Day 91 – 1 Chronicles: Theme

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” 1 Chronicles 16:34 NIV

At the end of 2 Kings, both Israel and Judah were exiled from their promised land and taken into captivity – surely a dark age for God’s people. Chronicles, written after these sieges, summarises Israel’s history, emphasising the Jewish people’s spiritual heritage attempting to unify the nation. The chronicler is selective in his history telling and instead of writing an exhaustive work, he carefully weaves the narrative, highlighting spiritual lessons and teaching moral truths. The northern kingdom is virtually ignored, David’s triumphs – not his sins – are recalled, and the Temple is given great prominence as the vital centre of national life.

The first nine chapters give us a genealogical “who’s who” starting with Adam and emphasising David’s royal line. The rest of the book sketches the story of David who served God and laid out the plans for the construction of and worship in the Temple.

1 Chronicles is an invaluable supplement to 2 Samuel and a strong reminder of the necessity for tracing our roots and thus rediscovering our spiritual foundation.

Prayer: Father, we thank You for the reminder of our spiritual heritage and that we can trace our identity in You all the way to Creation. Thank You for empowering strong leaders from who we can learn to be godly and God-fearing children. Amen.