The Book of 2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles covers the same period of history as 1 & 2 Kings, which includes Solomon's reign, and the divided kingdom. Following Solomon's reign, the kingdom of Israel experienced so much inner difficulty that it split into two separate kingdoms. 2 Chronicles focuses only on Judah's destiny. The writer of 2 Chronicles views Judah as the main stream of Israel's "redemptive" history. That is because the temple in Jerusalem continued to be the center for the true worship of God; Judah's kings were descendants of David, and Judah was the dominant tribe among the Jews who returned from exile and rebuilt Jerusalem and the temple. 2 Chronicles was written from a priests perspective during the last half of the 5th. century BC.


2 Chronicles was written for the benefit of the groups of Jews who returned from their exile. Having been denied their identity as a nation for so many years, they faced the urgent need of reconnecting with their cultural and spiritual heritage. 2 Chronicles highlights the more positive elements of the kingdom and its history. The book addresses spiritual revival, reform and God's blessing on leaders who were faithful to Him. This gave the weary exiles a renewed hope as they looked to the future.


Four major features characterize 2 Chronicles. 1. It covers just about the same period in history as the books of 1 & 2 Kings. 2. Because its focus is on the temple in Jerusalem, it is placed in the non-prophetic division of the Old Testament, rather than with the books of Samuel and Kings. 3. It features five national revivals, including the most extended Old Testament account of a spiritual revival which took place during Hezekiah's reign, and the dramatic revival under Joseah, when the book of the Law was found and read publicly. 4. The challenge and main encouragement of this book is to "seek the Lord". This is to instruct each believer to pursue with truth, depth and passion a deeper relationship with God. It also teaches of the need for a strong desire to understand what God is doing and a willingness to be a part of His purposes. The author stresses over and over the importance of seeking the Lord diligently and wholeheartedly.