In Second Chronicles 7:1-14 we find an interesting, and eye-opening lesson which all who profess their allegiance to the Lord must learn and learn from. In the first 12 verses the writer records the time when King Solomon, having built the most incredible structure ever on earth–the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem–prayed. Immediately fire came down from heaven so that the priests could not enter the building because the glory of the Lord filled it. This heavenly display of God’s presence prompted all the people to bow with their faces to the ground in a show of adulation. Then fire came down from on high and consumed the sacrifices and offerings that the people had brought, including the 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep that Solomon had personally supplied for the sacrifice. This was followed by more sacrifices and offerings to the Lord. Then for seven days the people feasted in celebration of the completion of the Temple (house) of the Lord. On the eighth day of the celebration Solomon sent them home.

Some time later the Lord appeared to Solomon in the night and spoke to him, saying to him that He had heard his prayer and had chosen the Temple for Himself as a house of sacrifice. Obviously, the Lord was greatly pleased with the structure itself and with what the people had done in dedicating it to Him. Then He said something that should grab the believer’s attention and focus it on the fact that the Lord “knows the ending from the beginning” of nations, as well as those who comprise those nations (Isa. 46:10).

During the divine visitation God told Solomon that if HE (God) caused an extended drought; and if HE caused locusts to devour what little vegetation that survived the drought; and if HE sent deadly diseases upon HIS people …. Could this be true? After receiving all of the sacrifices, offerings, praise and worship Israel had just afforded Him, why was He is talking about cursing them with hunger and disease epidemics? What was going on?

What was going on was God’s knowledge of His people who are called by His name. The God of the Old Testament (the Word Who became Jesus of Nazareth–Jn. 1:1-4,14) knew what His Chosen People would do over time based on what they had done in the past. Beginning while they were still at Mt. Sinai they had turned away from Him and had spent 40 years wandering in the Sinai desert. Under King David’s reign Israel had recovered from Saul’s disasterous kingship by becoming the greatest nation the world had ever seen. It would only grow in greatness under Solomon.

Knowing what He knew, God told Solomon that, WHEN (not if) the people refused to obey His Law and WHEN (not if) He would be forced to curse them, IF they would humble themselves, pray, seek His face (His presence in their midst) AND TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS (His condition/caveat), THEN, AND ONLY THEN, He would hear their prayers, forgive their sins, send rain upon the nation and rid its land of locusts (His promise). The getting and giving formula that began in the Garden of Eden was still in effect at that time. The rule was (and still is): OBEY–BE BLESSED; DISOBEY–BE CURSED. The fact that the people were (are) affiliated with God had (has) no effect on the rule. Now we will study a few incidences in which the get (receive blessings)-give (obey the promise Giver) formula worked to perfection.

When the Israelites crossed the Jordan River and entered the Promised Land under Joshua’s leadership they immediately came to Jericho, a most foreboding fortress surrounded by a high, thick wall made of stones and mortar. Because of the sins of the previous generation, Israel would have to fight their way through the land and take it by military force. Jericho was a hard place to begin their conquest. The Lord told them that IF they would meet His conditions (march, blow trumpets, shout, etc.), He would give the city to them (promise). They followed His commands and the walls fell outward and flat so that the men could enter the city easily and do what had to be done.

In Second Kings 5 we find a man named Naaman who was the captain of the military forces of Syria and a mighty man of war. However, he was a leper. He was told by a man of God that if he dipped himself in the water of the Jordan River seven times the God of the Israelites would heal him. Naaman followed God’s instructions (the condition) and, upon coming up the seventh time, was totally healed of leprosy (the promise).

In another instance Jesus put mud on the eyes of a blind man and told him to go to a certain pool and wash the mud off of his eyes. Jesus told him that, upon doing as told, he would be healed of his blindness. The man did as he was told and was totally healed (Jn. 9:7). Note that the giving (on man’s pare) always precedes the getting (on God’s part).

In the Book of Exodus we find Moses and the people of Israel, having been freed from Egyptian slavery, trapped between the Red Sea with the fast-approaching Egyptian army. Having no place into which to flee, they were trapped. The people were angry with Moses for placing them in this deadly situation. Moses was whining to the Lord when he heard the voice belonging to the One to whom he was complaining. The Lord was giving him some specific instructions. He was to 1) get up off of his knees, 2) stop whining, and 3) wave his staff over the water. Upon doing that, he and the people would be saved. Moses followed His orders (the condition) and the waters parted, the people walked across the sea on dry land and the Egyptians perished trying to follow them (the promise). Nothing has changed. L.J.