Overview Article
The books of 1–2 Chronicles were written to inspire hope. Exile had robbed the people of Israel of their wealth, and their return to the land created resentment among their neighbors. Despondency and apathy threatened to destroy them entirely. The Chronicler’s task was to establish and validate the people’s links with the past. In writing this history, he organized the past in a way that provided meaning and value for the present. He believed that his community, Judea, was critically significant in representing the Kingdom of God. He knew that the community needed to retain its distinctive sense of identity in order to fulfill its purpose.
Key People, Places, and Terms
People 1362
Places 185
Key Terms 70
Themes
Seeking the Lord 9 As Israel was about to enter the promised land, Moses instructed the people to " seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes " ( Deuteronomy 12:5 ). Moses told the Israelites to stop pagan... The Promise of Dynasty 7 God promised King David that his family line would last forever ( 2 Samuel 7:11–16 and parallel passage in 1 Chronicles 17:9–14 ). Yet, the writer of Chronicles (called the Chronicler) lived when David's family line s... God’s Promised Kingdom 6 God promised that his kingdom would come through King David ( 1 Chronicles 17:4–14 ). During his rule, David prepared for building the temple, which would be the center of God's kingdom ( 28:11–19 ). He urged Israel's... Celebration 3 God welcomes happy expressions of joy and delight from those who worship and praise him ( Isaiah 30:29 ; Jeremiah 30:19 ; 31:13 ; Zephaniah 3:17 ; Ephesians 5:19 ; Colossians 3:16 ). King David tried two times to brin...
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The Son of God 2 Jesus' healings, exorcisms (casting out demons), raising the dead, and teachings resulted in wonder, awe, amazement, and fear (for example, Mark 1:22 , 27 ; 4:41 ; 5:15 , 20 , 33 ; 7:37 ; 9:15 ; 10:24 , 26 , 32 ; 12:1... God or Satan? 2 Who is responsible for trials and difficulties? It might see strange, but Scripture sometimes says God, sometimes Satan, and sometimes both. How is this possible? Understanding this requires looking at these situation... Music in Ancient Israel 2 The earliest people who moved from place to place (called nomads) made music. The first musician mentioned in the Bible is "Jubal," who played the harp and flute ( Genesis 4:21 ). Music was important from the beginnin... Temple Worship 2 In the ancient Near East, kings had to provide for their nation's temple. King David, who started the family line (dynasty) of Judah's kings, made Jerusalem the capital of Israel ( 2 Samuel 5:4–10 ). He also made it t... Ancestors of Jesus 1 Both the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke include a list of Jesus' ancestors ( Matthew 1:1–17 ; Luke 3:23–38 ). These lists are called "genealogies." The two genealogies are different after they mention King D... Calling up the Dead 1 The Old Testament forbids magical practices like spiritism, divination, and necromancy. Necromancy involves contacting dead spirits, usually to seek future guidance (see Deuteronomy 18:9–12 ). Practicing necromancy an... Christian Giving 1 Generous Christian giving shows true grace. We see this in "our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich" ( 2 Corinthians 8:9 ; P... Famine 1 Famine happened early in the lives of the patriarchs Abraham and Isaac ( Genesis 12:10 ; 26:1 ). When the patriarch Jacob’s family experienced famine, God had already placed his son Joseph in Egypt to help God's peopl... God’s New Covenant 1 A covenant is a promise or agreement between two groups or people that usually includes responsibilities for each side. God made a covenant with the people of Israel through Moses and the giving of the law ( Exodus 19... God's Rule and Power Over All Nations 1 In ancient times, most people thought each nation had its own god or gods. For example, the king of Aram thought Israel's gods were only powerful in the hills ( 1 Kings 20:23 ). When the judge Jephthah talked about th... Our Advocate 1 In the Gospel of John, the Greek word paraklētos refers to the Holy Spirit. This word literally means "called alongside" and describes him as "Advocate" ( John 14:16 , 26 ; 15:26 ; 16:7 ). This term appears in other G... The Ark of the Covenant 1 The ark of the covenant was a wooden chest covered with gold, located in the Most Holy Place of the Jewish tabernacle, and later the temple. It reminded Israel of God's covenant with them. Inside were the tablets of t... The Shepherd 1 In ancient Jewish society, shepherds who cared for sheep or goats were important. Shepherding was essential in the ancient Near East. Each morning, the shepherd led the flock out ( John 10:2–4 ). He found grass and wa... The Written Word 1 During the prophet Jeremiah’s crisis at his public trial on the temple grounds, friends saved his life ( Jeremiah 26 ). Yet, King Jehoiakim killed the prophet Uriah and tried to arrest Jeremiah. Would this end Jeremia...