Tuesday, September 17, 2019

The Chronicles of God

"Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld” (2 Chronicles 20:20b).

The question often arises when reading the books of Chronicles, Why are these same stories told twice in Scripture? We already read about David, Solomon, and the other kings in the books of Samuel and Kings. To find the answer, it is helpful to know the purpose of the writer of Chronicles. Many do not realize that these books were written long after Samuel and Kings—in fact, after the Exile. They are the last two books in the Hebrew Bible, concluding the third division of literature known as “the writings.”

Although telling the same stories, the writer’s perspective was radically different from that found in the earlier historical books. He was not living during the reigns of abusive sinful kings and national decline. Since that time Israel had fallen nearly as far as possible and was finally regrouping after returning from a generation in another land. The writer wanted his people to realize that their heritage was important. Although they no longer had a king and there was no visible reason for national pride, they were still connected both by a physical and a spiritual lineage to the promises of Yahweh the Great King. Further, their continuing faith in Yahweh could yet make all the difference. In fact, the difference in perspective could be summarized by saying if Kings teaches that sin leads to defeat and, ultimately, downfall, Chronicles teaches that faith can lead to recovery and new victories.

For several reasons tradition has held that Ezra was the writer of Chronicles, not the least being the close similarity between the ending of Chronicles (2 Chronicles 36:22–23) and the beginning of Ezra (1:1–2). The long genealogies he recorded were intended to show the bridge connecting the former times with the latter times. The consistent positive outlook on God’s continuing promises was meant to encourage people to maintain hope for the messianic fulfillment which was finally and fully met in Jesus of Nazareth hundreds of years later.

In the same way, it is important for us to look both back in time (remembering the connection we have with our spiritual forerunners) and forward (continuing to look for the ultimate messianic fulfillment promised to us by that same Jesus). Think of your own heritage, where you came from both spiritually and naturally. Thank God for His past faithfulness and consider what kind of legacy you are leaving for those coming after you.