The original audience of this verse was the nation of Israel at the dedication of the Temple.
God had an unconditional covenant with his people that they would always be his people. But he did also have a conditional covenant with them. So long as they worshiped him and him alone, they would prosper in the land. But if they turned to idols, he would send famine and pestilence. However, if they turned from their idols and back to him again, he would relent the disaster and heal their land.
As Gentile believers living in America or any other part of the world, we have no such contractual relationship with God. God has no contract with America. We are not mentioned in the bible at all. This isn’t to say Americans aren’t important, but the bible just wasn’t written to Americans, even though it was written for Americans.
The modern day application is that when we turn from our sin and toward God, he does bring about healing in our lives. He brings about healing in our relationships. And he can even bring healing in our communities and transform our nations. But that tends to happen in an organic relational sense, rather than through edicts of cursing and blessing.
We have no prophet who is sent to interpret the blessing and the curse. So we have the general principle of healing in our lives through turning toward God. But this particular verse is not a particular promise to us.
Bible Verses and Passages Have Fixed Meanings. It’s Our Job to Discover Those Meanings, Not Create Them.
When it comes to understanding scripture, we can’t just read a verse of the day and gain insights on what that verse is about. It’s critical that our understanding of scripture is formed by the verses surrounding it, the original audience (who the book was written to), and the historical and cultural context. Depending on the section of scripture, you might need to utilize outside resources to help you understand some of this information.
The way we understand scripture shouldn’t be based on our personal life season, emotions, or biases. We have to do our best to step outside of ourselves and allow the bible to inform us, rather than us informing the bible.
Don’t be afraid to use other resources or to read the passage again and again. The word of God is powerful and able to transform our lives, if we view it in that way, rather than a book to support the beliefs we already have.
This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.
