‘Heal our land’ doesn’t mean America — in this life
This is adapted from my video on Bible verses that are frequently applied to America, which you can watch here.
Many Christians in America are very patriotic. We involve our patriotism in our faith, and vice-versa. We talk a lot about the religion of the founding fathers, and how America was founded on Christian values and Christian principles.
Some Christian circles are dominated by political talk and culture wars. Many Christians believe we need to attain political power — to have Christians elected to office, or at least officials who are friendly to Christians. They, in turn, would pass laws that reflect those “Christian principles.”
The goal for many of them is a “Christian nation,” which they say America is, was, and/or should be. It’s hard to pin down a definition of a Christian nation, or of the movement spawned by this activism, widely called Christian nationalism. Nothing in the Bible defines either of those terms.
But they do apply certain Bible verses to America. This article examines one of them:
2 Chronicles 7:14 — “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 will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
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The popular thinking is that today, “My people who are called by My name” is the church, and so if we, the church, do those things, God will “heal our land” — meaning America, or whatever country we live in.
What does “healing” America mean? I don’t know. The verse has never been fulfilled in Israel. It’s a conditional promise, which should raise a red flag right away because it’s in the context of the old, obsolete covenant. Under the new covenant, God gives us all things freely (Romans 8:32).
In any case, of course those are all good things that Christians should be doing — humbling ourselves, praying, seeking His face, repenting of sin. As God’s redeemed people, followers of Christ, He does hear our prayers, and our sins have been forgiven. No one would dispute that.
So let’s talk about the last part, about our land.
Context, context, context
To determine what this verse means, we need to see its context. In 2 Chronicles, chapters 3 through 7 describe the building of the first temple in Jerusalem under King Solomon. In the first half of chapter 7, Solomon and the people worship the Lord with praise, music and sacrifices.
Starting in verse 12, the Lord appeared to Solomon and said to him: “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice.” Look what He says in verse 13: “When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people …”
In verse 13, who does God mean by “My people”? Clearly, He’s talking about Israel.
Is there any way verse 13 can apply to the church? Even metaphorically? This is the key question, because the “My people” in verse 13 is the “My people” in verse 14. It’s all one sentence.
Verse 14 is directed to the people among whom God sent pestilence, drought and locusts in verse 13. If that’s not you, then verse 14 does not apply to you or your land.
What land?
Here’s another thing about land: Christians don’t have a land.
Unlike Israel, the church has not been assigned a certain land, at least not in this life. In a way, we’re like the Levites, the tribe of Israel who didn’t get their own territory but minister in whatever tribe they live in.
1 Peter 2:11 describes Christians as sojourners and pilgrims; other translations use words like strangers, exiles and aliens. We’re the aliens, scattered throughout all nations. In fact, the church itself is a set-apart nation (1 Peter 2:9), one without borders.
Hebrews 13:14 says, “For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come.” Like the hymn says, this world is not my home; I’m just a passing through. Our primary citizenship is in heaven, as Philippians 3:20 says.
In this world, we are ambassadors of a foreign kingdom. Someday, the King is going to invade this world in all His glory and manifest fullness, in wrath and judgment. A passage in Romans 8 says the land is waiting for the healing that will come on that day:
19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.
The land is groaning and laboring until the revealing (the apokalypsis) of the sons of God; that’s use. That’s when Jesus will return to earth, along with us, and deliver creation from the bondage of corruption. The earth itself will be gloriously liberated from sin, as we have been.
That’s when God is going to heal the land. All of it.
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