The purpose of the book of Chronicles
Commentary
I got a high distinction for the exam answer (86%). The question contained a quote from I think Dumbrell regarding the value of the presence of God rather than of Kings. The quote cuts to the heart of the purpose of the Book of Chronicles. (I obviously am aware that there are two books of Chronicles in the Christian Bible, but the original canon combined these into one very large book.)
Just a comment on the mark. I include my marks because they are an important indicator of the quality of the answer for your information. Otherwise, I could be spouting rubbish! Of course, fleshly man that I am, I take some satisfaction from the result, but I am acutely conscious that glory is to God rather than my poor efforts – whence is wisdom after all? Praise Yahweh for his blessings and the opportunity to seek out his wisdom.
Note that I will reference secondary sources without a bibliography and footnotes. The simple fact is that none of this is possible in exam conditions because we don’t have access to these references or even the internet during the exam. I am quoting from memory and because I am getting old, that memory might be fading a little!
The Purpose of the Book of Chronicles
LaSor et al make the point that the purpose of the book of Chronicles can be found in two verses. 1 Chron 17:12 reads, speaking of Solomon, “He shall build a house for me and I will establish his throne forever.” 2 Chron 7:14 reads, in the context of Solomon’s dedication of the Temple, “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
To a post exilic people, given the likely dating of the compilation of the book by the Chronicler, probably concurrent with Ezra and Nehemiah, this was a significant measure of hope bound up in the presence of Yahweh. Clearly, in the promise about Solomon relating to a throne, it could be suggested that the message was of an enduring rulership under the Davidic Dynasty, but that Throne was linked inextricably to the “house for me” therefore, whilst not overtly a theocracy, the link cannot be ignored.
Israel, returned to the land after the devastation of the Exile, must have wonderred what had happened to the principal theology and anchor of their faith from the pre-exile. Their theology had been bound up in the city of Zion and the promises to david, again bound up in the Davidic Dynasty and magnificent temple built by Solomon. In exile, they were confronted with the destruction of that theology and now, as a frontier town and outpost on the fringe of a mighty pagan empire (Dumbrell, Fee and Stuart), their faith was a guttering flame; their pride in nation, built up by the prophecies of Haggai and Zechariah and even much longer ago, in Isaiah, where they expected to be the head of the nations, rather than the tail, was all but extinguished.
The reforms of Ezra and Nehemiah are relatively short lived (Hill and Walton) and perhaps this was already visible, depending on the dating of the Chronicler. They need some hope for the impending centuries to follow. They could not rely on the fact that the walls had been rebuilt and a more modest temple had been erected. The Chronicler compiles a story of their history to give them hope for the future.
The Story
The story commences with a genealogy largely consisting of the faithful, it brushes over Saul in a matter of verses and instead focusses in on David and his faithfulness ruling over a united monarchy. The story ignores the personal sin of David in the matter of Bathsheba and Uriah (LaSor et al) to focus instead on the preparation of the Temple. Interestingly, the record does cover the sin in the matter of the Census. This is largely because (according to LaSor et al) this sin is related to the temple. It was a communal matter and it ignored the sovereignty of Yahweh. It was Yahweh (rather than David) who had built the people, they are Yahweh’s not the King’s.
The record then shifts focus to the joint work of David and Solomon in preparing for the Temple and thence to Solomon’s construction and dedication of the Temple. In the context of that dedication, we get the second of LaSor et al’s important verses which annunciates a vital principle around obedience. First of all, God refers to Israel as “my people”. The returnees could take comfort in the fact that Yahweh is once again dwelling with them in the new temple, that he is their God and they are his people. They are able to humble themselves and pray, seek his face and turn from their wicked ways. If they do this, the record states that God will “hear them from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land”.
The rest of the book then provides a record of this. Hezekiah, for example, in the aftermath of the disasterous reign of Ahaz, cleanses the temple in 2 Chron 29. The record sums his reign in Verse 2. “He did what was right in the sight of Yahweh, just as his ancestor David had done… in the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of Yahweh…” Despite the many challenges of his reign whether personal or national, Yahweh exercised retribution, to heal him at his prayer, to see off Senacherib’s forces and much else.
Another important king, called by Dumbrell “a paradigm of repentance” is King Mannaseh who, despite doing evil, repents and accesses the grace of God.
Inconstancy of Kings
Ultimately, the book evidences the inconstancy of the kings and the constancy of Yahweh’s grace and the consequences of obedience to God.
In the face of this inconstancy, God’s presence is far more important and a whole hearted worship and obedience was far more valuable for the hope of Israel. As Hill and Walton point out, Ezra and Nehemiah tend to focus on the establishment of temple worship, whereas Chronicles (despite its setting) is eschatological and references an open ended hope in Yahweh’s grace.
To a nation bereft of his historical identity in the city of Zion and its kings, this message offered them a hope in a house where God could be present with them and in a way to be reconciled to their God “FOREVER”. He would hear them from heaven, and would forgive their sin and heal their land, even if for that moment, it was merely a frontier town on the edge of a vast pagan nation.