2 Chronicles I. Introduction A. 2 Chronicles: another look at the kings, focusing on Judah 1. Solomon and the Temple 2. Rehoboam through the exile B. What do we gain from 2 Chronicles? C. Let us consider the book II. 2 Chronicles: The Details A. Authorship 1. Author not definitively known 2. Ezra a strong possibility 3. If not Ezra, someone associated with the priesthood/Levites 4. 1-2 Chronicles a single work 5. In Greek Septuagint, called 2 Paraleipomena ("omitted things") B. Dating 1. Book presents Solomon's reign through Cyrus' proclamation (ca. 950-530 BCE) 2. Material roughly contemporaneous with 1 Kings 3-2 Kings 25, Ezra 1 3. Much of the information also from contemporaneous documents, 1-2 Kings 4. Final composition after the exile, ca. 430 BCE C. Audience 1. The audience represents the returned exiles in the Persian period 2. We can gain much also D. Purpose 1. To present the story of the Davidic line of kings 2. To present the story of the building of the First Temple 3. To commend faith and condemn disobedience III. 2 Chronicles: The Story A. Main Sections 1. Solomon (2 Chronicles 1-9) 2. Early Judahite Kings (2 Chronicles 10-24) 3. Late Judahite Kings (2 Chronicles 25-36) B. Solomon Established (2 Chronicles 1; cf. 1 Kings 3) 1. Solomon goes to Gibeon to serve God (2 Chronicles 1:1-6) 2. God visits him at night; he prays for wisdom (2 Chronicles 1:7-13) 3. Great wealth given to him (2 Chronicles 1:14-17) C. The First Temple (2 Chronicles 2-7; cf. 1 Kings 5-8) 1. Solomon begins to prepare for building; sends for supplies from Hiram king of Tyre (2 Chronicles 2:1-10) 2. Hiram answers, sends material and Hiram the craftsman (2 Chronicles 2:11-16) 3. Solomon's resident alien workers; beginning of building on Mount Moriah (2 Chronicles 2:17-3:2) 4. Temple measurements and layout; materials used (2 Chronicles 3:3-17) 5. Temple furnishings (2 Chronicles 4) 6. Temple completed; Ark brought into Temple; great sacrifice; singers and musicians playing; glory of God in the Temple (2 Chronicles 5) 7. Solomon blesses God, people (2 Chronicles 6:1-11) 8. Solomon dedicates Temple, prays that God will hear the prayers of the people (2 Chronicles 6:12-42) 9. Fire comes from heaven, consumes offerings; people prostrate themselves (2 Chronicles 7:1-3) 10. Thousands of sacrifices offered; seven day feast (2 Chronicles 7:4-10) 11. God appears to Solomon; accepts Temple, will hear prayers if obedient, problems will come if there is disobedience (2 Chronicles 7:11-22) D. Solomon (2 Chronicles 8-9; cf. 1 Kings 9-11) 1. Rebuilds cities in north; took Zobah and Hamath; foreigners as laborers (2 Chronicles 8:1-10) 2. Pharaoh's daughter to special house; offerings in Temple; ships to Ophir (2 Chronicles 8:11-18) 3. The queen of Sheba visits Solomon; Solomon's wealth; death of Solomon (2 Chronicles 9) E. Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 10-12; cf. 1 Kings 12-14) 1. Rehoboam becomes king; asked to make burden lighter; elders tell him to do so, young men say make it worse; follows young men; tribes revolt (2 Chronicles 10) 2. Rehoboam ready to fight; told not to do so; reinforces defense cities (2 Chronicles 11:1-12) 3. Priests, Levites flee to Judah because of Jeroboam; Rehoboam's family (2 Chronicles 11:13-23) 4. Rehoboam becomes unfaithful; Shishak king of Egypt conquers Judah, plunders Temple; reign and death of Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 12) F. Abijah and Asa (2 Chronicles 13-16; cf. 1 Kings 15) 1. Abijah king; war with Jeroboam; taunt against Jeroboam; Abijah successful (2 Chronicles 13) 2. Asa king; land at rest; faithful king, removes idolatry; Ethiopians attack Judah, Asa cries to God, God delivers Judah (2 Chronicles 14) 3. Azariah exhorts Judah to faithfulness; idols removed; sacrifices made; queen mother deposed for idolatry (2 Chronicles 15) 4. Baasha of Israel militant against Asa; Asa makes agreement with Aram, incurs anger of God; later dies (2 Chronicles 16) G. Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 17-20; cf. 1 Kings 22-2 Kings 3) 1. Jehoshaphat king; fortifies border cities; faithful to God (2 Chronicles 17:1-6) 2. Officials and Levites teach Judahites from Book of the Law (2 Chronicles 17:7-9) 3. Fear of king upon other nations; military and other resources strengthened (2 Chronicles 17:10-18) 4. Alliance with Ahab; battle at Ramoth-gilead, Micaiah predicts death of Ahab; comes to pass (2 Chronicles 18) 5. Jehu the seer condemns Jehoshaphat for alliance; appoints judges in Judah; has special judges from Levites in Jerusalem for greater cases (2 Chronicles 19) 6. Coalition of Ammonites, Moabites against Judah; Jehoshaphat prays to God for deliverance; Jahaziel prophesies salvation from God (2 Chronicles 20:1-17) 7. Judah goes out to see; Edomites against Ammonites and Moabites; mutual destruction; Judah able to plunder the spoil (2 Chronicles 20:18-30) 8. Jehoshaphat's failed Ophir expedition; death (2 Chronicles 20:35-38) H. Jehoram Through Joash (2 Chronicles 21-24; cf. 2 Kings 8-12) 1. Jehoram king; kills brothers, unfaithful to God; revolt of Edom; plague on Jehoram; Philistines and Arabians defeat Judah (2 Chronicles 21) 2. Ahaziah king; unfaithful; visits Joram of Israel, killed by Jehu (2 Chronicles 22:1-9) 3. Athaliah kills all but Joash, reigns in Judah; unfaithful (2 Chronicles 22:10-12) 4. Jehoiada the priest gathers some of the army, has Joash made king; proclaimed in Temple; Athaliah comes and hears it, executed (2 Chronicles 23:1-15) 5. Jehoiada makes covenant with people and king to be God's people; Baal altars torn down; offerings to God in Temple; king installed; peace (2 Chronicles 23:16-21) 6. Temple repairs; funded by tax of people; death of Jehoiada (2 Chronicles 24:1-16) 7. Joash turns unfaithful to God; Zechariah rebukes him, is killed (2 Chronicles 24:17-20) 8. Aram defeats Judah; conspiracy against Joash; he is killed (2 Chronicles 24:21-27) I. Amaziah, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz (2 Chronicles 25-28; cf. 2 Kings 14-16) 1. Amaziah king; avenges father; mostly faithful (2 Chronicles 25:1-4) 2. Prepares army to fight; buys Israelite mercenaries, told to send them away; defeated Edomites (2 Chronicles 25:5-13) 3. Brings back idols of Edom, serves them; prophet warns him, turned away (2 Chronicles 25:14-16) 4. Amaziah fights Joash of Israel, is defeated and captured; Joash plunders Jerusalem; death of Amaziah (2 Chronicles 25:17-28) 5. Uzziah king; faithful; defeated Philistines and Arabians; fortified Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 26:1-15) 6. Becomes proud; offers incense in Temple; struck by God with leprosy; Jotham made king (2 Chronicles 26:16-23) 7. Jotham king; faithful; built cities; fought Ammonites (2 Chronicles 27) 8. Ahaz king; unfaithful; Baal service, burned sons as offering (2 Chronicles 28:1-4) 9. Aram and Israel defeat Judah; Israelites take spoil, let the people return; Edomites defeat Judah; Ahaz appeals to Assyria (2 Chronicles 28:5-21) 10. Ahaz serves Aramean gods; dies (2 Chronicles 28:22-27) J. Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 29-32; cf. 2 Kings 18-20) 1. Hezekiah king; faithful; cleanses the Temple, covenant renewed (2 Chronicles 29:1-19) 2. Temple service restored; musicians stationed; prostration and offerings (2 Chronicles 29:20-36) 3. Call to celebrate Passover throughout all Judah and Israel; many mock, others are humbled, come (2 Chronicles 30:1-12) 4. Great assembly in Jerusalem; altar removal; some not cleansed, Hezekiah prays for pardon; extended for seven days; great joy (2 Chronicles 30:13-27) 5. Altars, high places overthrown; Hezekiah appoints divisions of priests, chambers in Temple prepared; priests and Levites enrolled (2 Chronicles 31) 6. Sennacherib invades Judah; reviles God; Hezekiah prays to God, God provides deliverance (2 Chronicles 32:1-23) 7. Hezekiah becomes ill; God answers his prayer; great wealth and honor for Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 32:24-33) K. Manasseh and Amon (2 Chronicles 33; cf. 2 Kings 21) 1. Manasseh king; quite evil; rebuilt high places, even installs foreign gods in Temple (2 Chronicles 33:1-9) 2. Manasseh did not hear word of God, brought into Assyrian captivity, repents of his sin (2 Chronicles 33:10-13) 3. Returns to Jerusalem, fortifies city, removes foreign gods, restored Temple; people continue to serve on high places, but only to YHWH; dies (2 Chronicles 33:14-20) 4. Amon king; unfaithful; conspired against and killed; conspirators killed (2 Chronicles 33:21-25) L. Josiah (2 Chronicles 34-35; cf. 2 Kings 22-23) 1. Josiah king; faithful; removes high places and foreign gods in Judah and Israel (2 Chronicles 34:1-7) 2. Temple repaired; book of the Law found; read to the king; he mourns for the sins of his fathers (2 Chronicles 34:8-21) 3. Huldah the prophetess prophesies later disaster, but after Josiah; Josiah has book read to all the people, covenant renewed (2 Chronicles 34:22-33) 4. Passover kept; Levites placed in order; offerings sacrificed; kept entirely properly for first time since Samuel (2 Chronicles 35:1-19) 5. Josiah against Neco; dies; lamentation (2 Chronicles 35:20-27) M. The End of Judah, the Exile, and Restoration (2 Chronicles 36; cf. 2 Kings 24-25, Ezra 1) 1. Jehoahaz king; deposed by Neco (2 Chronicles 36:1-4) 2. Jehoiakim made king; unfaithful; Nebuchadnezzar takes him away (2 Chronicles 36:5-8) 3. Jehoiachin king; unfaithful; brought to Babylon (2 Chronicles 36:9-10) 4. Zedekiah king; unfaithful; does not heed Jeremiah; rebels (2 Chronicles 36:11-14) 5. God as patiently exhorting to faithfulness; message not heeded; thus Babylonians come, destroy Temple, Jerusalem, lead Judah into exile; land at rest (2 Chronicles 36:15-21) 6. Cyrus' proclamation for the return of exiles to Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 36:22-23) IV. 2 Chronicles: Important Passages A. 2 Chronicles 29:25 1. Indication of music in Temple as commanded by God 2. Instituted by David through Gad 3. Thus, command for instruments in Temple in old covenant B. Other events described with 1-2 Kings V. Conclusion A. 2 Chronicles 1. More detail about Judah and its history 2. Contrasts between faithfulness, faithlessness B. More spiritual, positive 1. Emphasis on Temple, devotion to God 2. Solomon's unfaithfulness not mentioned 3. Story does not end with exile but with the return C. Let us imitate the good and reject the evil and serve God! D. Invitation/songbook