I Chronicles

Date Written: Approximately 430 BC, recording events that happened from about 1000 BC – 960 BC

Author: Ezra, according to Jewish tradition

Setting: I Chronicles parallels II Samuel & serves as a commentary on it. It was written after the exile from a priestly point of view & emphasizes the religious history of Judah & Israel. This book shows the importance of maintaining a relationship with God. The genealogies in chapter 1-9 emphasize the importance of a spiritual heritage. The second part of the book details the life of David. Few men or women in the Bible were as close to God as David was. His daily contact with God increased his capacity to worship & strengthen his desire to build God’s temple. His life shows us the importance of staying close to God – through studying & obeying His Word & communicating with Him daily. II Chronicles will show us how quickly our lives can deteriorate (spiritually, mentally & socially) when we fail to stay well grounded in God.

Key People: David, Solomon

Purpose: To unify God’s people, to trace the Davidic line & to teach that genuine worship ought to be the center of individual & national life.

Key Verses: Oh, that You would bless me & enlarge my territory! Let Your hand be with me & keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain. 4:10

And David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel & that his kingdom had been highly exalted for the sake of His people Israel. 14:2

Chapter Outline:

1-9 The Genealogies of Israel – ancestry of the nation, the tribes of Israel & the returnees from exile in Babylon

10-29 The Reign of David – he becomes king over all of Israel, he brings the ark to Jerusalem, his military exploits & he arranges for the building of the temple

Importance of reading I Chronicles:

What we read: By listing the names of people in Israel’s past, God established Israel’s true heritage. They were all one family in Adam, one nation in Abraham, one priesthood under Levi & one kingdom under David. The national & spiritual unity of the people were important to the rebuilding of the nation. What we can learn: God is always faithful to His people. He protects them in every generation & provides leaders to guide them. Because He has been at work throughout the centuries, we can trust Him to work in the present.

What we read: David loved the Lord & wanted to build a temple to replace the tabernacle, but God denied his request. David’s greatest contribution to the temple would not be the construction, but the preparation. What we can learn: We may not see the results of our labors for God in our lifetime, but David’s example helps us understand that we serve God so He will see His results, not so we will see ours.

What we read: Chapter 4, Jabez prayed to God to 1) bless him, 2) help him in his work 3) be with him in all he did 4) keep him from evil & harm. What we can learn: When we pray for God’s blessing, we should also pray that He will take His rightful position as Lord over our work, our family & our recreation. Our whole lives should be surrendered to Him.

What we read: Chapter 5:1, Reuben’s sin of incest was recorded for all future generations to read. The purpose isn’t to smear his name, but to show that painful memories aren’t the only result of sin. The real consequences of sin are ruined lives. As the oldest son, he was the rightful heir to both a double portion of his father’s estate & the leadership of Abraham’s descendants, who had grown into a large tribe. But his sin stripped away his rights & privileges & ruined his family. What we can learn: Before you give in to temptation, take a close look at the disastrous consequences it may produce in your life & the lives of others.

What we read: David’s power increased as a direct result of his consistent trust in God. In contrast, Saul’s power decreased because he wanted all the credit for himself & ignored God. What we can learn: Those who are concerned about building a name for themselves risk losing the very recognition they crave. Like David, we should be concerned for righteousness, honesty & excellence & leave the results to God.

What we read: Chapter 11, Eleazar’s action changed the course of a battle. When everyone around him ran, he held his ground & was saved by God. What we can learn: Don’t let fear keep you from taking a stand for God. Face your fear, take a stand & trust God.

What we read: Chapter 13:10-14, Uzzah had to die because of his sin of touching the ark. God had given very specific instruction about how the ark was to be moved & carried & they weren’t followed. David put the ark on a cart, which followed the Philistine’s example. The Levites were supposed to move the ark & it was to be carried on their shoulders with poles through its rings. It was never to be touched. What we can learn: When God gives specific instructions, we are to follow them even if we don’t understand the why. Or we will have to face the consequences of our sin. Punishment may come swiftly or over time, but if we don’t repent, we will be judged for our sins.

What we read: Before David went to battle, he inquired of God first, asking for His presence & guidance. What we can learn: Don’t wait until you are in the middle of a hard situation before turning to God. By then the consequences of your actions are already unfolding. Don’t pray as a last resort. Go to God first to avoid trouble.

What we read: Chapter 15, David was willing to look foolish in the eyes of others to express his thankfulness & worship to God. Michal didn’t like his free & spontaneous expression of praise to God. What we can learn: Don’t be afraid to worship God. If it’s coming from a heart of worship, it will be pleasing to Him. And don’t be critical of how others worship.

What we read: Chapter 21, David’s census brought disaster because unlike the one taken in the book of Numbers that God had ordered, this census was taken so David could take pride in the strength of his army & not just relying on God. Satan tempted him & he decided to act on that temptation. What we can learn: There is a fine line between feeling confident because you rely on God’s power & becoming proud because you have been used by God for great purposes. Sometimes what we do may not be sinful, but it’s the motive behind it. Is it motivated by greed, arrogance or selfishness?

What we read: Chapter 28, David told Solomon to be careful to follow every one of God’s commands to ensure Israel’s prosperity & the continuation of David’s descendants upon the throne. It was the king’s duty to study & obey God’s laws. What we can learn: Scripture is our roadmap to heaven. If we ignore it, we won’t know the way there. We have the instructions & directions, but we must study them & then follow them.

Things to think about as you read I Chronicles:

• II Timothy 2:13 “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; for He cannot deny Himself.” What have you seen of the faithfulness of God in this book? What assurance does this give you for your life?
• In chapter 29, look for the word “heart” & think about what you have read. Also, think about what you see as David blessed the Lord. Think about your own heart. What is your heart like in respect to the Lord? How can you turn what David did into a prayer to God?
• As you think about all you learned about the priests & their duties & you think of yourself & other Christians as a kingdom of priests unto God, do you see any application you can make to your responsibilities as a priest unto God?

II Chronicles

Date Written: 450 BC – 400 BC recording events from the beginning of Solomon’s reign to the beginning of the Babylonian captivity.

Author to: Unknown for certain, but according to Jewish tradition, Ezra

Setting: II Chronicles focuses on the rise & fall of the worship of God as symbolized by the Jerusalem temple. David planned the temple, Solomon built it & then had a great dedication service. Worship in the temple was very organized. But several evil kings defiled the temple & degraded worship. The people revered their idols more than they did God. Finally, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon destroyed the temple. The kings were gone, the temple was destroyed & the people were taken captive to Babylon.

Key People: Solomon, the queen of Sheba, Rehoboam, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, Joash, Uzziah, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Josiah

Purpose: To bring the nation in unity around the true worship of God by showing His standard for judging kings. The righteous kings of Judah & the religious revivals under their rule are highlighted & the sins of the evil kings are exposed.

Key Verses: If My people who are called by My name, will humble themselves & pray & seek My face & turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven & will forgive their sin & will heal their land. 7:14

As for us, the Lord is our God, & we have not forsaken Him. 13:10

Chapter Outline:

1-9 The Reign of Solomon: he asks for wisdom, builds the temple, dedicates the temple, & his death

10-36 The Kingdom of Judah: the northern tribes revolt, history of apostasy & reform, & Judah is exiled to Babylon

Importance of reading II Chronicles:

What we read: The Israelites were chosen by God to represent Him on earth. They were to show others the way to God & how to worship Him & obey Him. But time & time again, they forgot the truth & their calling & embraced idols as the nations around them did. What we can learn: How many times do our lives follow this same pattern? How many times does complacency cause you to look more like the world around you than the God you are supposed to be showing to others?

What we read: The temple was the symbol of God’s presence & the place set aside for worship & prayer. It was built by Solomon from the plans God gave to David. It was the spiritual center of the nation. What we can learn: When Christians come together to worship God, He is there, His presence is there.

What we read: As Solomon & the people were faithful to God, they had victory in battle, success in government & peace with other nations. Peace was the result of the people being in unity & loyal to God & His law. What we can learn: Only God can bring true peace. Just as Israel’s faithfulness & obedience was the key to their peace, faithfulness & obedience will be the key to ours.

What we read: Chapter 6:29-31, Solomon knew that God stands ready to hear His people, to forgive their sins & to restore their relationship with Him. What we can learn: Don’t let the enemy convince you that you have went so far in sin that God won’t forgive you. He is waiting & listening for our repentance of sin & our recommitment to obey Him. He hears us when we pour out our needs & problems to Him & is ready to forgive us & restore us to fellowship with Him. Chapter 7:14, God tells us how we receive forgiveness: 1) humble yourself by admitting your sins 2) pray to God, asking for forgiveness 3) seek God continually 4) turn from sinful behavior.

What we read: Chapter 7:17-22, God told Solomon exactly what he had to do if he wanted his kingdom to continue. If he followed God, he & his descendants would prosper & if he didn’t, the nation would be destroyed. Even though he followed God’s instructions for building the temple & offering sacrifices, he paid no attention to what God said about marrying pagan women. Solomon eventually turned from God & the result was his son & heir lost most of the kingdom. What we can learn: If the wisest man fell into temptation of sin, how much more must we be on guard against it? It all started by him marrying women of false religions. They brought their pagan worship into the home. He didn’t take a stand against it. You can be obeying God in every area of your life but one, & that is still disobedience.  We have the Bible & can see what happened to each one that chose not to follow & obey God. We know the outcome. Don’t compromise because it will lead you away from God. So choose to love & obey Him completely.

What we read: After Solomon died, his son became king & David’s kingdom was divided. When a king led the Israelites into idolatry, the nation suffered. When the king & his people prayed to God for deliverance & they turned from their sinful ways, God delivered them.  What we can learn: We have God’s promise that if we humble ourselves, seek Him, turn from our sin & pray, He will hear, heal & forgive us.

What we read: Chapter 12:14 Rehoboam’s story is tragic because he “had not set his heart on seeking the Lord.” What we can learn: It’s dangerous to put off responding to God. He asks us for a firm commitment & unless we respond by trusting Him completely, we will find ourselves alienated from Him.

What we read: Chapter 13:8, Jeroboam’s army was cursed because of the golden calves they carried with them. It was as though they had put sin into a physical form so the could carry it around. What we can learn: Consider the things you cherish. If you value anything more than God, it becomes your golden calf & will one day drag you down. Let go of anything that interferes with your relationship with God.

What we read: Chapter 14:11, Asa’s prayer when he faced a battle he knew he couldn’t win. What we can learn: Let this be your prayer when you face things that seem impossible.

What we read: Chapter 18:2-27 Ahab asked Jehoshaphat to join forces with him in battle. Before saying yes, Jehoshaphat sought God. God gave His answer through the prophet Micaiah. But Jehoshaphat ignored it. What we can learn: It does you no good to seek God’s advice if you ignore it. Some people will go around asking other people’s advice until they find someone that gives them the answer they want to hear. Not everyone who claims they heard from God & are speaking for Him really are.

What we read: Chapter 26:16, After God gave Uzziah great prosperity & power, he became proud & corrupt. What we can learn: If God has given you wealth, influence, popularity or power, be thankful, but also be careful. God hates pride. Give God glory for what you have & use your gifts in ways that please Him.

What we read: Chapter 30-31, Hezekiah did what was good & right & faithful before the Lord. He led the people of Judah in spiritual renewal. He 1) remembered God’s compassion 2) kept going despite ridicule 3) aggressively removed evil influences from his life 4) interceded for the people, asking for the Lord’s pardon 5) was open to spontaneity in worship 6) contributed generously to God’s work. What we can learn: If any of these 6 things are missing from your life, consider how they might apply & renew your commitment to God.

What we read: When Josiah read the book that Hilkiah found, he responded with repentance & humility & promised to follow God’s commands as written in the book. What we can learn: We can’t know what God wants us to do if we don’t read His Word. And even reading isn’t enough, we must be willing to do what it says. There isn’t much difference between the book hidden in the temple & the Bible hidden on the bookshelf. An unread Bible is as useless as a lost one.

What we read: Chapter 36:15-23, God warned Judah about its sin & continually restored the people to His favor, only to have them turn away again. But the day came when God’s judgment replaced His mercy. Leviticus 26:27-45 foretold how God’s people would be torn from their land for disobeying Him.  What we can learn: God has told us to choose life or death, blessing or curses. There will come a time for each of us when judgment replaces mercy.

Things to think about as your read II Chronicles:

• Notice what each king does & what God does in response to that king.  What role does the prophet play? Was he a true prophet of God or just someone assigned to that role by the king?
• Many lessons about prayer & seeking God can be learned from this book. Think about what you learned regarding sin, prayer, confession & repentance in Chapter 6.
• There are lots of stories of how people dealt with difficulties & testing. How did you relate to these people? What did you learn from their lives (men such as Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, Uzziah)?
• What did you learn about the heart? Do you serve the Lord wholeheartedly or halfheartedly? What did you learn about crying out to the Lord? What happened to those who cried out to Him? Did they always deserve to be heard?
• What did you learn about the sovereignty of God? How active or involved is God in the affairs of men? What were the different ways God afflicted those who disobeyed? Do you have a healthy fear of God?

Link to video 1: https://youtu.be/EZhtOyQLckE?si=crRks5ndXlfFa7yN

Link to video 2: https://youtu.be/Y2KmqiZLIoE?si=_K3CFLWj4COdIszc

Blessings,

Nichole Henson, Fullness of Joy Ministry