Contact Information
Marc-Andre Delalay
Email: delalaym@gmail.com
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Old Testament Survey
Pentateuch
Introduction
Pentateuch: “five books” (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers, Deuteronomy).
Called the “Torah” by Jews (Law). They give it a greater
authority then the rest of Scripture.
“Essential authorship” of Moses: Several hints that Moses
had a significant literary activity. At the same time, later
writers may have added some details (i.e. Moses' death).
Genesis
Structure
Genesis 1-11: Primeval History (Creation, Fall,
Flood, Tower of Babel)
Genesis 12-50: Patriarchal History (Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob, Joseph)
Divided into 10 sections by the “Toledot” formula
(“These are the descendants of...”): 5 in the
Primeval History and 5 in the Patriarchal History
Primeval History
The Creation
Genesis 1-2
God made the Universe
God made mankind in his image: something very
special/different about us
And it was all good!
Primeval History
The Fall
Genesis 3
God's Creation is corrupted through mankind's disobedience
Humanity lost its innocence forever
The situation is so catastrophic that it would eventually require God
Himself to come to Earth to bridge the gap between Him and mankind
Primeval History
Judgement/Grace of God
Adam and Eve sin but God takes care of them
(clothes them, etc.) nevertheless
Sin grows worse: Cain kills his brother (Gen. 4)
God sends the flood to start anew (Gen. 6-8) but in
his grace keeps a remnant (Noah and his family).
Primeval History
Judgement/Grace of God
But sin continues nevertheless: man
wants to become like God (Tower of
Babel, Gen 11). God scatters them.
But this time, no words of grace. The
grace will come in the next section
through Abraham and his descendants...
Patriarchal History
Gen 11.27 to Gen 50
Divided into 5 sections by the Toledot
formula:
•
•
•
•
•
Story of Abraham (11.27-25.18)
Story of Jacob (25.19-37.1)
Story of Joseph (37.2-50.26)
Ishmael's genealogy (25.12,18)
Esau's genealogy (36.1,43)
Dated around the early 2nd millennium
B.C.E
Patriarchal History
The Call of Abraham
Gen 12
God will give Abraham a land
He will make him into a great nation
There is a special covenant between Abraham and God
But Abraham has to “go” and “be a blessing” for these promises to
come true
Abraham obeys and moves from Haran to Canaan
Patriarchal History
Gen 12.10-20
• A famine forces Abraham to move to Egypt
• We see his humanity as he lies about his
wife
• God sends plagues on the Pharaoh to
deliver Abraham (like a mini Exodus).
• God shows grace even though Abraham
failed (“I will bless those who bless you and
I will curse those who curse you”)
Patriarchal History
Gen 13-14: Abraham and Lot. Abraham
separates from Lot and then rescues Lot.
Gen 15: The covenant between Abraham
and God.
• God makes promises about an heir and land
• Abraham believes the Lord and the Lord counted it as
righteousness
• Based on Abraham's faith, God ratifies the covenant.
God will fulfil what he promised
Patriarchal History
Gen 16: The birth of Ishmael
• Not the child of the promise
• By giving Sarah's maid servant to
Abraham to conceive a child, Abraham
and Sarah have shown a lack of belief in
the promise of God given in the preceding
chapter
• Even the greatest men and women of
faith have doubt!
Patriarchal History
Gen 17: The covenant ratified
in Gen 15 is here reaffirmed
• Circumcision is introduced to show
how the covenant is eternal
• Abraham once again obeys and
circumcises himself and all of his
household
Patriarchal History
Gen 18-19: Sodom and
Gomorrah
• Again the judgement of God against sin
• Parallels with the flood story: in both
cases, one righteous man and his family
are saved because of God's intervention
• Shows the intimacy of God and Abraham:
Abraham intercedes for the people
• Downfall of Lot: Shows the consequences
of meddling with the world!
Patriarchal History
Gen 21: Isaac, the child of
the promise is born
• Without him, none of the long
term promises of God could be
fulfilled... Again the theme of
promise
• His birth shows the faithfulness of
God
Patriarchal History
Gen 22: Sacrifice of Isaac
• Abraham's biggest test of faith
• Abraham obeyed
• Seeing Abraham's faith, God stopped the
sacrifice.
• Because of Abraham's obedience, all the
promises became sworn guarantees:
innumerable descendants, land, blessing.
Patriarchal History
Gen 25-37: Story of Jacob
• Has many faults: cheats, lies...
• But fights with the Lord to get the blessing!
Looks for God nevertheless...
• God changed his name to Israel (God fights)
• Jacob would have the victories and receive the
promises because the Lord would fight for him
• Again here, the theme of promise, blessing,
faith
Patriarchal History
Gen 37-50: Story of Joseph
• God's providence brings human plots to
nothing and turns their evil intent to his
own ends.
• God protects and provides for those who
follow him
• An important step in the creation of the
chosen people
• Sets the stage for the Exodus...
Exodus
Introduction
Exodus: From the Greek
Exodos (the “going out” or the
“exit”)
Date of the Exodus: From I
Kings 6.1 we can infer a date of
1447 B.C.
Structure
I. God Saves Israel From Egyptian
Bondage (1.1-18.27)
II. God Gives Israel His Law (19.124.18)
III. God Commands Israel to Build
the Tabernacle (25.1-40.38)
God Saves Israel From Egypt
Chapter 1-2: Concerned with Israel in Egypt:
God heard the cries of His children in Egypt and
wants to help
He remembers His covenant with Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob
God will work through men (Moses in this case)
God Saves Israel from Egypt
Chapter 3: The call of Moses (burning bush)
God reveals His name to Moses: YHWH
(tetragrammaton): I am who I am.
God does not limit his nature by any characteristic:
he is what he is. God does not change
God wants to be known!
God Saves Israel from Egypt
Pharaoh does not want to let the people go: “Who is
the Lord...?”
He does not know God, but soon he will...
Chapter 7-10: The plagues
Pharaoh hardens his heart and his stubbornness
costs the life of the Egyptians' first born sons
But the Israelites are spared because of the blood of
lambs
God Saves Israel from Egypt
Pharaoh lets them go which leads to the crossing of the
Red Sea:
The standard of divine redemption (only exceeded by
what Jesus did on the cross)
Luke connects the two events by calling Jesus' death an
“exodus” (Luke 9.31)
By the same act (at the Red Sea), God brings salvation
(for the Israelites) and judgement (for the Egyptians)
God Gave Israel His Law
Chapters 19.1-24.18
Establishment of a covenant at Mount Sinai
Israel is to be set apart from other nations for God's service
(holiness)
The Ten Commandments are given (not laws in our modern sense
since they are not carefully defined and contain no penalties)
God Gave Israel His Law
Chapters 20.23-23.33: Laws that
translate the Ten Commandments into
more concrete life situations (laws
about personal injuries, property,
animals, etc.)
Command To Build The Tabernacle
Chapters 25-31: Instructions for building the
tabernacle, which was like a tent. The tabernacle was
God's dwelling on earth.
It was a visible symbol that He was their God.
It was the means by which a sinful people could
maintain fellowship with a perfect and holy God.
Only under Solomon would the tabernacle be
replaced by the temple.
Command To Build The Tabernacle
Chapters 32-34: The golden calf
Without strong leadership, God's people will turn to
other gods (people were running wild)!
Moses took control, cleaned the camp (3000 men
died) and interceded for the people
The covenant is renewed: This episode shows God's
judgement but also His grace and forgiveness
Command To Build The Tabernacle
Chapters 35-40: Commands
to build the tabernacle are
followed precisely
Then the glory of the Lord
fills the tabernacle: God is
with His people!
Leviticus
Introduction
Name “Leviticus” comes from the Latin Vulgata
(concerning the Levites)
Date of composition: Around 1400 B.C.E
Key verse: Lev. 20.26: “You shall be holy to me; for I
the LORD am holy, and I have separated you from
the other peoples to be mine.”
The book is a guide for the priests and the people on
how to behave when in the presence of a holy God.
Structure
I. Regulations for making sacrifices (chap.
1-7)
II. The institution of the priesthood (chap.
8-10)
III. Laws on purity (chap. 11-16)
IV. Laws with exhortation to holy living
(chap. 17-27)
Regulations for Sacrifices
Chapter 1: The Burnt Offering
Most common sacrifices
Only the best animals were to be presented
What kind of sacrifices do we bring to the Lord?
The animal is taking the place of the worshipper
(substitution/atonement).
The Tabernacle
The Tabernacle
The Entrance
The Brazen Altar
The Laver
Regulations for Sacrifices
Chapter 2: Grain Offering
In Hebrew, this offering is simply called a “gift”
Might have been the expression of a reverence for
God.
Chapter 3: Fellowship Offering
Bringing peace or fellowship between the worshipper
and God
Regulations for Sacrifices
Chapter 4: Sin Offering
Also called the “purification offering” because it “cleans”
the effect of sin.
Purification of the altar and the holy place so that God
could continue to live in the midst of his people.
Chapter 5: Guilt (or Restitution) Offering
Restitution or compensation that had to be paid because
of a wrongdoing that had caused loss to a neighbour.
Institution of the Priesthood
Chapter 8-10
Priesthood is a very special function since it involves being
in the presence of a Holy God.
The complex preparations for ordination clothing,
anointing, etc, emphasizes how important it is to approach
our Holy God in an appropriate manner.
Once again, God's holiness is emphasized!
Laws on Purity
Chapters 11-16
The contact of the holy with the unclean had to be
prevented... So we find laws about skin diseases,
childbirth, clean and unclean food and animals.
Holiness: Reflects the idea of wholeness,
integrity. Avoidance of mixing things that do not
go together.
Laws on Purity
Primarily, the task of the priests was to
maintain the distinction between the clean
and the unclean.
Lev 15.31: “Thus you shall keep the
people of Israel separate from their
uncleanness, so that they do not die in
their uncleanness by defiling my
tabernacle that is in their midst.”
Laws on Purity
Lev. 16: Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)
A priest could enter the Holy of Holies only once
a year.
Provided an opportunity to clean the sanctuary
and the people of all the defilement that had not
been noticed or dealt with routinely.
The Table of Shewbread
The Golden Candlestick
The Golden Altar of Incense
The Ark
The Tabernacle (Video)
Laws with Exhortation to Holy Living
Chapters 17-27
Laws mostly directed toward the rest of
the people (non-priests).
The people of Israel had to be different
from the pagan nations around them.
Numbers
Introduction
Title in Hebrew : “In the Wilderness”
Translators of the Septuagint gave it the title “Numbers”
because of the census that can be found in the book.
Even though it may be hard to follow because of the many
laws, administrative records, speeches, etc, the narratives
are the framework of the book and everything does fit inside
this framework: There is nothing superfluous in God's Word!
Structure
I. Preparation to go to the
Promised Land (chap. 1-10)
II. Journey to Canaan and
failure to enter (chap. 11-25)
III. New preparation to inherit
the land (chap. 26-36)
Preparation for the Promised Land
Chapters 1: Israel is numbered and
ordered.
A census was a means of conscripting men
for either military service or government
building projects.
As each of these men were being counted,
they were committing themselves fully to
the army of the Lord!
Preparation for the Promised Land
Chapter 2: Israel is ordered.
The setup of the camp reminds the people of
the holiness of God. The tent of meeting is in
the middle with the Levite tribe around it. The
other tribes are on the outer perimeter. God
never allows his holiness to be forgotten.
Preparation for the Promised Land
Chapters 5-6: Consecration of
Israel's camp.
There needs to be a separation from
impurity and a dedication to the Lord.
Chapters 7-8: Consecration of the
Tabernacle and the priesthood.
Preparation for the Promised Land
Chapters 9-10: End of preparations
Celebration of the Passover
Cloud appearing over the Tent
The importance of the theme of the
presence of the Lord among his people.
Journey to the Promised Land
There is lots of complaining!
Chapters 13-14: Israel rejects the Promised Land
Only two spies believe God can get them to the
Promised Land.
So the first generation is doomed: they will die in the
desert...
But still there's grace in the book: God will eventually
bring them to the Land
New Preparation to Enter the Land
The second preparation starts like the first: with a census.
The number of Israelites has fallen slightly.
This shows the withholding of blessing from the generation
that fell in the desert because of their unbelief.
None of the first generation remained except Caleb and
Joshua: God always fulfils what he promises...
New Preparation to Enter the Land
They divide the Land...
The book ends with
commandments: These were
given on the plains of Moab, just
opposite of Jericho...
Deuteronomy
Introduction
Title comes from the Greek translation, the Septuagint. It
means “Second Law”.
In Hebrew, the title is taken from the first words: “These
are the words”. The words of Moses to the Israelites just
before they entered the Promised Land
Number of quotations or citations of Deuteronomy in the
NT makes it one of the most influential books.
Jesus himself often used this book (greatest
commandments, temptations)
Structure
I. Moses' First Speech: Acts of Yahweh
(chap. 1-4.43)
II. Moses' Second Speech: Law of
Yahweh (chap.4.44-28)
III. Moses' Third Speech: Covenant with
Yahweh (chap 29-30)
IV. Conclusion (chap. 31-34)
Acts of Yahweh
Chapt. 1-4
A retrospective of events that happened before: reminds
people of what God has done for them
God enters into activity with human beings: “For what
other great nation has a god so near to it as the Lord our
God is whenever we call to him.” (4.7)
Very strong theme of covenant: God has taken a people
and made them his own. But they have to obey and not
become idolaters.
Law of Yahweh
Chapt. 4-28
Presentation of many of God's laws. Not new
laws but the same ones that were given before;
Presentation of the blessings and the curses
involved in obeying or disobeying the laws.
There are real consequences of not following
the covenant, the worst being exile...
Covenant with Yahweh
Chapt. 29-30
Deutronomy is not just about the covenant being recalled but is
also a covenant renewal. No generation can take the covenant
with God for granted but must always make it its own by
recommitting itself.
There are promises but also commands. People have choices.
Faithfulness is not beyond their reach: “Surely, this commandment
that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it
too far away... No, the word is very near to you, it is in your mouth
and in your heart for you to observe.”
Conclusion
Chapt. 31-34
Joshua becomes Moses' successor
Israel's unfaithfulness is predicted and Moses'
song warns Israel about being disloyal to the Lord
Moses prepares for his death and blesses the
people.
Joshua
Introduction
The Former Prophets: Joshua, Judges, Samuel and
Kings.
In the Former Prophets we find history from a prophetic
point of view. Focus on prophetic messengers: Samuel,
Nathan, Elijah, Elisha, etc.
The Bible is “sacred history”. The biblical writers judged
Israel’s leaders and people by the covenant principles
in Deuteronomy. This emphasis on the covenant makes
these narratives prophetic literature.
Date
Date of the conquest is
around 1400-1500 BC
Archaeological evidence
from Jericho point to
around 1400 BC
Authorship
The book is anonymous though some
scholars following the Talmud assign the book
to Joshua himself
But we cannot say for sure. The evidences
are thin
As with any book of the Bible, we do not need
to know who wrote it to know that it is inspired
(Just consider the book of Hebrews!)
Structure
Joshua 1-12: The Promised
Land Conquered
Joshua 13-22: The Promised
Land Divided
Joshua 23-24: The Renewing
of the Covenant
Two Crucial Themes!
Land
Covenant
The Promised Land Conquered
Political Conditions
The land was under the control of people who lived in
difficult-to-conquer, fortified city-states
The Canaanites worshipped many brutal and immoral
gods. These people practiced child sacrifice, religious
prostitution, snake worship. Tough people!
Israel’s chances seem small! Fortified cities and
mean, cruel, strong enemies. Would they be able to
do it?
The Promised Land Conquered
Chapter 1: Joshua assumes his leadership and God gives
him a few charges
First: To cross the Jordan
Second: To inherit the land (We are reminded of God’s
land grant to the patriarch as a reward for his faithful
service)
Third: A charge to be courageous and to meditate on the
law
The Promised Land Conquered
Chapter 3-4: They finally cross the Jordan! The river even
stops flowing as when their parents crossed the Red Sea.
It is like a new exodus.
Chapter 6: Jericho falls. The Lord's instructions to Joshua
display the character of the covenant. God gives the land
but the people must obey. And they follow the seemingly
strange plan of walking around the city.
Chapter 7-8: Ai falls. Jericho and Ai were in the middle.
Some say as a way to split the land in two and make it
easier to conquer.
The Battles of Jericho and Ai
The Promised Land Conquered
Chapter 9-12: The southern and northern
campaign.
In the southern campaign the Amorite league is
defeated (a coalition of different Amorite kings)
In the northern campaign, the Canaanites were
defeated
31 kings were defeated in the conquest of
Canaan
Holy War
Obedience to the covenant meant that Israel fought according to
the rules of Holy war given in Deuteronomy
Warfare was considered a religious enterprise. The priests and
other religious people would accompany the army. If the people
obey, then they have success
Related to Hebrew word Herem (to be devoted). Thus people who
were devoted to idolatry as the Canaanites or even places like
Jericho were to be destroyed. Herem is found 13 times in Joshua
The holy war is the total devotion to God for holocaust and
sacrifice of every person, all livestock and goods taken in battle.
Principle of Herem
“Anything which might endanger the
religious life of the community was put out
of harm's way by being prohibited to
human use; to secure this effectively it
must be utterly destroyed.” (G.A. Cooke)
The Stoning of Achan
“It shall be that the one who is taken with the
things under the ban(under the Herem) shall
be burned with fire, he and all that belongs to
him, because he has transgressed the
covenant of the LORD, and because he has
committed a disgraceful thing in Israel.”
(Joshua 7.15)
The Promised Land Divided
Joshua 13-22: They divide the land among the
tribes
Important theme of land. God told Abraham: I
am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the
Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it.”
This occupation of the land, to be taken by
stages, was started by Joshua. And now it is
time to divide it
The Renewing of the Covenant
Joshua 23-24
This occupation of the land, to be taken by stages, was started
by Joshua. And now it is time to divide it. When the land is
divided, a covenant renewal ceremony is held.
They will inherit the land if they obey God's law. Disobedience
will bring destruction. Reminder of the blessings and curses
given in Deuteronomy.
Important theme of covenant. God kept his promise to the
patriarchs and gave Israel the land and rest. But it is not an
unconditional promise. To retain the land, the people must obey
Judges
Structure
Judges 1:1-2:5: The Roots of
Chaos
Judges 2:6-16:31: Living in
Chaos
Judges 17-21: The
Consequences of Living in Chaos
Authorship
The book is anonymous though
some scholars following the
Talmud assign the book to Samuel
But as for Joshua, it is only
tradition which has ascribed the
authorship to a particular person
Date of Composition
Some scholars believe it was
written early in the monarchy,
perhaps after Saul’s coronation
(1051 BC)
The book often has the following
phrase: “In those days Israel had
no king” which looks backward from
a time when Israel did have a king
Period Covered
The period of the judges covers
the time between the death of
Joshua and the coronation of the
first king, Saul
The book covers about 300-400
hundred years of history. So
~1400 to1051
What is a Judge?
The book takes its name from the 11 or 12 people in it who “judged” Israel
Their main task was not to hear complaints or make legal decisions. The
elders usually did that and priests were the ones who were interpreting the
law. The judges were leaders or military deliverers
Shophet (hebrew for judge) is often used in context where no judicial
function is implied but where political or military leadership is in view. For
example: Judges 3:10
Ehud in Judges 3.15 is described as a deliverer or a savior. For Gideon,
his actions are described with the verb save. The word save is also used
with Othniel, Shamgar, Tola, Jephthah and Samson. So the judges are
more like saviors in the political sense, that is the military sense.
Same Word, Different Meaning
Both yards have a swing set
The box is three yards long
I read stories to my little brother
The office building is four stories tall
I didn’t mean to hurt his feelings
Be careful not to say mean things to someone in anger
Key Theme!
In those days there was no king in Israel;
all the people did what was right in their
own eyes (Judges 17.6)
Covenant
Ignored
No King
Chaos
Judges 1.1-2.5: The Root of Chaos
At the beginning of Judges, they capture some more land.
But they never completely remove the Canaanites. When
Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced
labor, but did not in fact drive them out
When the Canaanites are spared, so are their gods. They
disobeyed.
God is telling them because you have disobeyed, I will not
drive those people away. They will become enemies to
you and their gods will become a snare to you
Judges 2.6-16.31: Living in Chaos
The people
do evil by
serving
other Gods
But they
turn away
when the
deliverer
dies
God sends
a nation to
oppress
them
The enemy
is defeated.
The people
have rest
The people
cry to God
God raises
up a savior,
a deliverer
Judges 17–21: The Consequence of
Living in Chaos
After Samson's death, the
spiritual condition of the people
becomes worse
Everybody did as they pleased:
violence, rape, murder,
disobedience
Conclusion
Even though the judges are called Saviors, deliverers, it really is
God who is the Savior
God is sovereign. He uses non-Israelites to punish the people
when they turn away from him and he uses judges, deliverers, so
that the people can defeat their enemies
The people have to obey if they want to be blessed and not be
punished. So the blessings are conditional. At the same time, God
will answer when his people cry out and will never abandon them
Decentralized leadership does not make for a strong people. And
sentences like “in those days, Israel had no king” points to the
monarchy as a possible solution to this problem
I-II Samuel
Date
The books of Samuel cover
approximately the period from
1070BC to 970BC
Samuel leads Israel for about 20
years; Saul for about 40 years.
Then David starts to reign around
1010BC
Author
The name of the book, Samuel, refers to
the first major character of the book but
he was not the author of the book
Even though the author may have
written long after the events took place,
he was using ancient source documents
(2 Sam 1:18 -> the book of Jashar)
Structure
I Samuel 1-7: Samuel: Prophet, Priest, Judge
1 Samuel 8-15: The reign of Saul
1 Samuel 16 – 2 Samuel 4: The Rise of David
2 Samuel 5-20: The Reign of David
2 Samuel 21-24: David's Reign: Problems and
Prospects
I Samuel 1-7: Samuel: Prophet, Priest,
Judge
By reading the Old Testament, it is hard to know if kingship was a good
thing or not
But God is clearly in favor of human leadership. He sent Moses. He was
with Joshua. He sent the Judges. The Old Testament is full of leaders. The
new testament clearly talks about leadership
There are multiple passages where the Bible speaks positively of the
kingship
On the negative side, the books make it clear that in calling for a king the
people were rejecting God's rule. Because Israel could not live under
God's rule through the judges, God gave them a king
On the positive side, kingship is portrayed, through the leadership of
David, as a picture of God's purpose for His people
Historical Background
At the beginning of Samuel, the threat of
the Philistines is clearly present. At the
time of Samson, the Philistines begin to
overrun the Israelites
The Philistines held many of the coastal
cities: Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, Gaza, and
Gath
Extent of the Conquest
Strong Need For Them
to Work Together and
be Unified!
Samuel
He is to become a Nazirite. The word comes from the
Hebrew Nazar (to separate, to consecrate, abstain). In
Israel the Nazirite was one who separated himself from
others by being consecrated to God with a special vow
Contrast with the sons of Eli who have embraced
Canaanite corruption
Samuel is later made a prophet by God
Key Theme!
Yahweh is King
The concept of covenant is the most important
relational metaphor to describe Israel's relationship to
God. God is the great king who made a covenant with
his vassal Israel
Exodus 15:18 “The Lord will reign forever and ever.”
Numbers 23:21 “He has not beheld misfortune in Jacob;
nor has he seen trouble in Israel. The Lord their God is
with them, acclaimed as a king among them.
That is why the change from theocracy to monarchy
was such a big change. A change which caused
conflicting views
Samuel
Samuel helps Israel overcome the Philistines. He
challenges the people to get rid of their idols. He offers
sacrifices. God helps Israel overcome the enemy. Samuel
judges Israel and the people have rest (7.13-17)
Same pattern as with other judges. But Samuel might be
the greatest of them. He is a prophet (3.19-20), a priest
(7.9) and a judge (7.15) at the same time
But still Israel will become a kingdom. It is an event that
God will use to root the people in the Promise Land.
I Samuel 8-15: The Reign of Saul
Samuel was a good judge. But his
sons, just like Eli’s sons, fell into
great sin
Nobody could provide the
leadership that Israel needed. The
threat of the Philistines was too
great
Another Important
Theme!
Man as King
Just as before we had the theme of Yahweh as king, here we find the
theme of man as king
There are differences of opinion about kingship. We have passages
that seem to oppose it (1 Samuel 8.1-22;10.17-19;12.1-5) and others
that seem to be in favor of it (1 Samuel 9.1-10.16;10.20-11.15).
The fear was that the human king would replace God as the real king.
There was some risk in having a monarchy. But it did not have to be
that way
Much of Samuel's energy from I Samuel 8 to 12 is spent setting up the
new institution of royalty in a way that preserves the kingship of God
and defines the roles of the human king
God is Still the Real
King
The Human King is
Only the
Representative of God
on Earth
Saul
In chapter 9, God shows Samuel who the new king
will be : Saul.
In chapter 10 Saul is anointed. Anointing was a
well-known ritual in the Ancient Near East. In
Egypt, the king was not anointed, but his vassals
were. If Israel used anointing in the same way,
then Saul was vassal-king under God who was the
real king
Saul
Saul starts off well as a king. He defeats the Ammonites in
chap 11. Then follows a ceremony where all the people
acknowledge him as king
Chapter 12: Samuel's farewell speech. He makes it clear
that the future does not depend on a king but on following
God. But, in this case, the best way is to follow God
through a king. Theocracy through monarchy
Chapter 13: Saul take matters into his own hands and
offer the sacrifices which only a priest could do. As a
result, Samuel announces that Saul has been disqualified.
A man after God's own heart will lead Israel
The Importance of
Obedience!
You and your king
obey: it will go well.
Otherwise, watch out!
At this point, Israel's
king Saul has
disobeyed. He has
broken the covenant
and the people must
be given a better
king. One after God's
own heart
1 Samuel 16 – 2 Samuel 4: The Rise of
David
1 Sam 16.13: “The
spirit of the Lord came
mightily upon David…”
1 Sam 16.14: “Now the
spirit of the Lord
departed from Saul, and
an evil spirit from the
Lord tormented him…”
Saul vs David
A rivality develops between Saul and
David. The rest of 1st Samuel highlights
the rise of David and the decline of Saul.
David is perceived as a threat by Saul:
David has to flee
Two times David had the occasion to kill
Saul but he does not because Saul was
the anointed of Yahweh. Theme of God as
the real king. David recognizes that God
is the one who chooses
Saul vs David
David always went
to God to see what
his will was
Saul went to see a
necromancer. Unable
to understand the will
of the Lord through
godly means
2 Samuel 5-20: The Reign of David
David unified the nation and all the tribes
acknowledge him as king
He made Jerusalem the capital of the
unified kingdom
He got rid of the Philistine threat
He brings back the ark of the covenant to
Jerusalem
2 Samuel 5-20: The Reign of David
Because they have a good leader, the
people follow Yahweh and defeat their
enemies. Nobody since Joshua has
done so much for the people
The writer of Samuel implies that all
kings should be like David because
he brought the people closer to God
and gave God the honor he deserved
2 Samuel 5-20: The Reign of David
Chapter 7: To show David his approval, God makes
him a promise. A promise linked to the Abrahamic
covenant
It begins with David wanting to build a house for the
Lord. He says: “See now, I am living in a house of
cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.” (2 Sam 7.2)
God said: no you will not be the one building my
house. But I will build your house. I will build up your
kingship
2 Samuel 5-20: The Reign of David
About David’s offspring, God said: “When
he commits iniquity, I will punish him with a
rod such as mortals use, with blows
inflicted by human beings.”(2 Samuel
7.14b)
But at the same time he says: “Your house
and your kingdom will endure forever
before me; your throne will be established
forever.” (2 Samuel 7.16)
2 Samuel 5-20: The Reign of David
Individuals can be
punished. The enjoyment
of the blessings of the
covenant is not guaranteed
for an individual if he does
not obey God
BUT
At the corporate, at the
group level, God will not
abandon them
2 Samuel 5-20: The Reign of David
The rest of the Bible argues that
the Messiah, Israel's Savior will
come from David's family
This promise unites the Old
Testament and the New
Testament. Because it ultimately
leads to Jesus!
Another Theme
Eternal Nature of David’s Kingdom
When the earthly kingdom disappears then
the deeper meaning of the promise will
become clearer for the people
In the New Testament we find out that the
full meaning of this eternal kingdom is
realized in Jesus, one of David's
descendants. For God's kingdom will
endure forever.
2 Samuel 5-20: The Reign of David
David’s sin with
Bathsheba has brought
death, misery, and civil
war
YET
God forgives him and
allows him to remain
king. Portrayal of the
effects of sin,
punishment and God's
ultimate forgiveness.
2 Samuel 21-24: David's Reign: Problems
and Prospects
A Yahweh’s wrath against Israel (2 Sam 21:1–14)
B David’s heroes (2 Sam 21:15–22)
C David’s song of praise (2 Sam 22:1–51)
C′ David’s last words (2 Sam 23:1–7)
B′ David’s mighty men (2 Sam 23:8–39)
A′ Yahweh’s wrath against Israel (2 Sam 24:1–25)
I-II Kings
Period Covered
1 and 2 Kings conclude the section known as the
“former prophets” which covers the Israelites’
arrival in the promised land to the loss of the land
and Judah's exile to Babylon
Almost four centuries pass in 1 and 2 Kings. David
dies about 970 BC. Solomon reigns 40 years, at
which point the nation divides. The northern
kingdom lasts until 722 BC, and the south falls in
587 BC.
Date of Composition
The latest event in the work is the
release of king Jehoiachin from prison
in 561 BC
It might have been written between that
date and the return from Exile in 538
BC.
Author
Anonymous. Some scholars think it
might have been a high ranking civil
servants exiled in Babylon or a scribe
whose job was maybe to record the
events at the royal court.
Structure
1 and 2 Kings, as well as Samuel, were originally only
one book
In the Septuagint, Samuel and Kings are classified as
Basileiai (reigns, kingdoms). Samuel was the 1st and
2nd book of Kingdoms and Kings was the 3rd and 4th
book of Kingdoms
The division of Samuel from Kings is artificial. And the
division into four books was only a matter of
convenience (maybe to have rolls of equal length)
Structure
I King 1.1-12.24: The Rise and Fall of Solomon's
Family
I Kings 12.25-15.34: The Rise and Fall of Jeroboam's
family
I Kings 16.1- 2 Kings 10.36: The Rise and Fall of
Omri's Family
2 Kings 11-17: The Decline and Fall of Northern Israel
2 Kings 18-25: The Decline and Fall of Southern
Israel
I King 1.1-12.24: The Rise and Fall of
Solomon's Family
Transfer of kingship between David and Solomon. Solomon
becomes co-regent with David and David gives him some advice
The first is spiritual advice. An advice which goes back to the
covenant once again. He is to walk in God's way and keep his
commandments. David understands that God's promise of an
everlasting dynasty is conditional on the faithfulness of the
descendants
Second, it is political advice. David tells him that some people
need to be rewarded and others punished because of their
previous rebellion against David
I King 1.1-12.24: The Rise and Fall of
Solomon's Family
David dies and Solomon becomes the only
king
From that point on (chapter 2), to the end
of chapter 11, we see how Solomon goes
from this glorious king to one who forgets
what his father has told him and turns
away from the covenant
I King 1.1-12.24: The Rise and Fall of
Solomon's Family
Solomon’s first mistake is to marry a
foreigner
He also makes another mistake by
offering sacrifices outside of Jerusalem
But he still asks God for wisdom, which
God grants him. God reminds him to obey
High point: The Building of the Temple
I King 1.1-12.24: The Rise and Fall of
Solomon's Family
It is the
mountain top!
God has kept the
covenant: He lives
with his people in
the promise land
God had said that David’s
son would build the temple
Moses had predicted that God would
choose a central place of worship
Chapter 9: Israel at a Crossroad
Solomon Chooses the Wrong Path
Deuteronomy says that the king must not accumulate large
amounts of silver and gold. Solomon did
It also says: The king must not acquire great numbers of horses
for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of
them. He did the former and the later
He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray.
Solomon did it (700 wives and 300 concubines)
He starts worshipping his wives' gods. He even made high
places to worship other gods. The one who has built the temple
for Yahweh is now building places of worship for pagan gods!
“Since this has been your mind and
you have not kept my covenant and my
statutes that I have commanded you, I
will surely tear the kingdom from you
and give it to your servant. Yet for the
sake of your father David I will not do it
in your lifetime; I will tear it out of the
hand of your son. I will not, however,
tear away the entire kingdom; I will
give one tribe to your son, for the sake
of my servant David and for the sake of
Jerusalem, which I have chosen.” (1
King 11.11-13)
I King 1.1-12.24: The Rise and Fall of
Solomon's Family
God had much consideration for David and
his faithfulness. Even after his death God
withheld some of his wrath against one of
David's descendants. David had sinned
greatly but he never worshipped other gods
God's promise to David will still hold but in a
very different form. The whole kingdom will
not be taken away from David's descendants.
Only part of it. And that explains the division
of the kingdom that is about to happen
The Split
Chapter 11: Jeroboam, one of Solomon's officials
rebels against Solomon
Solomon dies and his Son Rehoboam takes
leadership. Jeroboam asks him to relieve the tax and
forced labor that Solomon had imposed. He refused
and even says that he will be harsher than his father
Every tribe but Judah and Benjamin then follow
Jeroboam. Solomon's son will only lead a small part
of Israel
There are now two kingdoms, two
capitals. But they are both
heading for destruction
Two Kingdoms
I Kings 12.25-15.34: The Rise and Fall
of Jeroboam's family
The name Israel was given to Jacob and used to designate all his
descendants but in the divided kingdom it was used to name the Northern
kingdom. In Isaiah it is also named Ephraim, who was Joseph's son and
later one of the tribes
The northern kingdom went on for about 200 years (931-722bc)
Jeroboam in the North established his kingdom. He first strengthened two
key cities: Shechem and Peniel.
He made a new religion. He sets up two worship centers in the North: Dan
and Bethel. And he sets golden calves in these places which recalls the
golden calves in Exodus with Israel's first idolatry.
Two Central Themes
A Display of Two Extremes:
Apostasy and Reform
I Kings 12.25-15.34: The Rise and Fall
of Jeroboam's family
People have to worship at the places that were setup.
Instead of only taking Levites as priests, Jeroboam lets
people from other tribes do it
The worship of other gods is the worst crime. Solomon did
it. Now Jeroboam is doing it
Prophets play an important role in Kings: Ahijah is telling
Jeroboam that because of his idolatry, he will be rejected.
God will destroy his sons so they will never rule in Israel.
And worse: the whole nation will go into exile
I Kings 12.25-15.34: The Rise and Fall
of Jeroboam's family
Briefly, the narrative shifts to the south and shows that
things are a bit better (a shift in the narrative between
the north and the south is a constant feature of Kings)
Asa (from the south) in chapter 15 tries to do what is
right. He removed the idols and the temple prostitutes.
It says that Asa did what was right in the sight of the
Lord, as his father David had done
In the same chapter, Jeroboam's son in the north starts
leading but him and all of his family is killed as the
prophet had said
Contrast Between North and South
In the north: Baasha
did what was evil
just as Jeroboam
had done
In the south: Asa
did what was right
in the sight of the
Lord just as David
had done
I Kings 16.1-2Kings 10.36: The Rise
and Fall of Omri's Family
While Asa is still leading in Judah, a king named
Omri reigns and takes power by force in Israel. So
it is now him and his descendants that will lead.
From a worldly point of view he is a good king. He
brings stability to the government and builds
Samaria as the new capital
The luxury that Amos denounced a century later
starts under Omri. He marries his son Ahab to
Jezebel, a daughter of the king of Tyre in order to
make peace between them
I Kings 16.1-2Kings 10.36: The Rise
and Fall of Omri's Family
But from a spiritual point of view the Bible says that
Omri sinned more than his predecessors and
walked in the way of Jeroboam. It brought Ahab
and Jezebel to power and they used their
resources to bring even worse spiritual disaster to
Israel
The house of Omri only lasted one-tenth of the 400
years covered but in the narrative it occupies a
third. Why?
Because that is where we find the
centerpiece of the book of kings:
the contest between Baal and
Yahweh
The Showdown: Baal vs Yahweh!
Elijah tells Ahab: “As the Lord the God of Israel lives,
before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor
rain these years, except by my word.” (1 Kings 17.1)
He directly challenges Baal. Why? Because Baal was
the God of fertility. All the immorality was supposedly
aimed at encouraging fertility
The final showdown at Mt Carmel where Elijah is
alone against 450 prophets of Baal! They arranged a
sacrifice and the question is whose god will be able to
set this sacrifice on fire?
Elijah Challenges Israel: Either
Choose Yahweh or Baal!
The Prophets of Baal
The prophets of Baal are chanting and
dancing and shouting. Nothing happens!
Elijah is taunting them: “Where is your
god!”
The bible says: there was NO voice, NO
answer, NO response!
Elijah
NO chanting, NO jumping up and down. Just a simple prayer: “O
Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day
that you are God in Israel, that I am your servant, and that I have
done all these things at your bidding. Answer me, O Lord, answer
me, so that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and
that you have turned their hearts back.” (1 kings 18.36-37)
Important theme in Kings: YOU are God in Israel. YOU Lord are
God.
And fire comes down and consumes the sacrifices. The people
confess that the Lord is God
I Kings 16.1-2Kings 10.36: The Rise
and Fall of Omri's Family
In 2 Kings the prophets continue to play a central
role. After predicting Ahaziah's death, Ahab's
successor, Elijah goes to heaven in a chariot of fire
The transition between Elijah and Elisha is
reminiscent of the transition of power between Moses
and Joshua. Elisha being the one destined to win
great victories for Israel. He performs incredible feats
He anoints Jehu as a king in Israel to destroy Omri's
descendants. It shows that God rules over kings. The
prophets only convey what the Lord has decided.
Elijah and Elisha are
extraordinary prophets and
future biblical prophets follow
their examples
I Kings 16.1-2Kings 10.36: The Rise
and Fall of Omri's Family
Jehu becomes king and kills Jezebel and
slaughters all the descendants of Omri. He
kills the priests of Baal. He also kills the
king of southern Israel, Ahaziah. He does
not follow God very well
Judah does not transgress as much but
still they have idolatry. And so they get
closer and closer to punishment
2 Kings 11-17: The Decline and Fall of
Northern Israel
The exile of Northen Israel is near. After Jehu, four of
his descendants reign but none of them serve the
Lord wholeheartedly
There was a great instability within the kingdom due
to a series of violent coups. Five more kings serve
before the destruction of Israel. But those kings take
control via assassination, intrigues
The Assyrian threat grows. The last three important
kings of this final period: Menahem, Pekah and
Hoshea had to pay tribute to the Assyrians or were
attacked
2 Kings 11-17: The Decline and Fall of
Northern Israel
Under Pekah, Israel finally refuses to pay
tribute to the Assyrians so Tiglath-Pileser, the
Assyrian king, conquers part of northern Israel
and deports some of the people to Assyria
The covenant curses of Deuteronomy start to
take effect. Still part of the people remain there.
So there is still time for repentance. That shows
the merciful nature of God. The tension
between His justice, His mercy, His grace
2 Kings 11-17: The Decline and Fall of
Northern Israel
For Judah, it goes relatively well. For example,
Joash repairs the temple. His son Amaziah
does “right in the eyes of Yahweh” though they
both failed to remove the places outside of
Jerusalem where sacrifices were offered
But there are also bad kings: Ahaz worshipped
idols and took gold and silver from the temple
of Yahweh to give to the Assyrians!
2 Kings 11-17: The Decline and Fall of
Northern Israel
Then comes the last king of
northern Israel: Hoshea
He tries to defy the Assyrians but
fails and Shalmaneser and his
successor, Sargon II, conquer
Samaria in 721BC
Idolatry, forgetting the covenant,
not keeping the commandment.
Always the same pattern but this
time it has provoked the
destruction of the kingdom and
the exile of the nation
2 Kings 18-25: The Decline and Fall of
Southern Israel
Before the destruction of Southern Israel, two
good kings try to implement reforms
The first one is Hezekiah. He was the only king
since Asa of whom it was said that he did right in
the eyes of the Lord just as David had done
He also tries to break free of Assyrian rule and
the majority of the 3 chapters devoted to his reign
are about the consequences of this rebellion
The Siege of Lachish
Key Theme of the Old Testament:
The Remnant!
Key Theme: The Remnant
The “remnant” expression is based on what Paul says in
Rom 11.5: “So too at the present time there is a remnant,
chosen by grace”. Paul refers back to the events with
Elijah where 7000 thousand have not bowed down to
Baal
This goes back to what we have seen with the covenant
with Abraham. It was conditional at the individual level,
meaning that God could punish individuals and prevent
them from enjoying the blessings of the covenant but that
at the corporate level, it was unconditional in the sense
that God would always keep a people for himself
Past and present obedience or
faithfulness to God can be regarded as
a firm ground for hope that the
members of the dynasty will never
become so disloyal that its existence
will be endangered, for the history of
various communities and of mankind
as a whole clearly shows that all the
members of a community or all its
generations were never radically
unfaithful. The theology of the
“remnant” is based on this historical
fact (J. Krasovec)
2 Kings 18-25: The Decline and Fall of
Southern Israel
In Kings a lot of the time the kings are unfaithful. The people do
not repent. Northern Israel gets taken away in exile. Now Judah is
on the verge of being taken away. God is patient, has given ample
time for the people to repent but at some point judgement has to
come
The worst king of Judah comes to power: Manasseh. He reverses
everything that Hezekiah had done. It says: “Manasseh misled
them to do more evil than the nations had done that the Lord
destroyed before the people of Israel.” (Is 21.9).
But a good king, Josiah, comes to power. He has the temple
repaired because it had been used for foreign practices. The
temple had been abused. And when he repairs the temple what
does he find? The book of the Law!
However, it is too late. The
momentum of sin and judgement
that started with Manasseh is
unstoppable
2 Kings 18-25: The Decline and Fall of
Southern Israel
A series of ineffective and bad kings follow
Babylon’s army attacks and topples Jerusalem’s walls.
They steal from the temple and burn it. Many Israelites
are led in exile to Babylon. One sad line says: “So
Judah went into exile out of its land” (2 Kings 25.21)
We find the necessary judgement. Leviticus and
Deuteronomy had presented the consequences of not
obeying God
2 Kings 18-25: The Decline and Fall of
Southern Israel
But the book ends on a somewhat positive note.
One of the kings who had been exiled to
Babylon: Jehoiachin, is depicted, 37 years after
his exile, as receiving honor in Babylon. He is
dining at the king’s table, free of chains
It shows that God is not finished with Israel. We
come back to the same theme: God will bring
judgement, but a remnant will always remain and
the promises made to Abraham and David
remain in effect. There is still hope, even in exile
I – II Chronicles
Date of Composition
The books were written after the
Jews returned from exile
It might have been written in the
4th century BC
Author
Some people have thought that Chronicles,
Ezra and Nehemiah were all written by the
same person and that it was Ezra himself
who would have written them soon after the
return from exile
But we do not know who the author was.
We usually only call him the Chronicler
Structure
1 Chronicles 1-9: Israel’s Ancestors
1 Chronicles 10-29: David’s Reign and
God’s Promises to David
2 Chronicles 1-9: Solomon’s Reign
2 Chronicles 10-36: Division, Fall, and
Restoration
Introduction
1-2 Chronicles in the Hebrew Bible is in the last part of the
Bible, what is called “the writings”
In the writings you have 3 divisions. One part contains the
books of truth: Psalms, Proverbs and Job. Then the five scrolls:
Songs of songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes and Esther.
Then the rest: Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah and Chronicles.
In our Bible, Chronicles is right after 1-2 Kings. Why? Because
there is a lot of overlap. The order of our western Bible is in
some ways more related to subject
Introduction
The books of Chronicles (in Hebrew the title is: “The
Events/Words of Days”) is one of two accounts of the
history of Israel found in the Old Testament. The other
one is Kings
Viewed in the past as a supplementary work to Samuel
and Kings so the title in the Septuagint is
Paraleipomenon which means “The Things Left Out”
The Christian Scholar Jerome in the 4th century AD
called these books Chronicles
It is too Easy to See Chronicles Only
as a Repeat of Kings. It was
Written in a Different Context and
has a Different Goal and
Viewpoint
Writing History
Books like Kings and Chronicles teach us that there
is not only one way to write history
Modern historians, until recently, did not appreciate
the differences between Kings and Chronicles and
conclude that there are contradictions.
Telling history is not completely objective and coldly
factual.
Writing History
Not Machines!
Historians are Humans
Writing History
Selectivity
Continuity
A Part of Subjectivity. The
historian bases his decisions on
what he believes is important
Writing History
If two accounts of a historical fact have different
emphasis, it does not mean that one is true and the other
is false
The same principle with the way Kings and Chronicles
present events. There are no contradictions. They recount
some of the same stories told with a different context, with
a different emphasis and with a different purpose
The chronicler is not an historian in the modern sense of
the word. He is not so much concerned with the cold hard
facts as with their meanings
1 Chronicles 1-9: Israel’s Ancestors
The first section presents a brief history of
the people through the use of lists and
genealogies
Starts from Adam but quickly moves to
the tribes of Israel
There is a special emphasis on the tribe
of Levi, the tribe of Judah and monarchy
of David
1 Chronicles 1-9: Israel’s Ancestors
Even though most of Chronicles covers
the history of the pre-exilic period, it was
written for those who have returned
from Babylon and resettled the land
The genealogies helped to realize
where they were coming from. What
was their identity, their heritage
we are still the chosen people,
even after exile!
1 Chronicles 1-9: Israel’s Ancestors
In ancient times, people found
their identity not in individuality but
by being part of a group
Israel being able to trace back
their ancestry helps them realize
that they have rights and privileges
but also duties
1 Chronicles 10-29: David’s Reign and
God’s Promises to David
The narrative really starts in 1 Chronicles 10. Saul,
the first king, only gets 14 verses.
Then it quickly shifts to David. The focus of chronicles
is really on two kings: David and Solomon. Together,
they take about 29 chapters in Chronicles
The chronicler shows a well-known pattern in the OT:
if you seek the Lord it leads to blessings. If you don’t,
then there are curses
The Important Theme of
SEEKING
1 Chronicles 10-29: David’s Reign and
God’s Promises to David
“So Saul died for his unfaithfulness; he was
unfaithful to the Lord in that he did not keep the
command of the Lord; moreover, he had consulted
a medium, seeking guidance, and did not seek
guidance from the Lord. (1 Chronicles 10.13).”
He did not seek the Lord. He sought the witch of
Endor. A medium. And curses fell on him
1 Chronicles 10-29: David’s Reign and
God’s Promises to David
The narrative quickly switches to David and
Solomon and their reign
In Chronicles (compared to Samuel) we do
not find much about David’s shortcomings,
sins, feelings
No contradictions. The Chronicler decided
to focus on the positive points of David
1 Chronicles 10-29: David’s Reign and
God’s Promises to David
The
Importance of
the Throne
This is How
God Governs
his People
1 Chronicles 10-29: David’s Reign and
God’s Promises to David
The Importance
of the Right
Worship
This is How
God Relates to
his People
1 Chronicles 10-29: David’s Reign and
God’s Promises to David
David is seen as
someone who seeks
God in the right way
He Governs the People
Well
He establishes the right
worship in regards to the
ark, the appointment of
religious officials and the
preparations for the
building of the temple.
1 Chronicles 10-29: David’s Reign and
God’s Promises to David
1 Chronicles 13, 15-16 is devoted to
the ark. How David brought it to
Jerusalem. How he prepared a place
for it
Then, from 1 Chronicles 21 to 29, it is
almost all exclusively about how David
prepares to build the temple and also
about the function of the priests
1 Chronicles 10-29: David’s Reign and
God’s Promises to David
Because David established the proper
worship, God granted him support from
the people, military victory and a
dynasty that would last
Then, from 1 Chronicles 21 to 29, it is
almost all exclusively about how David
prepares to build the temple and also
about the function of the priests
The theme of seeking in chapter
28: “And you, my son Solomon,
know the God of your father, and
serve him with single mind and
willing heart; for the LORD
searches every mind, and
understands every plan and
thought. If you seek him, he will
be found by you; but if you forsake
him, he will abandon you
forever.” (1 Chronicles 28.9)
2 Chronicles 1-9: Solomon’s Reign
As with David, Solomon’s life is depicted in
a positive way
In chapter 1, he asks God for wisdom. God
gives it to him and because of his wisdom
Israel prospers
The most important chapters are 2 to 4
where Solomon builds the temple
2 Chronicles 1-9: Solomon’s Reign
Emphasis on the temple
Challenging his hearers
to really take David and
Solomon’s ideal reign
seriously and use it as a
map to follow
A way to remind the
audience of the
chronicler about their
own responsibility toward
the second temple
2 Chronicles 1-9: Solomon’s Reign
In chapter 5, God’s glory fills the temple
In chapter 6 and 7, the temple is dedicated with
prayers: God looks favorably on Solomon’s temple
There is no mention of his idolatry. It focuses on the
time when he was devoted to God and when, just like
his father, he established the proper mode of worship
For the chronicler, David and
Solomon together form the ideal
of how Israel should be led and
how it should worship
2 Chronicles 10-36: Division, Fall, and
Restoration
This large portion of Chronicles refers almost
exclusively to Judah’s (the south) kings because the
chronicler is mostly only interested in David and
Solomon
It is in the south that David’s descendants will continue
to rule for the next 300 years
In this section, the chronicler is always comparing the
kings with the ideal set by David and Solomon
2 Chronicles 10-36: Division, Fall, and
Restoration
The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the earlier
ways of his father; he did not seek the Baals (2 Chronicles 17:3)
Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign; he reigned sixteen
years in Jerusalem. He did not do what was right in the sight of the
Lord, as his ancestor David had done, (2 Chronicles 28:1)
Hezekiah began to reign when he was twenty-five years old… He did
what was right in the sight of the Lord, just as his ancestor David had
done. (2 Chronicles 29.1-2)
Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign; he reigned thirtyone years in Jerusalem. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord,
and walked in the ways of his ancestor David (2 Chronicles 34.1-2)
2 Chronicles 10-36: Division, Fall, and
Restoration
For the chronicler, each generation had a
choice. Everyone generation was accountable
to God and could either get blessings or curses
They could decide their own faith: God was not
done with them!
Through repentance and seeking God, they
could change their situation
Thus says King Cyrus 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.” (2 Chronicles 36:23)
2 Chronicles 10-36: Division, Fall, and
Restoration
The end of Chronicles encourages the
people to go up and rebuild the temple.
To try to recapture the glory of the past
The God who has helped David and
Solomon build a temple can also help
them build another one
We must learn from this lesson. God
looks beyond punishment and wants to
renew us and restore us
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