We've spent the last few days looking at the books of Samuel and Kings, and the history of the journey of Israel after the Exodus, through the wilderness, into the promised land, becoming established under a king, only to blow it all, lose it all, and be taken out of the promised land into exile. Then we come to Chronicles, where we will cut to the chase and go directly to the last paragraph of the second book:
22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: 23 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the Lord his God be with him. Let him go up.’” (II Chronicles 36)
At first glance, I & II Chronicles might just seem like a rehash of the history of Samuel and Kings, with the same time period being covered, but the purpose and structure are much different. The key is found here in the last paragraph. It takes place after the exile, when the people are looking back on this history with this big question: "Does God Still Care About Us? Is it worth us going back to the Promised Land?" Why would they ask that question? Because they no longer had a king. They were now under the rule of Cyrus, and could never see things changing. Chronicles is full of reasons why God's people should go on in life, and maybe go back. One big thing is the temple was going to be rebuilt: the temple, which is the pinnacle of events in I Chronicles, reminded them that God was with them. But there was much more: even when the temple was not there, God was still with them. They had God's Law, which throughout the Chronicles is emphasized with reminders to take immediate obedience more seriously - that was a lesson they needed to learn from the exile, and we'll see that lesson emphasized in upcoming books. Next, the promise of the Messiah still holds true; the great King would come some day. Finally, God has given us community: through our families - there are a lot of genealogies in the Chronicles, and also through the united people of God: the emphasis in the Kings is how North and South, Israel and Judah were always at odds with one another; the tone of Chronicles is more like: we are all God's people: when we squabble and fight, we are fighting against God's good plan for us.
So, look inside: Chronicles is not boring history; it's a book of hope and promise. The story is not over God cares about us and has a plan for us. God has given us people to worship with, worth with, and have community with. Don't waste time fretting about the past or worrying about the future; appreciate and enjoy all God h as given and who He gives you today. Take a picture; Show me: post it or send it.
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