1 ST CHRONICLES MEMORY CHALLENGE. THEME: The Book of David s Reign

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1 1 ST CHRONICLES THEME: The Book of David s Reign MEMORY CHALLENGE OUTLINE: I. DAVID S FAMILY TREE: From Adam to Azel (I CHRONICLES 1-9) II. DAVID S FAMOUS THRONE: From Saul to Solomon (I CHRONICLES 10-29) KEY CHAPTERS: Genealogy of the Messiah (I Chronicles 1-3) Genealogy of the Twelve Tribes (1 Chronicles 4-8) The Davidic Covenant (1 Chronicles 17) David s Prayer and Praise (I Chronicles 29) KEY PASSAGES: 1 Chronicles 4:10 "Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!" And God granted him what he requested. 1 Chronicles 14:2 And David realized that the LORD had established him as king over Israel, and that his kingdom was highly exalted, for the sake of His people Israel. 1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually. 1 Chronicles 17:11-14 When your days are fulfilled that you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up one of your descendants after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build for Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be his father and he shall be My son; and I will not take My lovingkindness away from him, as I took it from him who was before you. But I will settle him in My house and in My kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever. 1 Chronicles 29:11 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. KEY PEOPLE: Yahweh / Jehovah (tetragrammaton, -יהוה YHWH) the LORD speaks to God s sovereignty over humankind and history as well as His self-existency. Saul 1 st King of Israel; a Benjamite; first of many bad Kings Israel would suffer through. David Son of Jesse; anointed by Samuel as King of Israel; second king of Israel; first of a few good Kings; now 70 years old by 1 st Kings 1 Joab David s nephew and commander of David s army; killed Abner. Asaph the chief musician in David s court (ref. Ps. 50, 73-83) Solomon 3 rd king of united Israel; son of David and Bathsheba; name means one of peace so Solomon s kingship points to the future Prince of Peace 142

2 2 ND CHRONICLES MEMORY CHALLENGE THEME: Lessons of Faithfulness: from Solomon to Cyrus OUTLINE: I. SOLOMON S REIGN: Construction of the Temple (2 CHRONICLES 1-9) II. JUDAH S RUIN: Destruction of the Temple (2 CHRONICLES 10-36) III. CYRUS DECREE: Reconstruction of the Temple (2 CHRONICLES 36d) KEY CHAPTERS: Solomon s Prayer for Wisdom (2 Chronicles 1) Dedication of Solomon s Temple (2 Chronicles 5-7) The Book of the Law Restored (2 Chronicles 34) Babylonian Captivity & Cyrus Decree (2 Chronicles 36) KEY PASSAGES: 2 Chronicles 7:14 And My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars. 2 Chronicles 20:20b Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, put your trust in the Lord your God and you will be established. Put your trust in His prophets and succeed. Jehoshaphat s words to the nation. 2 Chronicles 34:31 Then the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the LORD to walk after the LORD, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant written in this book. 2 Chronicles 36:23 Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all His people, may the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up!'" KEY PEOPLE: Solomon Israel s wisest and most glorious king; wrote much wisdom literature; ended his life as an idolater with all of his foreign wives, though, his repentance is expressed in the Book of Ecclesiastes. Hezekiah Good king of Judah who brought reform to the nation; had a fervent prayer life and for this God rewards him with a long life. Josiah The last righteous king of Judah who also brought reform and revival to the nation; found the Law of Moses and restored the Word of God to a place of priority in the life of the people. Cyrus King of Persia / Babylon ( ); conquers the Babylonian empire and allows the exiled Jews to return to Judea (538). 143

3 I. INTRODUCTION: I. OVERVIEW: On the face of it, 1 st and 2 nd Chronicles seem to repeat in duller fashion what we have already seen in 2 nd Samuel, 1 st Kings and 2 nd Kings the reign of David, Solomon and the kings of Judah. But this book is no mere repetition of the same material but rather a divine editorial on the history of God s people. While the latter gives the political history of Israel and Judah, Chronicles gives a religious history of Judah. The former was written from a prophetic and moral viewpoint, the latter from a priestly and spiritual perspective. The Chronicler was writing for those who knew the earlier books (2 nd Samuel-Kings corpus). So, the writer had no need to repeat everything, but could be selective in the material he chose to include with a special theme in mind proper worship of the one true God. So, 1 st Chronicles is a spiritual interpretation of Israel s history during David s reign. The Chronicler chose these particular themes with his original readers in mind the remnant who had returned from exile to rebuild Jerusalem under Ezra and Nehemiah. He may have written between 450 B.C. and 430 B.C. and his books form a part of the longer series, Chronicles-Ezra-Nehemiah. Some scholars theorize that Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah form a complete narrative comparable to that of the Samuel-Kings corpus. 1 Chr. 1-9 Genealogy lists from Adam to post-exilic Judah 1 Chr History of David s reign 2 Chr. 1-9 History of Solomon s reign 2 Chr Kings of Judah down to the end of the exile EZ 1-6 First exiles return to Judah EZ 7-10 The coming of Ezra and his reform NE 1-7 Memoirs of Nehemiah about rebuilding Jerusalem s walls NE 8-10 Ezra s covenant renewal ceremony NE Continuation of Nehemiah s memoirs SAMUEL & KINGS The continuation of Israel s history from the united kingdom to the two captives Political history Prophetic authorship: emphasizes the prophetic ministry and moral concerns Written by authors soon after the events More negative rebellion and tragedy Message of judgment Man s failures Emphasizes kings and prophets CHRONICLES Focuses on the southern kingdom and the Davidic line Religious history Priestly authorship: emphasizes the priestly ministry and spiritual concerns Written by Ezra many years after the events More positive apostasy, but hope in spite of tragedy Message of hope God s faithfulness Emphasizes the temple and priests 144

4 Kings: Political history of Israel & Judah from a prophetic & moral viewpoint Chronicles: Religious history of Davidic dynasty of Judah only, written from priestly & spiritual viewpoint 1 st & 2 nd Samuel correlates with 1 st Chronicles 1 st & 2 nd Kings correlates with 2 nd Chronicles Political: The Israelites of the northern tribes had long ago perished at the cruel hands of the Assyrians (722) whereas Judeans had recently been released from exile. Hence, the refugees in Palestine had returned only to find a much deteriorated state of affairs. Jerusalem, its defensive walls, and much of the city still lay in ruins. Half-breeds (Samaritans) and outcasts had risen to positions of power and hampered the rightful return of homes and properties for the former exiles. Surrounding tribes and regional city-states snarled in contempt at the re-encroachment of former residents returning, especially in the light of the fact that these refugees could cut into the redistributed markets. Therefore, Jerusalem and the immediately affected areas were a powder keg of potential disaster. Spiritual: Although the Jews would never again embrace the worship of false gods, they were effectively a down-trodden religious group. The temple ruins and failed monarchial form of self-government remained the visible reminder of the need for faithfulness to the Lord. Nonetheless, the fact that an Israel had emerged from captivity after 70 years, as prophesied, did fuel hope that God would indeed work powerfully among His people. To this extent, the Jews waited upon the Lord for His fresh movement. Unfortunately, by the time of Haggai the Prophet (520 B.C.), their waiting had turned into indifference and apathy. Thus, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi assaulted the Jews in an effort to stir them spiritually for service to YHWH. Geographical: As chronology, Chronicles maps territorial growth and division as a key indicator of the spiritual climate between God and Israel. Thus, territorial holdings actually indicate how well Israel is doing in its relationship to YHWH in regards to fulfilling the covenant. II. III. TITLE: The name Chronicles was given to these two books by Jerome. In the Hebrew tradition, these books were placed at the end of the canon and entitled Journals or Words/Affairs of Days. LXX entitled these books as the Omissions since they were considered as supplements to the Samuel-Kings corpus. In essence, Chronicles is a miniature Old Testament, tracing in capsule form the flow of Old Testament history. It is the annals of Israel from Adam to the Babylonian captivity and Cyrus decree allowing the exiled Jews to return. AUTHOR: No author for the Chronicles corpus can be easily identified. In fact, the question of authorship rests largely upon the date assigned for the composition of these two books. A number of scholars opt for Ezra the priest, or one in his scribal tradition, as the most likely final composer or editor of this material. Though not specified by name in the book, Ezra has traditionally been accepted as the author. 145

5 Unquestionably, whoever the Chronicler was, he used various sources in compiling the book including prophetic records by Samuel (1 Chron. 29:29), Isaiah (2 Chron. 32:320, and others (2 Chron. 9:29; 12:15; 20:34; 33:19); but particularly a source called the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel (2 Chron. 16:11; 25:2) not the canonical 1 st and 2 nd Kings, but an earlier extra biblical record of accounts. Features such as composition style, priestly perspective, thematic parallels, and exact phrase repetition (cp. The end of Chronicles with the beginning of Ezra) suggest a single author for both books that also demonstrate a definite affinity to the Ezra- Nehemiah corpus. Coupled with the fact that Jewish tradition located Chronicles at the end of the Writings, these linguistic similarities present compelling though not absolute evidence for Ezraitic authorship, definitely written from a pro-priesthood position because it is so Temple oriented. IV. DATE: Since Ezra is considered the most likely author, 1-2 Chronicles would have been finalized by 450 BC. The weight of evidence points to Ezra as the author. It is part of the DSS which puts a halt on the time period. The events recorded in the 1 st Chronicles corpus is heavily weighted on genealogy and spans from Adam (Creation, 1 st Chron. 1:1.) to the grandsons of Zerubbabel (c. 500 B. C., 3:19-21) When Jesus accused the scribes of being guilty of slaying all the prophets God had sent to Israel from Abel to Zechariah (Lk. 11:51), He was acknowledging the completed canon. Abel s death is recorded in Genesis; Zechariah s death is found in 2 Chron. 24:20-21, the last book in the Hebrew Bible of Jesus day. Thus, to say from Abel to Zechariah is to say from the beginning of the Bible to the end. To put it into modern vernacular, we would say, from cover to cover, or from Genesis to Malachi. It likewise recounts the time from the reign of King David (ca B.C.) and the reign of Solomon and the kings of Judah ( B. C.); from the destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile (586) to the Cyrus decree and the Jewish return from captivity (ca. 538) as we have seen in the Samuel and Kings corpus. In fact, 2 nd Chronicles spans Israel s history from its highest peak to its lowest ebb from Solomon s reign to the Babylonian exile. This book covers the same period as 1 st and 2 nd Kings, though 2 nd Chronicles focuses exclusively on the kings of the southern kingdom: Judah. 2 nd Chronicles records the history of the reign of Solomon ( B.C.) and of all the kings of Judah from Rehoboam (931) through Zedekiah (586). So, why do we have here somewhat of a rehashing of what we have already seen? There is a noticeable difference between the Samuel/Kings corpus and Chronicles as we delve deeper. V. THEME: Chronicles focuses on the spiritual history far more than the Kings corpus. In this sense, one may assert that the primary purpose of Chronicles is theological. God is the sovereign actor of history and over history. Thus, history serves as both theology and prophecy, depicting those events that God deemed necessary for 146

6 carrying the story-line of His mighty power, merciful purpose, and miraculous redemption of man. Chronicles corpus may have also served a canonical purpose. As such, it is considered as intentionally prepared to provide the focus for the whole of the OT, draws the whole OT to a conclusion. Whereas Kings is history to show us how Israel fell, Chronicles is theology to show us what God desires. Ex) Temple. God desires our worship, obedience, holiness. Development of a highly developed Temple, choirs of instruments and vocal. Temple becomes the big endeavor. Everyone was focused on the worship event. It draws from history. The temple in Jerusalem is the central theme of 2 nd Chronicles, which symbolically stood for God s presence among His people. VI. LESSON: Chronicles spans a disproportionate amount of time on the reign of David and Solomon because they bring the nation to its pinnacle. Why? To encourage them and to remind them of their spiritual heritage and identity during the difficult times they were presently facing. Ezra wrote this corpus to encourage the people who returned to Jerusalem after 70 years of exile to accept the new temple raised on the site of the old temple and to remain true to the Lord. We know that Ezra led a group of exiles back to Palestine in 458 B.C. and was concerned about building a true spiritual foundation for the people. To further that purpose the author of Chronicles compiles this corpus in order to emphasize the importance of racial and religious purity amongst God s people, the proper and prominent place of the law in their lives, the Temple, and the priesthood. Thus, he omits the detailed activities of the kings and prophets, stressing instead the rich heritage of the people and the blessing of their covenant relationship with God. In showing Yahweh s faithfulness to the house of David and the Temple in Israel s history, Israel was encouraged to hope that the Son of David will come and build His Temple. II. OUTLINE OF 1 ST CHRONICLES: I. DAVID S FAMILY TREE (1 ST CHRONICLES 1-9) Here is the most comprehensive genealogical table in the Bible. They trace the family trees of David and Israel as a whole, but in a highly selective manner. The genealogies place a disproportionate emphasis on the tribes of Judah and Benjamin because Chronicles is not concerned with the northern kingdom but with the southern kingdom and the Davidic dynasty. They show God at work in selecting and preserving a people for Himself from the beginning of human history to the period after the Babylonian exile. 147

7 The genealogies move from the patriarchal period (Adam to Jacob; 1:1-2:2) to the national period (Judah, Levi, and the other tribes of Israel; 2:3-9:44). a. MESSIANIC GENEALOGY FROM ADAM TO THE EXILE: (1 st Chr. 1-3) i. First, from a historical perspective, we trace the royal, Messianic line from Adam to Abraham, to Issac, Jacob and the twelve sons of Israel, to the descendants of Judah (David s ancestors), to David, to the exile and beyond. Included is Zerubbabel (3:19), a leader in the return from the exile (cf. Ezra 1-6). ii. The purpose is to show the line through whom the Messiah was to come. b. NATIONAL GENEALOGY OF THE TWELVE TRIBES (1 st Chr. 4-8) i. Second, from a national, or tribal perspective, we have a genealogical record of God s chosen people. ii. Judah is first because Messiah is to come from this tribe (cf. Gen. 49:8-12). David s line to Zedekiah is traced with additional genealogies of Judah given (4a). iii. Then are listed the sons of Simeon, Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh (4b-5). iv. The priestly line of Levi is mentioned with high priests, chief musicians of David and territories assigned (6). v. Issachar, Naphtali, half of Manasseh, Ephraiam, Asher (7). vi. The sons of Benjamin from which comes the house of Saul (8). c. LEVITICAL GENEALOGY AFTER THE EXILE (1 st Chr. 9) i. Finally, from a Levitical perspective, we have the record of those who returned from the exile to live in Jerusalem. II. DAVID S FAMOUS THRONE (1 ST CHRONICLES 10-29) Compared with 2 nd Samuel, David s life in 1 st Chronicles is seen in an entirely different light. This is clear from both the omissions and additions. The Chronicler completely omits David s struggles with Saul, his seven year reign in Hebron, his various wives and Absalom s rebellion. He also omits David s sin with Bathsheba. 1 st Chronicles is written from a more positive perspective, emphasizing God s grace and forgiveness. Why? In order to encourage the Jews who have just returned from captivity. a. DAVID S THRONE AND CAPITAL ESTABLISHMENT (1 st Chr ) i. Death of Saul (10) 1. Saul s Collapse For the Chronicler, the downfall of Saul and his sons is only mentioned and serves as a springboard to introduce the Lord s new king, David. The reason for Saul s failure was 148

8 disobedience and unfaithfulness to the Lord his heart was not right with God. ii. Anointing of David (11) 1. David s Conquest David s story begins with his coronation over all Israel after he has already reigned for seven (7) years as king over Judah. David was anointed king at Hebron; he conquered Jerusalem and made it the capital. 1 st Chronicles emphasizes his deep, spiritual commitment, courage and integrity. It emphasizes his concern for the things of God. iii. Appointment of Warriors (12) 1. David s Companions David selected a corp of mighty men who would support him during his reign. iv. Acquisition of the Ark (13-16) 1. David s Celebration David next attempted to return the ark of God to its proper place a task which proved more difficult than anticipated! The ark was to be carried on the shoulders of the Levites with poles (cf. Num. 4:5, 15) and only Levites were to transport the ark (sons of Kohath Kohathites). In transit, when the oxen stumbled and Uzza reached out his hand to steady the ark, he was immediately killed by the Lord! Finally, the ark was brought to Jerusalem where a service of celebration and dedication is led by David with sacrifices, a choir, ritual and music. b. DAVID S INFLUENCE AND KINGDOM EXPANDED (1 st Chr ) i. Institution of the Covenant (17) 1. David s Covenant It seemed wrong that David would have a palace to live in while the ark of God was still housed in a tent. So, David desired to build the temple for God. But, God refused him because he was a man of war. God then gave David a heartwarming promise of an ongoing dynasty and eternal kingdom for David s descendants. Known as the Davidic Covenant, only in Christ; David s son and Lord (Ps. 110:1), will this great covenant be ultimately fulfilled at our Lord s second coming. ii. Victories of David (18-20) 1. David s Conquests In these three short chapters are recorded at least a dozen different battles (with the Ammorites, Aramean allies, Philistines, etc.) as David concentrates on enlarging the kingdom God has entrusted to him. a. The Bathsheba and Uriah episode took place between 20:1 and 20:2. It is omitted not in an attempt to whitewash the record, but because it does not fit the Chronicler s purpose. 149

9 iii. Sin of David (21) 1. David s Census Then Satan brought disaster upon Israel, for he made David decide to take a census. David s pride caused him to number the people, a sin against God and the whole nation was counted guilty for this sin. a. Satan has power only within the limits set by God (cf. Job 1, 2) b. National solidarity is fact. When the leader sins, the people suffer. c. DAVID S WORSHIP AN KINGDOM ORGANIZED (1 st Chr ) David accepted God s refusal to build the temple by turning all his energy and enthusiasm to the things he could do such as selecting the site, amassing the materials and deciding the plan. i. Materials & Builders Selected (22) 1. Temple Site and Builders David chose the temple site (the threshing floor of Ornan), gathered building materials, instructed Solomon to build the temple and ordered all the chiefs of Israel to help Solomon in the task. ii. Temple Leaders Selected (23-24) 1. Temple Servants Then David divided the priests into 24 orders for service in the temple. Each group served for two weeks each year. The order was decided by the casting of lots so as to not show favoritism (cf. Luke 1:5). They were called high priests in the temple and had charge of the sacrifices. Their work was to cease with the coming of the Messiah, the Christ, but ironically, it was the priests themselves who engineered the crucifixion of Christ (cf. Matt. 27). iii. Temple Musicians Selected (25) 1. Temple Musicians Next, David orders 24 divisions of singers and musicians who will help lead the worship in the Temple. Music, both instrumental and vocal was important in Jewish worship. iv. Gatekeepers & Officers Selected (26-27) 1. Temple Officers Finally, David outlines gatekeepers, treasurers, and other office holders who will oversee the military and civil affairs of the nation in its new place of coporate worship. d. DAVID S KINGDOM PASSED ON TO SOLOMON (1 st Chr ) 150

10 i. Final Charge (28) 1. David s Final Address David presents his son, Solomon, to the people and gives him a solemn charge to lead the people and commit the plans for the temple to his care. ii. Solomon s Coronation (29) 1. David s Final Words David reviewed the temple plans and preparations again and invested Solomon as king. Before his death, David gathered a temple building fund of gold and silver from personal and national contributions valued at several billions of dollars. Per David s charge, Solomon is crowned Israel s new king. III. OUTLINE OF 2 ND CHRONICLES: I. SOLOMON S REIGN: CONSTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE (2 ND CHRONICLES 1-9) First comes the reign of King Solomon who brings in Israel s golden age of peace, prosperity, and temple worship. a. SOLOMON S INAUGURATION: (2 nd Chr. 1) i. Prayer for wisdom (1a) ii. Possession of wealth (1b) b. SOLOMON S TEMPLE (2 nd Chr. 2-7) i. Preparations (2) ii. Construction (3-4) iii. Dedication (5-7) 1. Installing the ark (5) 2. Speaking to the people (6a) 3. Praying to God (6b) 4. Fire from heaven (7) c. SOLOMON S FAME (2 nd Chr. 8-9) i. His cities (8a) ii. His citizens (8b) iii. His offerings (8c) iv. His priests (8d) v. His navy (8e) vi. His visit from the Queen of Sheba (9a) vii. His wealth (9b) viii. His death (9c) Following a 40 years of world power and renown, Solomon dies. 151

11 II. JUDAH S RUIN: DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE (2 ND CHRONICLES 10-36) Following Solomon s death, the spiritual, moral, and military fortunes of the nation rise and fall with the quality of leadership on the throne. The few righteous rulers cannot stop the nation s downslide and God s judgment ultimately falls: invasion, defeat, captivity. This time period of 19 kings and 1 queen covers about 400 years all in the southern kingdom of Judah. a. REHOBOAM: (2 nd Chr ) i. A divided kingdom (10) ii. A divided heart (11) iii. A divided temple (12) b. ABIJAH (2 nd Chr. 13) c. ASA (2 nd Chr ) i. A reliance upon God (14-15) ii. An alliance with Syrian (16) d. JEHOSHAPHAT (2 nd Chr ) i. His spiritual commitment (17) ii. His foolish alliance (18-19a) iii. His political reform (19b) iv. His military victories (20) e. JEHORAM (2 nd Chr. 21) f. AHAZIAH (2 nd Chr. 22a) g. ATHALIAH (2 nd Chr. 22b-23a) h. JOASH (2 nd Chr. 23b-24) i. Following the Lord (23b-24a) ii. Forsaking the Lord (24b) i. AMAZIAH (2 nd Chr. 25) i. Following the Lord (25a) ii. Forsaking the Lord (25b) j. UZZIAH (2 nd Chr. 26) i. Following the Lord (26a) ii. Forsaking the Lord (26b) k. JOTHAM (2 nd Chr. 27) 152

12 l. AHAZ (2 nd Chr. 28) m. HEZEKIAH (2 nd Chr ) i. Restoring pure worship (29) ii. Reinstating the Passover (30) iii. Reforming the priesthood (31) iv. Recovering from illness (32) n. MANASSEH (2 nd Chr. 33a) o. AMON (2 nd Chr. 33b) p. JOSIAH (2 nd Chr ) i. Reforming the nation (34a) ii. Restoration of the Law (34b) iii. Resinstating the Passover (35) q. JOAHAZ (2 nd Chr. 36a) r. JEHOIAKIM (2 nd Chr. 36b) s. JEHOIACHIN (2 nd Chr. 36c) t. ZEDEKIAH (2 nd Chr. 36d) III. CYRUS DECREE: RECONSTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE (2 ND CHRONICLES 36E) The first year that Cyrus was ruler of the conquered Babylonian empire (539 B.C.); he issued a decree which permitted the Jews to return to Judea and build their temple. Ref. Isa. 44:24-45:25: It is I who says of Cyrus, He is My shepherd! And he will perform all My desire. And he declares of Jerusalem, She will be built. And of the temple, Your foundation will be laid. (Isa. 44:28) 2 nd Chronicles now ends as it began with Solomon: and the Lord his God was with him (1:1) May the Lord his God be with him (36:23) III. CENTRAL THEMES: I. COVENANT RENEWAL: a. Sovereignty of God over humankind and history (1 st Chronicles 4:9-10; 5:20; 11:14; 12:18; 14:2,10,14-15). b. Yahweh is the Cause of all that Happens (1 st Chronicles 5:22; 11:14; 14:10; 18:6; 22:18; 2 nd Chronicles 13:14-16; 14:11-13; 20:15, 29; 36:22) 153

13 c. Prayer, and the power of prayer as key to success and victory (2 nd Chronicles 7:14; 11:16; 13:13-18; 14:11; 15:12; 17:4; 20:3; 26:5; 27:6; 30:18-20; 31:21; 32:20; 34:3) II. THE TEMPLE OF GOD (1 st Chronicles 6, 9, 17, 22-26, 28-29; 2 nd Chronicles 2-9, 12, 15, 16, 20, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27-31, 33, 36) III. THE ARK OF THE COVENANT (1 st Chronicles 6, 13, 15-17, 22, 28; 2 nd Chronicles 1, 5, 6, 8, 35) IV. LEVITES (1 st Chronicles 6, 9, 13, 15, 16, 23, 24, 26, 28; 2 nd Chronicles 5, 7, 8, 11, 13, 17, 19, 20, 23, 24, 29, 30, 31, 34, 35) V. THE DAVIDIC DYNASTY (1 st Chronicles 10:13-14; 14:2; 17:1-27; 28:4; 2 nd Chronicles 6:6; 13:8; 21:7; 23:3) VI. THE GOOD KINGS -- (2 nd Chronicles 10:1-36:21) a. Asa (14:1-16:14) b. Jehoshaphat (17:1-21:3) c. Joash (24:1-27) d. Amaziah (25:1-28) [17 of 27 chapters devoted to these eight kings] e. Uzziah (26:1-23) f. Jotham (27:1-9) g. Hezekiah (29:1-32:33) h. Josiah (34:1-35:27) VII. SEEK THE LORD (1 st Chronicles 16:10-11; 22:19; 2 nd Chronicles 12:14; 14:4; 15:12-13; 16:12; 20:3-4) 154