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Background to the Book of 2 Chronicles The Issues in Israel which are addressed by the Chronicler The Books of Chronicles are written as history and uses a lot of material from the Books of Kings. It is rather like a new proclamation using traditions from the past. This process is similar to the gospels which each use common traditions about Jesus and incorporate material from their own experience or community to make it relevant to their own situation. It is a theological proclamation addressing a situation of concern for the Chronicler. The majority of scholars agree that Chronicles has been created in the post-exilic situation after the dedication of the temple 515 BCE and before 300 BCE. There are arguments for a date close to 515 BCE and for dates close to 300 BCE. Many scholars settle for a mid date around 400 BCE. Rather than argue for specific date I would like to see the issues, which are raised within the text and suggest the theological issues, which are of concern to the Chronicler. These can be listed as: 'divine intervention in history, a doctrine of retribution (reprisal), an idealisation of the Davidic dynasty, the Temple, a particular attitude to foreigners, an omission of anything about the North, cult, including the priests, Levites and those responsible for temple music'. (Jones: 95). The Pentateuch was familiar to him and of course the writings of Deuteronomy through to 2 Kings. We can see his interests in the way he has focused on certain material from the Books of Kings and that which he has omitted, together with his own 'levitical sermons' (e.g.. 2 Chronicles 33:11-13, 1 Chronicles 29:10-19). The Deuteronomic Books of Kings were written to show why the people had ended up in exile. In very simplistic terms the Kings, prophets, priests and people had been disobedient and unfaithful to Yahweh with the consequential loss of temple, city, Davidic King and land. The Chronicler idealised certain aspects of the past especially about David: his adulterous behaviour was omitted, as were other stories that depict his poor behaviour. One definition of the Chronicler's purpose, which picks up the major emphases, is: to persuade his audience by example of Israel's (Judah's) history that they should 'seek Yahweh' and uphold the proper temple cultus in order to receive blessing. Inherent in this purpose is an explanation of the exile (Duke, Persuasive Appeal, p.51 in Jones: 110). |
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Context of 2 Chronicles 30: 1-9 What's Happening in the Literature around 2 Chronicles 30:1 - 9; the bigger picture The Chronicler has a much greater interest in Hezekiah than the Deuteronomist and gives a lot more space to his deeds. 2 Chronicles 29 through 2 Chronicles 32:33 spell out the reforms which Hezekiah supposedly initiated, followed by the cleansing and rededication of the temple. The Passover is celebrated in 2 Chronicles 30 and instructions are given for the ongoing worship life of Israel in 2 Chronicles 31. The stories contain the theology and message that the Chronicler wants to convey to his own time. It is important to keep the temple pure from any negligence and the priests and Levites are those dedicated to its care and proper practice. There had been division among the Levites and priests (Ezekiel 44), which the Chronicler wants to heal. Each group has their properly delegated responsibilities. After the Passover has been celebrated the Chronicler wants to cleanse the land of all pagan worship and to reinforce the designated roles of the Levites and priests. |
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Insights/Message of 2 Chronicles 30: 1-9 What insights can we gain from the text and literary structure? As we have mentioned before a major source for insights into the theological message is the comparison with the material in 2 Kings. The Chronicler is not interested in the story about Hezekiah's close call with the King of Assyria in which Jerusalem was nearly taken by the enemy. We are told in 2 Kings 18 that Hezekiah pulled down the Canaanite images, but nothing about cleansing the Temple, a Passover Festival or the divisions and duties of the priests and Levites. In the paragraph about destroying the pagan poles it states in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 31:1) that this occurred in Judah (Judah & Benjamin) and Israel (Ephraim & Manasseh). In reality Hezekiah never had the authority to do this action in Israel (Northern Kingdom) especially after 721 BCE when Assyria completely annihilated the ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom. The Lectionary reading vv.1-9 is part of the wider section discussing the call to celebrate the Passover after the Temple has been cleansed and sacrifices made in thanksgiving. One of the important phrases used by the Chronicler in his work is, 'all Israel', which has a specific purpose. When this phrase is used in post-exilic times it refers to the returned community that rebuilt the temple and the walls of Jerusalem. In the period of the monarchy before the people went into exile in Babylon the Northern Kingdom was referred to as Israel and the southern Kingdom as Judah. The Chronicler is making a theological point about the need for unity among the community and reinforces this need when he points them back to their ancestors. He is using Hezekiah as a model for behaviour in post-exilic times: in the same that we look back to Jesus as our model. The Chronicler even spells Hezekiah's name in a more complex manner than the Deuteronomist (writer of Deuteronomy to the end 2 Kings). The comment in brackets in v.3 may underlie some conflict to do with the priests and the omission to celebrate the Passover at the appropriate time. A legal reason can be quoted in Numbers 9:9 -12. The repeated appeal in vv.7 and 8 emphasises the importance for the people not to follow the bad examples of their ancestors who were faithless to Yahweh, but to return to the worship of Yahweh and trust in his compassion. The play on the root of the Hebrew word 'to repent, turn again' (bW`) in vv.6, 8, and 9 reminds us of the prophetic messages. Six times this verb is used in three verses in which both God and the people are the subject of the verb. The people are to return to God, which will result in their return to the land and conversely God will turn to the remnant and will turn away his anger from them. Verse 9b begins with a positive statement about Yahweh, 'for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you' which ends with a conditional clause to the people, 'if you return to him'. The Hebrew verb used to refer to God's face is not the one noted above (bW`), but another, which has the literal meaning of 'cause to turn away' (rWs). Message/theology in 2 Chronicles 30:1 - 9 The Passover was the feast in which Israel remembered what God had done for them in Egypt. He chose to bring them out, not because they deserved rescue, but because God responded to their cries. He led them out across the Red Sea and through the wilderness. When Hezekiah calls for all the people to keep the Passover he is calling them to remember whom their God is and what he has done for them. It sounds as though people and priests had become lax about remembering their God that in turn leads to unfaithfulness. The letter from Hezekiah reminds them that Yahweh is God of their fathers of the northern and southern tribes. They are not separate. One can conjecture whether there is some disunity in the post-exilic community. If one reads Isaiah 56:1-8 and Ezra/Nehemiah, it is quite easy to see in these texts the divisions that are present in the community. The letter reminds them that their ancestors were unfaithful which lead to their exile in Babylon and so Hezekiah calls on this past experience to call them back to true worship. As well as using a threat by reminding them of previous punishment, Hezekiah names 'compassion and graciousness' as positive encouragement to return fully to Yahweh. However, the last phrase goes back to the conditional theology of the Deuteronomist and God will not turn away 'if … (v.9b). There seems to be concern by the Chronicler that his community is straying from true worship of Yahweh. The repetition and the literary construction using 'return, turn again' to make the point that the people need to turn to God and God will turn to them. Why have this reading on the UCA anniversary? It seems to me that it is a call to remember who we are and the unity to which we are called. We set the guidelines for this new church in the Basis of Union in which there is an immense breadth of vision. However, we need reminding that God is our focus and in keeping Jesus Christ as our centre we will remain faithful to the gospel. It was at a Passover Feast that Jesus Christ took the elements of bread and wine and proclaimed they would be his body and blood. He became identified as the one whose blood will bring new life as Redeemer, in that God gave us his son for the world through his birth, life, death and resurrection. We need to be reminded that our church is given life by the work of the Holy Spirit and we need to be reminded God is the one who provided the Saviour and means of new life. So as Hezekiah believed it is important to remember where God has been for his people, so we in UCA need to hear where God is present in the life of the Church. There may be stories about the time of union, which witness to the work of the Holy Spirit in the community. It looks very simple for Hezekiah to set out the divisions of work between the priests and Levites roles compared to the UCA, which is still organising our church structures to enable the mission of the church to be effective in proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. I think Ps 122 fits with Old Testament reading because it speaks of all tribes going to Jerusalem and complements the Reading in 2 Chronicles The Psalm (127) set speaks of God as the foundation of one's house, which could relate to the wider house of Jerusalem. However, the second half of Ps 127 speaks about the fulfilment of a house full of sons which suggests the house is the family residence and not the temple. |
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Resources/Worship for 2 Chronicles 30: 1-9 Worship and the Old Testament message; are there new ways to present the reading? 2 Chronicles 30:1-9 needs to be put in its wider context. Sections from the Basis of Union could be read especially those that speak of the unity of the church, the sacraments and worship. Resources: Allen, Leslie C. 1 & 2 Chronicles. Vol 111. NIB. Nashville: Abingdon
Press, 1999. The Dramatised Bible: ed. Michael Perry. London: Marshall Pickering: Bible Society, 1989 Web sites with helpful lectionary resources: These links were updated 23/11/06
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