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| I CHRONICLES and II CHRONICLES THE TWELVE PRECEDING BOOKS OF THE BIBLE ENDED WITH THE HEBREW NATION IN CAPTIVITY. THESE TWO BOOKS OF CHRONICLES RETELL THE SAME STORY, AND END AT THE SAME POINT. THEY RECAPTURE ALL THAT HAS GONE BEFORE, WITH SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE REIGNS OF DAVID, SOLOMON AND SUBSEQUENT KINGS OF JUDAH. I CHRONICLES IS, IN PART THE SAME AS II SAMUEL. IT HAS TO DO WITH THE STORY OF DAVID, PREFACED WITH 9 CHAPTERS OF GENEALOGIES. THE GENEALOGIES COVER THE PERIOD FROM ADAM TO THE JEWS' RETURN FROM CAPTIVITY; A SHORTER VERSION OF ALL PREVIOUS HISTORY. EZRA WAS THE AUTHOR ACCORDING TO JEWISH TRADITION. I AND II CHRONICLES, EZRA AND NEHEMIAH, WERE, ORIGINALLY, ONE SERIES OF WORKS. FREQUENT REFERENCE IS MADE TO OTHER HISTORIES, ANNALS AND OFFICIAL ARCHIVES; "THE CHRONICLES OF KING DAVID" ( I CHRONICLES 27: 24, JOAB THE SON OF ZERUIAH BEGAN TO NUMBER, BUT HE FINISHED NOT, BECAUSE THERE FELL WRATH FOR IT AGAINST ISRAEL; NEITHER WAS THE NUMBER PUT IN THE ACCOUNT OF THE CHRONICLES OF KING DAVID). THE REIGN OF DAVID DAVID BECAME KING OVER ALL OF ISRAEL AND WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR BRINGING THE ARK TO JERUSALEM AND ARRANGING FOR THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE. DAVID LOVED THE LORD AND WANTED TO BUILD A TEMPLE TO REPLACE THE TABERNACLE, BUT GOD DENIED HIS REQUEST. DAVID'S GREATEST CONTRIBUTION TO THE TEMPLE WOULD NOT BE THE CONSTRUCTION BUT THE PREPRATION. ISRAEL'S HISTORY BY RETELLING ISRAEL'S HISTORY IN THE GENEALOGIES AND THE STORIES OF THE KINGS, THE WRITER LAID DOWN THE TRUE SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION FOR THE NATION. GOD KEPT HIS PROMISES, AND WE ARE REMINDED OF THEM IN THE HISTORICAL RECORD OF HIS PEOPLE, LEADERS, PROPHETS, PRIESTS AND KINGS. GOD'S PEOPLE BY LISTING THE NAMES OF PEOPLE IN ISRAEL'S PAST,GOD ESTABLISHED ISRAEL'S TRUE HERITAGE. THEY WERE ALL ONE FAMILY IN ADAM, ONE NATION IN ABRAHAM, ONE PRIESTHOOD UNDER LEVI, AND ONE KINGDOM UNDER DAVID. THE NATIONAL AND SPIRITUAL UNITY OF THE PEOPLE WAS IMPORTANT TO THE REBUILDING OF THE NATION. DAVID, THE KING THE STORY OF DAVID'S LIFE AND HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD SHOWED THAT HE WAS GOD'S APPOINTED LEADER. DAVID'S DEVOTIONS TO GOD, THE LAW, THE TEMPLE, TRUE WORSHIP, THE PEOPLE, AND JUSTICE SETS THE STANDARD FOR WHAT GOD'S CHOSEN KING SHOULD BE LIKE. TRUE WORSHIP DAVID BROUGHT THE ARK OF THE COVENANT TO THE TABERNACLE AT JERUSALEM TO RESTORE TRUE WORSHIP TO THE PEOPLE. GOD GAVE THE PLANS FOR BUILDING THE TEMPLE, AND DAVID ORGANIZED THE PRIESTS TO MAKE WORSHIP CENTRAL TO ALL ISRAEL. THE PRIESTS GOD ORDAINED THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES TO GUIDE THE PEOPLE IN FAITHFUL WORSHIP ACCORDING TO HIS LAW. BY LEADING THE PEOPLE IN WORSHIP ACCORDING TO GOD'S DESIGN, THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES WERE AN IMPORTANT SAFEGUARD TO ISRAEL'S FAITH. IICHRONICLES THE PURPOSE OF THIS BOOK WAS TO UNIFY THE NATION AROUND TRUE WORSHIP OF GOD BY SHOWING HIS STANDARD FOR JUDGING KINGS. THE RIGHTEOUS KINGS OF JUDAH AND THE RELIGIOUS REVIVALS UNDER THEIR RULE ARE HIGHLIGHTED, AND THE SINS OF THE EVIL KINGS ARE EXPOSED. AGAIN, EZRA WAS THOUGHT TO BE THE AUTHOR OF SECOND CHRONICLES ALSO, ACCORDING TO JEWISH TRADITION. BOTH OF THESE BOOKS WERE WRITTEN APPROXIMATELY 430 B.C., RECORDING EVENTS FROM THE BEGINNING OF SOLOMON'S REIGN (970B.C.) TO THE BEGINNING OF THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY (586 B.C.) SECOND CHRONICLES PARALLELS 1 AND II KINGS AND SERVES AS THEIR COMMENTARY. ORIGINALLY I AND II CHRONICLES WERE ONE BOOK. IT WAS WRITTEN AFTER THE EXILE FROM A PRIESTLY PERSPECTIVE, HIGHLIGHTING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE TEMPLE AND THE RELIGIOUS REVIVALS TO JUDAH. THE NORTHERN KINGDOM, ISRAEL, IS VIRTUALLY IGNORED IN THIS HISTORY. KEY VERSES I CHRONICLES 14:2 ~ AND DAVID REALIZED THAT THE LORD HAD MADE HIM KING OVER ISRAEL AND HAD MADE HIS KINGDOM VERY GREAT FOR THE SAKE OF HIS PEOPLE ISRAEL. II CHRONICLES 7:14 ~ "THEN IF MY PEOPLE WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME WILL HUMBLE THEMSELVES AND PRAY AND SEEK MY FACE AND TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS, I WILL HEAR FROM HEAVEN AND WILL FORGIVE THEIR SINS AND HEAL THEIR LAND." THE SPECIAL FEATURE OF II CHRONICLES IS A DETAILED RECORD OF THE TEMPLE'S CONSTRUCTION IN JERUSALEM. THE TEMPLE WAS THE SYMBOL OF GOD'S PRESENCE AND THE PLACE SET ASIDE FOR WORSHIP AND PRAYER. BUILT BY SOLOMON FROM THE PLANS GOD GAVE TO DAVID, THE TEMPLE WAS THE SPIRITUAL CENTER OF THE NATION. PEACE AS SOLOMON AND HIS DESCENDANTS WERE FAITHFUL TO GOD, THEY EXPERIENCED VICTORY IN BATTLE, SUCCESS IN GOVERNMENT, AND PEACE WITH OTHER NATIONS. PEACE WAS THE RESULT OF THE PEOPLE BEING UNIFIED AND LOYAL TO GOD AND HIS LAW. PRAYER AFTER SOLOMON DIED, DAVID'S KINGDOM WAS DIVIDED. WHEN A KING LED THE ISRAELITES INTO IDOLATRY, THE NATION SUFFERED. WHEN THE KING AND HIS PEOPLE PRAYED TO GOD FOR DELIVERANCE AND THEY TURNED FROM THEIR SINFUL WAYS, GOD DELIVERED THEM. REFORM ALTHOUGH IDOLATRY AND INJUSTICE WERE COMMON, SOME KINGS TURNED TO GOD AND LED THE PEOPLE IN SPIRITUAL REVIVAL..... RENEWING THEIR COMMITMENT TO GOD AND REFORMING THEIR SOCIETY. REVIVAL INCLUDED THE DESTRUCTION OF IDOLS, OBEDIENCE TO THE LAW, AND THE RESTORATION OF THE PRIESTHOOD. IN 586 B.C. THE BABYLONIANS COMPLETELY DESTROYED SOLOMON'S BEAUTIFUL TEMPLE. THE FORMAL WORSHIP OF GOD WAS ENDED. THE ISRAELITES HAD ABANDONED GOD. AS A RESULT, GOD BROUGHT JUDGMENT UPON HIS PEOPLE, AND THEY WERE CARRIED OFF INTO CAPTIVITY. AS CHRISTIANS MEET TOGETHER TO WORSHIP GOD, THEY EXPERIENCE THE PRESENCE OF GOD IN A WAY THAT NO INDIVIDUAL BELIEVER CAN, FOR THE DWELLING PLACE OF GOD IS THE PEOPLE OF GOD. THE BODY OF CHRIST IS GOD'S TEMPLE. ONLY GOD CAN BRING TRUE PEACE. GOD IS GREATER THAN ANY ENEMY, ARMY, OR NATION. JUST AS ISRAEL'S FAITHFUL RESPONSE WAS KEY TO HER PEACE AND SURVIVAL AS A NATION, SO OUR OBEDIENCE TO GOD AS INDIVIDUALS AND NATIONS IS VITAL TO PEACE TODAY. GOD ANSWERS PRAYER TODAY. WE HAVE GOD'S PROMISE THAT IF WE HUMBLE OURSELVES, SEEK HIM, TURN FROM OUR SIN, AND PRAY, GOD WILL HEAR, HEAL, AND FORGIVE US. IF WE ARE ALERT, WE CAN PRAY FOR GOD'S GUIDANCE BEFORE WE GET INTO TROUBLE. WE MUST CONSTANTLY COMMIT OURSELVES TO OBEYING GOD. WE ARE NEVER SECURE IN WHAT OTHERS HAVE DONE BEFORE US. BELIEVERS IN EACH GENERATION MUST DEDICATE THEMSELVES TO THE TASK OF CARRYING OUT GOD'S WILL IN THEIR OWN LIVES AS WELL AS IN SOCIETY. WHEN WILL THEY LEARN *~*~* The years have been many and generations multiplied, But it still turns out the same, real loyalty is being denied. No matter what good events have prevailed The Isrealites still seem destined for HELL. *~*~* What a beautiful temple it must have been Planned by God and built by men Why do you think they were so dissatisfied? With all the mercy and goodness God had provided. *~*~* But today people are much the same, They always want more, if it fails, pass the blame. God is so wise and patient as well How long do you think we mortals could prevail? *~*~* Although His wrath was often shown For the most part, He would wait and leave alone. I am so thankful that grace eventually came All because God was willing, His Son to be slain. *~*~* The Old Testament books have many lessons to teach About how people are so hard to reach. But also how many were so noble, faithful and strong And because of them, our heritage has been prolonged. Written by Shirley Barr March 14, 2005 References used: KJV,HALLEY'S Bible Handbook,1962 And Life Application Study Bible,1996 |
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| PAGE BY SHY |
| SONG: HIS BANNER OVER ME IS LOVE Sequenced and permission given by |
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