Overview Article
Second Chronicles gives purpose and hope to a people with an uncertain future. God had promised that David’s descendants would have an everlasting kingdom, but the people of Judah had been exiled to Babylon. Even after returning to Jerusalem, they now lived as Persian subjects. Judah had no king descended from David and no hope of becoming a kingdom. Yet God’s promises are certain, so the Chronicler encouraged the Judeans to hope for the future. The words of King Jehoshaphat capture the spirit of the book: “Listen to me, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be able to stand firm. Believe in his prophets, and you will succeed” (2 Chr 20:20).
Key People, Places, and Terms
People 266
Places 112
Key Terms 109
Themes
God’s Plan to Restore 20 One of the best-known verses in the book of 2 Chronicles explains God's plan for Israel: “ And if My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I... Apostasy and Renewal 15 During the time of Israel's divided kingdom, people often considered the northern kingdom of Israel as unfaithful and the southern kingdom of Judah as faithful. When Jeroboam started the northern kingdom, many righteo... Jerusalem 9 Jerusalem was an active city as early as four hundred years before the time of King David. The Israelites never fully captured it when they conquered Canaan or during the time of the judges ( Joshua 15:63 ; Judges 1:8... God as Holy Warrior 8 The Arabic term jihad, now familiar in English, refers to a "holy war" where men fight for God. Yet, the Bible describes a "holy war" differently. In the Bible, a holy war is a conflict where God fights for his people... Trusting in Human Strength 7 God often showed his power to his people throughout their history. He made an elderly couple, who could not have children, the ancestors of a great nation. He saved this nation from the powerful ruler of Egypt. He per... Seeking the Lord 4 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 Spirit of the Law 4 When King Hezekiah wanted to celebrate Passover, he had a problem. Passover is a feast marking Israel's freedom from slavery in Egypt and is the first feast of Israel's religious year ( Exodus 12:1–2 ). Hezekiah inten... Temple Worship 3 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...
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The Dangers of Sin 3 Choosing sin instead of remaining faithful to the one true God leads to disaster. This has been true since the beginning, when Adam and Eve's disobedience brought curses and separation from their first home ( Genesis... The Written Word 3 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... God’s Covenant with David 3 God made five special agreements (called covenants) with his people in the Old Testament: God promised Noah, his family, and the creation that a flood would never again destroy the world ( Genesis 6:18 ; 9:1–17 ). Thi... God’s Inscrutable Purposes in History 3 God directs people and events to achieve his purposes in history. He does not need to explain himself, but he always has a purpose. He guides individuals, nations, and events to achieve his will. This view of history... Solomon’s Wisdom 3 When God gave King Solomon the chance to ask for anything, Solomon chose wisdom. He wanted to govern God's people well and know right from wrong ( 1 Kings 3:9 ). Because of this unselfish choice, God granted him the w... God’s Name on His Temple 3 In his prayer of dedication, King Solomon said the temple was the house where God would put his name ( 2 Chronicles 6:20 ; compare 6:5–6 ). God said that King David would build "a house for My Name" in Jerusalem ( 2 S... Dealing with Conflict 2 God's people often experience conflict. It either comes from those outside of God's people who are against God. Or it comes from those within God's people who cause trouble. Dealing with conflict needs wisdom and care... Holy War 2 The Israelites’ total destruction of their enemies raises difficult questions about right and wrong. What reasons made Israel invade, conquer, and destroy Canaan and its people? From a human perspective, Israel's aggr... The Spirit’s Presence 2 In the Old Testament, the Spirit of the Lord came to people or groups when God gave them a task or chose them for a role. The Spirit empowered judges like Othniel, Gideon, and Jephthah for their duties ( Judges 3:10 ;... 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... Violation of the Sacred 2 Violation of the sacred is the act of disrespecting, damaging, or misusing something that is considered holy or set apart for God. Ever since the early days in the garden of Eden, humans have tried to claim God's holy... The Tabernacle 1 The tabernacle was a portable sanctuary where God lived among the Israelite people. From the beginning of creation, God's plan was to share his life with humans and allow people to have a close relationship with him....