Introduction to the Chronicles
Like the 4 Gospels in the New Testament, 1 and 2 Chronicles overlap with 2 Samuel – 2 Kings. More than likely, a different author wrote 1 and 2 Chronicles, and that author had a different perspective on some of the events that unfolded during the reigns of the Davidic kings (the kings from David to the exile). While 1 and 2 Chronicles does not contradict the stories that we have already read through, there are some details that are different. Some details are added, which gives us a fuller understanding of the story, while other details are not mentioned. Ultimately 1 and 2 Chronicles serve as a companion to the Samuels and the Kings, and all 6 books tell the same story.
If you read through 1 and 2 Kings, you may have already noticed that these two books made reference to the Chronicles on several occasions, mentioning that further details are in the Chronicles. This is especially true for the kings that reigned in Judah, for 1 and 2 Chronicles focus primarily on what happened in Judah after the kingdom split and not as much time on Israel.
I do not plan on going back and revisiting the stories that we have already covered in 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings. I have recently read through 1 and 2 Chronicles while writing a paper on some of their major themes. I noticed several of the parallels between these books, so I do not plan on talking about the same stories again. I will, however, look at some of the new information that 1 and 2 Chronicles gives us, and will try and show how these new stories fit into the much larger story. Therefore, we will move rather quickly through 1 and 2 Chronicles, but I hope you take the time to read through both books, revisiting some of the same stories. Just as it is beneficial to read all 4 Gospels to understand the much larger story about Jesus’ life, it is helpful to read the Chronicles alongside Samuel and Kings.
Matt
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
2 Kings 25
2 Kings 25
We have reached the end of the books of Kings, and the time of the Exile begins in 2 Kings 25. The monarchy that was set in Jerusalem began with King Saul back in 1 Samuel and extended all the way to the end of 2 Kings. First the kingdom was stripped from Saul and his family and given to David. God promised that David’s line would rule as king from there on out, but in the middle of 1 Kings it seemed as if that might change. After a rebellion in Israel led to the split of the kingdom, 2 kings rose up. David’s line continued to rule the southern kingdom of Judah while various families took the throne in Israel through the years. Israel was full of assassinations and overthrows. They continued to drift further and further from God, and they found themselves taken into exile. Although Judah had fared better than Israel, they too began to drift from God, and their time of exile was at hand in 2 Kings 25.
Zedekiah was king in Judah at the time of the exile. Jerusalem had already been destroyed, and he was only a puppet of Nebuchadnezzar, not really a king any longer. While some of the destruction had already been completed in 2 Kings 24, the worst was still to come. During Zedekiah’s ninth year, the Babylonians once again attacked the land. They burned down the Temple that Solomon had built, destroyed all the items within the Temple, captured King Zedekiah, killed much of his family, and took the rest of the citizens into exile. Only a few were left to tend the land with a new ruler, Gedaliah, in charge. The people were not satisfied with this result, however, unwilling to serve Gedaliah or the Babylonians. So they revolted and killed Gedaliah. But out of fear of how the Babylonians might respond, they fled to Egypt.
Meanwhile, the rest of the people of Judah were in Babylon. Their former king Jehoiachin was the only one who received any type of blessing, as he was promoted to a high position in the king’s court. The rest of the nation had to endure 70 long years in exile, wondering if God would ever save them and take them back home.
This is where the story ends in the Books of History for now. There is a lot that happened during those 70 years, as God sent many prophets to them during that time. The exile was their punishment for their disobedience, but God wanted to draw His people back to Himself. He had promised Moses that the exile would happen, but He also promised that they would one day return to the land. This is one of those moments where it would be helpful to read some of the prophets to see what life was like during the exile. The story starts over in a sense in 1 and 2 Chronicles, recounting many of the same events that we have already seen (from the time of Solomon to the time of the exile). Then, the story continues in Ezra, 70 years later when the people of Judah begin to make their way back to the Promised Land. While we will not get to the prophets for some time, I encourage you to take a look at some of them (like Ezekiel) to see what happened during those 70 years.
Matt
We have reached the end of the books of Kings, and the time of the Exile begins in 2 Kings 25. The monarchy that was set in Jerusalem began with King Saul back in 1 Samuel and extended all the way to the end of 2 Kings. First the kingdom was stripped from Saul and his family and given to David. God promised that David’s line would rule as king from there on out, but in the middle of 1 Kings it seemed as if that might change. After a rebellion in Israel led to the split of the kingdom, 2 kings rose up. David’s line continued to rule the southern kingdom of Judah while various families took the throne in Israel through the years. Israel was full of assassinations and overthrows. They continued to drift further and further from God, and they found themselves taken into exile. Although Judah had fared better than Israel, they too began to drift from God, and their time of exile was at hand in 2 Kings 25.
Zedekiah was king in Judah at the time of the exile. Jerusalem had already been destroyed, and he was only a puppet of Nebuchadnezzar, not really a king any longer. While some of the destruction had already been completed in 2 Kings 24, the worst was still to come. During Zedekiah’s ninth year, the Babylonians once again attacked the land. They burned down the Temple that Solomon had built, destroyed all the items within the Temple, captured King Zedekiah, killed much of his family, and took the rest of the citizens into exile. Only a few were left to tend the land with a new ruler, Gedaliah, in charge. The people were not satisfied with this result, however, unwilling to serve Gedaliah or the Babylonians. So they revolted and killed Gedaliah. But out of fear of how the Babylonians might respond, they fled to Egypt.
Meanwhile, the rest of the people of Judah were in Babylon. Their former king Jehoiachin was the only one who received any type of blessing, as he was promoted to a high position in the king’s court. The rest of the nation had to endure 70 long years in exile, wondering if God would ever save them and take them back home.
This is where the story ends in the Books of History for now. There is a lot that happened during those 70 years, as God sent many prophets to them during that time. The exile was their punishment for their disobedience, but God wanted to draw His people back to Himself. He had promised Moses that the exile would happen, but He also promised that they would one day return to the land. This is one of those moments where it would be helpful to read some of the prophets to see what life was like during the exile. The story starts over in a sense in 1 and 2 Chronicles, recounting many of the same events that we have already seen (from the time of Solomon to the time of the exile). Then, the story continues in Ezra, 70 years later when the people of Judah begin to make their way back to the Promised Land. While we will not get to the prophets for some time, I encourage you to take a look at some of them (like Ezekiel) to see what happened during those 70 years.
Matt
Thursday, April 14, 2011
2 Kings 23:28-24:20
2 Kings 23:28-24:20
Josiah’s life came to an end quite tragically when Pharaoh Neco out of Egypt killed him unexpectedly. It appeared as if Josiah had no idea of what Neco’s intentions were when he went out to meet Neco (possibly for trade or alliance purposes). Nevertheless, Neco took Josiah’s life, and Judah began to drift from God again, forgetting all that they had learned under Josiah’s leadership.
Jehoahaz was Josiah’s son, and he inherited the throne after Josiah’s death, but Jehoahaz only reigned for three short months. He did not follow God, leading Judah away from Him. Neco was not pleased with Jehoahaz either, so he captured Jehoahaz and promoted another one of Josiah’s sons, Eliakim, to the throne. Neco changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim and allowed him to rule over Judah, although Neco really had control. Anything he wanted, he received, as Jehoiakim did whatever Neco commanded.
Egypt had become a major power at the time, but that was not the nation God was going to use to ultimately bring an end to Judah. For many decades God had been building up the Babylonians, preparing them for this moment. Then, during Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, God allowed the Babylonians to begin to take control of Jerusalem and ultimately Judah. Jehoiakim rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, but the he and Judah had no chance against the powerful Babylonian army and their allies (Syria, Moab, and Ammon). God had given Judah over into the hands of the Babylonians.
Jehoiakim died, and his son Jehoiachin took the throne, reigning for only 3 months. Jehoiachin was the king of Judah when Babylon made their first attack. He was taken into captivity along with many of the leaders of Judah. The Babylonians cleaned out Jerusalem and only left behind the poorest people of the nation, commanding them to take care of the land (with farming and the like). They selected a king from among the Judahites, Mattaniah (also known as Zedekiah), and he received the throne from the Babylonians. He was basically a puppet of the Babylonians as they had gained control of Judah. He reigned for just 11 years before he rebelled against the Babylonians, and that rebellion marked the end of Judah as they knew it.
God had promised since before Josiah’s reign that this day would come. Due to the disobedience of kings like Manasseh, God was ready to wipe out the nation of Judah, punishing them for their disobedience. He used the Babylonians to accomplish this task. The only reason Judah had not been destroyed sooner was due to Josiah’s obedience and his attempt to turn the nation back toward God. But sadly, it appeared as if Josiah was only one of the few who had truly turned to God in that time. After his death, the nation was quick to turn away again, following the lead of their new king. This says a lot about their level of commitment, and is something we should consider as well. It is easy to follow God when we are surrounded by people who are doing the same. But how would we act if we were not surrounded by Christians every day, if we did not have a great support system at church, or if we were not privileged enough to have a church we could go to freely? Would we still follow God, even if it was not as easy to do any longer? The Judahites turned from God when life got hard, allowing a new king’s influence to sway them. We must consider how deep our commitment to God really is. Are we just going through the motions with those around us, or do we really have the desire to follow Him daily?
Matt
Josiah’s life came to an end quite tragically when Pharaoh Neco out of Egypt killed him unexpectedly. It appeared as if Josiah had no idea of what Neco’s intentions were when he went out to meet Neco (possibly for trade or alliance purposes). Nevertheless, Neco took Josiah’s life, and Judah began to drift from God again, forgetting all that they had learned under Josiah’s leadership.
Jehoahaz was Josiah’s son, and he inherited the throne after Josiah’s death, but Jehoahaz only reigned for three short months. He did not follow God, leading Judah away from Him. Neco was not pleased with Jehoahaz either, so he captured Jehoahaz and promoted another one of Josiah’s sons, Eliakim, to the throne. Neco changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim and allowed him to rule over Judah, although Neco really had control. Anything he wanted, he received, as Jehoiakim did whatever Neco commanded.
Egypt had become a major power at the time, but that was not the nation God was going to use to ultimately bring an end to Judah. For many decades God had been building up the Babylonians, preparing them for this moment. Then, during Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, God allowed the Babylonians to begin to take control of Jerusalem and ultimately Judah. Jehoiakim rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, but the he and Judah had no chance against the powerful Babylonian army and their allies (Syria, Moab, and Ammon). God had given Judah over into the hands of the Babylonians.
Jehoiakim died, and his son Jehoiachin took the throne, reigning for only 3 months. Jehoiachin was the king of Judah when Babylon made their first attack. He was taken into captivity along with many of the leaders of Judah. The Babylonians cleaned out Jerusalem and only left behind the poorest people of the nation, commanding them to take care of the land (with farming and the like). They selected a king from among the Judahites, Mattaniah (also known as Zedekiah), and he received the throne from the Babylonians. He was basically a puppet of the Babylonians as they had gained control of Judah. He reigned for just 11 years before he rebelled against the Babylonians, and that rebellion marked the end of Judah as they knew it.
God had promised since before Josiah’s reign that this day would come. Due to the disobedience of kings like Manasseh, God was ready to wipe out the nation of Judah, punishing them for their disobedience. He used the Babylonians to accomplish this task. The only reason Judah had not been destroyed sooner was due to Josiah’s obedience and his attempt to turn the nation back toward God. But sadly, it appeared as if Josiah was only one of the few who had truly turned to God in that time. After his death, the nation was quick to turn away again, following the lead of their new king. This says a lot about their level of commitment, and is something we should consider as well. It is easy to follow God when we are surrounded by people who are doing the same. But how would we act if we were not surrounded by Christians every day, if we did not have a great support system at church, or if we were not privileged enough to have a church we could go to freely? Would we still follow God, even if it was not as easy to do any longer? The Judahites turned from God when life got hard, allowing a new king’s influence to sway them. We must consider how deep our commitment to God really is. Are we just going through the motions with those around us, or do we really have the desire to follow Him daily?
Matt
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
2 Kings 23:1-27
2 Kings 23:1-27
After recovering the Book of the Law, Josiah set forth some major reforms in the nation of Judah. He began to reverse many of the laws that had his father and grandfather had set. For instance, he and his servants cleaned out the Temple before the people of Judah. They removed any idols that had been made for other gods and had them burned. They also tore down all of the high places (any place of worship that had been built for the worship of other gods) and deposed any priest that “worked” at these places. Anything that had been dedicated to anything but God alone was removed from the nation of Judah. Any practice that went against the Law, the commands of God, was condemned (such as male cult prostitutions).
Josiah did not stop with Judah. Although Israel had already been destroyed at this point, there was still evidence of how they had disobeyed God. There were still some people (from various nations in the area) living in the land. Josiah tore down all of the high places, destroyed all of the idols, and sacrificed all the men who were serving as priests at these false places of worship. He brought reform the land that had formally been Israel as well.
Upon his return to Judah, Josiah also reinstituted the Passover. The Passover was one of the top celebrations for the Israelites. It reminded them of how God had rescued their ancestors from the hands of Egyptians. It was a yearly celebration that reminded them of God’s faithfulness, that they could trust God. Yet for some reason, they had grown slack in celebrating the Passover. In fact, 2 Kings 23 states that the Passover had not been celebrated in this way since the time of the Judges. Josiah reminded the Judahites of God’s faithfulness as he reinstituted this great celebration.
Despite all of the reform that Josiah was able to bring to Judah, God was still going to destroy them. Now, my first reaction to this is, “That’s not fair!” But, God keeps His promises, whether it is for our benefit or not. Yes, Judah had returned to God during Josiah’s reign. But for the last several kings, they had been slowly drifting from God. They had fallen into the ways of the Israelites, and they were going to have suffer the same consequences. God promised that their destruction and exile would be their fate. However, due to their obedience, God was willing to wait. In a response to their obedience, God was not going to respond through judgment. He held back His anger for the nation of Judah and accepted their honest praise and obedience. Yet, God knew that there would be a day when they would fall back into the ways of sin, and when that day came, judgment would follow.
Matt
After recovering the Book of the Law, Josiah set forth some major reforms in the nation of Judah. He began to reverse many of the laws that had his father and grandfather had set. For instance, he and his servants cleaned out the Temple before the people of Judah. They removed any idols that had been made for other gods and had them burned. They also tore down all of the high places (any place of worship that had been built for the worship of other gods) and deposed any priest that “worked” at these places. Anything that had been dedicated to anything but God alone was removed from the nation of Judah. Any practice that went against the Law, the commands of God, was condemned (such as male cult prostitutions).
Josiah did not stop with Judah. Although Israel had already been destroyed at this point, there was still evidence of how they had disobeyed God. There were still some people (from various nations in the area) living in the land. Josiah tore down all of the high places, destroyed all of the idols, and sacrificed all the men who were serving as priests at these false places of worship. He brought reform the land that had formally been Israel as well.
Upon his return to Judah, Josiah also reinstituted the Passover. The Passover was one of the top celebrations for the Israelites. It reminded them of how God had rescued their ancestors from the hands of Egyptians. It was a yearly celebration that reminded them of God’s faithfulness, that they could trust God. Yet for some reason, they had grown slack in celebrating the Passover. In fact, 2 Kings 23 states that the Passover had not been celebrated in this way since the time of the Judges. Josiah reminded the Judahites of God’s faithfulness as he reinstituted this great celebration.
Despite all of the reform that Josiah was able to bring to Judah, God was still going to destroy them. Now, my first reaction to this is, “That’s not fair!” But, God keeps His promises, whether it is for our benefit or not. Yes, Judah had returned to God during Josiah’s reign. But for the last several kings, they had been slowly drifting from God. They had fallen into the ways of the Israelites, and they were going to have suffer the same consequences. God promised that their destruction and exile would be their fate. However, due to their obedience, God was willing to wait. In a response to their obedience, God was not going to respond through judgment. He held back His anger for the nation of Judah and accepted their honest praise and obedience. Yet, God knew that there would be a day when they would fall back into the ways of sin, and when that day came, judgment would follow.
Matt
Riddle Time Answers
Just a few days ago I posted 4 different riddles just for fun. I have always enjoyed spending time working on riddles, for they can be quite challenging at times. The 4 that I posted were not incredibly easy either. While I was able to figure out the first 3, the last one was very challenging for me. I thought that it had to go in the direction of languages or characters in languages, but I could not figure it out. You may have struggled on some of these riddles as well, and if you still have not figured them out, then here are the answers.
1. Kills the bad ones / ...and the sad ones. / Tightens to fit / So one size fits all.
Answer: A Noose
2. Steals an event, / or even a mood. / Reveals the truth / Or shatters it.
Answer: A Camera
3. The stack just might / Be sent all over. / Full of what's new, / Yet it's nearly obsolete.
Answer: Newspapers
4. Though I should be unique, / You've made most of us the same. / I would be stronger / If my characters were stranger.
Answer: A Password
Matt
1. Kills the bad ones / ...and the sad ones. / Tightens to fit / So one size fits all.
Answer: A Noose
2. Steals an event, / or even a mood. / Reveals the truth / Or shatters it.
Answer: A Camera
3. The stack just might / Be sent all over. / Full of what's new, / Yet it's nearly obsolete.
Answer: Newspapers
4. Though I should be unique, / You've made most of us the same. / I would be stronger / If my characters were stranger.
Answer: A Password
Matt
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
2 Kings 22
2 Kings 22
As an 8 year old boy, Josiah took the throne, taking over a nation that his father and grand-father had turned away from God. Josiah learned from a young age what it meant to follow God, and that carried out into his reign as king as he grew older. He was instrumental in turning Judah back to God. His first order of business was to repair the Temple. The two kings before him had destroyed the Temple, removing some of the things of God and replacing them with various idols. Josiah turned the Temple back into what it was originally meant for, and in the process found a great treasure!
While some of his servants were cleaning out and repairing the Temple, one of them found the Book of Law that Moses had written. He read it before King Josiah, and Josiah broke down in weeping. He knew that the nation had drifted from God in recent years, and knew that it was enough for God to send punishment down on them. They had not been careful to follow the laws that had been given to them. In fact, destruction was coming for Judah. God had already promised their future destruction as a result of the way that Manasseh and Amon had acted when they were the king. Josiah feared what God was about to do, knowing that although he had followed God, the nation as a whole was living in disobedience.
Some of Josiah’s men went to inquire of the prophets as to the future of Judah. They discovered that what God had previously promised about their impending destruction was still to come. He had not and would not change His mind on that matter. However, God had also seen the way in which Josiah had been able to help turn Judah back to Him. He was pleased with the way that Josiah had led as king and promised that he would not see the destruction of Judah. God will give them peace during his reign, as He had done during the reigns of all of the obedient kings. As long as Josiah continued to follow God, he would not have to worry about the destruction of Judah.
Sometimes it seems impossible for a particularly tough situation to work itself out. When the odds are stacked against us, we find it easier to give up and not try to change what seems inevitable. After 2 of the worst kings that Judah had seen, however, Josiah was willing to take a stand, despite the odds. He initiated a series of reforms for the nation of Judah and led them back to the Lord. Finding the Book of Law brought a new spirit of life to the nation as they saw where they had strayed and saw where they needed to go. So take this as encouragement. Even when it seems like there is no way out of a particularly tough situation, we can always turn to God for help. He will be with us and guide us through if we truly come to Him in faith.
Matt
As an 8 year old boy, Josiah took the throne, taking over a nation that his father and grand-father had turned away from God. Josiah learned from a young age what it meant to follow God, and that carried out into his reign as king as he grew older. He was instrumental in turning Judah back to God. His first order of business was to repair the Temple. The two kings before him had destroyed the Temple, removing some of the things of God and replacing them with various idols. Josiah turned the Temple back into what it was originally meant for, and in the process found a great treasure!
While some of his servants were cleaning out and repairing the Temple, one of them found the Book of Law that Moses had written. He read it before King Josiah, and Josiah broke down in weeping. He knew that the nation had drifted from God in recent years, and knew that it was enough for God to send punishment down on them. They had not been careful to follow the laws that had been given to them. In fact, destruction was coming for Judah. God had already promised their future destruction as a result of the way that Manasseh and Amon had acted when they were the king. Josiah feared what God was about to do, knowing that although he had followed God, the nation as a whole was living in disobedience.
Some of Josiah’s men went to inquire of the prophets as to the future of Judah. They discovered that what God had previously promised about their impending destruction was still to come. He had not and would not change His mind on that matter. However, God had also seen the way in which Josiah had been able to help turn Judah back to Him. He was pleased with the way that Josiah had led as king and promised that he would not see the destruction of Judah. God will give them peace during his reign, as He had done during the reigns of all of the obedient kings. As long as Josiah continued to follow God, he would not have to worry about the destruction of Judah.
Sometimes it seems impossible for a particularly tough situation to work itself out. When the odds are stacked against us, we find it easier to give up and not try to change what seems inevitable. After 2 of the worst kings that Judah had seen, however, Josiah was willing to take a stand, despite the odds. He initiated a series of reforms for the nation of Judah and led them back to the Lord. Finding the Book of Law brought a new spirit of life to the nation as they saw where they had strayed and saw where they needed to go. So take this as encouragement. Even when it seems like there is no way out of a particularly tough situation, we can always turn to God for help. He will be with us and guide us through if we truly come to Him in faith.
Matt
Monday, April 11, 2011
Some Links for The Priest's Graveyard
I know that I have talked a lot about a book that has not even come out yet, but I am really excited about Ted Dekker's latest. No, it is not part of his monstrous series that he created. It is a new stand alone. It does, however, promise to be a great story. Just reading some of the reviews out there over the last few weeks has been encouraging and exciting. Will it be his best ever? I sure hope so, but it will take a lot to top Thr3e. I do believe, however, that it is possible for this to be an even better story! So if you are as excited about this book as I am, then visit some of the links below. The first is an interview with Ted Dekker himself. The second is one of the many reviews that have already been written for this book. Also, do not forget to go out and pre-order a copy for yourself! I will be back in a couple weeks with a review once I finish it myself.
Interview:
http://fictionaddict.com/2011/04/11/ted-dekker-interview-4-11-2011/
Review:
http://www.booklistonline.com/ProductInfo.aspx?pid=4648877&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
Matt
Interview:
http://fictionaddict.com/2011/04/11/ted-dekker-interview-4-11-2011/
Review:
http://www.booklistonline.com/ProductInfo.aspx?pid=4648877&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
Matt
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