2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles was a little easier to read than the parts of 1 and 2 Kings that it  parallels: for one, the writer just recounts the history of the kings of Judah with little mention of the kings of Israel (except for when they argue or battle with one another!)

The first half of the book is about Solomon's reign, particularly the building of the temple. There's the famous promise of God to Solomon in 2 Chronicles 7 after the dedication of the temple: "If my people will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." There's a Michael Card song about that promise, the words almost ver batim, and until now, I never knew the context of it. (Lord, forgive me for not getting into your word until so late in life!)

After that, the writer jumps right into the kings of Judah! History is a little kinder to them; after 70 years, they don't seem as evil. Over and over the Lord stresses to the kings that if they seek him (the Lord), he will be found. The lesson over and over is one of consequences: if you don't obey God and if you worship idols, you will pay dearly! You get the feeling that the book's purpose is to pump up the Israelites who have just returned from exile. It's as if the writer is gently prodding them to avoid a similar fate!

Unfortunately, I still couldn't tell you all the kings' names even after reading about them twice by now. Maybe the more I read these books, the more familiar everyone will become. (At least there is a lot of repetition in the Bible!)

Tally Ho! On to Ezra! I'm hoping to finish the Bible by my birthday.