First Chronicles
Notes.. .
. ..Introduction. By Ezra to Israel to unify God’s people, trace the Davidic line, and teach that genuine worship ought to be the center of individual and national life. People include David and Solomon. Places are Hebron, Jerusalem, and the temple.
. ..Themes. Israel’s History, God’s People, David the King, True Worship, and Priests.
. ..Outline. “Does God forgive His people and restore them to usefulness? The writer sought to give hope to a people returning from exile and punishment, adrift in a sea of transition. They were tempted to doubt God’s promise and be disillusioned over past failure” (William Seay 2019, L6 23:47–24:12).
. ..Application. “Chronicles reminds us of God’s holy and gracious work among His people. God can use Chronicles to give new identity to modern Christians as He gave identity to the Jews in transition from exile. God calls us to understand His true nature” (Seay 2019, L6 36:06–36:26).
. ..Timeline. Saul dies and David’s reign begins in 1011. David was made king over Israel in 1004. David brought Ark to Jerusalem in 1000. Solomon is made king in 971 following the death of David. Solomon begins to build temple in 967. Solomon completes the temple and dedicates it to God in 960. Solomon dies and Rehoboam becomes king in 931.
Introduction. 16:20 – The purpose was to unify God’s people, to trace the Davidic line, and teach that genuine worship ought to be the center of individual and national life. The author was Ezra, according to Jewish tradition. It was written to all of Israel. The key people in I Chronicles are David and Solomon. The key places are Hebron, Jerusalem, and The Temple.
Themes. 18:50 – There are five major theological themes. (i) Israel’s History. By retelling Israel’s history and genealogies and stories of the kings, Ezra laid down the true spiritual foundation for the nation. God kept His promise of which are reminded in the historical record of His people, the leaders, prophets, priests, and the kings. (ii) God’s People. By listing the names of Israel’s past, God established Israel’s true heritage. They are all one family in Adam. One nation in Abraham. One priesthood under Levi. One kingdom under David. The national and spiritual unity of the people were important to the rebuilding of the nation. (iii) David the King. The story of David’s life and relationship with God showed that he was God’s appointed leader. David’s devotion to God, the law, the Temple, true worship, the people, and justice sets the standard for what God’s chosen king should be. (iv) True Worship. David brought the Ark of the Covenant to the tabernacle at Jerusalem to restore true worship to the people. God gave the plans for building the temple and David organized the priests to make worship central to all Israel. (v) Priests. God ordained the priests and Levites to guide the people in faithful worship, according to His law. By leading the people in worship according to God’s design, the priests and Levites were an important safeguard to Israel’s faith.
Outline. Does God forgive His people and restore them to usefulness? The writer sought to give hope to a people returning from exile and punishment, adrift in a sea of transition. They were tempted to doubt God’s promise and be disillusioned over past failure. They had gone from the military might of David and material splendor of Solomon to the humiliation of Babylonian captivity. Returned from exile and renewal of the Temple, marvelous as they were, had unmet expectations of a new Israelite kingdom with a messianic ruler from the line of David. Thus, the Jews needed to understand their roots and hear a reaffirmation of God’s covenant promise to Israel.
The setting of transition, unfulfilled hopes, and uncertainty presented several options for the people. First of all, they could settle down to routine life and go through religious routines for Israel’s God, Persia’s god, and national Canaanite gods of Palestine and so doing religion would be another means of seeking security in an unsecure world without having real hope of expectations of change. Second, they could develop a religion of legalism in which they attempt to earn God’s favor and demand His blessing because of their righteousness. Third, they could give up on God and surrender to the religions of victors in battle worshiping Persian gods and accommodating incest with a Persian lifestyle and political demands. Four, they could develop cult-like sex of the religious pure separating themselves from normal lifestyles to form an isolated religious community undefiled by the world and waiting for God to act. Five, they could develop intricate apocalyptic theology determining precisely God’s times and expecting God’s immanent apocalyptic actions to bring in the day of the Lord. Six, they could study the history of their people, learn anew the lessons of decline of their nation and as a faithful people and then renew their commitment to covenant worship and obedience.
Thus, Chronicles was written to call the people back to their covenant commitment. The author wrote not from the perspective of bitterness but brokenness and faith in God’s continuing purpose for His people. The writer of I and II Chronicles depicts the ongoing plan of grace and redemption from Adam to the post [ ] community. He wanted [ ] century Jews to seem themselves as the true Israel of God. He emphasized the place of the Temple, true worship, and the continued validity of the promises to the line of David. The apostate northern kingdom excluded from the discussion for its example. Chronicles uses history to teach Jews a lesson of history and their own past failure. God will not tolerate disobedience even from the chosen people. He will hear the prayer of penitence for His final Word is one of grace and mercy.
27:55 – I and II Chronicles provides renewed identity for God’s people in transition by reminding them of God’s holy and gracious work in the lives of His leaders. Renewed identity is based on five doctrines. The first is the nature of God. The second is the necessity of covenant commitment by His people. Three, the importance of worship. Four, the imperative of Godly leadership. Five, the redemptive plan God is working through His people. God controls all greatness, power, glory, and victory, ruling above all and through all these events in history. All idols are an abomination to Him and must be ruthlessly put away. He can move the heart of even the most powerful unbelieving ruler to accomplish His purpose. He can restore His people to prominence and fulfill His divine purpose for them. Such restoration may not come as soon as some people may expect but memories of God’s victories based on His peoples’ praise and obedience to give confidence in God’s ability to do what His prophet had promised what He would do. Hope based on God’s power does not relieve a generation of its responsibility.
God is a holy God. So holy, in fact, that He could not allow His first choice of king to rebel continually without rejection. He could not allow priests intent on returning to their holy Ark to handle it in a wrong fashion without extreme difficulty. Because He is holy, God punishes sin and demands righteousness. At the same time, He is merciful and forgiving. Accordingly, Rehoboam and Manasseh were forgiven after their sincere repentance. His love is everlasting.
God’s people are called to respond to the holy yet loving God and covenant commitment. The writer of Chronicles emphasized the importance of seeking God with a whole heart. Seeking God involves commitment to His covenant. God’s covenant promises have not been annulled despite the centuries of unfaithfulness to the covenant by His people. The call is not to shame and despair for opportunities lost but to hope but to remember and renewal through humble commitment. Sin is not the end of the road for God’s people but an occasion for confession and renewal of covenant vows. Covenant renewal led to devotion to covenant worship.
The Temple and worship occupy center stage through much of I and II Chronicles. Sincerity is always more important than proper ritual. In emergencies, Levites could assume priestly functions. Lay persons who had not been ceremoniously cleansed might observe the Passover. Worship moved beyond the precinct of the Temple to the field of battle. Worship was thus a way of life as well as a specific ceremony in the Temple. Still, the worship place was important. The Lord manifested His glory and presence in the Ark and later in the Temple resulting in praise and thanksgiving. Thus, much of 1 Chronicles centers on David’s elaborate and careful planning and preparation for the Temple along with the peoples willing cooperation with building. Building the Temple represent giving to God what He had given the people.
The purpose of worship was to bring praise and thanksgiving to God. Some of the greatest prayers and thanksgiving are found in Chronicles. Worship was not for kings and priests alone but for all people. Kings were assessed according to the treatment of their loyalty to God’s temple. Their loyalty greatly influenced that of the people. Though this made for Godly leadership imperative. During the post [ ] period, the high priest tended to usurp the [ ] formerly reserved for the king. The writer of Chronicles paid little attention to the high priest except in the execution of specific rituals and important historical acts. Emphases on the kings role maintaining proper worship may reflect the writer of Chronicles skillful way of maintaining hopes in God, Messiah, a new David that specifically stated [ ] political doctrine. God’s leaders are to model sincere obedience and faithful worship calling the people to covenant commitment. Their rule as forerunners to King of kings was so essential that the writer of Chronicles did not want to [ ] that reputation by mentioning well known sins of David and Solomon. The son of David held the kingdom of the Lord in his hand. The king ruled for the Lord. There was still the true king. Leadership was one place only in the hands of one person. The king exercises great spiritual leadership but he was not allowed to privately usurp the role of God’s priest. Lessor priests played an important role as worship leaders. The writer of Chronicles focused special attention of the Levites. Worship thus required strong leadership from many of God’s chosen leaders. No one person could claim credit for the temple worship.
Worship was possible because of God’s redemptive plan for His people. Chronicles reviews history to show that every event even the darkest days of the tragedy of the exile were all part of God’s plan. God revealed his person and plan though His chosen people, the Jews. The Jews were to be a faithful nucleus not an exclusive clique. God’s eternal plan to use Israel as His instrument of blessing remained enforced. Isolation and separation from the world were not God’s direction, He sowed a newly committed people though whom He could continue to work out His plan of world redemption.
Application. 36:00 – Chronicles reminds us of God’s holy and gracious work among His people. God can use Chronicles to give new identity to modern Christians as He gave identity to the Jews in transition from exile. God calls us to understand His true nature. We must not confine God to our limited concept or attempt to confine His power to our limited goal. We would look for His continued working in human affairs and cooperate with Him as He continues to carry out His plan of redemption. Seeing Him in His holiness, we can repent of our sin to receive His mercy. God still wants to bring revival to His people. He calls us to covenant commitment so we can see the continued fulfillment of His covenant promise. The Temple as a building is gone. The need for worship is not. The physical bodies of the Christian are now the temples of the holy Spirit. We need now commit ourselves to moral purity and holy worship. We need to regain the sense of praise and thanksgiving in all elements of life. We need to revitalize the special occasions of worship in God’s house. His miracles are not just past history, He is still working in His people. Believing prayer brings victory and true success in life. God uniquely uses available and surrendered leaders to model His holiness and to call His people to covenant commitment. Leaders should know the history of God’s people as the writer of Chronicles and teach its lessons to His people. God is working through His people continually. All of His saints are important to His plan. Every believer is called on to pass to generation to generation the good news of God’s redemption.
Timeline. 38:40 – In chapter 10 of I Chronicles, we see the death of Saul and the beginning of David’s reign. This takes place about c. 1011 BC. David was made king over all of Israel in c. 1004 BC. David brings the Ark to Jerusalem in c. 1000 BC. Solomon is made king and shortly after that is David’s death in c. 971 BC. Solomon begins to build the temple in c. 967 BC. The temple is completed, and Solomon dedicates the temple to God in c. 960 BC. The death of Solomon in c. 931 BC. Rehoboam became king after Solomon.
In response to possible contradictions regarding how the timelines line-up, we must remember that the OT arrangement is not chronological. The books are not placed into the OT in chronological order. The OT is arranged by subject matter. Each of these groups of books within a particular study were placed without any consideration of date. A chronologically ordered bible is much different in its organization.
Seay, William. 2019. Old Testament Theology [MP3]. Andersonville Theological Seminary (ATS). Camilla, GA: ATS
All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).