Notes: 1 & 2 Chronicles

The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him He will forsake you.

1 Chronicles

• Damage control. Turning the sad history of the books of Samuel and Kings, into glad history.
• God had taken the Promised Land away from them at the end of 2 Kings.
• God never gives up on His people, in spite of their sinning. Even after punishing the Jews for centuries of sin by exiling them from the Promiosed Land (Israel), He brings them home for a new beginning.
• The Jewish race begins with Abraham
• God began planning for the Jews at the beginning of time, and He isn’t about to abandon them.
• David brings the Ark of the Convenant (contains the 10 Commandments) to Jerusalem. The Ark is considered God’s throne on earth.
• David erects a tent of the chest/Ark.
• Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) is the the day when the nation. ofIsrael repented for its sin. Each year.
• Cherubim – a type of angel that serve as guards of attendents.
• David prepares the materials to organize the ministry so that his son Solomon will be able to get building the temple ASAP upon becoming king. 
• God didn’t want David to build it because he was a man of war. He wanted a man of peace to build it… Solomon.
• Only descendents of Aaron (Moses brother) can become priests.

2 Chronicles

• • Focuses mostly on Israels best kings.
  • A continuation of the Jewish nation chosen by God.
  • They’re chosen not just for privilege, but for a mission from God. To become a light that draws people from all over the world to God.
  • Begins with the reign of Solomon in the mid 900s BC
  • Solomon builds God’s Temple. For the next 400 years this is where Jews can expect to encounter God by presenting their requests and finding atonement for their sins.
  • Solomon and the queen of the territory of Sheba become trade partners. The queen converts to Solomon’s faith, has his son (Menelik) who is said to have the founded the Ethiopean royal dynasty. He also may have brought the Ark to Ethiopia.
  • Solomon did a bad thing. He brought idolatry to Israel on a national scale when he married non-Jewish women who eventually convinced him to build shrines to their gods.
  • After Solomon dies, the northern tribes secede from the united tribes of Israel. They form their own country called Israel. The southern tribes nation is called Judah.
  • The northern nation of Israel is bad – worship idols, rulers are evil. God tolerates this for 200 years then sends Assyrians (in 722 BC) to overrun the nation, exile the survivors, and repopulate the land with Assyrian pioneers.
  • Solomon’s reign was prosperous and peaceful.
  • When he dies, his son Rehoboam becomes king and ratchets up royal demands.
  • The north (Israel) secedes. Becomes bad. Lots of sinning going on for 200 years. God has Assyrians invade and overrule Israel.
  • Judah’s good kings: Asa (a tireless spiritual leader and brilliant warrior), Jehoshaphat (Asa’s son. Like his dad), Hezekiah (he’s a godly king so protected by God), Josiah (restores Jewish worship).
  • Israel and Judah are taken over by the Assyrians, who are then overthrown by the Babylonians.
  • Eventually the Persian defeat the Babylonians. The Persian king tells the Jews to go home and rebuild their nation.

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