The promised blessing for the people of Israel if they seek out God wholeheartedly. “If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I sen pestilence among My people, and 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, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:13,14 What is the hope here? When we turn back to God and seek Him out no matter where our sin has carried us we can find restoration.
The promised curse for the people of Israel if they turn away from God. “But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will uproot you from My land which I have given you, and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight and will make it a proverb and a by word among all peoples.” 2 Chronicles 7:19,20 When the people of Israel forsook following God they were uprooted and taken away in exile. When you are given a warning about a consequence for your actions do you move in such a way to avoid the bad outcome?
Are the blessing and curse given by God to Solomon something new? Have the people of Israel heard these words before? In Deuteronomy God’s servant Moses set before Israel the same blessing and curse that is set before Israel by Solomon. What does this mean? What is the purpose? What is the main theme found in the Old Testament so far? God desires us to love him with all of our heart, all of our mind, all of our soul, and all of our strength. When we love Him we are we guaranteed to be blessed? We will be blessed beyond measure but the blessing may not be in the material or worldly possessions that we would typically want. When we are not loving God and are cursed what happens? When we go through hardship and find ourselves lost and hopeless we are reminded of how God is able to help us. In the moments of we are in exile God’s love is actively pursuing us to bring us back into an active loving relationship.
