Today’s reading ends with a recapitulation of the death of Saul and his sons (I Chronicles 10:1-7), which we had previously read at the end of I Samuel (I Samuel 31:1-7). Yet we also see some contrast in today’s reading. The four book sequence – I & II Samuel, I & II Kings – will take the story up as far as the Exile (II Kings 25), which leads most scholars to reckon that the material in those books was compiled in Babylon during the Exile. The theological perspective that these four books reveal is that they had been taken into captivity for their faithlessness, and were now in Babylon not knowing if they would ever get back to the promised land.

But the Chronicler’s work shows a later perspective. We see him recounting much of the same lamentable narrative: “Judah was taken into exile in Babylon because of their unfaithfulness” (I Chronicles 9:1). Yet when he composed his narrative the Chronicler was already aware that a couple of generations later a remnant of the people were indeed brought back from captivity.

He reveals that here with a brief flash-forward to what would happen when the exiles began to “live again” in their communities after they had returned from captivity in Babylon (9:2). This would include the priests (9:10-13) and the Levites (9:14-16). The Chronicler also provided an extensive listing (9:17-27) of those who were set as guard for “the gates of the house of the Lord, that is, the house of the tent” (9:23) – the temple had been destroyed by the Babylonians, so when the people returned from Exile the “house” of God was a tabernacle once again, until the permanent building could eventually be reconstructed.

Part of the message of the Chronicler, then, is the recognition that after the Exile, God did indeed bring us back. Thus, after this genealogical overview of the history of Israel from Adam to the Exile, the rest of the two books of Chronicles will run in parallel with II Samuel, I Kings, and II Kings – with a few differences in perspective – examining how we went from the fullness of the blessing of the kingdom of David to the devastation and shattered lives of the Exile.

* * * * *

Just as you redeemed Israel after their faithlessness, O Lord, so we believe you can also do for us, even if we as a people have lost it all. Yet we pray that you would turn our hearts and lives back to you before everything falls apart, so that the terrible devastation might be avoided this time.

If you find these studies helpful, please Like, Subscribe, Comment, and Share. Thanks!