The Book of 2 Chronicles

The history recorded in 1 & 2 Chronicles took place before the Babylon exile. However, the books are written from a perspective following the exile and after Ezra and a second large group of Jewish exiles from Babylon and Persia had returned to Palestine. The destruction of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar, and the 70 plus years of Babylonian captivity that followed had crushed many of the Jew's hopes and ideals as God's covenant people. For this reason, those who returned to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple needed a fresh spiritual foundation. They lacked a sense of identity with their past as God's chosen people. They needed to renew their faith and hope in God's promises for the future. 1 & 2 Chronicles were written to address these needs for those who had returned from exile.


Chronicles was written to reconnect the returned Jewish exiles with their ancestry and history as God's covenant people. In doing so, it highlighted three key issues: 1. the importance for the Jews to preserve their ethnic and spiritual heritage; 2. the importance of God's law, the temple and the priesthood in their ongoing relationship with God. This is far more important than allegiance or loyalty to an earthly king; and 3. Israel's ultimate hope in God's promise of a Messiah, who would be a descendant of David and reign forever.


Although the writing and perspective of 1 & 2 Chronicles date after the time of the Jewish exile, the books contain an overview of Old Testament history from Adam to the decree of Persian King Cyrus; Cyrus permitted the Jews to return to their homeland shortly after he prevailed over the Babylonians.


1 Chronicles is organized around two major topics: Israel's genealogy, and King David's reign.


Five major features characterize 1 Chronicles. 1. It covers about the same period of history as the books of 1 & 2 Samuel combined. 2. It's genealogies are the longest and most complete ancestral records in the Bible. 3. It clearly describes the amazing revival and restoration of all forms of true, godly worship when David brought the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem. There is no equal to the revival detailed in this book. 4. It points out how God's covenant promise to David was central to Israel's hope for the promised Messiah. 5. It reflects the author's priestly perspective on the reestablishment of the temple, the law and the priesthood in the Jerusalem community following their return from exile.


The records of Jewish ancestry from Adam to the Babylonian exile, including the Jewish kings from David's family line, provide the necessary information for the New Testament genealogies of Jesus. They are the foundation that Matthew uses to write of "Jesus Christ the son of David". They provide the background for Luke to tell the life story of Jesus, the Son of God. The picture of David in 1 Chronicles, seated on the throne and ruling over God's kingdom foreshadows the coming of the Messiah.