King Solomon prayed 7 prayers anticipating 7 judgments on Israel — the reality hits close to home in America
In II Chronicles Chapter 6, King Solomon prayed seven prayers, anticipating seven sins of the nation of Israel and the subsequent seven judgments of God. These prayers were fervent and the impending judgments severe, and Solomon was intent on seeking God’s involvement in a nation falling far from Him.
Yes, his prayers were for the nation of Israel during a time of blessing and a newly constructed temple, but knowing the sinfulness of man, Solomon sought God’s promise of mercy. Is his concern really so far removed from where we are in America today?
1. Removal of God’s Blessing
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Solomon identified in his first prayer the first national judgment of God—‘the removal of God’s blessing.’ God promises blessing for obedience but removes His blessing as He did from King Saul, Samson and the entire nation of Israel when they forgot God and sinned. It’s a frightening thing when God turns blessing to judgment with resulting military defeat, violent weather, sickness and societal decay. Sin always breaks fellowship and turns God’s favor to wrath.
2. Governmentally Sanctioned Injustice
The second evidence of judgment is ‘governmentally sanctioned injustice.’ Solomon asked God if He would defend the innocent and punish the wicked when national justice fails.
Isn’t it obvious that truth in our nation has fallen and justice has been subverted? When the righteous are marginalized and doing evil is rewarded, when abortion and same sex marriage are embraced, while simultaneously Christian businesses are penalized, and when the rule of law is rejected but socialism embraced and the Constitution marginalized—God’s judgment happens. God is not mocked. Whatever a nation sows, it reaps, including America.
3. Military Defeat
Solomon prayed again, identifying God’s third of seven progressive judgments on nations who forget God—‘military defeat.’ Since World War II, our nation has suffered repeated “defeats” in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and in the War on Terror. Now Iran, Russia and China threaten us from abroad and Venezuela to our south. Enemies reside within. Defeat is happening at the hands of the enemies of freedom, biblical truth, the rule of law and those who desire that America and Christians in America would disappear from the earth.
Do we recognize God’s judgment already upon us and do we ever consider that military defeat is God’s judgment? God does.
4. Drought
In II Chronicles 6:26, Solomon prayed about the fourth of God’s progressive judgments—‘drought.’ While much of the West Coast’s drought has turned to flooding, recent enduring drought remains real. Food prices have climbed higher, farmers have been decimated, thousands of cattle have been slaughtered and meat prices have increased. Over half a million acres of prime farmland in California will sit idle beyond our lifetimes.
But when is the last time we’ve heard anyone—including most preachers—say that drought or floods are warning signs from God? Rejecting God’s warnings conditions to the culture to substitute truth with the lies of manmade climate change.
5. Severe Weather and Enemy Attacks from Within
Solomon goes on to pray, identifying the fifth judgment in II Chronicles 6:28—‘severe weather and enemy attacks from within.’ Extreme weather is all about us—record tornadoes, hurricanes, fires, drought, earthquakes, floods, snow and cold. Likewise, the judgment of internal enemy attacks is very real as well. September 11, 2001, was America’s wake-up call but “sleep cells” abound. Yet we continue to refuse God’s warnings. How sad. We seek answers but refuse to repent or consider that our sin brings God’s judgment.
6. Abused Immigrants
The sixth judgment found in II Chronicles 6:32-33 certainly has parallels to today’s global headlines—‘abuse of immigrants.’ From our nation’s beginning, we’ve welcomed people to our “Shining City on the Hill,” in part, so they could know our God who is the Light. Today, immigrants are mere players in a political game of chess, introduced first to the god of government with social benefits offered as bribes for votes.
Solomon perceived this horrendous government injustice to the stranger and knew that it would tarnish the testimony of God. Instead of pointing people to God, the immigrant was pointed to some other manmade god.
7. War and National Collapse
Finally, Solomon prayed and anticipated the final judgment—‘war and national collapse.’ War within is the ultimate destroyer of life, property and freedom. It collapses economies and replaces peace with terror. A few short years after Solomon’s prayer, God destroyed Israel as a nation. It’s sad that our own nation, having once known the blessings of God, now sees no need for Him. We’ve been warned repeatedly, yet we still don’t hear. Unless God’s people pray and repent, we will also collapse.
As we look at these prayers and judgments, can we come to the conclusion that America’s turned her back on God? That God’s judgment’s already evident? That, sadly, most Americans seem not to care? This is why the American Pastors Network is urging pastors to warn people that God’s judgment happens when we turn our back on Him.
While God is patient, His judgment is certain.
The Hon. Sam Rohrer is president of the American Pastors Network, a national network of pastors with constitutional and biblical teachings that discusses today’s pressing issues. He was a Pennsylvania lawmaker for 18 years and hosts the daily “Stand in the Gap Today” national radio program on more than 400 stations and Host of the “Stand in the Gap” national television program.
