NOT A PROVERB, NOT A BYWORD BUT A TESTIMONY
“But if ye turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them; then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations.” (2 Chronicles 7:20 KJV).
The building of God’s temple had been completed and Solomon, in dedicating the temple, asks God to hear the prayers of His people who pray in the temple or who direct their prayers towards the temple. That night, God appears to Solomon and makes a covenant with him saying, “If my people, who are called by my name shall humble themselves, pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV).
God goes further to say that on the other hand, if the people reject Him and go after other gods, He will uproot them out of the land He has given them. He adds that as for the temple they have built for Him, He will cast it out of His sight so that it will be no more than a proverb and a byword among the nations. It will be an object of ridicule (NIV).
The truth is that as Believers, we too ought to heed this warning because it is just as true for us as it was for the children of Israel. The New Testament tells us in 1 Corinthians 3:16, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (KJV). We are temples of the living God consecrated to Him and we are called to serve Him with all our heart unconditionally and without compromise. There is to be no foreign god, no idolatry “…And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God…” (2 Corinthians 6:16). Our God is a merciful God but at the same time He is a God of judgment. Failure to serve Him as He has commanded will cause Him to turn away from us and cast us out of His sight and instead of being a testimony we will become an object of ridicule.
We could use the life of Orpah and Ruth to illustrate this better. Both women were exposed to the God of Naomi but their reaction to Him was different. Orpah is that type of Christian who comes to know the Lord, tastes of His goodness but when the going gets tough, turns back. On the other hand, Ruth knew there had to be much more to this new life that she had come to know and wants to know more. Even though she was unsure of the future, Ruth decides to trust the God of Naomi. Note that we hear nothing more of Orpah after Ruth, Chapter 1 but when we turn to the New Testament Book of Matthew, Chapter 1, many generations after, we see Ruth appearing in the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ruth became the great grandmother of King David, the great king of Israel and a man after God’s own heart.
The choice is ours, we can opt to be a proverb, a byword, an object of ridicule to those who know us or we can be a testimony.
Prayer:
Lord, you are a good God and your plans for us are always good. Indeed, we have tasted and seen that you are good. Cause us to keep our focus on you. O Lord, just as you said you would hear the prayers of the children of Israel, we ask that you hear ours too. May we not follow after or serve any foreign god so as not to be cast out and be a proverb or byword among those that know us. Rather, may we be remembered for being faithful till the very end. Thank you for hearing this prayer in Jesus Precious Name. Amen.
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