1 Chronicles - Introduction
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INTRODUCTION
The books of 1 and 2 Chronicles record the history of ISRAEL from the time DAVID became king until Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians. Therefore, 1 and 2 Chronicles cover the same historical period as that covered by 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings.1
The question arises: Why does the history of this period occur twice in the Old Testament? The answer is this: the writers had different purposes for writing, and they wrote at different times. For example, the writer of 1 and 2 Kings compiled his history during the period of Judah’s exile in Babylon; he wanted to explain to the exiles why God’s JUDGMENT had fallen on them so severely. The writer of 1 and 2 Chronicles, on the other hand, wrote after the Exile was over and the ISRAELITES had returned to their land; he wanted to encourage the people, to assure them that God was still with them and that His COVENANT was still in effect.
The title “Chronicles” means “events” or “annals.” The books of 1 and 2 Chronicles2 were written in about 450 B.C.; the writer, however, is unknown. Some scholars believe that Ezra wrote the Chronicles, in addition to the book of Ezra. The writer used many sources to compile his history, chief among them being 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings.
Because the writer’s chief purpose was to encourage and instruct the post-exilic Israelites, he placed great emphasis on their spiritual connection with their past. Thus he writes at great length about the temple and about the Levitical priesthood. He spends the first nine chapters of 1 Chronicles just recording the genealogies of Israel. The writer’s goal was to preserve the racial and religious purity of God’s people as they reestablished themselves in the promised land.
The reader will notice that the writer of 1 and 2 Chronicles omits many important events that are described in earlier books. For example, he omits those episodes in the lives of David and Solomon that reveal their human weaknesses and sins. He wasn’t trying to hide anything; after all, he repeatedly acknowledged other historical sources which dealt with these matters. Rather, the writer of Chronicles wanted to idealize David and Solomon and to present them as forerunners—types—of the MESSIAH, the Christ, who was yet to come. His focus was on the glory of Israel as God’s chosen people.
The writer of Chronicles also omits the history of the northern kingdom of Israel and its kings;3 he was mainly concerned with the southern kingdom-with the royal line of David. This is the reason he doesn’t mention the great PROPHETS Elijah and Elisha; their ministry was primarily in the northern kingdom. However, the writer repeatedly refers to “all Israel”; although the northern kingdom was destroyed by the Assyrians, many faithful Israelites from the north migrated to Judah, the southern kingdom. Thus, the exiles were a mixture of northerners and southerners; they represented “all Israel”—God’s chosen people.
The writer of Chronicles focuses on two main themes: the ideal kingship and the ideal priesthood. Both of these ideals are joined together in Jesus Christ, our eternal Priest and King. In addition to these two themes, the writer presents an overall lesson from Israel’s history—a lesson which is valid for every nation on earth: the determining factor in any nation’s history is its response to God. If the people of a nation turn to God in FAITH and obedience, they will be blessed; if they do not, they will be destroyed.