Been there. Done that. Got the T-shirt.
Why are they in the Bible?
We may well wonder – do we need the two Books of Chronicles? Why are they in the Bible? At first glance, they seem to simply regurgitate information that we have already learned, mostly from the books of Samuel and Kings. And even worse, they begin with nine whole chapters of somewhat tedious genealogies – long lists of unpronounceable names. Hardly the most edifying read! Are these books just pointless repetition? Do we really need them?
The first point to note is that although the Books of Chronicles cover a period that is already documented, they approach history from an entirely different perspective. Whilst the books of Samuel and Kings give us the political history of Israel and Judah, and focus primarily upon the role of the prophets at work within the two nations, bringing God’s messages to the people, the books of Chronicles focus principally upon the priestly aspects of the period. They were written at a later date, after the return from exile in Babylon, to inspire the people who were returning to the Promised Land, by reminding them of their rich inheritance, as well as to help them understand how they should worship God. The history focuses upon the Southern Kingdom of Judah – the kingdom which has stayed true to the worship of Yahweh, and which has preserved the royal line of David. They are written for encouragement, teaching and inspiration for a nation who are returning to their spiritual homeland and need to be reminded of their rich history, God’s faithfulness, and the demand placed upon them to worship Him.
The scope of Chronicles is greater than the earlier books of history. The genealogies go right back to Adam, and the story ends with Cyrus the Great of Persia permitting the exiles to go home.
Author: The Books of Chronicles do not specifically name an author, but tradition suggests that both books were written by Ezra, the priest who led a group of Judean exiles back to Jerusalem from Babylon, and gave his name to the Book of Ezra. They were written most probably between 450 and 425 B.C.
1 Chronicles
1 Chronicles focuses upon David’s glorious reign.
All Israel came together to David at Hebron and said, "We are your own flesh and blood. In the past, even while Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And the Lord your God said to you, 'you will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.’ (1 Chron 11: 1 – 3)
David said to Gad, ‘I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.’ (1 Chron 21: 13)
Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendour, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. (1 Chron 29:11)
Brief Summary: The first nine chapters of 1 Chronicles are dedicated to lists and genealogies. Further lists and genealogies are scattered throughout the rest of the book. In between these lists, the story records David's accession to the throne and his actions thereafter. But it is a very different story to the account that we have in Samuel. Saul is only mentioned because of his unfaithfulness to God. David’s reign is described in terms of its religious significance: no mention of Bathsheba, or Absalom’s rebellion. By contrast, we learn how David brought the Ark into Jerusalem, his desire to build the Temple, his preparation of materials and plans, and how he arranged the services of worship, the choirs, and choirmasters.
2 Chronicles
The Book of 2 Chronicles is essentially an evaluation of the nation's religious history.
Solomon gave orders to build a temple for the Name of the LORD and a royal palace for himself." (2 Chron 2:1)
Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years... He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the temple of the LORD and repaired them." (2 Chron 29:1-3)
Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful, following all the detestable practices of the nations and defiling the temple of the LORD, which he had consecrated in Jerusalem." 2 Chron 36:1)
This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Anyone of his people among you-may the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.' (2 Chron 36:2),
Brief Summary: 2 Chronicles records the history of the Southern Kingdom of Judah, from the beginning of reign of Solomon to the conclusion of the Babylonian exile. Since the story takes a priestly perspective, the Northern Kingdom of Israel is rarely mentioned because of her false worship and refusal to acknowledge the Temple of Jerusalem. This is a story that focuses upon the royal line of David. The decline of Judah is disappointing, but emphasis is given to the spiritual reformers who zealously sought to turn the people back to God. Little is said about the bad kings or of the failures of the good kings; only goodness is stressed. 2 Chronicles concludes with the final destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, and then, in a brief postscript, the scene jumps forward seventy years and describes the proclamation by Cyrus of Persia, which permitted the exiles to return home and re-build the temple.
Although other kings are mentioned, the writer focuses upon the reigns of seven kings:
Solomon: we read how Solomon made and furnished the Temple, followed by his great prayer of dedication. This is the golden age for Israel: peace, prosperity, and Temple worship. The kingdom reaches its greatest ever size. Solomon is renowned for his wealth and wisdom. Of the nine chapters devoted to him, six concern the construction and dedication of the Temple.
Asa: here is a king who reformed the religious life of the nation, removing the false idols, and even deposing his grandmother from her role as queen mother because she secretly worshipped a false idol in her bedroom! He made a covenant with the Lord and enriched the Temple.
Jehoshaphat: a king who built upon his father’s work and sent Levites to teach the Law of God in every city. Victorious in battle, he introduced a stronger focus upon God within the life of the nation.
Jehoram: a bad king who gets a mention. His mistake was in marrying Athaliah, a daughter of Ahab of Israel, who brought with her the foreign worship of her parents’ gods. Jehoram died, with the sad obituary ‘to no one’s regret’ (21:20), and Athaliah made a bid for the throne, killing many of the royal princes. But the youngest prince, Joash, was hidden for six years by a priest, until he was proclaimed king, thus securing the Davidic line, and showing this priestly act in a favourable light.
Joash: turned out to have a somewhat mixed reign. Although he restored the Temple by encouraging donations towards its upkeep, the latter part of his reign saw the introduction of idol worship and the murder of the godly priest, Zechariah. He was defeated in battle by the Arameans and subsequently died.
Hezekiah: reopened and repaired the Temple and made significant improvements to Temple worship, which had fallen into bad ways prior to his reign. He did much to restore faith in God, and revive worship within the nation. Jerusalem was attacked by the Assyrians, who were miraculously defeated. Hezekiah was miraculously healed of an illness, and granted a longer life.
Josiah: coming towards the end of the lifetime of the nation of Judah, Josiah’s reign marks the final ‘golden age’ before exile. He was a great reforming king. During a spring clean in the Temple, a book of law (probably Deuteronomy) was discovered, and read aloud to the king, resulting in a great cleansing of the temple and revival of religious practice. However, even Josiah’s reign ended in disaster and he was killed in an unnecessary battle against the Egyptians. From the end of his reign, the story follows the rather depressing account of the fall of the nation, defeat by the Babylonians, and exile.
What do we learn from these books?
The two books of Chronicles are primarily addressing three questions:
Where do I come from?
Who am I?
Why am I here?
They are speaking directly to the exiles returning to Judah from Babylon, but we can also see within them a Messianic message and lessons for God’s people today.
Where do I come from?
The long genealogies help to give the nation a sense of identity. They are a nation chosen by God. They mirror the genealogies of Jesus in Matthew and Luke, which authenticate Jesus. For Christians today, who have been ‘grafted in’ to the family of Abraham, they also remind us of our spiritual roots. We are part of God’s family.
Who am I?
These two books focus upon the priestly aspects of the nation. They offer an important reminder of their identity. They are God’s people, chosen for a specific purpose. It is highly significant that Jesus is born of the royal line of David – he fulfils prophecy and inaugurates the Kingdom of God. The book of Hebrews reminds us that Jesus is the Great High Priest. We, as servants of Jesus Christ, belong to the new priesthood. Peter reminds us:
‘you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light ’ (1 Peter 2:9).
If we want to know our true identity, we must remember that we are created by God, and that we find our true fulfilment by recognising that God is with us.
Why am I here?
The Hebrew nation was chosen by God. Worship of the Lord was not just an optional activity, but was central to its existence. Its faith gave it an identity and motivation for continuing to exist. For children of the New Covenant, Jesus is the fulfilment of this religious hope. By his incarnation, he becomes the Temple of God. St. John expresses this when he writes, ‘the Word became flesh and dwelt (literally: tabernacled) amongst us’ (John 1:14). As the people of God, we too, have responsibility to make Christ known in the world. As Paul reminds us, ‘Don’t you know that your bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit?’ (1 Cor 6:19). Our ultimate citizenship is in God’s kingdom. This is the hope that we have to offer to this world.
And finally....
Far from being books of history, these two books of Chronicles offer a message of hope for the future, calling upon all of God’s people to recognise His presence with them and to worship Him.
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chron 7:14)
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