Clergy/Leaders' Mail-list No. 2-111 (Expository Sermon)

THE BURDEN OF CHRONICLES 1 & 2 Chronicles (overview)

by Rod Benson

In over 500 sermons, I have preached from 1 and 2 Chronicles only five times: a four-part series on Hezekiah, and a summary of the series as my last sermon at my first church - a day I shall never forget.

This sermon attempts to draw together the main concerns of the author of Chronicles, and suggests some pastoral applications for then and now. My next sermon is on 1 Chronicles 12:32 - the Issachar factor in the life of ancient Israel and our churches today.

In the Hebrew Bible, 1 & 2 Chronicles appear as one book at the end of the Writings, and therefore as the last book in the Hebrew Canon. Jerome described Chronicles as "the chronicle of the whole of sacred history", and its common name derives from that statement.

The Septuagint (the classic Greek translation of the Old Testament) divides Chronicles into two books, but the Hebrew Bible does not recognise the division before the Middle Ages.

Chronicles provides an excellent conclusion to the canon by drawing together its major themes and presenting them in an effective, creative and historically accurate manner. Note also how the Hebrew Bible ends (2 Chr 36:22-23).

Chronicles does not identify its author. Since he reports the decree of Cyrus (2 Chr 36:22f), he lived probably during the post-exilic period, possibly a contemporary of Ezra and Nehemiah. Probably written in late 400s BC.

WHAT DOES CHRONICLES CHRONICLE?

Chronicles is an historical book that seeks to interpret the entire period from Adam to Ezra-Nehemiah. It may be divided as follows:

(a) genealogies from Adam to post-exilic Judah (1 Chr 1-9)

(b) the reigns of David and Solomon (1 Chr 10-2 Chr 9)

(c) Judean reigns during the divided kingdom (2 Chr 10-28)

(d) Judean reigns in the sole kingdom (2 Chr 29-36)

A STORY TO ANSWER NEW QUESTIONS

For the people of Judah, in exile, the burning theological questions were "How could this have happened to us?" "Has God failed?" and "Is Marduk of Babylon more powerful than Yahweh of Israel?" The writer of Kings addresses these questions.

But the Chronicler lives at a later time than the writer of Kings. Now the key theological issues are "Does God still love us?" "Are we still the covenant people of God?" "Does Israel have a political future?" and "How should we worship God?" The Chronicler addresses these issues.

Two key passages broadly sum up the message of Chronicles. First, after David settled in his palace in Jerusalem, God said to him through Nathan the prophet, "I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever" (1 Chr 17:11b-12).

The Chronicler attempts to show that this promise still has relevance, just as the Torah was still relevant. The Torah and the temple were symbols of the full revelation God wanted his people to accept.

"Out of love for David the Lord places his son on the throne, and out of love for God Solomon fulfils his father's dream of a temple for Yahweh" (Paul House).

In Chronicles, the reigns of David and Solomon are presented primarily in terms of their involvement in the building of the temple (rather than conquest of the land or establishment of justice). Also, the Chronicler omits most incidents that are recorded in Samuel and Kings that present David and Solomon in an inglorious way.

A CALL FOR FAITH AND HOPE

Second, although the exile had crushed the Davidic monarchy, and ruined the temple, the Chronicler called for faith and hope that the promise of 1 Chronicles 17:12 would be fulfilled, and the royal line restored, and the people reconciled to God and renewed in covenant-relationship with him.

Thus he reminds his post-exilic readers of the promise the Lord gave to Solomon when he had built and dedicated the temple:

When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and will heal their land (2 Chr 7:13-14 - the best-known passage of Chronicles).

The Chronicler draws attention to the grace and mercy of God, and frequently invokes the theme of individual responsibility and accountability before God (cf Ezk 18).

Paradoxically, however, one of the most prominent themes in Chronicles is the writer's concern with "all Israel" (eg 1 Ch 9:1; 11:1,10; 12:38; 14:8; 15:3,28; 18:14; 2 Chr 1:2; 7:8; 9:30; 10:3,16; 12:1; 13:4,15; 18:16; 24:5).

The Chronicler identifies "my people" (2 Chr 7:14) and the members of the godly remnant with "all Israel."

ENCOURAGING GOD'S PEOPLE

Those who mourned the loss of Israel's identity could find comfort in the genealogy and the enduring promises of God.

Those who felt disillusioned, wondering if Israel had any enduring significance among the nations, could gain inspiration from the Chronicler's massive history of Israel and the nation's potential relationships with the nations.

Those who despaired of national unity could find assurance that a divided or decimated nation fell short of God's ideal.

And those who took pride in narrowly defining themselves as the godly remnant, or the elect people of God, would be challenged by the enduring reality of Israel as twelve tribes under God - scattered but not forgotten.

So Chronicles is not only historical narrative; it is also a pastorally sensitive and spiritually encouraging and covenantally affirming narrative. Perhaps you, or your church, or your denomination has passed into a time of grief, disillusionment or despair. Or perhaps spiritual pride or triumphalism has embraced you.

"In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing:

"This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:

" 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Anyone of his people among you--may the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.' " (2 Chr 36:22-23).

The story told by Chronicles offers a new perspective with a faithful, reliable God at the centre doing new things. Could you be part of the ongoing story of hope and redemption?

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E085 Copyright (c) 2002. Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: New International Version (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1980).

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