The Books of 1 & 2 Chronicles were written for the Jewish remnant that returned to the Promised Land from Babylonian Exile (1Chronicles 9:1,2). It exclusively focuses on the Davidic kings of the southern kingdom of Judea. No mention is made of the apostate kings of the northern kingdom of Israel. These Books also pay special attention to the Jerusalem Temple.

We should not be surprised that in these Books, which were addressed to the post-exilic Jewish community, would focus on the Jerusalem Temple. When the Jewish people were constituted as a nation at Mt. Sinai, the LORD had called them to be His priests to the surrounding nations (Exodus 19:5,6). It was when Israel’s worship of the LORD had become compromised through idolatry that their communal life had become corrupted. Israel ended up reflecting the wicked behavior of the surrounding nations and not the holiness of their Covenant God. The purpose for their existence had been totally compromised.

Now that they were back in the Promised Land through a decree of the Persian King Cyrus, their God-given vocation to be a light unto the nations could only be recovered through proper worship of the LORD. The Jerusalem Temple, therefore, takes on great importance in the life of the retuning Jews. It would serve the purpose of unifying God’s people and teaching them to worship God acceptably.

Even though the retuning Jewish remnant have no actual Davidic king on a Jerusalem throne since they are a vassal state of Persia, they still have members of the davidic/messianic family with them. God’s promises to David’s descendants are still in play for the Israelites. This is why the Chronicler focuses so much on the Davidic kings of Judah. Judah was also the only tribe that had preserved the Divine ordinances of the Mosaic Covenant. The Chronicler’s focus on Judah teaches the replanted community of Jews that Israel, “unlike the other nations, has no destiny apart from God’s service.” In other words, Israel needs to be reminded that it does not just exist for itself. “It is the Divinely-appointed Priest of the nations.” Israel needs to be faithful to that calling.

In the same way, the Church does not exist for itself. We are called to be salt and light unto the nations (Mathew 5:13-16). The greatest need of the world is for a faithful Church and for Christians who are being true to their calling from God. In Christ’s love and service, Pastor John

Click here for tomorrow’s reading of 1 Chronicles 24:1 – 2 Chronicles 7:10.