READ: 2 Chronicles 7
Verses
chosen for meditation: 2 Chronicles 7:14
14 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 and will forgive their sin and
heal their land.
REFLECT
Years
after Solomon’s prayer of dedication, God appeared to Solomon, assuring that He
has heard the prayer. He raised the inevitability of Israel’s disobedience (as
a response to Solomon’s prayer), which will bring judgement, but offered forgiveness
and healing if Israel repents in humility. He then followed that message of
hope with a warning to Solomon, citing the dire consequences of continued disobedience
(2 Chronicles 7:17-22).
These
verses fit the overall narrative of 2 Chronicles, emphasising the importance of
faithfulness to God’s covenant and the consequences of disobedience. The dual
message of judgement and redemption is also a recurring theme of the book. There
is tension in this double message. On one hand, God calls for total compliance,
or consequences would be dire. On the other, there is assurance of forgiveness
and 2nd chances.
There
is tension, as some find this inconsistent, though both messages are true to
life. There is tension, because many find themselves more inclined to one
message than the other, even for those who know both to be truth. The tending
towards one message could lead to certain attitudes, including how we perceive
preaching. The preacher of morality, who urges commitment to full compliance,
may sound legalistic. The preacher of forgiveness, speaking of grace and fresh
chances, may give the unintended impression that sin is not serious and does
not matter. Yet, both messages are necessary.
RELATE
How do we balance both messages? Surely, we must be
serious in keeping to the message of full obedience. How serious, though? To
the point that if we are not able to attain full compliance, we must beat
ourselves over it? Or to the point that if others do not match up, then we go
down hard on them, emphasising more obedience, less mention on grace?
What about the converse? Surely forgiveness and
grace concepts are key to our Christian faith. Isn’t that what the gospel is
about? Isn’t that what Jesus epitomises, grace? We’re always reminded of that during
the benediction: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ”. So, does the message of
forgiveness trump the message of compliance? However, isn’t Jesus also known
for being fully compliant to the Father?
As we grapple, we should see that emphasising one
does not mean we downplay the other. Both are necessary messages. Both should
be heeded with upmost seriousness. This is because our God is a most holy one,
totally clean, abhorring sin more than anything. Yet, He is also a most
gracious one, whose love for us we can’t fathom, and He redeems the worst of the
worst.
The message of “sin and you’re doomed” is a
necessary injection to keep us vigilant. We need an attitude that acknowledges
that every sin is severe and strive to be perfect, like what Jesus said
(Matthew 5:48). It is an attitude where the pursuit of holiness/perfection is
important, even when attaining it is impossible. This impossibility may bog us
down and may even depress some of us, as we realise despite our best
efforts, how wretched we are. Fortunately, with the message of forgiveness, we
need not crumble under the load of our wretchedness, as we can find healing, coming
before God in humility (v14).
Humility here is key. It means feeling torn about
your sin, contrary to being brazen and constantly indulging sin and expecting
forgiveness each time. Humility means seeking and taking concrete steps to
overcome the sin. Humility means pleading to God for strength to overcome the
sin. When one comes to that state of humble surrender to God, truly desiring
change, then God’s strength would indeed have effect, leading to healing,
helping us conquer our sins. We are grateful for this message of forgiveness,
but we can’t take it for granted. Lest we be complacent that we can keep
sinning, since God will always be there to forgive if we humble ourselves. That
attitude itself, is not humility before God.
REST
It is impossible to be perfect, but don’t let that
stop us from trying to be so. Let’s keep pursuing holiness, to be as obedient
as we can be. Yet, be comforted that we have, and always need God’s grace to
cover our shortfall, so we don’t feel burdened by standards we could never
meet.
Chris Chong
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