2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall 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. If my people, which are called by my name, shall 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.
God answered Solomon after the dedication of the temple and his prayer for it by promising to set His name there and meet His people by His Spirit when they worship, yet warning that unfaithfulness would bring His rejection of them and the house. When He sends drought, devouring insects, and disease, His people who bear His name are to answer with united humbling of self, prayer, seeking His face, and turning from evil with wholehearted reform, and He will then hear, pardon sin, and restore the land. That blessing was conditional, for continuance of the kingdom depended on walking in integrity and keeping His commandments, while turning to other gods would cut Israel off and make them a byword, as was later seen when humbled hearts found renewal under Hezekiah. Outward fasting and prayer avail nothing without inward brokenness, cleansing from iniquity, confession of wrongs, and conversion of heart, mind, and soul, and when that humbling is present He pardons transgression, gives wisdom and grace, and may turn away judgment. The same call rests on His people today to be purified in heart and home and to labor in humble prayer, and it reaches to nations, institutions, and individuals, so that in the time of distress all who turn to Him wholly will find acceptance and healing.
Setting and Original Promise
The promise was given to Solomon after he finished the seven-day dedication of the temple with all Israel and many nations present and after his kneeling prayer for the house, coming as God's answer in a night vision. In that answer God said He had heard the prayer and supplication and had hallowed the temple to put His name there forever, with His eyes and heart there perpetually. He showed His acceptance when fire came down from heaven to consume the burnt offering and sacrifices and His glory filled the house so the priests could not enter and the people bowed with faces to the ground in worship. He is not confined to a temple like heathen gods but meets His people by His Spirit when they assemble in the house dedicated to His worship, and the account belongs to the history of Solomon's reign and what followed.
The promise was set in God's warning about what would happen if He shut heaven so there was drought with withheld dew and rain, commanded locusts to devour the land with crops, or sent pestilence among the people. Such judgments call God's people who are called by His name to humble themselves, pray, seek Him, and turn from sin and from their wicked ways. The remedy for stricken Israel was wholehearted reformation and turning from the sins that had brought the chastening, with God withholding dew and rain until a decisive reformation took place. When they so return to Him, He promises to hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
The blessing was conditional on Solomon walking before God as David his father walked, in integrity of heart and uprightness, to do all God commanded and to keep His statutes and judgments. If he did so, God would establish the throne of his kingdom upon Israel forever as promised to David that he would never lack a man upon the throne of Israel. If Solomon and Israel and their children turned from following God and did not keep His commandments and statutes but went to serve and worship other gods, God would cut off Israel out of the land He gave them and cast the house He hallowed for His name out of His sight, and Israel would become a proverb and a byword among all people. If Israel remained faithful and true to God, the glorious building was to stand forever as a perpetual sign of God's special favor to His peculiar chosen people, who alone among all nations preserved the true worship of God by keeping His commandments.
The verse thus joins the people's repentance with God's forgiveness and the land's healing. It encouraged those seeking forgiveness and renewing their allegiance to God, and its promises were fulfilled during Hezekiah's reformation. In that fulfillment some Israelites humbled themselves by accepting the invitation to come to Jerusalem and seek God at the Passover.
What Repentance Requires
The condition is fourfold and united: those called by His name must humble themselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from wicked ways, and then He will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land and their transgressions. The promise was given as God's answer to Solomon's temple dedication prayer in a night vision, joined to His warning of drought with withheld rain, crop-devouring locusts, and pestilence sent among the people. That dedication prayer had been confirmed by fire from heaven consuming the offering with His glory filling the house, and the promise encouraged those seeking forgiveness and renewing allegiance to God. Its fulfillment came in the reformation under Hezekiah.
Outward fasting and prayer are worthless without inward grace, humility, repentance, and a broken, contrite spirit. Those who humble their hearts and turn to Him wholeheartedly are received, their petitions are heard, and their backslidings and transgressions are healed. Through purification, humiliation, and repentance His judgments may be turned away. For those among His people who have become unfaithful and have not exalted righteousness, this humbling means seeking the Lord with deep humiliation of soul and being converted, and then He heals their transgressions.
After a wrong course the best course is to humble the soul before God, with both those who acted and those who had no part in the action uniting to seek the Lord's guidance. If those who took responsibility on their own shoulders are converted and humble their hearts, in mercy He pardons their transgressions and mistakes for the sake of His cause and His name's glory. Humbling means cleansing souls from all iniquity, washing and being made clean, putting on the robe of Christ's righteousness, drawing nigh to God, trusting in Him, and being converted to the way of the Lord. Then His salvation is revealed and His appointed work can go forward. His people are to humble themselves and pray before the Lord with heart-humiliation, wholehearted consecration, and a broken heart, so they see clearly and live out the truth without selfishness or rivalry.
When they walk humbly before Him and seek Him with contrition of soul and with their whole heart, He manifests Himself to them and is found by them. They are called to seek the Lord and humble their hearts with their whole being of heart, mind, and soul, a response especially needed among those lacking His Spirit. Humbling and turning includes frankly confessing sins and wrongs to those harmed, reforming conduct, and seeking God with a thoroughly searched heart. Such thorough conversion among those who profess the truth is necessary before further labor to bring others to it, and on the ground of such humility and true repentance healing may be pleaded for.
They must seek Him with humble hearts and turn from wrong ways before He heals the harm brought upon them. Following human counsel instead of God's word dishonors Him, and covering up evil deepens the damage, so the needed response is to seek God sincerely and put things right. When they walk in God's way with humility, He hears their petitions and gives grace and wisdom. Their resulting prosperity depends on continued humility and obedience, not on human power. By humbling themselves before Him with thorough repentance they can turn away His wrath, and their example can help others humble themselves in repentance.
How Promise Applies Today
For the Israel of today, Seventh-day Adventists, humbling themselves before God means having the Holy Spirit in hearts and in homes in order to be purified and to remain pure. It means cleansing the soul-temple from all defilement and turning from defilement. When this humbling is done, God hears prayer in behalf of the sick. When in faith people do all they can to combat disease by using the simple methods of treatment He has provided, He blesses their efforts and blesses His remedies for disease.
When those bearing responsibility pray more and humble themselves before God, humbling the heart and praying are linked with receiving His help. Then there is abundant evidence of divine leadership and the work makes rapid progress. In labor for Oakland and San Francisco, humble prayer is to accompany work and brings the Holy Spirit's power. Recognizing need and walking humbly with God brings rich blessings.
The promise is claimed by people gathered to ask for God's presence, confess their errors, and bring their petitions to Him. God hears and forgives those who humble themselves before Him and seek Him earnestly. The call to sincere repentance, including turning from wicked ways, carries the promise to hear, forgive, and heal in response. That call to repent applies to nations, institutions, and individuals, so that God may remove His judgments.
In the time of distress and perplexity of nations, many who have not given themselves wholly to the corrupting influences of the world and the service of Satan will humble themselves before God. They will turn to Him with their whole heart. They will find acceptance and pardon.