2 Crônicas 7
J. Vernon McGee · Citado em PreceptAustin
2 Crônicas 7
Vernon McGee - Remember the old adage that “all Scripture is written for us, but not all Scripture is written to us.” The interpretation of a verse of Scripture will teach what it means in its setting and context. It may not be written to us at all. We can think of many commands given in the Old Testament which are not commands given to us. However, the application of all of Scripture is for us. God has something to teach us throughout the entire Scripture. Now let’s go back to 2 Chronicles 7:14. The setting is at the dedication of David’s temple which Solomon had built. It is God’s Word to Solomon concerning that land in that day. At the dedication Solomon prayed this great prayer which we have seen. Now He remembers the prayers of His people, and He says to Solomon, “If my people, which are called by my name….” To whom is He talking? “My people, which are called by My name.” That is Israel. God is talking to Solomon about Israel. Now, if these will humble themselves, if they will pray, if they will seek His face, if they will turn from their wicked ways, then God promises three things to Israel: He will hear their prayer, He will forgive them, He will heal their land. These were definite conditions that God put down for Israel, and their history demonstrates the accuracy and literalness of these specifics.....Now there is an application. This verse has a message for me. I can’t toss it aside just because God did not direct it to me. It contains a formula for this hour. “My people”—God has a people which we call the church or the body of Christ, those who have accepted the Savior, “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:14). I guess one could say a lot of us are peculiar people, but this means a people for Himself. “Shall humble themselves”—the flesh is proud but we are admonished to be humble. “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love” (Eph. 4:1–2). We are told in Galatians 5:22–23 that longsuffering and meekness are fruits of the Spirit. Humbleness is commended for the believer today. “And pray”—certainly many, many times in the New Testament we are admonished to pray. The Lord Jesus told His disciples to watch and pray. The epistles contain numerous commands to pray. “And seek My face” is also a New Testament admonition: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col. 3:1–2). “And turn from their wicked ways.” This also applies to us. God has a great deal to say about repentance for believers. “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent” (Rev. 3:19). Repentance is for the child of God. Now how about God’s part? God had promised that He would hear. “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight” (1 John 3:22). He promised to forgive: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). “And will heal their land.” That does not apply to us. I can’t find anywhere in the New Testament where the Lord has promised to heal a piece of real estate. If God has blessed you in a business way, that is extra—a blessing that He has not promised. Nowhere does God promise material blessing to us. We are blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus. We were aliens, enemies of God, and now we have been made the sons of God. We have been redeemed by the blood of Christ, and He forgives us our sins. Heaven is our home, and the New Jerusalem is our goal. We have been delivered from hell. These are our blessings. Nowhere are we promised a land or healing in our land. May I say to you that if you would wish to lift out verse 14 and apply the entire verse to your present situation, then you must take verse 15 along with it. (See Thru the Bible: Genesis through Revelation) QUESTION - What is the meaning of 2 Chronicles 7:14? Does 2 Chronicles 7:14 apply to modern nations and/or nations other than Israel? SEE VIDEO ANSWER - The key to understanding any verse of Scripture is context. There is the immediate context—the verses before and after it, as well as the larger context of Scripture—how the verse fits into the overall story. There is also the historical and cultural context—how the verse was understood by its original audience in light of their history and culture. Because context is so important, a verse whose meaning and application seem straightforward when quoted in isolation may mean something significantly different when it is taken in context. When approaching 2 Chronicles 7:14, one must first consider the immediate context. After Solomon dedicated the temple, the Lord appeared to him and gave him some warnings and reassurances. “The Lord appeared to him at night and said: ‘I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices.’ When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:12–14). The immediate context of 2 Chronicles 7:14 shows that the verse is tied up with Israel and the temple and the fact that from time to time God might send judgment upon the land in the form of drought, locusts, or pestilence. A few verses later God says this: “But if you turn away and forsake the decrees and commands I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, then I will uproot Israel from my land, which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. This temple will become a heap of rubble. All who pass by will be appalled and say, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—that is why he brought all this disaster on them’” (2 Chronicles 7:19–22). No doubt Solomon would have recognized this warning as a reiteration of Deuteronomy 28. God had entered into a covenant with Israel and promised to take care of them and cause them to prosper as long as they obeyed Him. He also promised to bring curses upon them if they failed to obey. Because of the covenant relationship, there was a direct correspondence between their obedience and their prosperity, and their disobedience and their hardship. Deuteronomy 28 spells out the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience. Again, divine blessing and divine punishment on Israel were conditional on their obedience or disobedience. We see this blessing and cursing under the Law play out in the book of Judges. Judges chapter 2 is often referred to as “The Cycle of the Judges.” Israel would fall into sin. God would send another nation to judge them. Israel would repent and call upon the Lord. The Lord would raise up a judge to deliver them. They would serve the Lord for a while and then fall back into sin again. And the cycle would continue. In 2 Chronicles 7, the Lord simply reminds Solomon of the previous agreement. If Israel obeys, they will be blessed. If they disobey, they will be judged. The judgment is meant to bring Israel to repentance, and God assures Solomon that, if they will be humble, pray, and repent, then God will deliver them from the judgment. In context, 2 Chronicles 7:14 is a promise to ancient Israel (and perhaps even modern-day Israel) that, if they will repent and return to the Lord, He will rescue them. However, many Christians in the United States have taken this verse as a rallying cry for America. (Perhaps Christians in other countries have done so as well.) In this interpretation, Christians are the people who are called by God’s name. If Christians will humble themselves, pray, seek God’s face, and repent, then God will heal their land—often a moral and political healing is in view as well as economic healing. The question is whether or not this is a proper interpretation/application. The first problem that the modern-day, “Westernized” interpretation encounters is that the United States does not have the same covenant relationship with God that ancient Israel enjoyed. The covenant with Israel was unique and exclusive. The terms that applied to Israel simply did not apply to any other nation, and it is improper for these terms to be co-opted and applied to a different nation. Some might object that Christians are still called by God’s name and in some ways have inherited the covenant with Israel—and this may be true to some extent. Certainly, if a nation is in trouble, a prayerful and repentant response by Christians in that nation is always appropriate. However, there is another issue that is often overlooked. When ancient Israel repented and sought the Lord, they were doing so en masse. The nation as a whole repented. Obviously, not every single Israelite repented and prayed, but still it was national repentance. There was never any indication that a small minority of the nation (a righteous remnant) could repent and pray and that the fate of the entire nation would change. God promised deliverance when the entire nation repented. When 2 Chronicles 7:14 is applied to Christians in the U.S. or any other modern nation, it is usually with the understanding that the Christians in that nation—the true believers in Jesus Christ who have been born again by the Spirit of God—will comprise the righteous remnant. God never promised that if a righteous remnant repents and prays for their nation, that the nation will be saved. Perhaps if national repentance occurred, then God would spare a modern nation as He spared Nineveh at the preaching of Jonah (see Jonah 3)—but that is a different issue. Having said that, it is never wrong to confess our sins and pray—in fact, it is our duty as believers to continuously confess and forsake our sins so that they will not hinder us (Hebrews 12:1) and to pray for our nation and those in authority (1 Timothy 2:1–2). It may be that God in His grace will bless our nation as a result—but there is no guarantee of national deliverance. Even if God did use our efforts to bring about national repentance and revival, there is no guarantee that the nation would be politically or economically saved. As believers, we are guaranteed personal salvation in Christ (Romans 8:1), and we are also guaranteed that God will use us to accomplish His purposes, whatever they may be. It is our duty as believers to live holy lives, seek God, pray, and share the gospel knowing that all who believe will be saved, but the Bible does not guarantee the political, cultural, or economic salvation of our nation.GotQuestions.org Related: What does it mean to seek God’s face? | GotQuestions.org Rob
2 Crônicas 7
McGee - I don’t know why folk will lift out of context one verse of Scripture and claim it for themselves. It was never intended that way. This promise was given to Israel at the dedication of the temple. Although it has application for us, it is better to go to the New Testament and find God’s promises to us directly. 2 Chronicles 7:16 “For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that My name may be there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually. have I chosen. De. 12:21; 16:11. 1 Ki. 8:16, 44, 48. Ps. 132:14. Zec. 3:2. my name. See on 2Chr 6:5, 6, 20; 33:4–7. 1 Ki. 8:35; 9:3. 2 Ki. 21:4, 7, 8. eyes. See on 2Chr 7:15. Mat. 3:17. Jn 2:19–21. Col. 2:9. For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that My name may be there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually - See commentary 1Ki 9:3. Andrew Hill: The reference to the “eyes” and the “heart” of Yahweh being connected to the temple (2Ch 7:16b) is an unusual expression for the idea of the divine presence in the Old Testament. The eyes and heart of God symbolize his concerned watch-care for humanity in that he sees people in distress and has a compassionate heart for their plight, and he has the power to intervene and deliver his people. One cannot reflect on the association of the “eyes and heart” of God with the Jerusalem temple and not have inklings about the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Mark Boda: The reason why this Temple receives heightened attention from the Lord is because it is both “chosen” and “sacred” (NLT, “set apart . . . to be holy”). These two characteristics are essential to the Temple’s status. It must be a place that God has chosen, but in order for him to dwell there it must be consecrated for his use. 2 Chronicles 7:17 “As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, even to do according to all that I have commanded you, and will keep My statutes and My ordinances, if you walk before Me De. 28:1, etc. 1 Ki. 2:3; 3:14; 8:25; 9:4, etc.; 11:38. 1 Ch. 28:9. Zec. 3:7. observe. De. 4:40. Ps. 105:45. Eze. 36:27. Jn 14:21; 15:10. Related Passages: 1 Kings 9:4+ "As for you, if you will walk before Me as (ED: Note the critical word is "AS" which is a term of comparison or simile) your father David walked, in integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you and will keep My statutes and My ordinances, 1 Kings 8:25+ (SOLOMON'S PRAYER) “Now therefore, O LORD, the God of Israel, keep with Your servant David my father that which You have promised him, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your sons take heed to their way to walk before Me as you have walked.’ WALKING LIKE DAVID WALKED As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked - See commentary 1Ki 9:4. God’s answer to Solomon’s prayer (SEE ABOVE) had a great condition. God gave Solomon a term of comparison (simile), a benchmark that he was to daily seek to emulate, the whole hearted walk of David, a man after God's Own heart (Acts 13:22+) (SEE COMMENTARY ON DAVID'S WALK OF INTEGRITY) Even to do according to all that I have commanded (tsavah; Lxx - entellomai) you - Did David keep all the commandments? Of course not, but it was the general direction of his life which was Godward. And when he did fall, as we all do, he confessed and sought God's gracious gift of repentance. And will keep (shamar) My statutes and My ordinances - The Hebrew verb shamar has the ideas of watching or guarding over something (cf Ge 2:15+), in this case God's statutes and ordinances and includes the thoughts of careful attention, protection, and obedience (cf Dt 6:17+ = "keep", Josh 1:8+ = "to do"). Raymond Dillard poses a good question - But how was the post-exilic community to view the eternality of the Davidic covenant when they were without a king and subject to foreign domination? The second modification the Chronicler has made at this point may address the needs of the post-exilic community: for the “you shall never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel” in 1 Kgs 9:5, the Chronicler has substituted “you shall never fail to have a man to rule over Israel,” language parallel to Mic 5:1. The author gives expression to his messianic or royalist hopes: though the throne of Israel is vacant (ED: REMEMBER CHRONICLES IS WRITTEN AFTER THE BABYLONIAN EXILE), the continuity of the Davidic dynasty remains. The dynastic promise has not lost its validity even with the loss of the throne. (SEE 2 Chronicles, Volume 15 - Page 59) MATTHEW HENRY - 2Chr 7:12-22 III. He promised to perpetuate Solomon's kingdom, upon condition that he persevered in his duty, 2Ch 7:17, 18. If he hoped for the benefit of God's covenant with David, he must imitate the example of David. But he set before him death as well as life, the curse as well as the blessing. 1. He supposed it possible that though they had this temple built to the honour of God, yet they might be drawn aside to worship other gods, 2Ch 7:19. He knew their proneness to backslide into that sin. 2. He threatened it as certain that, if they did so, it would certainly be the ruin of both church and state. (1.) It would be the ruin of their state, 2Ch 7:20. "Though they have taken deep root, and taken root long, in this good land, yet I will pluck them up by the roots, extirpate the whole nation, pluck them up as men pluck up weeds out of their garden, which are thrown to the dunghill.'' (2.) It would be the ruin of their church. This sanctuary would be no sanctuary to them, to protect them from the judgment of God, as they imagined, saying, The temple of the Lord are we, Jer. 7:4. "This house which is high, not only for the magnificence of its structure, but for the designed ends and uses of it, shall be an astonishment, it shall come down wonderfully (Lam. 1:9), to the amazement of all the neighbours.'' RON DANIEL - 2Chr 7:7:17-22 A Warning From God God will not allow His presence to be taken for granted. He warns Solomon individually and the nation corporately that they must not turn away from God. If they do, God will abandon the temple, and future generations will ask, "What happened?" As discouraging as it is to end on this note, this is exactly what happened. The people began to take God for granted, assuming that even though they fell away from Him, that He was obligated to stay. Isaiah and Micah tell us of the presumption of Israel: Mic. 3:11 Her leaders pronounce judgment for a bribe, her priests instruct for a price and her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the LORD saying, "Is not the LORD in our midst? Calamity will not come upon us." Is. 48:1 "Hear this ... who swear by the name of the LORD and invoke the God of Israel, but not in truth nor in righteousness. For they call themselves after the holy city and lean on the God of Israel..." This behavior would not be tolerated by the Lord. Ultimately, Ezekiel describes for us the departure of the glory of God in Ezekiel 9, 10, and 11. Saints, we must never forget this principle that Gal. 6:7 ...God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. He has not promised to dwell with us in this building perpetually, regardless of our behavior. But He has promised to reveal His glory to us continually as we continually get out of the way, empty ourselves of pride and desire for attention, as we sacrifice and sing with right hearts. 2 Chronicles 7:18 then I will establish your royal throne as I covenanted with your father David, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man to be ruler in Israel.’ stablish. 2 Sa. 7:13–16. as I have. Ps. 89:28–40; 132:11, 12. shall not. 1 Ki. 9:5. Je. 33:20, 21, 25, 26. fail thee. Heb. be cut off to thee. 2Chr 6:16. Related: 2 Samuel 7:12-16+ “When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 “I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, 15 but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”’”. REAFFIRMATION OF THE DAVIDIC COVENANT Then I will establish your royal throne as I covenanted with your father David, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man to be ruler in Israel.’ - See commentary 1Ki 9:5. Notice your royal throne is directed at Solomon. The establishment of his throne would be contingent on Solomon's obedience. The establishment of the throne of David was unconditional and would be fulfilled in David's greater Son Jesus Christ (Mt 1:1). See Davidic Covenant. McGee - God has promised that in the Davidic line there would not be a time when there would not be a ruler. There is no ruler around on this earth today who can claim to be in David’s line. But there is One sitting at God’s right hand who is in David’s line, and He has been told, “… Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool” (Ps. 110:1; see also Heb. 10:12–13). (See Thru the Bible) 2 Chronicles 7:19 “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, turn away. Le. 26:14, 33, etc. De. 28:15, 36, 37, etc. 1 Sa. 12:25. 1 Ch. 28:9. shall go. De. 4:23–27. Jos. 23:15, 16. 1 Ki. 9:6, 7; 11:4–8. Related Passages: 1 Kings 11:4-8+ For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and after Milcom the detestable idol of the Ammonites. 6 Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and did not follow the LORD fully, as David his father had done. 7 Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable idol of Moab, on the mountain which is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the detestable idol of the sons of Ammon. 8 Thus also he did for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. THE WARNING FOR NATIONAL APOSTASY But (term of contrast) - Marks a change of direction. In Solomon's case it marked the change in the entire nation! One is reminded of a similar "term of contrast" in the life of his father David in 2Sa 11:1+ "Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. BUT (term of contrast) David stayed at Jerusalem." He let his eyes wander and as they say "the rest is history," for the sword never departed from his family (2Sa 12:10+) after his sin with Bathsheba and his murder of her husband Uriah. Sin is deceptive (Heb 3:13+) and promises and delivers on passing pleasure (Heb 11:25+), but neglects to tell you of the pain that will follow because of God's unchanging law of sowing and reaping (Gal 6:7-8+). Sadly it would turn out like father, like son, for Solomon's eyes began to wander far and wide (1Ki 11:1-12)! If you turn away (shub/sub; Lxx - apostrepho) and forsake ('azab; Lxx - egkataleipo) My statutes and My commandments (mitsvah) which I have set before you, and go and serve (abad) other gods and worship (shachah; Lxx - proskuneo) them - See commentary 1Ki 9:6. Yahweh is not describing a little backsliding (as bad as that is), but a total about face turning away from God to that which is no gods, a willful, blatant breaking of the first commandment (Ex 20:3+)! Sadly this behavior would prove to be true in the heart of the "wisest" man in the world! Wisdom normally is the right use of knowledge, but Solomon broke this "definition" in spades and as a result his kingdom was broken as promised in the next verse. Note the pattern is first turn away (that implies a conscious choice and speaks of presumptive sins) and closely connected with turning away is out and out forsaking of God's Law. (What is apostasy?). THOUGHT- What's the solution/protection/antidote? Don't turn away! In fact keep the living Word in front of you daily, so that you can look at it like you look in a mirror and you can see what kind of (sinful) man you are and instead of turning from God's Law (Jas 1:22-25+), you become a "doer" of the Word and you turn from the sin against God (Ge 39:9). Psalm 119:9, 11+ asks and then answers "How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word. Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You." Corollary - Memorize God's Word, so you can carry the sword of the Spirit with you wherever you go and can use it to kill the sin that would seek to entangle you! J.A. Thompson: If they turned away and forsook God's laws to serve and worship other gods, there would be dire consequences. They would be separated from their land (exiled), the temple would be rejected, and they would become an object of ridicule among all peoples. The temple itself would become the object of taunting (Deut 28:37; Jer 24:9). This was to happen in the destruction brought about by Nebuchadnezzar. The Chronicler and the Israel of his day worshiped in a new temple. But though the temple had once been destroyed, God's choice of Jerusalem was still valid; and though no descendant of David sat on David's throne, the Davidic line had not failed (2Ch 7:18). (See 1, 2 Chronicles: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition) Raymond Dillard: Having spoken to Solomon, God now speaks to the people; note the shift to 2d person plural in 2Ch 7:19. At the dedication of the temple in all its magnificence, there is the reminder of what it could and did become: an object of ridicule, the butt of a joke, the point of a proverb (Deut 28:37; Jer 24:9). (See 2 Chronicles, Volume 15 - Page 59) Utley CONSEQUENCES OF IDOLATRY "Beware, lest your hearts be deceived" ‒ BDB 834, KB 984, Qal IMPERFECT, cf. Job 31:27 "turn away" ‒ BDB 693, KB 747, Qal PERFECT with waw, cf. Exod. 32:8; Deut. 9:12; 17:11,17; Jer. 5:23 "serve other gods" ‒ BDB 712, KB 773, Qal PERFECT with waw, cf. Deut. 7:4,16; 8:19; 11:16; 13:6,13; 17:3; 28:14,36,64; 29:26; 30:17; 31:20; Josh. 23:16; 24:2,16; Jer. 11:10; 13:10; 16:11,13; 22:9; 25:6; 35:15 "to worship" ‒ BDB 1005, KB 295, Hithpael (Owens, p. 805), Hishtaphel (Parsing Guide, p. 146), PERFECT with waw Obviously this was a recurrent tendency on Israel's part (notice all the parallels)! The consequences for idolatry were severe. “the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you" ‒ BDB 354, KB 351, Qal PERFECT with waw, cf. Exod. 4:14; 22:24; 32:10; Num. 11:1,10; 12:9; 32:10; Deut. 6:15; 7:4; 11:17; 29:27; Josh. 23:11 "He will shut up the heavens so that there will be no rain." ‒ BDB 783, KB 870, Qal PERFECT with waw. This is part of the curse for disobeying the covenant, cf. Lev. 26:19; Deut. 28:24; 2 Chr. 6:26-28; 7:13 "the ground will not yield its fruit" ‒ results of no rain "you will perish quickly from the good land" ‒ BDB 1, KB 2, Qal PERFECT with waw, cf. Deut. 4:26; 7:4; 8:19,20; 28:20,22; 30:18; Josh. 23:13,16 There is no middle option! God presents His covenant as fully compliant or in default (cf. Deut. 27:26; Gal. 3:10). Fallen humanity cannot obtain this level of consistent or complete obedience (cf. Josh. 24:19). Therefore, there was/is a need for a new covenant based on God's mercy and His performance (cf. Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:22-36; Rom. 3:9-18,23; 5:12-21; Galatians 3)! The Mosaic Covenant presented mankind with a stark choice—"obey and live," disobey and die." It became known as "the two ways" (cf. Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28; 30:15,19; Psalm 1). 2 Chronicles 7:20 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 I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. I will uproot you 2 Ki. 17:20. Ps. 52:5. Je. 12:17; 18:7; 31:28; 45:4. Jude 12. a proverb. De. 28:37. 1 Ki. 9:7. Ne. 4:1–4. Ps. 44:14. Je. 24:9. La. 2:15, 16. Related Passage: 1 Kings 9:7+ then I will cut off Israel from the land which I have given them, and the house which I have consecrated for My name, I will cast out of My sight. So Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples. Deuteronomy 28:37+ “You shall become a horror, a proverb, and a taunt among all the people where the LORD drives you. Jeremiah 24:9 ‘I will make them a terror and an evil for all the kingdoms of the earth, as a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse in all places where I will scatter them. A PROPHETIC PROMISE OF DESTRUCTION Then - This is one of those dreadful "if-then" conditional sentences. If the conditions of disobedience are met, God will fulfill His promised warning. God is faithful to fulfill His warning promises and His blessing promises. Obedience will lead to blessing, Disobedience will lead to chastening. 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 I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. - See commentary 1Ki 9:7. The idea of a proverb" (משל - marshal) is that Israel would be a warning, a lesson, or a cautionary tale, becoming an example of what happens when a nation turns away from God (ED: DO YOU HEAR THAT AMERICA?) The idea of a byword (שנינה - sheninah) is to become a mockery, a taunt, or an object of scorn, as other nations ridiculed Israel for its downfall and exile. This prophetic warning was fulfilled with (1) The Fall of Israel (722 B.C.) – The Northern Kingdom was conquered by Assyria, and the Israelites were exiled, (2) The Fall of Judah (586 B.C.) – The Southern Kingdom was destroyed by Babylon, and the Temple was burned. and (3) Scattering of the Jews (Diaspora) – Throughout history, Jews faced exile, persecution, and ridicule. Paul House says "becoming a byword in ancient times was a calamity, since all personal and national self-respect or international respect disappeared. Even strangers in the land would know that these disasters came about because of Israel’s unfaithfulness to their covenant with their Lord." (Borrow 1-2 Kings page 150) David