1 Chronicles “An Introduction”

An Introduction To The Books of Chronicles 

What if you had the job of communicating your nation’s entire history—its rulers, wars, religious events, economic cycles—starting with the beginning of mankind? First and Second Chronicles is that history for Israel. It’s the story of Israel’s kings and God’s faithfulness to His promises.

It’s a long story, and many Bible readers find it boring. Maybe that’s because the Chronicles account opens with a list of names—literally, “Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared . . .” The genealogies go on for nine chapters. But that’s not all there is to this document. First and Second Chronicles is an executive summary of God’s covenant with David, and how things played out afterward. 

The Chronicles were written sometime after the Hebrews returned to Jerusalem from Babylon. The author, or Chronicler, (possibly Ezra) surveys Israel’s history as a sovereign state. David and Solomon are the key characters, as they were the great kings who ruled all Israel from Jerusalem. 

The Chronicles record the history of kings through two lenses: The Mosaic Covenant, which God made with all Israel after delivering them from Egypt and the Davidic Covenant, which God made to David. The books are long and are full of genealogies and records. But they’re the records of God’s long-lasting faithfulness to His people, even when they are not faithful to Him. From them there is much we can apply to our own lives. 

Hope you can read along. 

Hebrews 13 “Brotherly Love”

“Let brotherly love continue" (v.1)

Love is the ID card of the Christian. It is the outward sign to those around us that we identify with Christ. The Apostle Paul describes this kind of brotherly love in first letter to the Corinthians, "Love like this suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails."

This is the type of love that allows us to have peace in the middle of the storms and trials of life. It binds us together and draws others to it. It flows from outward from His saints and shows itself to strangers, those in bonds, and hurting physically. It brings true contentment and satisfaction, because His Spirit is within us. And, most importantly, it never fails.

I pray that your life would be marked with His love, so that others may see that in you, and be drawn to Him through your life. Amen.

The Truth:

"For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another." (1 John 3:11)

Hebrews 12 “Run Your Race”

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. (vv.1-3)

Have you ever felt like you were not making progress in a certain area in your life and considered quitting? I recently came across this story and thought I would share it with you all.

Hours behind the runner in front of him, the last marathoner finally entered the Olympic stadium. By that time, the drama of the day’s event was almost over and most of the spectators had gone home. This athlete’s story, however, was still being played out. Limping into the arena, the Tanzanian runner grimaced with every step, his knee bleeding and bandaged from an earlier fall. His ragged appearance immediately caught the attention of the remaining crowd, who cheered him on to the finish line. Why did he stay in the race? What made him endure his injuries to the end? When asked these questions later, he replied, My country did not send me 7,000 miles away to start the race. They sent me 7,000 miles to finish it!

Life can be your own personal marathon wearing you down, making you feel overworked, overstressed, overwhelmed. But be encouraged, God is with you, strengthening your feeble knees and moving you in the right direction to finish your race. Just when you think you can’t run any further He will be there to encourage you, through His Word, every step of the way. You may be wounded right now from an earlier fall, and may feel like there’s just no way you can make it to the end, but you can in His strength.

 Therefore, run your race "keeping your eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith."

The Truth: "Lest us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9)

Hebrews 11 “The Hall Of Faith”

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (v.1)

Hebrews 11 is known as the “Hall of Faith” in Scripture. Yet interestingly, we don’t see a list of items to believe in. Instead, we see a list of people who demonstrated their faith through their obedience to God during difficult and real life situations. The faith discussed here in chapter 11 is not the sort of dreamy, make-believe stuff, nor the “name it and claim it” philosophy preached by some today. This faith is real-life stuff, the core of a life that pleases God.

Faith is a way of looking at all of life, a mindset that guides every decision we make. Our daily circumstances are part of a larger plan by which God is working out, “the hope to which he has called us” (Eph. 1:18). Because our hope is anchored in Christ, we can hold to it by faith and be sure of our future. Even though spiritual reality is unseen, faith counts it as certain.

The Truth: “Behold, I Am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for me?” (Jer. 32:27)

Hebrews 10 “Perfected Forever”

“By one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” (v.14)

Perfection is a standard that none of us could ever hope to attain. Yet we learn from Hebrews that Jesus, through His one supreme sacrifice for our sins, “has perfected forever those who are being sanctified” (v.14).

The continual sacrifices made by the priests since the time of Moses could never change anyone’s sinful standing before God (vv.1-4). But the one-time sacrifice of Christ on the cross—the sinless One dying for the sinful—perfected us forever in the eyes of God. Jesus’ once-for-all payment for our sins was sufficient. 

We are perfected forever to stand before God because of the perfect work accomplished by Jesus on the cross. This is the assurance of our salvation. We’re far from perfection, yet perfect forever. 

The Truth: "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)

Hebrews 9 “The Great Sacrifice”

 “And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.” (vv.27-28)

In spite of medical progress in prolonging life and improving its quality, the death rate remains unchanged, one death for every birth. The scriptures  confirm this in many places; "It is appointed for men to die once" (v.27), because "all have sinned" (Romans 3:23), “Adam’s sin brought death” (Romans 5:12) and "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).

Since there is no escaping this fact, an unblemished sacrifice was essential in paying the price for man's redemption. Only the spotless Lamb, God's well-beloved Son, could atone by shedding His blood. For "Without shedding of blood is no remission," and it is "the blood that makes atonement for the soul. “God therefore “gave His only begotten Son”, so that no other sacrifice would ever be required.

Therefore, it is essential to live with the right perspective—that death follows life, and that after death comes the judgment. Everyone who trusts Christ for salvation will come forth from the grave "to the resurrection of life," but everyone who rejects Him will come forth “to the resurrection of condemnation" (John 5:29). For unbelievers, death seals their doom. But for believers, death leads to glory, thanks to the “great sacrifice.”

“Wise is the person who faces up to the certainty of death. And wiser still is the one who prepares for it.” -Richard De Haan

The Truth:

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

Hebrews 8 “The New Covenant”

 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.” (v.10)

The Old covenant was based on keeping rules, regulations, and presenting sacrifices through a priest to God for the forgiveness of sin. The new covenant would not be written on stone, nor scroll, but in man's heart, and placed into his mind. Meaning, deep inside our soul, God's laws would speak to us, convicting us of sin and drawing us to Him for His forgiveness.  

And what could be clearer than the teaching of verses 1-6? Jesus Christ is a High Priest who serves at God's right hand in the true tabernacle in heaven, of which the tabernacle Moses built was just a copy and a shadow. Therefore, both Jesus' ministry and His covenant are superior to the old. The blood of Christ (not of bulls or goats), opened the door for this promised covenant which included not only full forgiveness of sin (v.12), but also the promised indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.

Walking with the Lord in the new covenant and in His will, you don't have regulations, stipulations, obligations, which were the ways of the law. Instead, you have the leading of His Spirit guiding your heart and the promise that, “He will work within you” (Philippians 2:13).

The Truth: “I delight to do your will O my God, And Your law is within my heart.” (Psalm 40:8)

Hebrews 7 “A Priest Forever”

“For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually.” (vv.1-3)

Here in our text, Jesus the high priest is likened to Melchizedek, whom we first meet in Genesis 14, when Abraham offered him tithes after defeating some foreign kings. Chapter 7 now mentions two very intriguing things about Melchizedek: first, he doesn’t have human genealogy, and second, he remains a priest forever. 

While there is much debate about this mysterious figure’s identity and nature, I believe this Melchizedek to be in reality, what is called a Christophanies, an appearance of Jesus in the Old Testament, and in this case, to Abraham. Meaning, it was actually Jesus who came out to meet Abraham, who received tithes from him, and who blessed him. He also introduced himself as the priest El Elyown, the Most High God. It is also interesting that Melchizedek (Jesus) gave to Abraham bread and wine, the symbols of communion, the body and blood of our Lord (Genesis 14:18).

While we do not know much about this mysterious priest, his origin, his genealogy, his parents, what happened to him after he met with Abraham. What we do know is that this event was 400 years before Moses and the law. And that the writer refers to him as, “A priest forever.” Meaning coming from a higher order than that of Arron, who’s beginning was long before Arron existed, an order that continually abides, our great high priest, now and forever, Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! 

The Truth: And he (Melchizedek) blessed Abram and said: “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything. (Genesis 14:19-20)