Introducing 1 and 2 Chronicles

1 & 2 Chronicles really go together, but were divided at the point of the transition from King David to King Solomon. The books offer a history from Adam to Cyrus’ decree at the end of the seventy years of exile. However, everything before King David is covered by genealogy (perhaps showing how anyone associated with God and His city are important). While focusing on the same period as 2 Samuel and the books of the Kings, Chronicles offers a different perspective on the history of David and Judah under his successors. The concern here is more with the community than the personal affairs of the leaders or prophets. So David’s sin and family scandals are barely noticed. However the importance of the Ark of the Covenant, the Tabernacle, and the Temple are reported in some detail. The spiritual and political welfare of David and his dynasty in Judah are a major concern. It is the right worship of God and His honour that seems to motivate the writer with his focus on priestly aspects of this history. Interestingly, in this Hebrew ordering of the books, the Old Testament ends with the return from exile still a prospect, rather than a partial reality as in our contemporary ordering of the Old Testament. When will the exile be over? When will God’s purposes be resolved?

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