The Chapters – Quick Access
Basics
BOOK: 2 Chronicles
Description: historical book recounting the kings of Judah after David through to the Exile
Author: unknown. Hebrew tradition suggests Ezra but may be a compilation of a number of writers.
Date written: unknown but possibly about 450BC.
Chapters: 36
Brief Synopsis
- The second part of a book that was originally written as one.
- It presents the rise and fall of Solomon and the division that followed his reign.
- Relates the reigns of the kings of Judah only, through to the Exile.
Outline
Ch.1-9 The Reign of Solomon
- Ch.1 The Gift of Wisdom
- Ch.2-4 Building the Temple
- Ch.5-7 Dedication of the Temple
- Ch.8 Solomon’s Other Activities
- Ch.9 Solomon’s Wisdom, Splendor and Death
Ch.10-36 The Schism, and the History of the Kings of Judah
- Ch.10-12 Rehoboam
- Ch.13 Abijah
- Ch.14-16 Asa *
- Ch.17-21 Jehoshaphat *
- Ch.21,22 Jehoram and Ahaziah
- Ch.22-24 Joash *
- Ch.25 Amaziah
- Ch.26 Uzziah
- Ch.27 Jotham
- Ch.28 Ahaz
- Ch.29-32 Hezekiah *
- Ch.33 Manasseh & Amon
- Ch.34-36 Josiah *
- Ch.36 Josiah’s Successors & Exile and Restoration
(NB. We have starred ( * ) the five kings who stood out in their dealings with the Lord. The numbers of chapters given to each presents a clue as to their significance)
Concluding Comments
May we consider a) Solomon and then b) the other kings until the Exile:
A) Solomon
- Solomon is specifically named in a divine oracle as David’s successor (1 Chron 22:7-10; 28:6).
- His accession to the throne is announced publicly by David and is greeted with the unanimous support of all Israel (1 Chron 28-29).
- No mention is made of the bedridden David, who must overturn the attempted coup by Adonijah at the last moment to secure the throne for Solomon.
- Nor is there mention that the military commander Joab and the high priest Abiathar supported Adonijah’s attempt (1Kings 1).
- Solomon’s execution of those who had wronged David (1Kings 2) is also omitted.
- The accession of Solomon is without competition or detracting incident.
- The account of his reign is devoted almost wholly to the building of the temple (2Chron 2-8), and no reference to his failures is included.
- No mention is made of his idolatry, his foreign wives or of the rebellions against his rule (1Kings 11).
- Even the blame for the schism is removed from Solomon (1Kings 11:26-40; 12:1-4) and placed on the scheming of Jeroboam.
- Solomon’s image in Chronicles is such that he can be paired with David in the most favorable light (2Chron 11:17).
B) The other kings until the Exile:
- Similarly the writer often paints a more positive picture than is found in Kings. Note especially Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah and Josiah. While not portrayed as flawless, they are given a much more positive write-up than that found in Kings.
- Nevertheless, as we noted in Kings, the failings of these kings ARE shown and there is hardly one of them who comes through with a clean sheet.
- The lesson/warning that comes over a number of times is that you can have a good beginning but be careless when prosperity or old age comes. It provokes a call to faithfulness.
- Where some of these kings did work for restoration, their challenges to their people are heartwarming in the clarity of the call to faithfulness that comes through.
- The fact that some kings – despite the examples they had of their fathers and of the Law and Testimony which was always there in the background – purposefully rejected God and went into superstitious worship of idols, shows the folly of Sin and the spiritual blindness it causes.
- Each of these kings presents a challenge to us in different ways and deserves our attention.
- Above all that, observe the grace of God that is constantly there in the background that seeks to call the nation back into a living and blessed relationship with Him. Especially in the last days of this period, observe the many, many times God speaks to His people to try to stave off the destruction of Jerusalem and the Exile. The stubbornness of sin, it seems, refuses that grace and takes the nation over the cliff of destruction at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar – yet there is still hope in the future, the rest of the Bible reveals!