BOOK OF 1 CHRONICLES
The Book of 1 Chronicles begins with nine "introductory chapters" of genealogies, followed by a report of Saul's death and a description of David's reign, including his preparations for building the temple, his organization of temple personnel, and his wars. The book also emphasizes the importance of the Davidic line, the priesthood, and racial and religious purity.
The Books of 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles record the history of the Israelites. They cover about the same period as the Books of 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, and 2 Kings.
1 Chronicles begins with a list of the Israelites' families. Then, it continues with an account of David’s rule over the United Kingdom, which is called Israel.
2 Chronicles begins with an account of Solomon’s rule. After Solomon’s death, the kingdom was divided.
However, the Books of 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles are not just a political history. They also provide a history of the people’s religion. They record how the people worshipped God. And especially, the books concentrate on the worship that happened at the temple in Jerusalem.
THE TITLE
In our Bibles, we have 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles. They were one book for a long time. ‘Chronicles’ means a ‘list of events.’
THE WRITER
We do not know who wrote the Chronicles. The style and arrangement of the books show that there was a single author. Jewish tradition says that Ezra wrote the Chronicles and the Book of Ezra. Many Christian experts also believe that Ezra wrote the Chronicles.
Later critics, skeptical of the long-maintained tradition, preferred to call the author "the Chronicler." However, many scholars maintain support for Ezra's authorship, not only based on centuries of work by Jewish historians but also due to the consistency of language and speech patterns between Chronicles and Ezra–Nehemiah.
One of the most striking features of Chronicles is that its closing sentence is repeated as the opening of Ezra–Nehemiah.
THE PURPOSE
The Israelites had returned to their country after 70 years in exile. So, the writer wants them to know that all Israelites are God’s people. He considers Israel to be the LORD’s kingdom, and David and Solomon were kings over it. Such ideas would give hope to the people who had just returned from exile. Israel’s kingdom would be safe because God was looking after it. In time, God would establish it again.
Israelites are people who belong to the family of Israel. The people needed to know that they did belong to Israel, so the writer gives the history of the families of Israel. He starts with Adam and shows the families of the 12 tribes up to the exile.
1 Chronicles reminds the people of Judah, who are resettling after the Babylonian captivity, of their heritage as God’s children, the Lord’s commitment to King David, and their need to trust God for their future.
The writer gives lists of names. He starts with Adam, the first man. Then, he makes a list of those people who came from Noah’s family. From them came the nations that the Jews knew about. He then tells about Jacob, who was called Israel. He was the ancestor of all the Jews. From then on, he gives only lists of all the tribes of Israel. But to him, the most important are those who came from Judah. The kings came from the tribe of Judah. Later, the author gives lists of people who helped in the worship of God and soldiers in David’s army. This is to show how important these jobs were.
One of the most important subjects in these books is the temple in Jerusalem. The writer shows how David organized the staff to maintain the temple. He set up the teams of priests and Levites who would lead the worship in the temple. God did not let David build the temple. But David prepared the materials for his son to build it.
STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK
1 Chronicles is divided into 29 chapters.
--- Chapters 1-9: Genealogies
--- Chapter 10: Account of Saul, the first king of Israel
----Chapters 11-29: David's reign
KEY VERSE
“Let it even be established, that thy name may be magnified forever, saying, The Lord of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel: and let the house of David thy servant be established before thee." — 1 Chronicles 17:24 KJV
OUTLINE
I. Beginnings: From Adam to Benjamin (1:1–9:44)
A. From Adam to the Edomites (1:1–54)
B. Judah (2:1–4:23)
C. Simeon (4:24–43)
D. The Tribes of the East Bank (5:1–26)
E. Levi (6:1–81)
F. Seven More Tribes (7:1–40)
G. Saul’s Family (8:1–40)
H. Return from the Exile (9:1–44)
II. Failure: Saul’s Death (10:1–14)
III. David’s Kingdom (11:1–29:30)
A. The Kingdom Reunified (11:1–12:40)
B. The Kingdom Fortified (13:1–18:17)
C. The Kingdom Preserved (19:1–22:1)
D. The Kingdom’s Future (22:2–29:30)
SOURCES
Much of Chronicles's content repeats material from other books of the Bible, from Genesis to Kings.
THEOLOGICAL THEMES
The kingdom of God
The new temple
Hope for the Messiah
Reign of Saul
Redign of David
SUMMARY
--- 1. God is active in history, especially the history of Israel. God immediately rewards or punishes the faithfulness or sins of individual kings.
---2. God calls Israel to a special relationship.
-—-3. God chose David and his dynasty as agents of His will. During his reign, David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, founded an eternal royal dynasty, and prepared for the construction of the Temple.
---4. God chose Jerusalem as the site for the Temple, the place where God should be worshiped.
---5. God remains active in Israel.
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