2 Chronicles

Differences with Deuteronomic source material:

·         When Solomon asks for wisdom, God appears to him, but not in a dream.

·         Solomon’s sins of idolatry and marrying foreign wives are not mentioned.

·         The first we hear of Jeroboam is in the context of the rebellion against Rebohoam – not with regards to his altercation with Solomon, for the foreign and internal uprisings Solomon faced towards the end of his reign are not mentioned.

·         Israel’s kings are only mentioned in relation to Judan ones.

·         There is nothing in Kings about the reform of Manasseh.

1

Solomon brings the leaders of Israel to the tabernacle at Gibeon, where the tabernacle is (the ark has been taken to Jerusalem, but the tabernacle itself stays at Gibeon). He makes a thousand burnt offerings at the high place at Gibeon. Solomon asks for and receives wisdom from God (but not in a dream, as in 1 Kings). God gives wealth and strength to Solomon and Israel.


2

Solomon plans to build temple, requests and receives assistance from Huram king of Tyre, and assigns alien residents in Israel as workers.


3

Solomon begins building temple in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite had been. Detailed description is given of materials, measurements, porch, rooms, angels, pillars and so on. See 1 Kings for diagram.


4

Solomon makes the altar, tank, basins, candlesticks, tables, golden altar, and other furniture and for the temple.


5

The temple is completed. The leaders of Israel gather, sing and worship; priests bring the ark into the Most Holy Place, and the Lord's glory fills the temple, so the priests could not continue ministering.


6

Solomon blesses Israel; Solomon's temple dedication prayer: Solomon asks the Lord to fill the temple, have mercy and forgive – very similar to 1 Kings 8.


7

Fire comes from heaven and consumes the burnt offerings. Israel worships the Lord, and sacrifices and feasts for seven days.By night, God assures Solomon that He will answer prayers made in the temple; there is also a warning about the dangers of disobedience.


8

Solomon expands and fortifies Israel. The conquered people in his lands are set to slave labour. Solomon sets rulers over Israel, and makes his Egyptian wife her own house, because the ark had come to David’s house, and is therefore holy. Solomon appoints gatekeepers and Levites to their temple duties, institutes sacrifices on feast days, and regularly acquires gold from sea trading.


9

Queen of Sheba visits and questions Solomon. She speaks admiringly of Solomon’s Israel, and gufts are exchanged. Solomon becomes very rich through trade and gifts. He makes two hundred shields of gold. Silver was very abundant, and not even considered valuable. Solomon dies after a forty year reign.


10

Rehoboam is made king at Shechem. Jeroboam (who, we learn only now, had fled to Egypt in the reign of Solomon) leads complaints against heavy taxation. Rehoboam reacts provocatively, ignoring the advice of his elder counsellors to be conciliatory. Jeroboam leads Israel in rebellion against Judah – Israel has remained in a state of rebellion to this day.


11

Rehoboam plans to take Israel but God advises him via Shemaiah to allow secession. Rehoboam builds defences. Levites flee from Israel to Judah. Reheboam has eighteen wives and sixteen concubines, and many children.


12

Rehoboam turns away from God, and is attacked by king Shishak of Egypt. Shemaiah admonishes Reheboam, so Jerusalem is spared, with Shishak only looting the king’s house and taking Solomon’s golden shields, which Rehoboam replaces with bronze ones. Rehoboam dies after a seventeen year reign.


13

Abijah becomes king of Judah, and taunts Jeroboam with a speech that attacks Israel’s impety and stresses Judah’s Levitical priesthood and its cultic protocols. Abijah is victorious, taking Bethel and other cities. Jeroboam never recovers his power after the war, weakens, and dies. Abijah has many children, and dies a mighty king.


14

Asa becomes king of Judah and follows the Lord, removing the high places and altars to foreign gods. Asa strengthens Judah’s defences during ten years of peace. Asa appeals to God following a threat from the Ethiopians. Judah is victorious, and gains much spoil.


15

The prophet Azariah exhorts Asa to seek the Lord. Asa purges the land of idols; the godly from Israel flock to Judah. Asa gathers all Judah, and makes a public covenant to seek the Lord, and to put to death any who do not. Maachah, Asa’s mother, is removed from her position as queen mother because she made an obscene image of Asherah. The high places are not removed, however. There is no war until the 35th year of Asa’s reign.


16

King Baasha of Israel blockades Asa’s Judah. Asa forms a treaty with Ben-Hadad of Syria, with whom he defeats Baasha, and loots Ramah. Hanani the prophet rebukes Asa for relying on the Syrians rather than on the Lord, and says that from now on, there shall be wars. Asa imprisons Asa. Asa becomes diseased in his feet, seeks the physician’s help rather than the Lord’s, and dies.


17

Jehoshaphat becomes king of Judah, follows the Lord, removes the high places, and strengthens Judah’s defences. Levites and other prominent figures are sent throughout Judah teaching the law. Judah enjoys peace, and becomes increasingly rich and powerful.


18

Jehoshaphat is allied in marriage with Ahab of Israel. Ahab asks Jehoshaphat for help fighting Syria. Four hundred prophets from Israel prophesy success for the anti-Syrian venture, but Micaiah (who has made unpleasing prophecies concerning Jehoshaphat in the past) prophesies disaster. Micaiah says that the Lord has sent lying spirits into the mouth of the four hundred prophets so that Ahab may fall against Syria. Micaiah is imprisoned. Jehoshaphat and Ahab go into battle at Ramoth Gilead. Jehoshaphat dons a disguise, and is rescued by his men, but Ahab is injured, and dies later that day.


19

Jehoshaphat spoken to by prophet Jehu (the son of Hanani), who rebukes him for the alliance with Israel, but commends him for countering idolatrous worship. Jehoshaphat calls Judah back to the Lord, and appoints and judges (including Levites) to govern Judah impartially and in accordance with the Lord.


20

Moab and Ammon attack Judah. A fast is proclaimed throughout Judah. Judah gathers to seek help from the Lord, and Jehoshaphat leads the prayers. Through Jahaziel, God gives Judah assurances of victory. Judah rejoice, and a vanguard of singers are sent out with the army. Victory is secured, and much spoil. Jehoshaphat is generally speaking a good king, though he does not remove the high places, and he allies himself with Ahaziah king of Israel to make ships to go to Tarshish. God destroys the ships.


21

Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat, reigns in Judah, kills brothers, disobeys God by building high places, fights Edom (who have been in revolt ever since), is attacked by the Philistines and Arabians, becomes very sick with an intestinal disease (prophesied unto him by Elijah) and dies. God tolerates him because of the Davidic covenant.


22

Ahaziah reigns in Judah, and does not follow God. Ahaziah joins with Jehoram king of Israel against Syria. Ahaziah is killed by Jehu when he kills Jehoarm as part of his quest to wipe out the house of Ahab. Athaliah, his mother, kills heirs and assumes control of Judah. Jehoshabeath, the daughter of Jehoram and the wife of Jehoiada the priest, manages to save Joash.


23

Priest Jehoiada gathers leaders and Levites (given weapons belonging to David), and annoints Joash king of Judah. Athaliah is carefully removed from the temple and killed. Jehoiada removes the temple of Baal, and institutes religious reforms, placing gatekeepers at the temple so that noone unclean could enter.


24

Joash raises money to repair the temple. Jehoiada dies. Joash turns from the Lord after Jehoiada’s death. Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada, is stoned for speaking against Joash. Joash is punished through the attack of Syria, and killed by servants.


25

Amaziah reigns in Judah, executing the servants who killed his father (but not their children, in accordance with the law of Moses). Amaziah hires mercenary troops from Israel to go against Edom, then dismisses them on the advice of a prophet follows God. Amaziah is victorious over Edom, but imports the worship of Edomite gods from Seir. Amaziah wages war against Israel, and is defeated. Amaziah is killed by his own subjects.


26

Uzziah reigns in Judah for 52 years, coming to the throne when he is 16. Uzziah’s reign is prosperous and militarily successful. He invents military weapons. Uzziah burns incense in the temple (not leaving it to the Aaronic priests) and is punished by leprosy for the rest of his life.


27

Jotham reigns in Judah, follows God, builds up Judah, fights with Ammon and wins, becomes strong, rules for 25 years, and dies.


28

Ahaz reigns in Judah, worships other gods, and is defeated by Syria and Israel. Oded the prophet secures the release of Judan slaves from Israel. Ahaz makes an alliance with Assyria. Ahaz closes the temple and turns to apostasy.


29

Hezekiah reigns in Judah, follows God, reopens and cleanses the temple, makes a new covenant with God, and restores worship service with singing and offerings.


30

Hezekiah invites Judah and Israel to Jerusalem for Passover. Many come, are purified, confess, sacrifice, worship, sing and rejoice. Those who do not observe the correct cultic protocols are forgiven at the prayer of Hezekiah. There is seven days of feasting at Jerusalem – nothing like this had been seen since the days of Solomon.


31

Images of false worship are destroyed throughout Judah after the Passover. Hezekiah appoints priests and Levites in temple services. Tithes are collected, so the Levites have an abundance of oxen and sheep, lying in heaps. The tithes are distributed to the Levites throughout Judah. Hezekiah was godly and prospered.


32

Sennacherib of Assyria has an arrogant speech delivered on the walls of Jerusalem and attacks Judah, but an angel strikes down every Assyrian man of valour. Hezekiah becomes sick, but is insufficiently grateful when his life is prolonged. Hezekiah acquires great wealth, builds an aquaduct, and shows Babylonian princes his treasures. Hezekiah dies.


33

Manasseh becomes king at the age of 12. He worships other gods, builds altars and an idol in the temple, and practises the occult. Manasseh is taken captive to Babylon, humbles himself before the Lord, and is restored to Jerusalem. Manasseh abolishes much idolatrous practice, and dies after 55 years. Amon reigns next – he does evil, reigns for two years, and is killed by his servants. Josiah is the next king.


34

Josiah reigns in Judah, and follows God. He abolishes idolatry, destroys the high places, and conducts raids against Israel. During the restoration of the temple, Hilkiah the high priest finds a book of law by Moses. Via Huldah the prophetess, God says that the curses in the book of law (the concluding curses of Deuteronomy?) will come to pass, because the inhabitants of Judah have been disobedient. Josiah is commended, however. Josiah publically reads the book of law to the leaders of Judah, and renews the covenant.


35

Josiah and Judah keep Passover in Jerusalem, providing the lambs for the lay people. There has no Passover similar since the days of Samuel. Josiah fights against Necho king of Egypt, who is travelling across Judah to assist the Assyrians against the Babylonians. Necho warns Josiah not to get pointlessly involved, but Josiah battles Necho at the battle of Megiddo, and is killed. Laments for Josiah are sung to this day.


36

Jehoahaz is dethroned by the Egyptians after three months. Egypt makes Jehoiakim king. Jehoiakim rules for eleven years, and is taken prisoner to Babylon. Jehoiachin does evil, reigns for three months and ten days, and is taken prisoner to Babylon, along with spoil from the temple. Zedekiah does evil, does not listen to Jeremiah and other prophets, and rebels against Babylon so Jerusalem is finally despoiled, the temple destroyed, and the people deported. The Jews were captive in Babylon for seventy years, until Cyrus king of Persia permits them to return and rebuild the temple.