“After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up.”

— Hosea 6:2

Have you ever watched the news or observed the people around you and wished that God’s almighty hand would sweep across this land, bringing everyone to Him? Many Christians today pray fervently for national revival. It can happen—the Bible gives us great examples of national revival from which we can learn …

Following the prosperity that Israelites enjoyed during Solomon’s reign, spiritual apathy set in. King Solomon died, and his rebellious son took over the throne. Hearkening to the council of his foolish compatriots, Solomon’s son brought disaster upon the land of Israel. Civil war ensued. The country divided into two lands—Israel, which included the Ten Tribes in the north, and Judah, which included the two tribes in the south.

In the land of Judah, national revival stopped the descent into apostasy five different times. These revivals stayed the hand of God’s discipline and prolonged the life of the country. In Israel, on the other hand, not one single national revival took place. Consequently, the Assyrian hordes attacked and led the Israelites into captivity with fishhooks in their lips; the Assyrians killed thousands of others in cruel ways. God’s wrath fell upon the disobedient people of Israel. But because of its revivals, Judah’s life extended about a hundred and fifty years.

Judah’s national revivals always consisted of three elements. First, the revivals were prompted by a crisis, generally a threat from some outside power such as Syria, Egypt, or Babylon. Second, in the midst of this crisis a prophet arose who spoke boldly to the issue at hand. Third, a godly king hearkened unto God’s Word and understood God’s reasons for the national crisis. The king then led the people in repentance and renewed godliness. These three elements never existed in the northern kingdom, so it was swept away into oblivion.

We need to pray for revival in our land. Today will you ask God to renew our country, drawing all people to Him?

“A true repentance shuns the evil itself more
than the external suffering or the shame.”
William Shakespeare