The author of 1 and 2 Chronicles is thought to be Ezra by many bible scholars. 1 Chronicles was written for the Jewish exiles so they could relate to their ancestry. It covers the history roughly the same as 1 & 2 Samuel, but it leaves out David’s sin and consequences of it, and it stresses in great detail the building of the temple and establishing worship for God. It also lists the most comprehensive of genealogies. The importance for the Jews to preserve their racial and spiritual heritage is stressed, as well as the importance of the law, and the temple and priesthoods ongoing relationship with God. That was more important than a relationship with an earthly king!
2 Chronicles covers the same time period of 1 & 2 Kings, but it focuses more on Judah’s history, worship, revival and reform. A thought—focus on the temple. There seems to be lots of focus on the temple. So if we think about the temple, and the importance of it, then how does it relate to the New Testament? What is the temple? Doesn’t Jesus refer to His body as the temple in the New Testament? Is the temple destroyed and raised again in 3 days? Do God and the Lamb replace the temple? YES!! I can see the relationship between the OT and the NT by reading it like this. I’m not saying that the OT is always a truly enjoyable read with all the geneaologies, but it helps me put things together relationally. Tomorrow we start and finish Ezra.
