Chronicles is written as a “pep talk” to a new generation of the people of God. It’s filled with inspirational stories of God’s directing, empowering, and ongoing work through His chosen nation, as well as dreadful warnings to not repeat the sins of the past.
The books of First and Second Kings open with the building of the Temple and close with the burning of the Temple. The nation God established has been uprooted and erased from the map!
Interestingly, the only example given of Solomon’s wisdom is the story of dividing a child between the two prostitutes. In First Kings, Israel prostitutes itself to false idols, and God seems to be making the same judgment.
In Second Samuel, we see King David go from the golden age of righteousness when Israel was invincible, to the dark ages of unrighteousness, when he was conquered by sin.
At a time when Israel (as a nation) was routinely turning from God to idols, this Gentile woman from an accursed nation turns from her idols to serve the living, true God. .
Seven times in the book of Judges, we see Israel repeat a pattern: They drift away from God, become oppressed, repent, pray for deliverance, and then are given a hero, also known as a judge.
700 years have passed since God’s covenant with Abraham/Abram to give his descendents the Land of Canaan. And now, the time has come for this promise to be fulfilled through an almost 90-year-old Joshua.
