CONDITIONAL BLESSINGS

PROCLAMATION

“The Lord appeared to him a second time … The Lord said to him: ‘I have heard your prayer … I have consecrated this temple … and My heart will always be there … if you walk before Me faithfully with integrity of heart and uprightness …’”  1 Kings 9:2-4 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

When King Solomon had finished building the temple of The Lord and his palace, The Lord God appeared to him a second time. (1 Kings 9:1-2)  He was pleased with Solomon’s efforts and said that His eyes and His heart would always be there.  He would watch and watch over His chosen people.  Then He made a conditional covenant with Solomon which was dependent upon his behavior.  The Lord God spelled out what would happen if Solomon was faithful and obedient. (1 Kings 9:4-5)  He wanted Solomon to obey Him and to walk before Him “faithfully with integrity of heart”, to be sincere and righteous.  He also spelled out what would happen to Israel if King Solomon or his descendants turned away from The Lord God and worshiped other gods. (1 Kings 9:6-9)

APPLICATION

We receive a lot of blessing from The Lord God, many more than we can count.  However, there are some blessings from The Lord which are conditional blessings.  These blessings will only be received when we fulfill the specified condition which is required of us.  They can be referred to as “If … then …” blessings.  There are several conditional blessings presented in The Bible.  My favorite one is: “If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and 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)