Return to God!

When all the people of Israel saw the fire coming down and the glorious presence of the Lord filling the Temple, they fell face down on the ground and worshiped and praised the Lord, saying, “He is good! His faithful love endures forever!” . . . So Solomon finished the Temple of the Lord, as well as the royal palace. He completed everything he had planned to do in the construction of the Temple and the palace. Then one night the Lord appeared to Solomon and said, “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this Temple as the place for making sacrifices. At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or command grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send plagues among you. Then if My people who are called by My Name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place. 2 Chronicles 7:3, 11-15 (NLT)

The writer of 1 and 2 Chronicles wrote to God’s people returning from foreign captivity. In 2 Kings 17 and 2 Kings 25, God’s judgment on sin came true. Israel had persistently disobeyed God and God’s way. This disobedience brought a split in Israel – the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. Eventually, God’s people and their land were conquered and carried off to the foreign lands of Assyria and Babylonia. The Israelite people were held in foreign captivity for 70 years. As God’s people returned from foreign exile, the writer of Chronicles wanted to give the people assurance of God’s glorious plans and future. 

The Chronicler lived at a time when God’s people appeared defeated after God’s divine judgment for sin. Upon returning from foreign exile, the Israelites (now called Jews) had no king, no Temple, and Israel’s hope for the future looked lifeless. Israel and Judah no longer existed as an independent kingdom ruled by the dynasty of David. Instead, the people had limited freedom under a Persian governor. Israel was no longer an independent nation but a small province in the Persian government. So, the Chronicler reminded the people of God’s secure promise to David and the glory to come (1 Chronicles 17). The promise of the Kingdom that God gave to David was confirmed for Solomon (1 Chronicles 28:4-7). The Chronicler had complete trust in God’s power, sovereignty, and justice. Most important, the Chronicler knew that God would be faithful to His promise, and His kingdom would eventually rule over the world. God would bring a Savior through these returning Israelites from the dynasty of David. With the birth of Jesus, the Chronicler’s hope for Israel was finally realized. Jesus was the anointed King and Messiah from the dynasty of David (Matthew 16:16-17; Mark 8:27-29; Luke 9:18-20). Matthew’s genealogy reveals Jesus as the ultimate success of the Chronicler’s hope of a new King (Matthew 1:1-17) for all nations (Isaiah 49:6).

The writer of Chronicles reminded the people of God’s promise to David and their future hope. When David decided to build a house for God’s Ark of the Covenant, Nathan the prophet had a vision informing David that God would build a house or dynasty for David (1 Chronicles 17:10-14; 2 Samuel 7:11-14). The eternal Kingdom of God and Messiah would come about through David’s family line (see also Psalm 2).  The Chronicler took God’s promise to David very seriously as the Kingdom of God would come through the promised Son of David. So, the Chronicler encouraged the people to hope for the future. 

The Chronicler’s rationale for hope comes from Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the Temple: “Then if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). This passage is unique to Chronicles and illustrates Chronicler’s emphasis on repentance and restoration. This promise reminded the people of the conditions necessary for God’s glorious future and restoration: humility, prayer, repentance, and healing. The words of Jehoshaphat also expressed the Chronicler’s view: “Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be able to stand firm. Believe in His prophets, and you will succeed” (2 Chronicles 20:20). The Chronicler also appealed to Israel’s leaders to faithfully and wholeheartedly seek God (1 Chronicles 28:8-10), and encouraged God’s people “be strong and courageous’ in trusting God to provide (1 Chronicles 28:20-21). 

The key to restoration and survival for the returning Jews was wholehearted faithfulness to God (1 Chronicles 16:11-13). The Chronicler repeatedly reminded the people that unfaithfulness to God led to their divine judgment. God wanted the people’s complete loyalty, dedication, and commitment to Him from their whole heart.  The Holy Scriptures are clear that God does not want mere sacrifices or religious rituals (e.g., see Isaiah 1:10-20; Isaiah 66:3; Jeremiah 6:20; Jeremiah 7:22-23; Hosea 6:6; Amos 5:21; Micah 6:6-8). Instead, God was more concerned with their heart condition – moral character and conduct. God lovingly instructed the people to first and foremost seek Him from their whole heart for their daily guidance, help, and protection (see also Matthew 6:33) and to walk faithfully and humbly with Him as their God (2 Chronicles 7:14; Micah 6:6-8). God’s restoration to their land would come through their genuine repentance of their sins and wholeheartedly seeking God. 

The Holy Scriptures are also very clear that God graciously gives His abundant mercy and answered prayers to those who humbly and wholehearted seek Him (e.g. see 2 Chronicles 12:6-7; 2 Chronicles 33:12-19). “Seek the LORD while you can find Him. Call on Him now while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6). God rewards humility, integrity, and prayer with His healing and deliverance. Yet, God also brings judgment upon disobedience, wickedness, and evil. For instance, the Chronicler used Saul’s life as an example of unfaithfulness to God (1 Chronicles 10:13-14).  Saul actively disobeyed God by attempting murder, ignoring God's instructions, and seeking guidance from a witch (medium). He never went to God unless there was nowhere else to turn or when it suited him. However, David was a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). As king, David wanted to restore the Ark of the Covenant, building a Temple for God, and bring God’s glory on earth (1 Chronicles 16:7-36; 1 Chronicles 22:19; cp. 1 Chronicles 28:8-10; Psalm 105). Even with his sins with Bathsheba, David humbly acknowledged his sins and sincerely asked God for forgiveness (Psalm 51). The Chronicler writes of David’s son Solomon continuing his father’s legacy of seeking God (2 Chronicles 1:6; 2 Chronicles 6-7). The Chronicler focused much of his writings on David, Solomon and the southern kingdom of Judah. In fact, almost half of the Chronicler’s history of Israel constitutes the reign of David and Solomon (1 Chronicles 11–29; 2 Chronicles 1–9). The books of Chronicles present the period of David and Solomon as an ideal time when all of Israel was UNITED in worship to God (2 Chronicles 7:8) and reigned as an international influence.  

Even more important, the books of Chronicles repeatedly connected obedience and wholehearted faithfulness to God with God’s blessing and disobedience to God with God’s punishment and judgment (see also Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 27 and 28). The Chronicler reminded the returning Israelites that God wanted their wholehearted obedience, allegiance, and faithfulness to Him as their God. In fact, God wants everyone to humble themselves, turn from their sin and wickedness, and wholeheartedly seek Him (see also Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:6-8; James 5:16). Through TRUE REPENTANCE (humbling oneself and turning from their wicked ways), God willingly and freely removes our guilt and bring His restoration (healing) (see also Luke 15, James 4:7-10). God’s forgiveness always follows our repentance. Repentance is not just saying, “I am sorry.” Moreover, repentance is not just tears and a sad countenance. True repentance means turning away from our evil ways — from thoughts and actions that displeases God — and turning toward a life that reflects God’s ways and actions (e.g., following Jesus’ example). God will never bless evil and will not prosper those who practice sin and wickedness. To do so would violate God’s very nature - Holiness. So if we want God’s blessing, we must follow His character by pursuing His ways. “Be holy,” God commands, “for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44; 1 Peter 1:15–16).

Most important, the Chronicler warned the people over and over against worshiping idols and remaining faithful to God. Idolatry is making anything more important than God. Money, looks, success, reputation, and security are all idols, then and today. When anything rival God's first place, we are committing idolatry.  Wholeheartedly following God brings benefits and rewards (not necessarily material). Yet, turning away from God brings suffering, punishment, and ultimately destruction. Today, God's conditions are just as clear as they were in David and Solomon's day. Choose to obey God and live. Repentance is always a means of avoiding, or at least moderating, God’s judgment. God always sends warnings before judgment falls.

God is full of mercy, loving kindness, grace, truth, and patience (Exodus 34:6-7; see also 1 Chronicles 16:41; 2 Chronicles 5:13; Ezra 3:11; Psalm 106:1; Jeremiah 33:11). The Lord God, “He is good! His faithful love endures forever!” (2 Chronicles 7:3, NLT).  God's love for each person is so great that He seeks each individual out and rejoices when that person is "found" (Luke 15:3-6). In fact, God in the Person of Jesus Christ to offer His salvation and love to everyone that truly repents and turn to Him in faith with their whole hearts.  For the Lord God is “compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished . .. .” (Exodus 34:6-7, NIV). If we confess our sins and repent, God willingly forgives our sins and brings healing (Leviticus 26:40; 1 Kings 8:33-34; Nehemiah 9:2; Ephesian 2:8-10; 1 John 1:9). God wants to love us as a loving Heavenly Father and bring His goodness into our lives. God is Love (1 John 4:8, 16). 

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good (prosperity) and not for disaster (harm), to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray (call upon Me), I will listen. If you look for Me wholeheartedly, you will find Me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.” Jeremiah 29:11-14 (NLT)

References
King James Version Study Bible. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1988.
KJV Bible Commentary. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1994.
Life Application Study Bible. Carol Streams, IL: Tyndale House Pub., 2005.
NLT Study Bible. Carol Streams, IL: Tyndale House Pub., 2008.
Word in Life Study Bible. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1996.
Wiersbe, Warren W. Bible Exposition Commentary. Victor Books, 1989.
Zondervan NIV Study Bible. New York: Zondervan, 2008.