A. Background . . . we’ve studied Old Testament prophets to understand where Obama’s pastor’s preaching might have come from. The prophets were God’s spokespersons, sent by God to tell Israel that they were failing as a nation. They challenged the government leaders, the clergy and their people. Why? Mostly for turning away from God. How? It was seen in their personal immorality, their government policy, and the use of religion as a lackey for the King.
B. Today: HOPE, the other side of the Prophets’ message.
C. PERFECT Example,
2 Chronicles 7:13-14http://bible.oremus.org/bible.cgi?ql=74755636
D. Key Points
1. Whether it’s God correcting a nation, a coach correcting an athlete, a parent or teacher correcting a child, the goal is always to CHANGE BEHAVIOR. If you take all the prophets together they tell us WHY God is angry, WHAT God is doing to punish, HOW to improve, and WHEN God will forgive. In 2 Chronicles 7:13-14, we see three of those steps: WHAT God’s doing, HOW a nation can improve, and THEN the HOPE.
2. While the media has focused on Obama’s pastor for seemingly anti-American or unpatriotic statements, these verses have been used by white evangelical churches, pastors, denominations through my adult life as the Key verses of revival or religious renewal in America . Verse 13 has God admitting his punishment of the nation, “When I shut up the heavens so there is no rain, or send locusts to devour the land, or send a plague . . . “. This is an Old Testament view, that anything BAD that happens to the nation is a result of the nation being bad. But there is always a way out. No effective parent, teacher, coach (or God!) can be angry, punishing all the time! And even with the prophets, their threats and anger are ONLY to cause change.
3. REMNANT Theology. God promises that as long as some people, a few people, a remnant remain faithful to God, or return to God, then God will save the people and the nation. So here is God’s hope for us: “IF my people will do four things” then everything will be OK. Since the purpose of scripture is to apply it to ourselves, we would say that AMERICA needs to do these four: HUMBLE ourselves, PRAY, SEEK GOD, and REPENT (“turn from their wicked ways”, vs. 14). “Humble” means to be honest enough to admit our own mistakes. Arrogant people or nations don’t do that. Humble honesty is the first step to a fresh start, a clean slate. PRAYER and SEEK God go together, both are intentional opening up to God. Work at it. Put some time and effort in. And REPENTANCE shows you’re serious. To repent or “turn from wicked ways” is more than saying, “oops, I’m sorry”. You have to CHANGE direction, a new way, a new life.
4. Then comes HOPE, the reason we believe in the future, God says: “THEN I will Hear you from heaven, I will Forgive your sin, and I will Heal your land/nation”. This is the perfect example of prophetic preaching and teaching. Yes, God gets upset. But God gives us another chance. If we will take it. I really have no insight into the fullness of Obama’s pastor’s preaching or ministry. But if he was true to the Old Testament prophetic tradition, he would always hold out God’s promise of ‘Hearing from heaven, Forgiving our sins, and Healing our nation”. Anything less is unBiblical.
5. The prophets also point to some future time, “the day of the Lord” or “at that time”, when people and nations will turn fully toward God. Jeremiah 31, says “at that time I will give rest, I will love you, I will build you up again, I will redeem you, I will turn mourning into gladness”. Whether you believe that God is the source of a nation’s wounds, or they are self-inflicted, or the enemy’s fault, or natural, God’s HOPE is just as real. The message to our nation is clear: we can be great, as measured by God’s righteousness. And that is determined by our behavior and our treatment of others.
