Hear Thou From Heaven and Forgive

Today’s Passage – 2 Chronicles 6 – 8; Proverbs 18

(Second Milers also read – Acts 7 – 9; Memorize Proverbs 10:19)

“Then hear thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou hast taught them the good way, wherein they should walk; and send rain upon thy land, which thou hast given unto thy people for an inheritance.” – (2 Chronicles 6:27 KJV)

While reading chapter six of today’s passage, I noticed in Solomon’s prayer a phrase that appears over and over again: “Hear thou from Heaven”.  If you look carefully at the context of each of the times that this phrase was used you will notice that it always involves confession and forgiveness.  Basically Solomon was asking the Lord to forgive the people whenever they had come to Him in contrition and confession involving a wrong that the people had committed.  Chapter seven tells us that when Solomon had finished praying the fire fell from Heaven and consumed the sacrifices; and also that the glory of the Lord filled the Temple.  So, it appears that God was pleased with what Solomon had prayed regarding forgiveness.  Why will God continue to forgive and not forsake His people?  The answer lies in the Temple itself.  Remember the Temple was the place that sacrifices for sin were offered unto God.  Now we know that these sacrifices could not atone for sin; but they reminded God of a coming sacrifice: the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross of Calvary.  When God thinks of His Son, He can forgive the people:  their debt has been paid in full.

Why do we as God’s people have such a hard time forgiving and reconciling with each other.  Like God, we should view the atonement of the shed blood of Christ as payment for the sins that have been committed against us.  We fully expect God, and people to forgive us, yet we are so reluctant to forgive others.  Or, we say we forgive them with our mouths; but harbor bitterness in our hearts toward them.

One thing that has helped me in this area a long time ago was to actually sit down and consider all of the times that I had blown it; all of the times I had sinned against God.  Though, I could only recall a fraction of the actual list, I still had a ponderous number of transgressions listed.  I began to think, why would God forgive me?  How could He love someone as wicked as myself.  The answer – Christ.  How can you forgive those who have wronged you?   The answer – Christ.

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:32)