1st Chronicles

A HEAVENLY LIFE IN THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD Ezra the scribe and priest, author of the first and the second books of the chronicles, lived in the land of captivity, denied of the enjoyment of ministering to the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. He led the second batch of those returning from Babylon to Jerusalem; not to support the worship in the temple, rebuilt by Zerubbabel, as much as to motivate the leaders and the people to experience the holy heavenly life in the temple of the Holy God. And here he is, in the first and the second books of the Chronicles, drawing our attention, by the Holy Spirit of God, to the holy history from the time of Adam to the fall under captivation; and to that, there is a divine promise of return from captivation. The first and the second books of the chronicles call us to have our hearts rise up as though to heaven to enjoy its deposit. Noticing that only few among the Christians care to enjoy these two books, St. Jerome presented to us the following warning: [Whoever thinks that he got acquainted of the holy books, without reading these two books, would be deceiving himself]. ----------------------- AN INTRODUCTION TO THE FIRST AND THE SECOND BOOKS OF THE CHRONICLES According to the Latin version ‘The Volgata’, the name of these two books came as ‘Chronicorum liber’; And according to the Hebrew origin, it came as (The events of Time) ‘Devri Hoyyamim’, or (The Registers of Days); And in the Septuagint version, it came as ‘Paralipomeno’ or (Things left over); namely, not mentioned in the two books of the kings. The author is unknown; Yet, according to the Hebrew tradition, it was probably written by ‘Ezra’ the scribe and priest, directly after returning from the Babylonian captivation. According to some, these two books are bound to the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, as testified by the following inclusions in the two books. 1- They referred to the return from the Babylonian captivation, according to the decree of Cyrus, king of Persia (2 Chronicles 36: 21-22). 2- They were recorded after the era of the prophet Jeremiah who was a contemporary of the captivity (2 Chronicles 35: 25); and who lamented the desolation of Jerusalem, the destruction of the temple, and the captivation of the people. 3- According to some, the language of these two books came somewhat weak; as it was generally the case of the books written directly after the captivation; including some words foreign to the Hebrew language; as a result of the departure of the Jews from their land, and their getting in contact with other peoples in captivity. 4- It is obvious that the author of these two books was a contemporary of Zerubbabel, leader of the first batch of those who returned from captivity; with whom he has been in direct contact, cared for him and for his family, including his daughter ‘Shelomith’ (1 Chronicles 3: 19). 5- The name ‘Hattush’ (1 Chronicles 3: 22), that also came in (Ezra 8: 2); a descendant of David, returned from Babylon together with Ezra. Between the two books of the chronicles and the two books of Ezra and Nehemiah: The two books of the chronicles are two books in one; dealing with the history of the people of Israel from Adam to the decree of Cyrus king of Persia concerning the return of the children of Israel from captivity in the year 538 B. C. According to the Jewish Telmud, Ezra the priest who wrote the book in his name in the Old Testament, is the author of the two books of the chronicles; which is confirmed by many scholars. Although rejected by some, yet we cannot disregard the following close connection between the two books of the chronicles and those of Ezra and Nehemiah: 1- What came in the two books of the chronicles refer to a priestly author; because of the concentration on the temple, the priesthood, the collective worship, and the theocratic line of David in the Southern kingdom of Judah. 2- There is resemblance between the language of the two books of the chronicles and the book of Ezra; concerning the priestly point of view, the ministry of priesthood, the worship in the temple, the submission to the divine law, and the mention of genealogies. Moreover, the two expressions at the end of the second book of the chronicles (2 chronicles 36: 22-23) are repeated in the beginning in the book of Ezra (Ezra 1: 1-3), opening before us a window upon the time of building the second temple, and the life of the people of Israel in the days of the Persians. The book of Ezra may be a consummation of the two books of the chronicles, the way the book of Acts is to the gospel according to St. Luke. 3- In the two books of the chronicles, as well as in the book of Ezra, there are certain expressions not known before the captivation; an evidence that Ezra is the author of the three books. The integration between the two books of the chronicles and the two books of Ezra and Nehemiah: 1- If the book of Ezra cared for the rebuilding of the temple that was burned by the Babylonians; and the book of Nehemiah cared for the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem to protect the city against the surrounding nations oppressive to Israel and Judah; The two books of the chronicles, on the other hand, dealt with the spiritual and Scriptural basis of what is needed by the nation that lost its independence, and even its mere existence. Some of the Jews returned to Jerusalem, yet with no king. God has promised that the descendants of David will be forever on the throne. The two books, confirming that the descendants of David have lost the throne because of their persistence on evil; came to prepare the hearts to receive the Savior Son of David as a King over the hearts, and an everlasting heavenly High Priest. The promises of God, being steadfast and faithful, are realized according to the exalted divine thought, and not according to the literal human thought. 2- The two books cared specifically for the two tribes: the royal Judah and the priestly Levites. Yet through disobedience, those two tribes lost their roles to a great extent; And there was an urgent need for a King, a Priest, and a Sacrifice, at the same time, capable of carrying the believing humanity up to the divine throne. The reform done by Ezra, Nehemiah, and others, in essence, was a preparation for the coming of the Lord Christ, the Son of David according to the flesh; the King of kings, the heavenly High Priest, and the Sacrifice capable of carrying the sins of the world; being the lamb of God, who, instead of the sin, would clothe us with His exalted righteousness. 3- If Cyrus, the Persian king allowed the return of Zerubbabel – a descendant of David – to Jerusalem, he did not send him as a king with free hand to act, but rather as one of the governors (sutrapies) appointed by the Persian king to rule over certain regions. It was not the intention of the Persian king to let Zerubbabel remain permanently in Jerusalem, nor to give him independence from the Persian empire. Giving the Jews the right to return to their land; and feeling that God sought from him to build His house in Jerusalem, yet Cyrus had no intention of setting a kingdom for the descendants of David. 4- Together with the gladness for the return to Jerusalem, the rebuilding of the temple and the walls of Jerusalem, and the beginning of offering sacrifices and burnt offerings to the Lord, many questions lingered in the minds of some, for which they had no obvious and practical answers, of which are:  Many elders who, while children, have seen the temple of Solomon as one of the wonders of the world, started to weep, because there was no comparison between it and the new temple; and wondered if the time will come to demolish the new temple, being temporary, and to build another as magnificent as the old one has been? … Who will do that? And who will subsidize it, the way David and Solomon did?  Is it possible for priesthood, with its purity and glory, as it was in the days of Aaron, to return?  Could the worship in the new temple, specially during the feasts, be compared to those in the days of Solomon; when the people from all the tribes used to gather together?  Will every tribe have back its portion of the land given by Joshua, and inherited by the generations?  Will Israel have back its unity between all the tribes, its greatness, glory, riches, and authority, as it was the case in the days of Solomon?  With the running of time, the inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judah, getting used to submit and to surrender to the Persian Empire, that granted them the return as a gratuity; yet did not let them choose for themselves a king of the descendants of David; started to wonder where is the divine promise concerning the house of David. Will it ever be realized? Will the prophecies of the prophets be realized, even those during the days of captivity, like the words of the Lord on the tongue of Ezekiel, saying: “I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them – My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I, the Lord have spoken” (Ezekiel 34: 23, 24); “They shall be My people, and I shall be their God. David My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them. They shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, where your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and children’s children, forever; and My servant David shall be their prince forever” (Ezekiel 37: 23-25). And the words of the Lord on the tongue of the prophet Zechariah, saying: “I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and supplication” (Zechariah 12: 10). Now, after the return from captivity, the two books of the Chronicles came to bring to remembrance the plan of God concerning the royal house of David, caring for the worship of the living God. Yet the returning Jew stands to see that the Northern kingdom is no more! Between the two books of the chronicles and the second book of Samuel, and the second book of the kings: While the second book of Samuel and the second book of the kings were written before the captivation, the two books of the chronicles were written after returning from it. While the two formers books followed the historical aspect from the prophetical view point; the author of the two books of the chronicles concentrates upon the worshipping priestly aspect, on that of the rite of the temple; and on the blessing and grace of the Lord upon David, who longed to build the temple; and being denied, he cared for fulfilling all the financial possibilities for his son Solomon to realize his father’s desire; and for establishing the system of worship and the groups of praise singers in the temple. While the kings of Judah cared for the temple, those of Israel, opposed it. According to St. Jerome, the two books of the chronicles were a ‘resume’ of the Old Testament. They both include the history of the Jewish nation, particularly what is written in the second book of Samuel and the two books of the kings; in what is counted as a spiritual interpretation of them. … Parading the history of the Jews from the beginning of the reign of king Saul to that of king Zedekiah; But that does not mean that the two books of the chronicles are a repetition of what came in the books of Samuel and the kings, without an obvious goal; for the following reasons: 1- The Holy Book, sometimes uses the repetition for a certain wisdom; like for example what came in the two gospels according to St. Matthew and St. Mark, where the Holy Spirit cares, to present the Word of God as Truth in a concentrated form, then chooses to shed more light on certain parts of it. It is as though the Holy Spirit looks at the whole text through a telescope, then zooms on certain parts to concentrate on details. That is exactly what happened with the two books of the chronicles. 2- While the second book of Samuel and the two books of the kings, present the political history of Israel and Judah, and the prophetic and ethical point of view; the two books of the chronicles, present the religious view of the descendants of David in the kingdom of Judah; or the spiritual and priestly point of view. 3- In the two books of the chronicles, God overlooks the basis upon which the books of Samuel and the kings are written, in order to confirm certain points, He considered as important, as for example: a- The concentration in the first book of the chronicles is on David; while in the second book of the chronicles, it is on his descendants. And when mentioning the dissension into two kingdoms, the Northern kingdom is completely disregarded. b- The first book of the chronicles does not mention most of the faults and weaknesses of David, on account of that they were completely forgiven by God. c- While the two books of the kings give the history of the nation from the point of view of the throne; in which the royal palace is the center; the two books of the chronicles, it is given from that of the altar; in which the temple is the center. d- The two books of the chronicles are an interpretation of the two books of the kings; hence we often read in the later books the expression saying: “Are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?” To whom were the two books of the chronicles addressed? These two books were written, mostly to the kings and the religious leaders, to let them perceive that the true Leader is God; so that none of them should boast or be self-esteemed. It is written, as well to the people, to let them perceive that their salvation will be realized, not by the leaders and their might, but by their return to God. … We, as Christians, perceive that our salvation is by Christ, the true King, the heavenly High Priest, and the delivered Lamb of God, to lead our procession up to heaven. These two books of the Chronicles open before us the gates of hope in the mercies of God, who, even if He chastens us because of our sins, it will only be for a moment, then he will pour His mercies upon us. They reveal to us, as well, what God anticipate from His believers – leaders and people. They, in one way or another, proclaim that our whole hope is in the new Israel – the church of Christ – whose King, Priest, Sacrifice, and Intercessor, is the Lord Christ, the Son of David; who carries humanity to His eternal kingdom. Divisions of the book of the chronicles: The two books of the chronicles were originally one book; as were the books of Samuel and the kings. Then it was divided into two books in the Septuagint version during the third century B.C. At that time they were given the name ‘Pawa leipomenon’, namely, (the things not included or omitted), a reference to the things not mentioned in the books of Samuel and the kings. The name ‘Chronicles’ was given by St. Jerome in the Volgata (385-405 B.C.); who, seeing that the two books are counted as a resume’ of the Old Testament, they would properly called “Chronicon” of the whole holy history. The circumstances that prevailed around the author: In spite of the fact that the author of the two books of the chronicles recorded the events of the same epoch of the two books of Samuel and the kings; sometimes used the same language, and probably quoted from their pages; yet, he wrote from a different point of view, and with a designated feature. In the time these two books were written, the people of Israel were going through a new very critical epoch in their history, different from that during which the books of Samuel and the kings were written. ‘Ezra’ returned to Judea in the year 458 B.C.; when the royal system was on hold for as long as 130 years, after a bitter suffering from evil kings. The nation had no more hope in the renewal of the royal system; as it was decades since the first batch of people returned from captivity to set the nation anew in Jerusalem. Although surrendering to their new situation as mere citizen of the Persian Empire; while their civil government was that of a defeated people, yet their national identity has been obviously designated, albeit taking a different form; not being both royal and religious, but only religious. Other than what concern the religion, they were submitted to the governors and the laws of the Persian Empire, of which they were a part. … Within the frame of their religion, they were Hebrews, submitted to the Jewish theocracy; yet in its superficial form, that went through further changes; on account of that the royalty departed, together with the designate series of ministers related to the ordinance of God; namely the chain of prophets, who controlled and disciplined the royalty. The earthly representative of the theocracy became therefore the representative of the religious system; namely, the high priest; and the nationality of the people became religious from that time onward. That change in the Hebrew people was the reason for Ezra to rewrite the last part of the history of their race. While the two books of kings referred to the relationship between the two kingdoms and the designated system, represented by the prophets; the two books of the chronicles referred to the relationship between the legitimate kingdom of David and the general system of ministry and worship ordained by God. This key for rewriting the history, has been meant to prepare the minds to that the Son of David is the Center of the whole history. At the end of the tenth chapter of the first book of the chronicles, the author started to follow up the theocratic kingdom. As far as the history of David and Solomon is concerned, the author wrote it merely from the religious point of view. King David occupied several chapters, mostly concerning bringing back of the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, fixing the site of the temple, the preparations for building it, and setting the systems concerning the divine worship. As to the family relationships of David, his sin with Bathsheba, the rebellions of Absalom and Adonijah; the psalm of thanksgiving for his victory, and his last words, they were all not mentioned. Likewise with the history of Solomon; six out of the nine chapters were designated for the building and the dedication of the temple (2 Chronicles 2 – 7); while the worldly things concerning the forty years of his reign, were nearly summarized in three chapters (2 Chronicles 1, 8,9) In the same way the history of the kings following Solomon was written: 1- The priests and the Levites escaped from the faulty worship of Jeroboam in the Northern kingdom of Israel; and gathered around Rehoboam to support him (2 Chronicles 11: 13-17); as it came in the statement of Abijah, directed to the citizens of Jeroboam, in which he scoffed against the kind of worship he invented, that was a mixture of idol-worship and that of the living God; comparing it to the old religious glories, kept intact in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 13: 9, 12). 2- Asa revived the worship in the temple, and renewed the covenant between God and His people, who, when they readily sought Him, He was there for them, and gave them rest on all sides (2 Chronicles 15: 1, 15); So were the chronicles of kings Jehoshaphat and Joash. In the chronicles of Joash, special importance was given to the high priest Jehoiada for his position during the calamity caused by Athaliah by killing all the descendants of David (2 Chronicles 22); and also the long account of the reign of Hezekiah and Joash, talking in several chapters about the several renewals in the temple and the ministering therein, while leaving only few chapters for the other services (2 Chronicles 29, 31, 34-35). It is however obvious that, by writing the two books of the chronicles, Ezra intended to put before the Jews a certain consideration of their history; to show them that, before setting their system of governorate as a theocracy, the glories, as well as the weaknesses, even those of king David, were closely connected to the acknowledgment of the presence of God, through keeping the ways of worship designated by God for this goal. The goal, from the point of view of their history, is to strengthen the religious sense of their nationality, to teach them that the climax of their glory is in God’s reign on them; and that, although reign was practiced through the prophets, yet, its regular and normal appearance, was in their dependence upon the priesthood system (the Levite). The bond between the kingdom of Israel and the house of the Lord: 1- King Solomon, known for his wisdom, riches, and fame all over the world; his life seemingly concentrated on building the house of the Lord; And seeing him intercede and pray for his people; he was a symbol of our Christ, our heavenly atoning Intercessor (1 John 2: 1-2). + How great it was, for the lamb of God to be slain to lift the sin up, not just of a few, but of the whole world; “For if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world” (1 John 2: 1-2); As He is the Savior of all mankind, the believers in particular (1 Timothy 4: 10). “Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it” (Colossians 2: 14-15). So we learned to be of good cheer when we have tribulation in this world; and the reason of our cheer is that the Lord Christ has overcome the world (John 16: 33). that surely submits to Him who has overcome it; hence, “He will bring justice to the poor of the people; He will save the children of the needy; and will break in pieces the oppressor” (Psalm 72: 4). (The scholar Origen) 2- The bond between the kingdom and the worship of the Lord appears in the godly kings. We read that the secret of success of good kings like Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah, was their bond to the temple and the worship of the Lord. 3- Ahaz the evil king, having attempted to destroy the worship of God, through his intense hatred of the house of the Lord; the kingdom was partly destroyed in his days. With every oppression by the devil against the worship of God, God sends a leader or more to mend what was damaged. Even when the kingdom of Israel, followed by that of Judah fell into captivity, God sent prophets to bring the people back to God; and spoke to the heart of Cyrus the Persian king, to allow the people to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. The oppression of the devil against the worship of God will never cease, but will rather increase. Even when the incarnate Word of God came, the oppression of the devil turned into the crucifixion of the Lord of glory for the salvation of the whole world. The enemy will keep on oppressing the house of the Lord until the coming of the antichrist to corrupt the world. But with every oppression,, many will return to the Lord, and the children of the Lord will be justified, until the proclamation of the church – the glorious bride, who will enjoy the fellowship of the eternal glories. A deep look at the role of the king or of the leader: The two books of the chronicles present to those returning from captivity, an answer to the hidden questions that ran in their minds, touching the life of every believer, and supporting him who enjoys the work of God that brings man back from the captivity of sin, and the humiliation of bondage to the devil.; to live in the church of Christ, the spiritual Jerusalem, the deposit of heaven. Those returning from captivity have undoubtedly lost the hope for having a king from the house of David to sit on the throne, to bring back to Israel its prestige as a kingdom led by a king, capable of standing with his head high up among the kings of the surrounding nations and peoples. They see in the king a pillar on which the people, as well as, every believer lean for support; No enemy will ever dare to take away from them the promised land which they inherited since the days of Joshua, extended in the days of David, and on which peace prevailed in those of Solomon. What the two books confirm is that the secret of power in a king or a leader is his attachment to the Lord, his care for the true upright worship, keeping the statutes of the Lord, and his bond with the divine commandment. If David was the role model on whom the success or failure of any king is measured; The secret of David’s success was not his ability to govern, nor his personal charisma, his courage, or his military experience; but, as the first book of the chronicles presents David to us, being like Moses. The way Moses has been the leader of the people of God in the wilderness, so David has been their leader in the land of Canaan. David got preoccupied with organizing the people in the name of the Lord, and with preparing for the building of the house of the Lord, to proclaim the dwelling of God among His people; the way Moses set the tabernacle of the meeting, where God met His people. Whenever the second book of the chronicles spoke about a good king in Judah, it said: “he did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God”, then added sometimes, “as did his father David’. The secret of the success of David, therefore is that “he did what was good and right in the eyes of God”, not in his own sight, nor in that of the leaders or the people. And whenever the second book of the chronicles spoke about Solomon as a king, it showed him as only preoccupied with building the temple, the plan of which was laid by his father David by a divine guidance; then he dedicated it with an incomparable luxury. And in parading the kings of Judah who sat on the throne after Solomon until the days of the captivation, the author was only preoccupied with proclaiming whether the king has done what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord, or has done evil. It is as though the author intended to draw their attention, not to men, who are weak and will eventually depart from this world, but to look forward to the Son of David to sit on His throne in His holy church, as well as in the heart of every believer. It is befitting of them, as well as with us, not to be preoccupied with the earth of this world, but with the Lord of the whole earth, who is capable of granting us a new earth and a new heaven, through sanctifying our bodies and our souls; to have the righteousness of Christ dwell in us, and proclaim His splendor inside us. What we said about David, Solomon, the temple and the worship, lead us to a specific look that make God a King on His people in His land. For the Jewish congregation was founded by God, who set David a king on it; But it is God who is the only King; whereas David reigned on the throne of God in His name; For that is how the book of the chronicles should portray the kingdom of God as represented by any man.. It is as though the two books of the chronicles intended to draw the attention of those returning from captivity, to the eternal righteous King, anointed to set the fallen tabernacle of David, whose kingdom will extend all over the earth; whose law is the divine Truth. Here we quote some prophesies that came about His amazing Person, as a heavenly King, and about His exalted kingdom: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that I will raise to David a branch of righteousness; a king shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth” (Jeremiah 23: 5). “Ask of Me and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession” (Psalm 2: 8) “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness. Therefore, God, Your God, has anointed You, with the oil of gladness more than Your companions; … At Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir” (Psalm 45: 6, 9). “Give the King Your judgments, O God; and Your righteousness to the King’s Son” . He will judge Your people with righteousness, and Your poor with justice; … He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river to the end of the earth” (Psalm 72: 1, 2, 8). “And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever” (Daniel 2: 44). “I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom; that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion” (Daniel 7: 13-14). “He is the Lord of lords, and the King of kings” (1 Timothy 6: 15; Revelation 17: 14); with whom we unite to carry the fellowship in His feature as a king, to be counted as kings; and He to be called ‘The King of kings’. . “He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19: 16). + Those who were anointed in the old covenant were either priests, prophets, or kings; Whereas we, Christians of the new covenant, are committed to be anointed to become kings with dominion over our desires; priests to “present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12: 1); and prophets on account of that we shall have knowledge of very great and important secrets. + I wish we do not take off from ourselves the royal seal and sign, lest we would be counted among the unsealed; It is befitting of us to be securely set upon the foundation, so as not to be carried away here or there. (St. John Chrysostom) + The way you will never dwell except in a pure and clean house; and would be reproached if you dwell in a dirty house; How could the King of kings, and the Lord of lords, dwell in a soul full of rotten filth?! You should, therefore, drive away from yourself all the evil desires; for then the King and His great hosts will come to dwell with you. (St. (Mar) Jacob El-Serougi) The priestly lineage in the two books of the chronicles: The way the two books of the chronicles cared for the royal lineage, they cared, as well, for the priestly lineage; with a deep consideration to priesthood: 1- The two books bind between the royal work, and the priestly work; For the prosperity of the house of David has gone hand in hand with the prosperity of the priestly work; and any perversion in one of them would affect the other. The two books reveal the interest of the priests in the continuity of the throne of David; and, at the same time, the great and strong zeal of the good kings of the house of David on the temple and those working in it. We saw how Jehoiada the priest cared for to hide the seven year old infant Joash to protect him from being killed by Athaliah to ensure that there would be someone from the house of David to sit on the throne after 6 years. And on another aspect we saw how Joash having become king, cared for the renewal of the temple up to the day Jehoiada died. And when king Joash killed Zechariah the son of Jehoiada, we saw how it was said in the book: “Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but killed his son” (2 Chronicles 24: 22). 2- The second book of the chronicles confirmed the commitment of the kings not to take the priestly work over by force; nor the priests to take the royal work; to let the two categories work in harmony for the edification of the people of God. The book told us about that unique event during the reign of Uzziah, who attempted to transgress against the Lord his God by entering the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense; and when the priests opposed him, they were supported by God (2 Chronicles 26: 16, 21); who struck Uzziah with leprosy, and was a leper until the day of his death; while his son Jotham reigned in his place. 3- The second book of the chronicles referred to the weaknesses of the priests, saying: “The Levites were more diligent in sanctifying themselves than the priests” (2 Chronicles 29: 34). The book calls us to seek a king of the seed of David, yet not on the level of the kings of Judah, but to have His kingdom everlasting, and extend to all nations; not a king in harmony with the priests of Israel, but, being the King of kings, He, Himself, is the heavenly High Priest. What preoccupies the heart of the Christian in the two books of the chronicles, is to see this harmony consummated in its most exalted form in the incarnate Word of God; For He is amazing in His royalty, and amazing in His priesthood. By that, according to the Christians, what came in the two books of the chronicles, serve the Christian faith. Concerning His royalty, the angel Gabriel, giving St. Mary the good news of the incarnation of the Word in her womb, says: “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1: 32-33). Concerning His priesthood, the Christian believes that Jesus Christ offered Himself on the cross, a sin sacrifice and an atonement sacrifice for the whole world. The Lord Himself says: “This is My blood of the new covenant which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26: 28); And the apostle said: “Christ died for our sins” (1 Corinthians 15: 3); and: “You are a Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrew 7: 17); and: “We have such a High Priest who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens” (Hebrew 8: 1). In his epistle to the Hebrews, the apostle confirmed the unity between the royalty of the Lord and His Priesthood; As His priesthood is consummated by His sitting on the throne in heaven; saying: “When He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrew 1: 3); and in the same chapter he says: “But to the Son He says: Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom” (Hebrew 1: 8). In his epistle to the Hebrews, the apostle Paul presents to us a living portrait of the Lord Christ as the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, who brings us forth to the heavenly sanctuaries; intercedes for us with His blood; and offers His life a sacrifice for our sake. In the fifth chapter he started his talk about Aaron, although being the first high priest, directly called by God for this task; and who surpasses all the high priests who followed him, yet he was in need of offering sacrifices on his own behalf because of his weakness, before offering them on that of the people; to introduce to us Him who is incomparably greater than Him -- our Lord Jesus -- who brings us forth into the heavenly sanctuaries, interceding for us on a new and unique level. What we said about the Lord Christ as the heavenly King of kings, we say about Him as the heavenly High Priest. On one aspect, we enjoy fellowship with Him, to enjoy the general priesthood; we stretch our hands in prayer, to be received by the Father through His Son, the Highest Priest, as a sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise; As priests, we present worship for the whole world; pray the Lord’s prayer in the name of the whole church, saying: “Our Father who are in heaven”. + You are the Priest, and You are the Sacrifice; You are the One who offers, and You are the offering. + I think that no one among the believers doubts that the Jewish priesthood was a symbol of the royal priesthood, that had to be realized by the priesthood which is in the church; where those who belong to the body of Christ, the Highest and Most exalted High Priest, are all consecrated; being all anointed; while, in the old days, the anointment was confined only to the kings and priests. And when Peter wrote to the Christian people, he talked about the royal priesthood, showing clearly that the people now are given the two titles together, for which the anointment is meant. + Christ prays for us, and prays in us, and we pray to Him. He prays for us, being a Priest, prays in us, being our Head; and we pray to Him, being our God. That is why we recognize our voice in Him, and recognize His voice in us. + Let everyone of us pray for the sake of the other, the way Christ intercedes for our sake. (St. Augustine) + Great is the difference! He is the Ransom, the Priest, and the Sacrifice. For if it is not the case, there would be need for offering many sacrifices; and He would be sacrificed many times. (St. John Chrysostom) The Levites in the two books of the chronicles: Caring for the ministry in the temple, the word ‘Levite’, which came in the book of ‘Leviticus’ only five times in one chapter, we find it repeated in the two books of the chronicles 99 times; And if we add to them the two books of Ezra and Nehemiah as a consummation to them, we shall find that this word in the four books came more than 158 times, more so than it came in all the other books of both the Old and the New Testaments together. The two books of the chronicles cared for the genealogies of the Levite families, that came here in more details than in any other book; not disregarding a single one. Commending their zeal and their exalted skill in ministering to the Lord, it is said: “The Levites were more diligent in sanctifying themselves than the priests “ (2 Chronicles 29: 34). The two books of the chronicles revealed the role of the Levites in stirring up the spirit of praise and joy among the people, devastated by captivity; in invoking the spirit of security and peace in the temple, beside caring for teaching and running the regular affairs of the temple. According to many scholars, the Levites fulfilled many of the works of the prophets in the period prior to the captivation. The talk came about the activity of the singers of praise, and the musicians in the temple (2 Chronicles 23: 13); that some scholars assumed that the author of the two books was most probably of the grandchildren of one of the head singers who were assigned for this task by King David. The two books of the chronicles talk to us about the ministers of the temple, all being the sons of Levi. While the job of the priests was to sound the trumpets before the ark of the covenant (1 Chronicles 15: 24; 2 Chronicles 13: 12); and to sprinkle the blood on the altar (2 Chronicles 30:16); The Levites, on the other hand, far from being of a lower level, had their role concerning the statutes of worship. They carried the ark of the covenant, they opened the gates of the temple; guarded its entrances; played music, sang praise; and shared with the priests in preparing the sacrifices, though not in offering them (2 Chronicles 29: 24; 30: 16-17). Talking as Christians about the basis of worship in our churches; about the role of the priests and their helpers in practicing the holy rites, we could say that everyone of them has his indispensable role; and that the rites of worship have their importance today and every day. The people of the old had their ways of worship, based on offering sacrifices in the temple, and raising prayers to God. And the people of the new covenant have their own, yet, around the unique Sacrifice, our Lord Jesus Christ, that we live on our altar in the liturgy, and in our life in the rest of the sacraments and rites. The essence of the worship is the same; but the godliness is necessary to take us forth from our normal regular world up to heaven. The Levites in the new covenant: Since the apostolic era, the church cared for the ‘deacons’, who carry out the role of the Levites in the church of the new covenant. The apostles felt that it is not desirable that they should leave the word of God and care for material things, even if it was for the sake of the widows and the poor; They did not let the administrative or financial affairs of the church draw their hearts or time away from their main mission of preaching the word and praying; considering those other tasks, despite their importance as “serving tables”, not the responsibility of the apostles. A condition set by the apostles to the people for choosing the seven deacons, was to be “full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom” (Acts 6: 3), to serve the daily tables, namely, to serve the widows and the poor. The task of the believing deacon to serve the widows and the poor, was not only to satisfy their material, psychological, and social needs, but also to set out of each of them a temple for the heavenly Lord, where the Holy Trinity dwells. His task should not be not be confined to taking money from underneath the feet of the apostles to give to the needy, but also to take from the riches of God’s grace in himself, and pour into the hearts of other by the Spirit of God dwelling in him, and by the Lord Christ Himself, the Wisdom of God. + The congregation cared for choosing the deacons, to spare the apostles from retreating from preaching the word of God. (St. Augustine) + The deacons were not just spiritual people, but “full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom”; on account of that, their ministry required a high level of delicacy in dealing with the widows. For what would be the benefit if the deacon is honest and does not cheat, if he, at the same time, is slothfully scattering the money, or dealing arrogantly with the poor, and easy to be stirred up?! (St. John Chrysostom) Ministering to the temple in the two books of the chronicles: 1- In short we could say that the two books of the chronicles are preoccupied with the kings, the priests, and the Levites, who, on their turn, were completely preoccupied with the ministry of the temple, more than any other works or tasks. As the royal and the priestly lineage and the temple were pillars upon whom the believer and the whole nation, as the people of God, lean; When those pillars collapsed, the people lost their hope. They, actually, had to collapse, on the literal level, to spare the people from leaning upon weak and mortal pillars and buildings. Going into captivity, many of the people perceived that God is the Lord of the whole earth, heaven is His throne, and earth is His footstool; Understanding that, the people were committed to anticipate the fulfillment of the divine promises through a new spiritual concept. 2- The temple and the worship, being the centers of the two books of the chronicles; they presented to us the history of the holy city, and the celebrations that were carried out in the temple. Hence the two books presented to us the genealogy of Judah in some detail, because of their bond with the temple; and in particular those of the kings after David, whose main preoccupation was building the temple, and organizing the rites of worship in it. That same tendency also shows in the two books of Ezra and Nehemiah. The most prominent of those kings are: a- Asa (2 Chronicles 15) b- Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20) c- Joash (2 Chronicles 24-25) d- Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 29-31) e- Josiah (2 Chronicles 34-35) About the temple, the books of the chronicles say: There is no temple other than the temple of Jerusalem; and no legitimate worship outside the place chosen by God for His dwelling. Hence we notice the rejection of all attempts to set a temple beside that one, to set rites of worship outside that temple; the violent attack on the Samaritans for building a temple on Mount Gerzim; and dropping any news of the kingdom of Samaria that cut off all relations with the temple in Jerusalem after the death of Solomon. 3- The temple that was rebuilt after returning from captivity, and was deeply cherished by the Jewish people, has been defiled in the days of the Solokians, and by Antiochus Epiphanos in the second century B. C.; its priests were scattered, and its sacrifices were cancelled; to be mourned by the new Christians who came from the Jewish world. But the epistle to the Hebrews proclaims that there is no further use of the sacrifice; for we have now only one Sacrifice, namely Jesus Christ; and there is no further use of the priests who were in need to offer sacrifices for their own sake and for that of the people; for Jesus is both the Priest and the Sacrifice; He who presented Himself only once, to become the reason for our eternal salvation; and there is no further use of a temple of stone, on account of that the body of Jesus, is the new temple, and the center of the presence of God among men, that we are in no need of any other intermediary. Obedience to the law in the two books of the chronicles: The worship has been in one place, namely in the temple of Jerusalem, a city holy by faith, joy, and exultation, because of the presence in it of the priests and the Levites. The obedience to the law of God has been the first of the duties of the people in their daily life; the relationship between God and His people was translated in the principle of reward and chastisement; God rewards the faithful people by His blessing; and chastens any slothfulness or disobedience, in what concern the temple and worship in particular; Such a teaching is obvious in the life of the successors of David. In this concern we mention the Pharisees and the ‘Comran’ congregation, who sought to give a holy nature to their daily life; Yet the Pharisees observed the law, and the practices of the ancestors according to the deadly letter. And the ‘Comran’ congregation separated themselves from the people, kept away from the temple, and lived in seclusion. But the idea they proclaimed is still alive in our monastic congregations nowadays, yet according to a spiritual concept, love, and prayers for all mankind, particularly in those congregations that dedicate their life to work and liturgical prayers. Although living in seclusion in the wilderness and monasteries, yet they never separated between the daily and the holy lives; For there is no separation between the daily life and the law of God, on which it sheds light, and guides man toward the divine and the brotherly love. Prophecy in the two books of the chronicles: Prophecy goes back to the days of our parents in the garden of Eden, when it was said that “the woman’s offspring will strike the serpent’s head; and the serpent will strike his heel” (Genesis 3: 15); the sister of Moses, the first leader of the people who led them out of the bondage of Pharaoh, was a prophetess; and there were prophets in the era of judges, among whom was Deborah the prophetess; and in the days of the kings like Saul and David. In the Northern kingdom, where evil strongly prevailed, particularly in the days of Ahab and his wife Jezabel, there were the prophets Elija and Elisha, etc. And in the Southern kingdom prophets appeared to proclaim the will of God, to support the kings, the leaders, and the people, and to call them to repentance and to return from evil. The two books of the chronicles reveal the role of the prophets in the two kingdoms. Christ in the two books of the chronicles: As believers, we are committed to perpetually proclaim the divine presence in our practical life. If we wish for the kingdom of God to come, as we pray the Lord’s prayer every day, we are perpetually committed to be sanctified, so that God would proclaim His kingdom in us, being His holy temple. According to some fathers and scholars, the goal of these two books of the chronicles is to exhort believers to put their hope in the Son of David, to reign in their hearts, and to set His kingdom and His temple in their souls. Sources of the two books of the chronicles: It is obvious that the two books of the chronicles have quoted from the books inspired before them, as well as from public records and Jewish genealogies – for which the Jews very much cared, beside recording the important historical events. That is obvious in the commentary by the first book of the chronicles on the census done by Joab the son of Zeruiah by an order from king David, saying: “the number was not recorded in the account of the chronicles of king David” (1 Chronicles 27: 24). The most important sources of the two books of the chronicles were: a- The book of the chronicles of king David (1 Chronicles 27: 24) b- The book of the chronicles of Samuel the seer: “The acts of King David, the first and the last, indeed they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of God the seer” (1 Chronicles 29: 29). c- The book of the chronicles of Nathan the prophet (1 Chronicles 29: 29; 2 Chronicles 9: 29). d- The chronicles of Gad the seer (1 Chronicles 9: 29). e- The prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite: “The rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nabat?” (2 Chronicles 9: 29). f- The visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam the son of Nabat (1 Chronicles 9: 29).The annals of the prophet Iddo: “The rest of the acts of Abijah, his ways, and his sayings, are written in the annals of the prophet Iddo” (2 Chronicles 13: 22). g- The book of the kings of Judah and Israel: “The acts of Asa, first and last, are indeed written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel” (2 Kings 16: 11; 25: 26; 27: 7; 26: 28; 25: 27; 36: 8). This book is other than the two books of the kings within our hands. h- The chronicles of Jehu the son of Hanani: “The rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, the first and the last, indeed they are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, which is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel” (2 Chronicles 20: 34). i- The prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz: “The rest of the acts of Uzziah, from first to last, the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz wrote” (2 Chronicles 26: 22) j- Vision of Isaiah the son of Amos: “The rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his goodness, indeed they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amos, and in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel” (2 Chronicles 32: 32). k- The chronicles of the kings of Israel: “The rest of the acts of Manasseh, his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the Lord God of Israel, indeed they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel” (2 Chronicles 33: 18). l- The books of the seers: “Also his prayers (of Manasseh) and how God received his entreaty, and all his sin and trespass … they are all written among the sayings of Hozai (the seer)” (2 Chronicles 33: 19) m- The lamentations: “Jeremiah also lamented for Josiah, and to this day all the singing men and the singing women speak of Josiah in their lamentations. They made it a custom in Israel; and indeed they are written in the laments” (2 Chronicles 35: 25) (Those are lamentations written by Jeremiah at the time, other than those within our hands. Beside those sources there are others from which the names of the mighty men of David are taken (1 Chronicles 11: 10-47); and of those men who came to David in Ziklag (1 Chronicles 12: 1-22); as well as a source which included the message of the prophet Elijah to king Jehoram (2 Chronicles 21: 12) that we do not have. + There are rich information in the two books of the chronicles, written as a consummation of the two books of the kings, and to preserve the memory of certain important events. The first book of chronicles, starting by a genealogy, written to confirm that the human race has come from one man, concentrates only on the kingdom of Judah (Numbers 10: 14; Judges !5: 10; 2 Samuel 2: 4, 7; Ezra 8 ; Nehemiah 1: 3; 3: 1-32); and tells us about cities and villages, and how they derived their names. Here we can recognize ‘Nathan’ (Sirach 47: 1; 2 Samuel 7: 3; 8-17; 12 1-14; 1 kings 1: 1, 14, 22, 27, 32-38); from which the blessed St. Luke (Luke 3: 23-38) set the genealogy of our Lord and Savior Son of David, brother of Solomon and his brothers on his mother’s side, who were all born in Jerusalem (Shamua, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon”, all born by Bathsheba daughter of Ammiel”. It confirms that ‘Rahab’, referred to in many books of the Holy Scripture, was said to be of the tribe of Judah. And it confirms, as well, why Reuben the son of Jacob, lost his firstborn right, saying: “The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel – he was indeed the firstborn, but because he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel, so that the genealogy is not listed according to the birthright. Yet Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came a ruler, although the birthright was Joseph’s” (1 Chronicle 5: 1, 2). Through the will of God, Judah got the honor to have the Lord, according to the flesh, born of him. That is the meaning of the words, saying: “from him came a ruler”; This expression indeed seems to confirm that, not only the kings of the earth come from Judah, but the eternal King Himself, who is without beginning nor end, comes from him. It also tells us the condition of the tribes beyond (East) of the River Jordan; namely, those of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh;Besides, telling us how they fought, prevailed, and made the children of Hagar (the Naphiseans) flee; it also tells us the reason behind their conquest, it says: “They cried out to God in the battle. He heeded their prayer, because they put their trust in Him. Then they took away their livestock – fifty thousand of their camels, two hundred and fifty thousand of their sheep, and two thousands of their donkeys – also one hundred thousand of their men; for many fell dead because the war was God’s. And they dwelt in their place until the captivity” (5: 20-22). (Theodoret, bishop of Cyrus) A comprehensive look on the two books of the chronicles: The two books, presenting a comprehensive look that brings us back to the era of creation, and extends to the fifth century B.C.; came to include the following four divisions: (1) The first division: A genealogy (1 Chronicles 1-9), in nine chapters, from Adam to the twelve tribes; and from the twelve tribes to David, chosen by God.… Why does it give chronicles already known by the reader? For it intends to bind David to the first man on earth; and subsequently to prepare the Jews to the time the Gentiles received faith at the coming of the Messiah, the Son of David; And to bind humanity to the Son of David. These nine chapters may seem boring to the reader; Yet they express a deep view; which is, that building the temple and setting the order of worship in it, go back to the start of humanity; in which the tribes of Judah (David), of Levi (the priesthood), and of Manasseh (where the temple was built), played important roles in setting that prominent event, namely, building the temple; for the incarnate Word of God to come, He who said: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2: 19) (2) The second division: King David the founder of the worship in the temple: (1 Chronicles 10-29). It starts with the death of Saul, and ends with the death of David. It includes some of the works of David. And the parade of events in this division sometimes conform to what came in the two books of Samuel. This division presents David the godly king who cares for what relate to the Lord, the temple, the priesthood, the religious praises, and the celebration of feasts. David was a king, yet in the service of the Lord Jehovah; For the Lord, alone, was the king of Israel, David was His steward; and the people of Israel were the house and kingdom of Israel. The throne of David, being the throne of the Lord in Israel; David’s mind was only preoccupied with glorifying the Lord. It was not enough for him to think about building the temple, but he set the design, and did not forget even the vessels of service, the lampstands and the lamps (1 Chronicles 28: 11-18). Preparing everything before his death, he was worthy of having the incarnate Word of God come from his seed. (3) The third division: King Solomon the temple-builder (2 Chronicles 1 – 9): Characterized with loyalty and godliness, Solomon was worthy of building a house in the name of God (2 Chronicles 6: 8-9). The author talks profusely about building the temple, while talking only a little about Solomon’s political activity. Once Solomon finished the work prepared by his father, he departed in peace, trusting in the words of the Lord: “I will establish him (Solomon) in My house and in My kingdom forever; and his throne shall be established forever” (1 Chronicles 17: 14). Yet, what Solomon has built will not eternally endure; but the King of peace will come to open up the gates of heaven, about which it is said: “For the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple” (Revelation 21: 22) (4) The fourth division: The good and the evil kings of Judah (2 Chronicles 10-26), from Rehoboam to Zedekiah, telling what came in the book of the kings in more detail. It accompanies the kingdom of Judah from the death of Solomon until the captivation, then to the start of the return to Jerusalem. The huge establishment built by David and Solomon started to collapse once the tribes of the North dissented and rebelled against the house of David (2 Chronicles 10: 19), and the author rarely spoke about them. And when some of the kings of Judah, as well, have gone astray from David’s path, the author rebuked them, confirming what David said to his son: “You will prosper if you take care to fulfill the statutes and judgments with which the Lord charged Moses concerning Israel” (1 Chronicles 22: 13), and what the prophet Azariah the son of Oded said to king Asa and his people: “The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you” (2 Chronicles 15: 2). That warning was realized in case of Rehoboam, Azariah and Josiah, who prospered as long as they were faithful to the Lord; but when they forsook Him, they knew nothing but tribulation and defeat: “Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah, who were gathered together in Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them: ‘Thus says the Lord: You have forsaken Me, And therefore I have also have left you in the hand of Shishak’” (2 Chronicles 12: 5, 6). And to Asa He sent Azariah the son of Oded (2 Chronicles 15: 1-7), and Hanani the seer who said to the king: “Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on the Lord your God; therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand” (2 Chronicles 16: 7). And to Jehoshaphat, He sent Jehu the son of Hanani the seer (2 Chronicles 19: 1-3), and Jahaziel the son of Zechariah (2 Chronicles 20: 14-17). And when the Spirit of God dwelt upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest who stood above the people and said to them: “Thus says God:’ Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, He also has forsaken you’; So they conspired against him, and at the commandment of the king they stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the Lord” (2 Chronicles 24: 20). Those prophets were sent by the Lord, for He had compassion on His people and on His house; Yet the people did not understand; and the kings did not repent; and therefore calamity dwelt upon them. THE TWO BOOKS OF THE CHRONICLES AND THE JOYFUL KINGDOM The goal of the Holy Book is to let the believer, with all his mind, heart, senses, and feelings, enjoy the experience of the joyful heavenly kingdom, to set forth with his whole inner being, day after day, by the spirit of hope, amid the tribulations and events of this world. Here, Ezra, by the divine inspiration, records to us what is befitting and what is not, of those returning from captivity to experience and to live. It is not befitting of them to live depressed because of the past seventy years of captivity. And on another aspect, it is befitting of them not to have their minds closed shut within the limits of the promised land in a literal way; but to see their return from the Babylonian captivity as a setting forth toward the high and free Jerusalem, and a practical fellowship with the heavenly hosts, with the spirit of exultation. All the divisions of the book came confirming one important essential fact; namely, our need to enjoy the joyful kingdom. 1- By parading the genealogies, we are called by the Spirit of God to be sure that our names will never be forgotten by God, but will be engraved on His palm and be cherished by Him. 2- The person of David: is introduced by the first book of the chronicles, to exhort us, through imitating the sweet Psalmist of Israel, to concentrate our sight upon the Source of the true joy – the Son of David, Savior of the world. 3- Caring for the groups of singers of praise among the Levites, the second book of the chronicles means to confirm the secret of our conquest; namely, the joy and exultation amid our battle against the devil and all his hosts (2 Chronicles 19-21). 4- The second book of the chronicles, ending by the fulfillment of the divine promise concerning the return from captivity in the previously assigned time, tells us that it is befitting of us to trust and hold fast to the promises of God. 5- The main common tune of the two books is disregarding many of the faults and weaknesses of the godly believers; For God does not intend anymore to remember them after our repentance and return to Him. 1- God will no more remember the weaknesses and the sins of the kings of Israel: In our comparison between the other historical books and the two books of the chronicles, we notice that the other books, while introducing the life of the good kings, whether before or after the division of the kingdom of Israel, revealed as well the most prominent of their weaknesses and sins in some detail; Whereas, speaking about the same personalities, the two books of the chronicles, mostly disregard their weaknesses and sins, as though they did not ever happen. Why? By speaking openly about some of the weaknesses and sins of very prominent men of faith, like David, Solomon, Hezekiah, and others, the other books intend to confirm to us that no man, however great is his godliness, is without sin. It is therefore befitting of us, in humility, to perceive that as long as we are still in the flesh, we are committed to hold fast to the grace of God, to wrestle with God to keep us safe until our last breath; and not to be slothful, nor to boast of any good deed we might have done. Hence, some fathers of the wilderness say that God, sometimes, allows for us to discover our weaknesses, and to fall, even in our old age, in what we have not fallen during our youth or adolescence. This weakness is called by some fathers ‘the watch dogs’ guarding the good holy life in the Lord. If it so happens that a thought of haughtiness comes upon our mind, that we are more godly or righteous than others; in the contrition of heart, perceiving our weaknesses and sins, we should return to God, and cast ourselves into His divine bosoms, with the spirit of hope and joy, and with no pride nor haughtiness. Concerning the two books of the chronicles, written after the return from captivity, as many have lost hope that the people of Israel will ever return to the early eras of glory, whether in the days of David, of Solomon, or those of Hezekiah, etc. the goal of these two books is to make the whole people, and the believer as a member thereof, perceive that the Son of David is to come as the Lamb of God who carries the sins of the world. Whoever believes in Him, attaches himself to Him, and walks in Him by the spirit, will hear the divine voice saying to him about his sins: “I shall remember them no more”. What should preoccupy the believer in his daily repentance, should be his trust, hope, and joy in the Lord, the Forgiver of sins, and the Savior of the souls from corruption. As long as man is still in the body, he should not cease to walk along the way of repentance, being the sign of his attachment to the Forgiver of sins. The apostle Paul says: : “Let him who thinks he stands, take heed lest he falls” (1 Corinthians 1: 12). For the devil will never despair to stir in us the evil will, to receive it instead of the good will of Christ working in us. The believer, indeed, wrestles between two wills; and is in need of the grace of Christ, lest his will would lean toward evil. He sometimes longs toward the good will; yet in weakness, the evil will would prevail over the good one, and he practices wickedness. St. (Mar) Jacob El-Serougi, entreating the Savior to save him from the humiliation of the evil will, seeks from Him to show him His compassion by forgiving his sins; as though he says to Him: [By You, O Lord, I shall conquer; for I am weak, too weak to conquer by myself. I need Your amazing work in me]. + I seek forgiveness; I need forgiveness; but my will stand in the way! I ask my will to return from its evil ways; but it rejects my request! I wish for the good deeds; but I lean toward the evil ones. I hate iniquity, yet I do it every day! Two wills are battling in me; one against the other; and it is the evil will that prevails every day; By You, O Lord, I shall prevail; for I am too weak to prevail on my own. Your amazing work is enough to make me prevail! Have compassion on me, O Lord, For I do not want to perish! By Your conquest, grant me conquest; Instead of sins, You, Son of God, came with Your forgiveness; Show it to Your servant who seeks Your compassion! (St. (Mar) Jacob El-Serougi) 2- Your name is inscribed on the palm of your Creator: You, therefore should rejoice; for Your Creator will never forget you. The genealogy that came in the first nine chapters of the first book of the chronicles, should bring joy to our hearts. When no one in the world know me, recognize me, or care for me, my God who created me in His image and according to His likeness, and realized my salvation by His cross, will not forget me. My name is inscribed on His palm, He keeps my name in the book of life; I have a special place in His heart. I am in need of a compassionate fatherhood; sometimes in the Father who opens His bosom up for me, having enjoyed adoption to Him in the water of baptism; and other times, when I am in need of a friend, I find my Christ, not forsaking me even while asleep; “His left hand under my head, and His right hand embraces me” (Songs 2: 6). And when I need someone to guide and lead me, I find the Spirit of God dwelling in me , grant me the flood of His grace, to become an icon of the Groom of my soul. It is not befitting of us to feel bored because of the many names that came in those nine chapters; For our God finds pleasure in all our names, particularly of every true believer, His beloved, who has a place in heaven itself. Just writing down the names, pours in us the spirit of Joy by the Holy Trinity, preoccupied with every single one of us. These are our feelings while being in the flesh in this world, as long as the Lord Christ sets His kingdom in us, confirming to us: “The kingdom of God is inside you” (Luke 17: 21). + Although it may be possible to count the number of person, yet every one of them has his own movements, behavior, goals, feelings, and emotions, that are beyond counting. There is only One who can absolutely control all of these; on account of that He is aware of the convenient and befitting work, the convenient time to do it, and the ways of guidance and training; the Father of the whole universe! + God’s care is for us on a daily basis, on the level of the congregation, as well as on that of the private life; in secret and public; even when we are completely unaware of it. (The scholar Origen) 3- David, the Psalmist, our role model: The books of the chronicles cared for the person of David, concerning his preparations for building the temple, setting the systems of ministry and singing praises; the sweet psalmist of Israel (2 Samuel 23: 1); who desired to set a choir to praise the Lord in His temple. He wrote down psalms of joy and exultation, in spite of his sufferings from his childhood till the end of his life. He was an example of an ideal exultant man, who desires for all believers to enjoy a life of praise, not just by the tongue, but by the whole being and all the body members. + Being created to praise, Men should do that in abundance! The sun is luminous, not for its own sake, but to give light to men; For their sake, there are luminous stars in the stratosphere, through which men enjoy days and nights. Men have the discernment, knowledge, words and voice, to praise the Most High; You have got the mouth by which to praise, give thank, exults, and bless; Praise; for you have the praising word; Exult, for you have the voice full of tunes; Give thanks, for you have the mind and discernment; Bless, for you have become an uttering and non-silent vessel; Having been nothing, and the divine mercies made you something great; Give, therefore, thanks with amazement; Why keep silent?! Entering into yourself, and looking at your person within yourself; you will find all wonders of the Creative Might. + O Lord, help me to marvel with such unusual senses; And once the mind admires You, You will be described by the mouth you have opened! The mind praises You for the sake of Your hidden works, too exalted to be perceived by the mind; The heart praises You by its fast pulse, and the pure thoughts, set like angels to minister; O Lord, the Conscience, as well, will praise You; for it sees how You are worthy of praise by Your works; O lord, both the spiritual and the carnal senses praise You; for You are worthy of praise; The eye praises You, for You have given it the beauty of all creation to enjoy; The ear praises You, in which all the sweetness of voices are poured, to enjoy; The two hands with their ten fingers praise You, that move to work on behalf of the whole body; The legs praise you, that carry the body as a chariot everywhere; The sense of smell praises You; for You gave it all the fragrances to enjoy; The mouth praises You, for You gave it the discernment between the sweet and the bitter in all kinds of food; The mouth parts and the teeth praise you, through which the voice vibrate;; The tongue praises You; for You gave it the words by which to praise You, on behalf of the whole body; The mouth is undoubtedly committed to praise on behalf of the other members of the body that are without word; O Lord, the whole body is committed to praise You, and behold, the mouth is open to praise on behalf of the whole body; O Lord, help by moving the mouth to praise You, and to fulfill all these things on behalf of all the silent senses. (St. (Mar) Jacob El-Serougi) 4- Care of the two books of the chronicles for the groups of singers of praise to the Lord: Do not marvel to see how the two books concentrate on the ministry of singing praise, not only in the house of the Lord, but even in the midst of the battle against the hosts of darkness. When Jehoshaphat confronted oppression from some of the heathen nations, the Lord commanded him, together with his army, to stand still and watch. The battle started by the entrance of groups of praisesingers of the temple; and the conquest was realized without need for the use of weapons. The weapons of the believer in his battle against the devil are the thanksgiving and praise. … The kingdom of Christ experienced by the believer is joyful, even in our strife against the devil, the sin, and the love of the world….. We should have the language of praise even during our tribulation. 5- Joyful divine promises amid the chastisements: The two books of the chronicles came to an end by talking concisely about the work of God through the prophet Jeremiah and Cyrus the Persian king. The former proclaims that the period of chastisement is temporary; And the later proclaimed that God has put in his heart to allow the Jewish captives to return to Jerusalem.. We, therefore, even if we enter under chastisement, Yet God promises us to enjoy the new life, free from the bondage of the devil (the Babylonians), and the return to our Jerusalem. Let us then, trust in our Merciful, Wise, and Mighty Father, with confidence that He desires for us a holy exultant life. God’s wrath, particularly upon His church or His children, is not for revenge like that of men; and does not come from hatred; For God is whole love, particularly toward those attached to Him. The following words of St. (Mar) Jacob El-Serougi reveal the exaltation and sweetness of God’s wrath. God calls us to carry His image, and to walk our whole life, unceasingly, until we all reach “the unity of faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God; to the perfect man; to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4: 13). God allows for tribulations for they support us by His grace to join the almost heavenly creatures. + Gory be to You, O Lord; For You, with all ways wish to gain all those who hear with reason and discernment By righteousness and grace, You approach us as a Physician, for everyone in need of health; The Lover of all cares to heal; for He is capable of granting life to all men; He has both wrath and forgiveness; zeal and anger; peace and love; On one aspect, He gives those who ask Him in abundance; And on another aspect, He refrains from giving a drop of water to others; His mercies mix with fear; and His wrath with great love; He threatens and gives joy; He is full of both mercy and wrath; On one aspect, He invited the robber to enter His paradise; And on another aspect, He rejected those who did wonders in His name (Matthew 7: 22); At a time, He received the tears of a harlot (Luke 7: 44); And at another time, He told the daughters of Jerusalem not to weep (Luke 23); In one situation He gave one denarius to the laborers of the eleventh hour (Matthew 20: 9); And in another He drove the Pharisees out of His kingdom (Matthew 8: 12); He did not recognize those who cast out demons in His name (Matthew 7: 22); And to the robber He said: “Today you will be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23: 43). He called a tax-collector to follow Him (Matthew 9: 9); While He denied that privilege for another (Mathew 8: 19-20); All that for the sake of the life of men; In every way, He does not allow for anyone of the Father’s household, to perish. (St. (Mar) Jacob El-Serougi) THE BOOKS OF CHRONICLES AND KING DAVID King David and the liturgical worship of the true God: Of the 65 chapters in the two books of the chronicles, 19 chapters were dedicated to speak about David (1 Chronicles 11-29); and his name was mentioned in the two books more than 220 times. That reveals how much the two books cared for the person of David. What preoccupied the book as far as David is concerned, was not his conquests over the his adversaries, nor the extension of his kingdom, or his constructions and achievements; but it was amazingly preoccupied with how David motivated Israel to worship God as is befitting; as shown by: 1- Out of the 19 chapters concerning king David, we find 11 chapters; namely, more than half; telling about his zeal toward the collective worship (1 Chronicles 13; 15-16; 22-29). a- Bringing the ark of the covenant back to Jerusalem b- Organizing the ministry of the priests and the Levites in the temple c- Establishing the holy music in the temple d- His commandments and instructions to his son Solomon concerning the temple 2- King David confirmed that what he does and what he prepared concerning the temple and organizing the worship, are commanded by the Lord Himself (2 Chronicles 29: 25). 3- He is credited with the use of music in worship (2 Chronicles 29: 27; Nehemiah 12: 26) 4- If the two books of Samuel referred in 77 verses to David’s care for the liturgical worship, Here in the two books of the chronicles it came in 323 verses. 5- The two books of the chronicles were not preoccupied with David’s battles and conquests, except to refer to them sporadically; Nor with his weaknesses like falling into the sin of adultery with Bathsheba, and murdering her husband; or even with his weaknesses before sitting on the throne. All what preoccupied David’s heart and mind has been to set Liturgical people, who practice a holy and disciplined collective worship to the Holy God. All the rest of his life and its events were based on that vital foundation. On another aspect, if every king refers to the kingdom of God set by the King of kings in our depths; That is why the weaknesses of those kings were not mentioned; because there is no weakness in the work of Christ in us. The liturgical worship and David’s successors: The two books of the chronicles give a record of the life of David’s successors, and an evaluation of their works, based on their commitment to the liturgical worship of the Holy God: 1- While the second book of the chronicles do not refer to the huge achievements of Solomon; it dedicates six chapters of nine that concern Solomon, to building the temple and all what concern it. 2- The second book of the chronicles, alone, tells us about the Levites of the Northern kingdom who fled to Jerusalem to minister in the temple in the days of king Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 11: 13-17) 3- Through the books of the chronicles, we come to know about the liturgical reforms done by king Asa (15: 8-15); the commitment of King Jehoshaphat to send the Levites to the cities of Judah to teach the people (17: 7-9); His prayer in the temple (20: 5-12); And in some detail it tells about the liturgical reforms done by king Hezekiah (29: 12-31); Manasseh (23: 15-17); and Josiah (35: 2-18). 4- The book of Chronicles alone condemned king Uzziah for forcing himself upon the priestly ministry in the temple (2 Chronicles 26: 16-22). In short, we may say that the main concern of the books of the chronicles is the enjoyment of the liturgical worship in the church of God through the work of the Son of David who reigns in it forever. It is as though the two books have referred to that the Lord has put in the heart of Cyrus to build a house for the Lord in Jerusalem, in order that the Jews would return to their country as a preparation for building the church of the new covenant that bears the deposit of the higher Jerusalem; where an almost heavenly spiritual worship is practiced, until she encounters the heavenly Groom, and lives forever in a heavenly liturgy, singing the new song (Revelation 5: 9), which will never get old. The two books of the chronicles and Psalm 132: ‘Reardon’ presents to us a magnificent portrait of the relationship between the two books of the chronicles and one of the psalms of ascent (Psalm 132 or 131 LXX), which was sung by those ascending the hill to go up to the temple in Jerusalem, saying: “Lord, remember David, and all his afflictions…For Your servant David’s sake, do not turn away the face of Your anointed. The Lord has sworn in truth to David, he will not turn from it: I will set upon your throne the fruit of your body; … There, I will make the horn of David grow; I will prepare a lamp for My anointed” (Psalm 132) By that the Psalmist binds between the prosperity of David’s household, and the blessings of the house of the Lord. According to the Psalmist, in case the Lord remembers David in truth, His priests will be clothed with salvation, and His godly men will praise with exultation; while the devil will be clothed with shame. This psalm came to be in harmony with the two books of the chronicles, There is nothing in it but David’s bond with the liturgical worship. The people remember David because, unless they do, they will not enjoy encountering God in His house. … Who is this David, but the Savior of the world, the Messiah Son of David?! The books of the Chronicles distinguishes between king David and the rest of the kings, the way the ancient Israel was distinguished from the other peoples. We, therefore, through our connection to the Son of David, the King of kings, shall become the distinguished church of Christ, the subject of pleasure of God; the fellows of the heavenlies in their heavenly life; We shall become in truth, “Members of the household of God”(Ephesians 2: 19). Some may wonder why the books of the chronicles have not spoken about the beginning of the liturgical worship, received by the prophet Moses together with his brother the high priest Aaron? According to some, the two books of the chronicles were satisfied with what came in detail in the books of the Exodus, the Leviticus, and the Numbers. But I believe that the two books of the chronicles have concentrated on king David and his role in this concern; on account of that the people at that time, passing through a condition of near despair of returning to the kind of life they enjoyed in the days of Moses and Aaron; the divine inspiration intended to confirm that the liturgical life will come back in a spiritual way that surpasses that in the days of Moses and Aaron, bearing a heavenly feature, through the heavenly High Priest, the Son of David, and not through the symbol as it was the case in the Levite priesthood. According to ‘Reardon’: [In the program of the Orthodox worship, we perceive the historical view of the author of the books of the chronicles]. He who meditates in the two books of the chronicles has in his mind a true and deep perception of the understanding of history; the liturgical worship set upon the covenant between God and His people. This is the essence of the history concerning the people of God and their salvation. By the same spirit, Ben-Sirach says: “Let us now sing the praises of famous men, our ancestors in their generations” (Sirach 44: 1); and records for us the written history of Enoch, David, Abraham, Elijah, Hezekiah, Isaiah, Josiah, Jeremiah, Zerubbabel, and Nehemiah, and what those great men have accomplished, up till chapter 49; then in chapter 50 he spoke about the greatness and the beauty of the liturgy of the temple under the leadership of ‘Simon the son of Onias’ the high priest, together with the sons of Aaron while prostrating themselves to the ground praising God, and with them all those true worshippers; saying: “Then the sons of Aaron shouted; they blew their trumpets of hammered metal; they sounded a mighty fanfare, as a reminder before the Most High”. Then all the people together quickly fell to the ground on their faces to worship their Lord, the Almighty, God the Most High. Then the singers praised Him with their voices, in sweet and full-toned melody. And the people of the Lord Most High offered their prayers before the merciful One, until they end the order of worship of the Lord,, and complete their rituals. Then Simon came down and raised his hands over the whole congregation of Israelites, to pronounce the blessing of the Lord with his lips, and to glory in His name. And they bowed down in worship a second time, to receive the blessing of the Most High. And now bless the God of all, who everywhere works great wonders, who fosters our growth from birth, and deals with us according to His mercy. May He give us the gladness of heart, and may there be peace in our days in Israel, as in the days of old. By that, Ben-Sirach binds history to the liturgical worship, in conformity and likeness to the two books of the chronicles. Why do the two books of the chronicles bind history to the liturgical worship? We are bound to history that takes us back to the first man ‘Adam’, then brings us through the generations, for nothing but because we see our Lord Jesus Christ, the Almighty, raises us through history up to beyond history, through the life of true worship. Speaking about the men of faith along the history, the apostle Paul says: “For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, … But you have come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven” (Hebrew 12: 18-22). All the true and faithful men of faith when worshipping the Lord, they are bound to the heavenly worship; and as it came in the book of Revelation: “Then another angel having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar, And he was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints ascended before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thundering, lightening, and an earthquake” (Revelation 8: 3-5). Between the persons of Saul and David: The book referred to the person of ‘Saul’ as the first king of Israel; who started successfully and with the spirit of humility; But, having got exalted conquests, he fell into pride; envied the successful, godly, and brave young man ‘David’, and intended to get rid of him at any price, even at the expense of the whole nation; to become a serious example of what the believer should not be, particularly he who is in the position of leadership. David, on the other hand, seemingly young with the spirit of godliness, although having, himself, serious faults, that might seem more serious than those in which Saul fell, yet the difference between the two persons were: 1- While Saul’s center of thoughts has been his temporal success, his conquest over his enemies, gathering around himself mighty men of valor, to gain popularity for himself; David’s center of thoughts, on the other hand, was God Himself as the Leader of his life, and of the whole people. He was only preoccupied with being in the presence of God, praising, glorifying, and giving Him thanks, day and night. 2- While with every fall into sin or fault, all what preoccupied Saul’s mind was to cover up his shortcomings before the people, lest he would lose his popularity; the treatment of the fault was therefore more serious and worse than the fault itself; David on the other hand, with every fault he did, he used every night to flood his bed with his tears. And his response to every chastisement was “May the Lord do whatever is right in His eyes”, That is why, despite the seriousness of his sins, he and never surrendered to despair. He was the ideal saint, not on account of that he did no sin, but on that with every sin he commits, he experienced the mercy of the Lord even in His chastisements however harsh they might seem. 3- While Saul sought mighty men of valor, not to the account of the glory of God and the kingdom of heaven, but to his own account. David, on the other hand, as God was the goal of his whole life, he drew to himself the mighty men of valor, even those of the kinsmen of Saul, his tribe, or his men; who readily and through their own free will forsook Saul and joined David. 4- While Worship for Saul was mere formalities, to do, even forcing himself on priesthood; For David, on the other hand, even in his battles and his relationship with other nations, he was only preoccupied with the dwelling of God among His people. 5- While Saul’s heart, not preoccupied with the unity of Israel, there was nothing that would keep him from dedicating all his energies and those of the military leaders, to kill David and those around him. David, on the other hand, never stretched his hand to harm Saul and his sons. And with the spirit of love and unity, he gathered together all Israel, not around himself, but around God working in him. 6- In his last days, David did not talk about his conquests and his heroic works, but he exhorted the leaders and the people to contribute to building the house of the Lord, which the Lord, not allowing him to build, promised him that it will be realized by the hands of his son Solomon. Such a spirit was never found in Saul’s mind, heart, or plans. Was the first book of the chronicles written to defend David? Together with the care of the two books of the chronicles for king David and his royal descendants; as though that was the main subject of the two books, Yet they were not intended to defend David’s royal throne; but to introduce David the king, on the aspect of worship more than that that of royalty. It is as though David’s main role has been the ministry to the temple which he desired to build himself, more than his service to the royal household. The care of the two books of the chronicles for David and his seed was, therefore, a care for the sanctification of the people of God, as His worshippers. Why did God allow for the dissention of the kingdom and for the captivation of the people? Some wander: 1- Why did God allow for the dissension of the kingdom into two kingdoms: Northern and Southern; And why did David’s throne lose 10 tribes? 2- Why Does God, sometimes, allow for some of the evil kings to have a long life, and consequently an extended reign? 3- Why did God allow Assyria to captivate the Northern Kingdom, and Babylon to captivate the Southern kingdom? 4- Why did God allow for the desolation of the temple of Solomon and His city Jerusalem? To such wanders and the likes, that come into the minds of many, the books of the chronicles answer in an indirect way; saying: a- God, not intending to move humanity as pieces of chess, but giving man the great divine gift of the freedom of will, He does not commit the wicked to walk according of what is befitting of them as God’s creation. b- With the corruption of the people, God allowed for the dissension, to let the two kingdom taste the bitterness of evil, dissension, and hatred, in the hope that they would eventually return to Him. c- Amid that dissension, evil prevailed upon the Northern kingdom during the reign of all its kings, as it also did, sometimes, in the Southern kingdom. Yet there was for God, a holy few who chose to be attached to Him. So we hear about the Levites and the priests who fled from among the tribes of the Northern kingdom, to Jerusalem, together with godly men of some tribes, to the kingdom of Judah. At the same time, as His grace would never cease to work for those who seek it and respond to it, the prophet said to king Asa: “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (2 Chronicles 16: 9). And another prophet said to Jehoshaphat: “Good things are found in you, in that you have removed the wooden images from the land, and have prepared your heart to seek God” (2 Chronicles 19: 3); And about the good kings of Judah, it was said that “they did what was right in the sight of the Lord” (2 Chronicles 29: 2; 34: 2). d- If the mutual fault of Jeroboam and Rehoboam has led to the dissension of the kingdom, and for the people to walk in evil, The two kingdoms ended up into captivity; Neither one of them would boast on the other; for both have lost their identity, to come to be one kingdom, together with the Gentiles, by the coming of the Son of David, who set all free of corruption. e- God did not forsake the two kingdom without care, as He, in all eras, set prophets to proclaim repentance and the return to Him. ------------------- AN INTRODUCTION TO THE FIRST BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES DAVID, A KING, AND A MAN OF WORSHIP The first book of the chronicles among the divine books: The Holy Book started by the book of Genesis, where we see God Himself preoccupied with the creation of man, not by saying a word, as He did when He created the light, saying: “Let there be light, and there was light” (Genesis 1: 3)), But He prepared the whole universe for His beloved king and queen to come; namely, for Adam and Eve, to live in the garden of Eden, planted by the Lord (Genesis 2: 8). Man fell and collapsed; Yet God’s love for him did not. Preparing salvation for him, God set of his seed a people He called “the people of God”, that enjoyed freedom from servitude, as it came in the book of Exodus. Intending for His people to be holy as He is Holy, God presented the way of holiness through the sacrifice, the priest, and the commandment, as shown in the book of Leviticus. He made the life of humanity in this world a journey in the wilderness “the book of Numbers”; yet an enjoyable one, on account of that it was in the company of the Lord Himself and under His care, despite the arrogance and continuous grumbling of His people. At the entrance of the promised land, a symbol of the heavenly Canaan, the prophet Moses proclaims God’s longing for humanity to be in friendship with their Savior “The book of Deuteronomy”. With Joshua, the symbol of Jesus Christ, humanity enjoys, not the promised land, but the eternal inheritance “The book of Joshua”. But the people of God, in their weakness, resisting and rebelling, to fall every now and then under chastisement; to be humiliated by violent heathen nations, oppressive of the divine Truth; God sends to them judges to save them from their adversaries “The book of Judges”. Amid such atmosphere of corruption there were holy examples commended by God, like Ruth, Boaz, and Naomi; (the Book of Ruth), worthy of having the Word of God come incarnate from her offspring. The people of God, intending to out- run the time, insisted on having a king like the other nations, in whose greatness, riches, and beauty, to boast; even if he is violent, and abusive of his people like Saul (The first book of Samuel). Not to forsake His people under the cruelty of a violent king, God sent to them a king according to His own heart (David) – (The second book of Samuel). Then came Solomon the son of that righteous king, to seek the wisdom from God; but, unfortunately, not persisting on walking in it, he surrendered to his evil desires, and fell into marrying heathen women who drew him to idol-worship. The fruit of his behavior was the dissension of the kingdom, and the collapse of the two kingdoms (Israel and Judah) (The first and second books of the chronicles). Now, as the people were allowed by God to return from captivity; and Ezra the scribe and priest led the second batch of them back to Jerusalem, he wrote for us the two books of the chronicles. The goal of the first book of the chronicles: This book came to bring us back to our first father Adam, then to set forth with us along the generations, to present to us the genealogy, not as a concise parade of history since the creation of Adam, but to provide us with the following facts: 1- God will never forget the believers: Man may feel bored by reading the names of persons most of whom he knows nothing about. History may forget men, and may only recall their names, and not even all of them; Nevertheless God will forget none of them, but will write down the names of His believers who partake of His heavenly glories. They are inscribed on God’s palm, recorded in His book, and kept in His heart. How much will be our happiness when we encounter on the clouds billions of billions from every nation, tongue, and race, all bearing the reflection of the splendor of the Lord, not to have their faces become radiant like that of the prophet Moses (Exodus 34: 29), but to become ourselves light; to see one another the icon of Christ, the Savior of mankind. Each of us would represent beauty that could not be separated from the beauty of the church of Christ, gathered together from Adam to the end of time. Writing down this genealogy in the divine book, calls us to enjoy the divine grace, and to persist with the spirit, to have a place in the heavenly church. Following up the royal genealogy, the author rebuked king Saul on his hatred even against David who saved him and his people from the mighty Goliath. He disregarded the northern kingdom for their dissention from the kingdom of David and his descendants, to proclaim that the persistence upon arrogance, oppression against God, and rejection of the divine commandment, would deny man of the eternal inheritance. Not giving a record of the whole history. the book did not mention David’s weaknesses; for the they were forgiven through repentance, and there is no more mention of them in eternity. Recording these names represent a call to give thanks to God on His works in the past with our godly ancestors, who delivered to us the deposit of faith, to experience God’s dealings, grace, and gifts, and to walk with faithfulness in order to deliver it to the generations to come. 2- It makes the believer recognize his true position in life: This book presents to us a magnificent portrait of the life of the believer, being a man of God, of authority, and of a fellowship with the King of kings. The book concentrated on the person of David, successful in every thing, for God was with him. This book calls us to recognize our true position, being the privileged creation, that bears the image and the likeness of God; It calls us to practice our authority given to us by Him who loves us more than any other creation; and to recognize our position and place in the bosom of the Father. The main personalities in the book: 1- David, the king We may say that the book cared to show the person of David and victories. Its key came to be: “David perceived that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, for his kingdom was highly exalted because of His people Israel” (1 chronicles 14: 2). It is as though the goal of our whole history is setting the heavenly church of Christ, not just being one nation, but “the household of God” (Ephesians 2: 19), that embraces members of all peoples, nations, and tongues; not under the care of David the king, but in the bosom of the Son of David, the heavenly Groom, the King of kings and the Lord of lords (Revelation 17: 14; 19: 16). “If we are faithless, He remains faithful” (2 Timothy 2: 13); and His divine promise will be realized when his divine glory is transfigured upon His beautiful church, the object of admiration of the heavenlies. If sin cause dissension of the kingdom, God allowed for the captivation to bring the people back as one nation. Setting forth from this world, In eternity, we shall encounter all as one nation, and an undivided eternal kingdom, where all will enjoy the one Christ, our eternal Head. 2- Solomon the sage: David longed to build a temple for the Lord; but denying him his wish, God granted him to contribute to the preparation of the building of the temple, the organization of the priests, the Levites, and the system of worship; so that his son Solomon would build the temple. God seeks from us to work with His grace as much as we could, and to rejoice that the work will be consummated by our brethren or children. The tabernacle of meeting was set in the midst of the camp, to proclaim the dwelling of God among His people. The temple, was built as the center of the true worship; particularly in celebrating the daily worship (the morning and the evening services); the weakly feasts (the Sabbaths); the monthly, the annual, the Sabbath of Sabbaths (every seven years), and the Jubilee (every 50 years). It is as though the temple represents the throne of God who grants the blessed and joyful life, on the daily, weakly, monthly, annual, and Jubilee level. It is an invitation to enjoy the deposit of the exultant heaven. 3- The priests and the Levites: The book cared to record the appointment of the priests and the Levites to lead the people in worshipping the true God, according to the system set by God. Then the Word of God came incarnate to offer Himself a Sacrifice for the sake of the whole world, and to be a High Priest on a heavenly level, to intercede for us by His blood before the Father. 4- Hiram, king of Tyre: The two books of the chronicles refer to the care, not just to open the door of faith before the Gentiles, but to exhort them to preach and to work to the account of the kingdom of God. The two books referred to the fact that the house of God is open before all mankind. The first book of the chronicles ended by the death of David “in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honor” (1 Chronicles 29: 28); preoccupied, even in his last moments, with nothing else but the preparation for building the temple, and the worship of God in it. The location of the building was chosen, beside its contents, the system of worship in it; and gathering together all its material requirements . The main task of David was to see the people of God enjoy a worship that bears the shadow of the heavenlies, and to walk according to the divine law. Then the second book of the chronicles starts by talking about Solomon the sage, who seemed as though had no other preoccupation than realizing the heart-desire of his father. We see him open the door before ‘Hiram’ king of Tyre to contribute practically to the building; to confirm that the door of faith is open before the Gentiles, with the incarnation of the Head of the household, the Word of God; Then the queen of Sheba came to hear and to marvel at the wisdom of Solomon; as a symbol of the church of the Gentiles in the new covenant. + The way Solomon sought from Hiram, king of tyre, to cut the wood and stones from Lebanon, to float them in rafts by sea, to the site of the building; The Lord Christ, after receiving the Jews (the wood), and the Gentiles (the stones) from the forests of non-belief, sends them over to the site of the builders of the temple, not to be built by human hands. (St. (Mar) Ephraim the Syrian) The main locations in the book: After providing us with the genealogies from the beginning of the creation of man, up to the return from captivity (1 Chronicles 1-9); recording the death of Saul, who denied himself and his descendants the throne of Israel; and starting to record the era of David and his descendants, as a symbol of the royal kingdom, the first book of the chronicles cared to mention the locations bound to the life of king David: 1- Hebron: Where David was anointed by the hand of the prophet Samuel according to a divine command (1 Samuel 16: 13). But he did not start his reign until the leaders of Israel proclaimed him a king in Hebron (1 Chronicles 11: 1-3). 2- Jerusalem: David took over Jerusalem and made it the capital of his kingdom (1 Chronicles 11: 4- 12; 20); It became “the city of David” (2 Samuel 5: 9); was even called “the city of God”; And heaven was counted as “Jerusalem above, which is the mother of us all” (Galatians 4: 26). 3- Kirjath Jearim: After the Philistines captured the ark of God in war, they brought it over to Kirjath Jearim (1 Samuel4-6). When David failed to move it to Jerusalem, because the way he moved it was not according to the commands of God, he left it in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite, until he came to know the sound way to move it (1 Chronicles 13: 1-14). 4- Tyre: Hiram, king of Tyre sent laborers and building materials to build the house of David. 5- Baal Peracim: When the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over all Israel, they went up to attack him, in retaliation for killing one of their mighty men (Goliath) in the days of Saul (1 Samuel 17). On their way to Jerusalem, David defeated them in Baal Peracim twice; “his fame went out into all lands, and the Lord brought the fear of him upon all nations” (1 Chronicles 14: 11-17). After that battle, David moved the ark of God to Jerusalem with a great celebration (1 Chronicles 15: 1 – 17: 17). Then he spent the rest of his days preparing for building the temple and organizing the worship of God. The two books of the chronicles reveal the steadfastness and the goal of God’s planning. Even when it so seem that desolation has prevailed on all, He grants us rest in the Lord and comfort along all eras. God’s plan for the (catholic) church, as well as for every believer will never fail as long as we believe in Him, and trust in His work in us. If it so seem that the first book of the chronicles is a repetition of what came in the first and the second books of Samuel; And it so seem that the second book of the chronicles is a repetition of what came in the first and the second books of the kings; Yet the two books of the chronicles present a new and deep portrait of what came in the books of Samuel and the kings. What came here represents the spiritual aspect of the events; while what came in Samuel and the kings represent their historical aspect. Yet the two books of the chronicles disregarded the painful episodes concerning Amnon, Absalom, Adonijah, and the perversion of Solomon. The divisions of the book: (1) The genealogies (1 Chronicles, Chapters 1 to 9): a- From Adam to Abraham (the fathers Patriarchs)1: 1-27 b- From Abraham to Israel 1: 28-45 c- The descendents of Israel: 1- Judah 2: 1-4: 23 2- Simeon 4: 24-43 3- Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh 5 4- Levi 6 5- Issachar 7: 6-12 6- Benjamin 7: 6-12 7- Naphtali 7: 13 8- Manasseh 7: 14-19 9- Ephraim 7: 20-29 10- Asher 7: 30-40 11- Benjamin 8 d- Those returning from captivity: 9: 1 – 34 e- Genealogies of Saul 9: 35 – 44 (2) The death of Saul (Chapter 10) (3) King David (Chapter 11-29) a- David’s army and followers 11 – 12 b- Moving the ark of God to Jerusalem 13 –16 c- David’s desire to build the temple 17 d- The conquests of David 18 – 20 e- The census of the people and the plague 21 f- The preparation for building the temple 22 – 26 g- The leaders of the army and the government 27 h- Delivering the task to Solomon 28 i- The celebration of offerings 29 ---------------------------- AN INSPIRATION FROM THE FIRST AND THE SECOND BOOKS OF THE CHRONICLES SET YOUR JOYFUL KINGDOM IN ME, O SON OF DAVID + How amazing is Your love and care for me, O my Savior. Whenever I meditate in Your book, I become amazed by Your care for me; Before creating us we were on Your mind, and in Your heart; What language can express Your plan for me? + Your incarnation was in Your ordinance the day you created Adam and Eve; You brought them into the Garden of Eden; while setting for us the paradise of joy; Billions of billions of people died and were forgotten; But You forget none of them all along the generations; The names of those who believed are inscribed on Your palms; And recorded in the book of life; And have a special place in Your bosoms. + History quickly passes on us; Let us stand for some moments before David Your servant; You testified to the purity of his heart and his attachment to You; Despite his serious and painful weaknesses; Yet, Your grace granted him tears by which to wet his bed every night; You incarnated from St. Mary, daughter of David; And You sat on Your throne in the hearts of believers. + Solomon built a house for You; And You granted him repentance after he perverted from Your way; He became a man of faith, received by You; Set out of me a temple for You, not made by human hand; Reign in me, O Lord of Solomon. + Carry me, O heavenly High Priest on Your hands; To bring me forth to the bosoms of Your Father; My whole inner being, move together with my senses; To Partake of Your praise by the heavenly choir; You make me a king, O King of kings, and Lord of lords. + You grant me the authority to trample on scorpions and serpents, and on all the hosts of darkness; By You I challenge the devil with all his hosts, and his evil works; By You I challenge the sin; For Your compassion is greater than my sin By You I challenge every tribulation and bitterness. + Grant me fountains of tears, the way You did to the sinful woman; Grant me that treasure, to draw from it, and present from to You. You grant me tears which I offer to You together with a sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise. + In the temple of Solomon, You set priests and Levites; To offer animal sacrifices and offerings of thanksgiving and praise; Let Your Holy Spirit sanctify my whole being; To make it a holy temple, and a new Golgotha; Through the dwelling of Your rightness in me, I will be sanctified by You, O Holy One; I find pleasure in Your commandments and Your statutes, and enjoy the sweet taste of Your word + Take away from me every perversion, right and left; To walk by, and in You, and to set forth toward You; I find pleasure in Your divine promises, in the midst of Your chastisements on me; And my soul exults by the works of Your love for all mankind.