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PGA Chaplain Bible Studies

An Overview of the bible - Study 13 – 1 and 2 Chronicles

1 and 2 Chronicles is a re-telling of the history of the life of Israel with David as the centrepiece. 1 and 2 Chronicles traces the biblical story through genealogies from the beginning with Adam in Genesis to the end of the Old Testament where the nations is invited to return from Exile. This return is permitted by Cyrus, King of Persia who ruled in the Land at the time. As such this book presents no new material from what we have studied thus far, but it does provide a different perspective to that of 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings that provides most overlap of the contents.

1 and 2 Chronicles is likely the last written book of the Old Testament and provides a good overview of the Old Testament with a fresh look to an uncertain future.

The beginning of 1 Chronicles from Chapter 1 to 9 takes from Adam and traces various genealogies linking the human race and of central concern, God’s promise to Abraham through to David and the tribe of Judah in particular.
The second part of Chapter 3 traces David’s line all the way to the end of the Old Testament after the return from exile. These genealogies are very important as they link not just people but the promises of God.

What makes David stand out in this history is the eternal nature of the promise that God gave to David to bless him that one of his sons would always reign as King. (See 1 Chronicles Chapter 17:1-15). Because David is from the tribe of Judah that split away from the northern tribes, 1 and 2 Chronicles has no interest in the northern tribes and none of their Kings or life is mentioned.

In Chapter 6 we have the genealogies of the Levites who were responsible for worship among the nation and various musicians who served at the Temple. There is as an introduction some attention given to the failed household of Saul that is designed to promote the blessing that came to David.

Out of 1 and 2 Chronicles the author devotes a lot of attention to David and his reign. But what is surprising is what is left out from the records of David in 1 and 2 Samuel.
There is no reference to his fight with Goliath, no record of his adultery with Bethsheba, nor and record of his running away from Saul or his sons. As such both histories have difference purposes and choose to highlight certain features. It is fair to say that David is somewhat idealized in Chronicles and his faults ignored.

There is some detail given to his military victories, but most attention is given to his role with the Temple and worship. Even though he was not permitted to build the Temple, 1 Chronicles Ch 22 to 29 is primarily concerned with David organising the Temple for his son Solomon. In these chapters David prepares the materials for the Temple, organises the Levites and Priests to serve, elects the singers, gatekeepers, treasurers and overseers. David’s life ends in 1 Chronicles with the idea that even though Solomon will build the Temple is many ways it was David’s. David’s prayer in Chapter 29:verses 10 to 20 summarises David’s heart for the Temple.

This section helps us to appreciate how David came to write many of the Psalms for worship that we will look at a little later on. The life of David is at the centrepiece of 1 and 2 Chronicles because of the eternal promise God gave to him and to show how central and important the Temple and worship in the life of the nation was.  In David we see both Kingship and Priesthood together.

What can also be seen is the similarity in the way that Moses was the founder of the law and Joshua the successor who led them into the Land with the law of God on the one hand and David who secured the land, the Kingship and Temple and passed this on to Solomon as the successor. In both cases the successor was significant because of the blessing of God on both Moses the law giver and David the King.

Most of 2 Chronicles concerns first the life of Solomon that we covered in the study of 1 Kings and the Kings that rules in the tribe to Judah down to the exile. There is no mention of Elijah and Elisha nor the Kings of the north.

2 Chronicles gives considerable detail to the reforms of both Josiah and Hezekiah and many of the Kings from Judah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. Hezekiah in particular tried to persuade the northern tribes to return to Jerusalem and some of them did when he celebrated the Passover in 2 Chronicles Chapter 30.

Unfortunately though his father before him and his son after him did not follow the Lord and eventually the Lord did what he foretold by the Prophets; the King of Babylon came and conquered Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple and killed most of the people.
2 Chronicles ends with the destruction of Jerusalem, the Temple and the exile of the survivors to serve the King in Babylon in Chapter 36:15-20. Daniel was one of those and we will study the book of Daniel later on.

The remaining chapter tells of the 70 years of exile of Judah told by the Prophet Jeremiah to Babylon. The book concludes with the edict of Cyrus of Persia who had defeated the Babylonian empire to allow God’s people to return to their land and rebuild the temple and the city of Jerusalem. The book ends on a slightly positive note with an unknown future, but a future in the hands of a sovereign God who uses the nations and Kings of the world to fulfil his purpose.

This will be taken up in our next study in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah that will conclude the history books of the Old Testament.

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