1 Chronicles

All history is a record of facts. But it is more than that. It is the facts as the writer explains them. The writer might give many details. So we learn a lot about the events. But we also learn as much about the writer.

Think about newspapers. Each one might describe the same event. But each newspaper will be different. It will show the newspaper's political ideas. And it will show what the newspaper's writers think that their readers are like.

1 and 2 Chronicles are history. They are the Jews’ history. But they have another purpose too. Both books are religious history. (And this is true about all Jewish history.) But the writer wants us to agree with him. He thinks that this is very important.

In these two books, the Temple is the main idea. And the priest is the main person. (The prophet is not the main person now.) The books show how different people understood things. And this interests the reader. It is also valuable to the reader. There was the history writer who wrote Samuel and Kings. (There might be more than one writer.) Then, there was the chronicler who wrote 1 and 2 Chronicles. (A chronicler is someone who records events.) But the methods that they used were very different.

There is a good example of this difference. It is about the time when Abijah was ruling. The prophet's account is in 1 Kings 15:1-8. We learn only two things about Abijah. First, we learn that he was wicked. And, second, we learn about his wars. The chronicler is different. He gives details about the battles.

He included something else that is more important. Abijah gave a talk. He spoke to the people whom he was opposing. He spoke to the Northern Kingdom. (Read 2 Chronicles 13:5-12.) This was Israel. (Judah was the southern Kingdom.) The talk showed the chronicler's four main interests. First, David should be the only king for both Kingdoms. And it should always be like this. Second, the right people must be priests. Third, there must be proper sacrifices. And, fourth, he described the Temple equipment.

The two books of Chronicles come after Samuel and Kings. The story continues until the time after the exile. 1 Chronicles begins with Adam. 2 Chronicles ends with the command of Cyrus. He was the king of Persia. This was a long period of history. The writer was both clever and holy. He got information from many other people. Read 1 Chronicles 29:29; 2 Chronicles 9:29; 12:15; 13:22; 20:34; 24:27; 26:22; 27:7; 32:32; 33:19.

1 Chronicles divides into two parts. But they are not equal parts.

Their History (Chapters 1-9)

This is a series of lists of family names. But notice something. There was no interest in the northern tribes. The Jewish nation had divided into two parts. This happened while Jeroboam was ruler. The people thought that this was a disaster. It was serious for the whole nation. It was a disaster for their spiritual life too. The people who returned from exile read these books. And they did not want to know about Israel (the Northern Kingdom). Israel was not loyal. Only Judah, (the Southern Kingdom), was in their thoughts.

Even the lists reminded people about spiritual things. They were more than just lists of names. The Jabez story is an example (4:9, 10). This is the first time that we read about him. And there is a possible reason for this. The story could be there to encourage the people. Two Hebrew language words sound similar. They are ‘Jabez’ and the word for ‘pain’ (4:9). As the exiles returned, they were feeling sad. And Jabez showed that God could change their pain. He could bring good things instead.

There are some principles in this story:

• God answers our prayers. (God answered Jabez's prayers, 4:10.)
• God gives us more. (Jabez asked for more land.)
• God is with us when we are lonely. (Jabez prayed: ‘Be near me’.)
• God defeats our enemies. (Jabez prayed: ‘Do not let anyone hurt me’.)

The exiles were in their land again. They were a community. So all these things were most important to them. There are also two important principles:

• God rewards people who trust him (5:18-22).
• God punishes people who leave him (5:24-26).

Even in these lists, the chronicler gives a message. It is this. God's work deserves the best people (9:13).

Their Hero (Chapters 10-29)

The next 20 chapters are about one main person. His name was David. And he was the national hero. But it showed an important idea. It was this. Members of David's family should always rule in future times.

The Kings (10-12):

• The man who stopped being king (10). His name was Saul. God refused to let him continue as king. And there was only one reason for this. It was because Saul refused to obey God (10:13-14).
• The man who became king (11:1-9). His name was David. The new king was successful. And the writer saw this as one of God's principles. Saul became more and more weak. This was because he refused to obey God. But David became more and more powerful. This was because he gave honour to God (11:9).
• The men who surrounded the king (11:10-12:7). There are details about some of their brave actions. These things happened before David was the official king.

The Ark (13-17). David did not want to repeat Saul's sin (13:3. Compare 10:13-14). But he still made a mistake. The priests should carry the Ark on their shoulders. (Read Exodus 12-14 and 1 Chronicles 15:12-15.) But they did not do this (13:7-10). There is an important lesson here. It is this. When people obey only part of God's orders there are often serious results.

David worshipped God (16). Then he had an ambition (17). As he thanked God, he wanted to do something practical. So, he suggested that they should build a Temple. This would be a more permanent home for the Ark.

Battles(18-21). David extended his kingdom. And the Bible shows an important principle. Put God first. Then you will get other things. (Read Matthew 6:33 and 1 Samuel 2:30.) Here, the chronicler's interest is in three things:

• God's protection (18:6, 13)
• David's love and his service for God
• The people's satisfaction. The writer does not mention David's sexual sin (2 Samuel 11). But some words could have a special meaning. The words are, ‘but David stayed in Jerusalem’ (20:1). [Note: It was at a time when ‘kings go to war’. So, David should not have been at home.]

But the writer did tell us about another sin of David. He was proud. He showed this when he counted the people (21). But he was very sorry about this sin. And we read something wonderful here. The new Temple would be at this same place. It was the place where he sinned. But it was also the place where he was sorry. And this teaches us an important lesson. Our sin may seem to ruin everything. But good things can still come from it.

The Temple (22-29). David gave power to Solomon (22:6). And he became king (23:1). There are lists of various groups:

• Levites (23)
• Priests (24)
• Guards (26)
• Singers and musicians (25)
• Soldiers
• Keepers of valuable things
• People to give advice (27:1-24, 25-35).

This list can teach us. To care for people's spiritual health is a big responsibility. It demands that people should work as a team.

Chapters 28 and 29 record a talk. David talked to the national leaders. He also had a special request. He wanted Solomon to build the Temple. David asked him not to delay the work (28:20).

We could fail in this same matter. We might have great intentions. But they may seldom become actions. (Compare 2 Samuel 15:15; Matthew 21:30; John 2:5; Romans 2:13; James 1:22-23, 25.)