1. The Chronicler belonged to the “priestly cult.” He composed First and Second Chronicles after the exile.
2. This is the first Old Testament book we have encountered which has no J, E, or D contributions.
3. But, after the Chronicler wrote the original book, there were many slight additions and editorial changes.
4. The book carries vast quotations from, both Samuel and Kings.
5. The unique feature of Chronicles is that it is the only book of the Old Testament giving a Hebrew philosophy of history.
6. The book was written by the same person who also authored Ezra and Nehemiah-probably Ezra.
7. It was written from 300 to 250 B.C.
Σ.
IV. CHARACTERISTICS
1. Chronicles undertakes a new interpretation of Israelite history.
2. This book is the priestly viewpoint of all things Jewish.
3. In some places the book breathes a spirit of intolerance, but on the whole it pleads for one God, one faith, one people. The Chronicler was the original “ecumenicist.”
4. The book reviews all of Israelite history from Genesis to Kings, except that there are no quotations from Judges.
5. The Chronicler was hostile, almost bitter, toward everything and everybody in the northern kingdom. The later or second editor was more friendly toward the north.
6. The Chronicler dearly loved fantastically big numbers. David was made king by 339,000 warriors. His donations to the temple rival the riches of Croesus.
7. He regarded Yahweh as a God of ritual, ceremony, and sacrifice. Worship was the center of all religion.
8. The Chronicler wrote pictorial drama. The perfection of David, the splendor of Solomon, and the glory of the temple-these were the mission of this author.
9. Things were good in the southern kingdom, bad in the northern kingdom.
10. Chronicles is a call to living. “‘Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.’” 2
2 Chron 20:20.
11. Critics have offered several objections to Chronicles:
A. Unnecessary. Endless lists of names, and so much quoted verbatim from Samuel and Kings.
B. Uninteresting. True, certain parts were superior, but so much was of little present and practical value.
C. Defective. It was such a lopsided history of Judah, so unfair to the northern kingdom, David is always so perfect.
D. Incredible. Unreal history of the Levites. Exaggeration of numbers. Jehoshaphat had an army of 1,160,000 soldiers. Members engaged in victories and defeats-beyond all reason. On one day, in a clash with the Israelites, Ahaz lost 120,000. In another case, 200,000 men, women, and children were taken captive.
12. But Chronicles is not history. It is a drama based on history. Some of Jesus’ parables may not have been factual, but they served to illustrate the truth he was inculcating.
13. Jesus intended to portray ideas and ideals-to tell us how best to live and worship.
14. The Chronicler wanted to translate ideals into actuality.
15. From history, he wanted to draw principles to help man deal wisely with life’s vicissitudes.
16. Remember the circumstances of the author’s day:
A. The kingdom of Israel had fallen. The Assyrians had deported 30,000 Israelites.
B. Judah fell-the Babylonians had taken captive the flower and brains of the land.
C. Cyrus allowed some of the Jews to return to Jerusalem. They were anxious to have the genuine priests take over the temple services.
D. The 520 B.C. substitute temple was a poor excuse for Solomon’s temple.
E. For 150 years nothing special happened. Then came Nehemiah from Babylon to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
F. Shortly a caravan of 1,800 Hebrews came up from Babylon led by Ezra.
17. The Chronicler is true to Hebrew philosophy: obey God and prosper; disobey and reap disaster.
18. Kings says Asa did not abolish the “high places"; Chronicles says he did.
(2 Chron 14:5)
V. SOURCES
1. The author alludes to “lost sources,” but he does not quote from them as he does from both Samuel and Kings.
2. Chronicles tells a somewhat different story about the reigns of both Hezekiah and Josiah, as compared with the record in Kings.
3. The Chronicler may not have been a poet in words, but he did have the soul of a poet.
4. We will never really know whether or not the Chronicler had access to records which have since been lost.
VI. SELECTED TEXTS
1 CHRONICLES
1. The end of Saul. “The battle pressed hard upon Saul, and the archers found him; and he was wounded by the archers. Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, ‘Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and make sport of me.’ But his armor-hearer would not. ...Saul took his own sword, and fell upon it.”
1 Chron 10:3, 4.
“So Saul died for his unfaithfulness...And also consulted a medium.”
1 Chron 10:13.
2. David anointed king. “So all the elders of Israel came to...Hebron...and they anointed David king over Israel.”
1 Chron 11:3.
3. Moving the ark. “Then let us bring again the ark of our God to us...Uzza put out his hand to hold the ark, for the oxen stumbled...and he died there before God.”
1 Chron 13:3, 9-10.
4. A tent for the ark. “David...prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched a tent for it.”
1 Chron 5:1.
5. b>Welfare methods. “When David had finished offering the burnt offerings... he...distributed to all Israel, both men and women, to each a loaf of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins.”
1 Chron 16:2, 3.
6. Solomon. “He shall build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever.”
1 Chron 17:12.
7. Taking the census. “Satan stood up against Israel, and incited David to number Israel.”
1 Chron 21:1.
“So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel; and there fell seventy thousand men.”
1 Chron 21:14.
8. David prepares for the temple. “David said, ‘Solomon my son is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly magnificent...I will therefore make preparation for it.’”
1 Chron 22:5.
9. David’s admonition. “Then David said to Solomon...’Be strong and of good courage...for the Lord God...is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished.’”
1 Chron 28:20.
2 CHRONICLES
10. Solomon’s prayer. “‘Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people.’”
2 Chron 1:10.
11. Solomon builds. “Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem...at the place that David had appointed.”
2 Chron 3:1 12. Temple dedication. “When Solomon had ended his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering...And the glory of the Lord filled the temple.”
2 Chron 7:1