Who, When, Where

Written by Ezra.
We’re not sure who wrote Chronicles, but the final verses of 2 Chronicles and the start of Ezra are pretty similar, so we think it was him.
And we think he wrote them either during or just after the Babylonian exile around 450-400BC. The genealogies in the first nine chapters do include peoplle from that period.
So most likely written either in Babylon or back in Israel, depending on exactly when he did write them.

Summary

Kings and Chronicles basically cover the same period, and basically the same stories.

Except, as you might expect from the names, Kings is more about the kings of Israel during that time, but Chronicles is more about the temple and the religious side of things. It also focuses more on the southern kingdom of Judah. (Israel was split into two kingdoms, Judah in the south, and Israel in the north).

Before You Read

Who is more important? A king or a prophet?

Do you know your family tree?
Statistically speaking, if you’re white, especially if your ancestors are from Britain. It’s almost certain that you are a descendant of William the Conqueror.
Could you prove you were a descendant from royalty if you had to?

I’m guessing, like most people, you find these genealogies pretty tedious to read through.
I once heard of a tribe who painted themselves blue. A missionary who went there had made almost no progress with the gospel message of Yeshau, even after several years. Then one day he read the genealogy from Matthew 1. Suddenly they were all looking at each other quizzically. The chief stood and said, “In our culture the person who can trace their ancestry the furthest is our chief. But your Yeshua can trace his ancestry much further than our chief.
So from now on, Yeshua is our chief, and we will all become Christians today.
Maybe those verses weren’t put there for you.
Maybe some of the Bible was written for other readers.
How does that make you feel?

If I could prove to you that the only way for you to have success in life was to rely on Yahweh, how dumb would you think anyone was who went off serving other gods?
How dumb are you? Do you do things like that? Or do you just not serve Yahweh very well?

Key Verses

1 Chronicles 4:10

Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my border! May your hand be with me, and may you keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” God granted him that which he requested.

Sometimes this verse is called, “The Prayer of Jabez”.
So many modern Christians have things like this hanging on their wall. Like it was some magic spell, that if you recite it properly God will bless you in the same way.

The previous 3 chapters list hundreds of Jabez’ relatives. But it looks like none of them ever thought of doing that? Or they did and God said, “No”.
But we don’t want that on our wall.

And, if all you want is money and riches… maybe you missed the point of the whole Bible and you need to start reading again from the beginning.

1 Chronicles 10:4, 13-14

Then Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and abuse me.” But his armor bearer would not; for he was terrified. Therefore Saul took his sword, and fell on it.
So Saul died for his trespass which he committed against Yahweh, because of Yahweh’s word, which he didn’t keep; and also because he asked counsel of one who had a familiar spirit, to inquire, and didn’t inquire of Yahweh. Therefore he killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.

So… did Saul kill himself? Or did Yahweh use Saul’s fear to bring about his death?
Yahweh killed him for not keeping his law, and for consulting a witch instead of asking Yahweh, (1 Samuel 28)

1 Chronicles 11:9

9David grew greater and greater; for Yahweh of Armies was with him. 

A bit like Jabez really. Jabez didn’t expand his lands and wealth because he was smarter or a better businessman. It happened for him because Yahweh gave it to him.

Same with David really. He didn’t grow more powerful just because he was a good soldier or an amazing tactician in warfare. His success came because, and only because, Yahweh was with him. Yahweh granted that to him as a gift.

So, how about you? Want success in what you do?
You know who to ask. And who to give credit to if he says yes. (Hint: not you).

1 Chronicles 13:2

David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if it is of Yahweh our God, …

And here is the difference between David and Saul. David said, if you think it’s OK, and Yahweh thinks it’s OK, then let’s do it.

1 Chronicles 13:12-13

David was afraid of God that day, saying, “How can I bring God’s ark home to me?” 13So David didn’t move the ark with him into David’s city, but carried it aside into Obed-Edom the Gittite’s house.
God’s ark remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house three months; and Yahweh blessed Obed-Edom’s house and all that he had.

Uzza had touched the ark, accidentally, but the penalty was always death. So David got scared that if he brought the ark to be near him, that he might do something wrong and end up dead too.
So he made Obed-Edom look after it.
And God blessed Obed-Edom the whole time it was in his care.
Does your fear ever stop you receiving a blessing because you’re too afraid to do what Yahweh has asked you to do?

1 Chronicles 15:29

As the ark of Yahweh’s covenant came to David’s city, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David dancing and playing; and she despised him in her heart.

He was dancing in his underwear.
I guess Michal thought that was “inappropriate”, and because of that she despised him.
How did Yahweh feel about it?
So Michal was wrong. Have you ever been like her and despised someone for the way they worshipped God?
Did you ask Yahweh at the time how he felt about it? Or did you just decide for him?

1 Chronicles 17:11

It will happen, when your days are fulfilled that you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your offspring after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom.

Seeing a pattern here?
I will set up your offspring after you. I will establish his kingdom.
It is Yahweh who brings these things to pass, not the power of the kings he chooses.

In what way do you need to remember that?
In what ways have you been relying on your own talents?

1 Chronicles 17:12-14

He will build me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will not take my loving kindness away from him, as I took it from him that was before you; but I will settle him in my house and in my kingdom forever. His throne will be established forever.”

He will build me a house. (The Temple?)
And his kingdom will be established forever.

David’s son Solomon did build a Temple for Yahweh to live in. But is his kingdom established forever?
Didn’t it end in 931BC?

Or is this talking about a different offspring, and a different temple?

1 Chronicles 19:3

But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, “Do you think that David honors your father, in that he has sent comforters to you? Haven’t his servants come to you to search, to overthrow, and to spy out the land?”

And despite having known David for many years, Hanun believed the gossip and degraded and humiliated David’s servants who had in fact come to comfort him.
Then they realise they’ve really annoyed David, and start thinking he’s going to retaliate on them. They hired 32,000 soldiers to fight David and his army.
Their unfounded fear and mistrust of a godly man gave rise to gossip.. which just snowballed. (As it always does).
Read 1 Timothy 5:13.

1 Chronicles 19:13

David’s army was outnumbered so they just said basically, “be brave and let Yahweh choose the outcome.”
The Syrians could see they were losing, so they called in reinforcements from across the river. In the end 47,000 Syrians were dead, and they had surrendered and made a treaty to serve David from then on.
All this because some spoiled busybodies started some gossip.
Watch out for that. It’s easier than you think to become one of the gossips.

1 Chronicles 21:1

Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to take a census of Israel.

We take a census every 5 years now. But Yahweh had specifically told them to never count their fighting men unless he told them to. (Because their victory would only ever come from Yahweh, not from how many soldiers they have). And even instructed by God, he should pay an offering for each person counted.

It’s kind of like us deciding things based on how much money we have in the bank, instead of by whether Yahweh is for it or not.
I find more and more churches doing this. They make an annual budget instead of just asking God what he wants them to do.

1 Chronicles 21:11-12

Yahweh says, ‘Take your choice: either three years of famine; or three months to be consumed before your foes, while the sword of your enemies overtakes you; or else three days the sword of Yahweh, even pestilence in the land, and Yahweh’s angel destroying throughout all the borders of Israel.

Which would you choose? 3 years of famine, 3 months of losing war, or 3 days of Yahweh himself wiping you out?
David chose Yahweh, and 70,000 of his soldiers died in 3 days! David even recognised that he was the one who sinned. But it was his men who payed the price.

1 Chronicles 22:1

Then David said, “This is the house of Yahweh God, and this is the altar of burnt offering for Israel.”

David had bought the threshing floor from Ornan to make an offering to stop Yahweh’s 3 days of destruction, because that’s where the destroying angel was when David eventually took the blame for what he had done.
This is where David then told his son Solomon to build the temple after David had passed away.
How incredibly Yahweh makes his plans. How they are never ruined by man’s sinful mistakes. And how even Satan in all his scheming isn’t able to interfere with Yahweh’s plans in any way.
Have you ruined God’s plans? Destroyed a church? A marriage? Discouraged some of his disciples? Felt like you had to walk away from ministry because of the damage you did?
Maybe it’s time you talked with him about going back? (And doing it right this time).

1 Chronicles 29:14

But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.

It’s true isn’t it. Most churches talk about tithing, giving God 10% of any money you make.
But we’ve just been seeing that any success we ever have is because Yahweh gave it to us. So really we’re giving him back 10% of his own money.
We’re actually still keeping 90% of God’s money.

After You Read

What verses really stood out to you?

How would you summarize this book in a sentence or two? What is it about? What is God trying to say to us?

Wow, that was a lot of genealogies. Especially the first 9 chapters, but even then instead of genealogies, we have chapters which are lists of priestly servants or mighty men.

If you wanted to prove you were descendant from someone in the Bible, who would you want that to be?

How well do you think you live your life in reliance on Yahweh to bring about the changes you want. Or do you rely on yourself and have a lot of failures?

How much of God’s money do you keep?
Is he OK with that?

In Australia housing prices have risen dramatically over the past few decades, to the point that when people who have had their house for a long time, sell it, they usually make more than 1 million dollars “profit”.
Odd though, I very very rarely hear of any of them turning up to church with a hundred thousand dollars to give to Yahweh.
Is he OK with that?