1 2 Chronicles

Michael Wilcock sees Chronicles first and foremost as a sermon. Its object: to foster a right relationship between God and his people. The Chronicler finds in the records of Israel the great overall pattern of God's hand in history. The Lord's constant mercy, love, and faithfulness shine through. With great perception, the Chronicler first selects and then proclaims this vibrant pattern, highlighted in the living events of the nation's history. Once we grasp its purpose, the book comes alive. It can be seen as nothing less than a final and momentous look back over the entire Old Testament. In this commentary Wilcock shows how the various characters appearing in Chronicles make vivid the truths by which the Lord's people in every generation are to live. Part of the beloved Bible Speaks Today series, The Message of Chronicles offers an insightful, readable exposition of the biblical text and thought-provoking discussion of how its meaning relates to contemporary life. Used by students and teachers around the world, the Bible Speaks Today commentaries are ideal for those studying or preaching the Bible and anyone who wants to delve deeper into the text. This beautifully redesigned edition has also been sensitively updated with more current references and the NRSV Bible text.

To its own generation the book of Chronicles was a vivid reminder of hope in the faithfulness of God, a reminder of the promise--made both to the world and to the house of David--of peace and prosperity, to be fulfilled through the covenant people of God. Structurally, the book may be considered an exegetical summary of Old Testament history. Not only does it recount the important events of God's dealing with Israel, but it also explains the significance of those events to Israel's history.

This volume, a part of the Old Testament Library series, explores the books of I and II Chronicles. The Old Testament Library provides fresh and authoritative treatments of important aspects of Old Testament study through commentaries and general surveys. The contributors are scholars of international standing.

David Pawson presents a unique overview of both the Old and New Testaments.

"Then David said to the Philistine, 'You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts.'" (1 Samuel 17:45) Reflecting upon David's victory over Goliath, Reformation translator, theologian and commentator William Tyndale compared it to Christ's victory over sin and death: "When David had killed Goliath the giant, glad tidings came to the Israelites that their fearful and cruel enemy was dead and that they were delivered out of all danger. For this gladness, they sang, danced and were joyful. In like manner, the good news or 'gospel' of God is joyful tidings." The books of 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings and 1-2 Chronicles, which record the history of Israel from the prophetic ministry of Samuel to the fall of Jerusalem, provided the reformers with some of the best-known narratives of the Old Testament upon which to comment, including Hannah's prayer, the anointing of Saul as Israel's first king, David's triumph over Goliath and his later adultery with Bathsheba, Solomon's building of the Temple, Elijah's challenge to the prophets of Baal, and the healing of Naaman. For the reformers, these stories were not merely ancient Israelite history, but they also foreshadowed the coming of Jesus Christ, and they had immediate relevance for their lives and the church of their day. Thus, Anglican exegete John Mayer perceived within King Josiah's reform of Israelite worship after the discovery of the Book of the Law a prefiguration of "what should be done in the latter days of the gospel, in which a greater reformation of the religion is now being made." In this Reformation Commentary on Scripture volume, Derek Cooper and Martin Lohrmann guide readers through a diversity of Reformation commentary on these historical books. Here, readers will find reflections from both well-known voices and lesser-known figures from a variety of confessional traditions—Lutherans, Reformed, Radicals, Anglicans and Roman Catholics—many of which appear in English for the first time. By drawing upon a variety of resources—including commentaries, sermons, treatises and confessions—this volume will enable scholars and students to understand better the depth and breadth of Reformation-era insights on Scripture. It will also provide resources for contemporary preachers, and encourage all those who continually seek to share the "joyful tidings" of Jesus Christ.

The Knowing the Bible series is a new resource designed to help Bible readers better understand and apply God’s Word. Each 12-week study leads participants through one book of the Bible and is made up of four basic components: (1) Reflection questions designed to help readers engage the text at a deeper level; (2) “Gospel Glimpses” highlighting the gospel of grace throughout the book; (3) “Whole-Bible Connections” showing how any given passage connects to the Bible’s overarching story of redemption culminating in Christ; and (4) “Theological Soundings” identifying how historic orthodox doctrines are taught or reinforced throughout Scripture. With contributions from a wide array of influential pastors and church leaders, these gospel-centered studies will help Christians see and cherish the message of God’s grace on each and every page of the Bible. In this accessible study, pastor and author Greg Gilbert examines the message of James, exploring the book’s difficult teachings on wealth, anointing with oil, prayer, healing, and the relationship between faith and works. Through clear exposition of the biblical text and challenging application questions, Gilbert helps readers rightly understand James as a stirring exhortation to fruitfulness, ultimately written to remind Christians of the necessary connection between genuine faith and heartfelt obedience.

The church fathers, as they did in earlier books dealing with Israel's history from the time of Joshua to the united monarchy, found ample material for typological and moral interpretation in 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther. It will be immediately clear to readers of this volume that they gave much more attention to 1-2 Kings than to others; whether this was due to a certain repetitiveness in the story line or other reasons is unclear. But the narratives of wise King Solomon, the construction of the temple, the prophets Elijah and Elisha, and the fates of various faithful and unfaithful kings and other powerful people were well suited to their purposes. Among Greek commentators in this Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture volume, readers will find Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Methodius, Eusebius of Caesarea, Athanasius, Cyril of Jerusalem, Basil the Great, Gregory of Nazianzus, John Chrysostom, Cyril of Alexandria, Theodoret of Cyr, Procopius of Gaza and John the Monk. Among Latin commentators are Tertullian, Cyprian, Novatian, Lactantius, Ambrose, Jerome, Prudentius, Augustine, Paulinus of Nola, John Cassian, Peter Chrysologus, Maximus of Turin, Salvian the Presbyter, Fulgentius of Ruspe, Caesarius of Arles, Gregory the Great, Bede and Rabanus Maurus. Syriac commentators include Aphrahat, Ephrem, Sahdona, Isaac of Nineveh and Isho'dad of Merv. Together they set before readers a table of delights and theological insights, some of which are here available to English readers for the first time.

Louis Jonker's section-by-section commentary on 1-2 Chronicles is the newest volume in the Understanding the Bible Commentary Series. This user-friendly commentary series helps readers navigate the sometimes difficult terrain of the Bible. These volumes offer solid research in an accessible way, breaking down the barriers between the ancient and modern worlds so that the power and meaning of the biblical texts become clear to contemporary readers. The contributors tackle the task of interpretation using the full range of critical methodologies and practices, yet they do so as people of faith who hold the text in the highest regard. In this commentary, Jonker reads 1-2 Chronicles as literature which negotiates a new socio-religious identity in a period of political transition.