy perpetrated over thousands of years. One of those subtleties is using Bible verses without the corresponding context. This ploy delivers only that portion of the Word which empowers the hearer without the cautions, wisdoms and conviction carried through contextual delivery of the entire passage. This battle stratagem has been most effective, especially when the lost believe that they wield the power of God by using verses such as “the truth shall set you free”, without understanding the preceding lines of that passage which declare how to receive the truth.
As believers it is incumbent on each of us to learn the Word of God, not so that we can become a Bible scholar to garner ourselves accolade, but rather so that we can protect ourselves from the wiles of the enemy. Satan will seek to warp or twist God’s Word at each provided opportunity in order to lead us astray. It is our responsibility to armor ourselves with the Lord’s Word so that we may never be deceived.
One of the greatest deceptions has been perpetrated surrounding how a nation finds its way back into God’s graces after infraction. This deception is especially common among believers who do not understand the circumstances and context at which God pronounced the directions to recovering from an errant path. Let us look at 2 Chronicles 7 to see just how the enemy has misconstrued God’s direction. I used the NIV version to make it easily readable to the widest level of maturity. However, there are some concerns about adherence to truth by translating God’s Word to suit the audience. I ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth of God’s Word to each of your hearts and to forgive me for potentially leading any astray. Keep them safe Lord.
When Solomon had finished the temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the Lord and in his own palace, 12 the Lord appeared to him at night and said:
“I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices.
13 “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 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. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. 16 I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.
17 “As for you, if you walk before me faithfully as David your father did, and do all I command, and observe my decrees and laws, 18 I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father when I said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor to rule over Israel.’
19 “But if you turn away and forsake the decrees and commands I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, 20 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 peoples. 21 This temple will become a heap of rubble. All who pass by will be appalled and say, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ 22 People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—that is why he brought all this disaster on them.’”
Let us look at the passage from the end to the beginning. The last paragraph warns Solomon what will occur for him personally if he turns away from God’s decrees. This implied personal consequence is never addressed when people bring up the 2 Chronicles passage. As in everything in this life there are always personal consequences for inaction or sinful behavior usually reflected in loss of fellowship with God, loss of blessing from God, loss of authority and witness and potential disciplining actions from God. This paragraph indicates that our personal disobedience results in a collective loss. It makes it personal to each believer so that we are in part individually responsible for our collective punishment. This is not something that is found in the “caption” format from which we typically reflect upon this passage of scripture. The context must always be considered to reveal the entire truth otherwise we favor and sponsor the enemy’s assault upon the Body of Christ, His church.
Next we must look at the series of if/then statements made by God when He describes the circumstances, the recipe and His participative role in the errant believer or nation. Let us look at the 13th passage forward. God sets the scene by stating that He has either stopped the rain or sent some manner of plague in reaction to our desertion. At that point we are to recognize the discipline as an act of the Almighty otherwise we will never take the requisite steps to recovery. So first we must reflect upon our behavior, knowing fully that it falls outside of God’s Will and then see clearly that He has determined discipline is necessary to correct our wicked behavior. Next comes the path to recovery.
If the people who call themselves by the Name of God, that’s us, the Christian’s. This is not a statement aimed at the unbelieving populace but directly at believers. So recovery is entirely our responsibility and cannot be corrected by the lost turning back to God for they do not Know God. Then God lays out four distinct necessary actions; self-humility, repentance, prayer and a quest to find God. These four directions cannot be completed by anyone other than believers and must be done in succession. We must each of us, humble ourselves, turn from our individual sin, pray and seek God. Seems rather simple but without this action our nation is doomed to failure and destruction for our collective wickedness. Each Christian must understand their own responsibility in the recovery of their nation and embrace God’s direction then ACT.
Then God gives us the “then” of the If/then statement. If we will do what He has directed us to do then He will do what He always does and fulfill His promise to hear, forgive and heal. The enemy seeks to preach false understanding of Grace, deceiving people into thinking that no matter our actions God will always forgive our sins. That is not the truth that I read documented in this passage. There will always be a behavioral requirement upon believers. This passage states that if we do what God says that we must then He will do what He states that He will do. We cannot expect to be heard, forgiven and healed without believing and obeying God’s direction. He is just and did not die for mankind just so that we can continue to behave wickedly with no personal repercussion. A loving Father disciplines those whom He loves.
Father let us see the “truth” of your word and not let it be twisted or diminished through enemy attempts to kill, steal and destroy. Lord rebuke him and his emissaries so that there attempts return nothing in this investment to lead the beloved astray. Let us rise to our responsibility and embrace your direction so that Your Glory is revealed through our healing. We bless Your Word, love Your Name and pray for Israel, this United States and all those lands where believers reside. Keep them safe and their hearts and minds turned to Your face, Always. Praise Jesus as God. Amen.
awrkhakhaya 