2 Chronicles 7:17, 19 And as for thee, if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and shalt observe my statutes and my judgments….But if ye turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods and worship them…
God plainly set forth certain conditions for Solomon to meet if he wanted the kingdom to continue. If he walked before God, he and his descendants would prosper. If he turned away, the nation would be destroyed. The blessings and curses of Deuteronomy 27-28 outlined these conditions clearly. But sin is deceptively attractive. Solomon eventually turned away and as a result his son lost most of the kingdom.
Following God brings benefits and rewards, which are not necessarily always material. Turning away brings suffering, punishment, and destruction. Today, the conditions are just as clear. For us One Man finally walked before God and died an innocent death to take away sin. By the power of the Spirit through the Gospel we believe and are accounted righteous. Therefore, we enjoy the blessings and avoid the curses. On account of Jesus, the Lord established the kingdom in our lives, and no one can pluck us out of His hand. This is the promise we live by. Our faith response receives good things.