2 Chronicles

It's Tour de France time right now, and of course I'm an addict. Like a climber hauling himself up the hill in pursuit of yellow (not to be confused with Lance's experience this morning, sad to say), I'm coming like a train trying to catch up on my reading. Here are some impressions on 2 Chronicles:

1. Are we sure 2 Chronicles is the right name?!? This might be the third book thusfar where I've wondered this. But, really, 2 Chronicles feels totally different from 1 Chronicles for me. 1 Chronicles is the book of lists while 2 Chronicles is a series of narratives. In fact, for me 2 Chronicles read more like a kinder, happier version of 1/2 Kings then a continuation of 1 Chronicles.

2. The purpose of 2 Chronicles seems clear to me. If I'm a post-exilic Jewish 10 year old, I think I'm supposed to hear (read?) 2 Chronicles and receive this message: if you humble yourself and remain obedient, Yahweh will bless you and the work of your hands. How do I get this point? Couple of things:
a. The text continually underscores the good things that the kings do. I mean, if they do anything Godward, it gets, well, chronicled.
b. There is an emphasis in the text on the importance of receiving outside voices and counsel. 24:19 as an example. I don't know about you, but it takes humility to listen well to the voices of others.
c. We get reminded that the Lord is watching. See 16:9 as one example. Imagine being being a little kid and reading that!

3. Good choice, Sol! No surprise that in a book that seems designed to highlight the importance of humble and God-ward choices, chapter 1 relates the story of maybe the best choice in Solomon's life and reign. Verse 10: "Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours." Genius! What a wise call to ask for wisdom. Hey wait a second...doesn't it seem that if you are wise enough to ask for wisdom, maybe you actually don't need wisdom?!? Hmm. At any rate, reading that, it made me wonder how I would answer the Lord if he asked me for "whatever you want me to give you."

4. How would it work without twitter?!? Reading through 1/2 Samuel/Kings/Chronicles, I'm fascinated by how they are continually calling the nation to gather, given that it's not like they have an easy way to do that. I mean, how long would it take to gather the people?!? Verse 5:2 is just one little verse, but what's behind that? A week? A month? Longer? The logistics of this are beyond me. I think it says something about how they viewed time vs. how I view time.

5. You ever wonder how they have enough animals to do all of this sacrificing?!? I do, particularly after reading this.

6. Being a prophet was a tough gig. You get sent by the Lord, compelled really, to speak to people in power. Almost all the time, your message is a rebuke, or a portent of some coming punishment. And it never ends well for these poor blokes! Micaiah's experience in 18:25-26 is one example, and then there is this summation of the prophetic institution here. It makes me wonder how I/we treat to prophets in our day...

7. Go worship team! In a past life, I led a lot of worship, and I used to teach every year out of 2 Chronicles 20:21. Love that text. They put the worship team out in front of the army! Hit 'em with your shaker egg! Pummel them with your snare drum! Get off key and sing them to death! To me it's a beautiful picture of the power of worship when it's authentic and when the worshippers are yielded to the will of God in a posture of dependence.

To give you a glimpse of where I'm at in real time, yesterday I finished both Ezra and Nehemiah. My thoughts on those texts coming asap. As soon as I post this, I'm going to finish the last chapter of Nehemiah and then fly through Esther right into Job. And then I think the goal for tomorrow is to read 3 different sections. Trying to catch up you know!