INTRODUCTION
In a study of the Old Testament we usually lump the books above together with Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, and 1 and 2 Kings to form the section of Scripture we refer to the Old Testament Historical books. Within this group of books 1 and 2 Chronicles is quite often overlooked as there is much, as we see it, duplicate material with 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings. While this is somewhat true, a proper background and perspective for these writings will do much to enhance our understanding and hopefully pick our interest in looking into these books.
A Combined high-level outline of 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther should help us to see the overall timeline and purpose of these books:
I. THE GENEALOGIES FROM ADAM TO DAVID (1 Chr. 1:1-9:44)
II. THE HISTORY OF KING DAVID (1 Chr. 10:1-29:30)
III. THE HISTORY OF KING SOLOMON (2 Chr. 1:1-9:31)
IV. THE HISTORY OF THE KINGS OF JUDAH (2 Chr. 10:1-36:23)
V. THE FIRST RETURN OF THE EXILES (Ezra 1:1-2:70)
VI. THE RESTORATION OF THE WORSHIP OF JEHOVAH (Ezra 3:1-6:22)
VII. THE ACCOUNT OF ESTHER (Est. 1:-10:3)
VIII. THE SECOND RETURN UNDER EZRA (Ezra 7:1-10:44)
IX. THE RESTORATION OF THE CITY WALLS (Neh. 1:1-7:73)
X. THE REFORMS OF EZRA AND NEHEMIAH (Neh. 8:1-13:31)
Leaning upon this outline and the overall theme for our study, “Israel’s Postexilic History: Preparing for the Arrival of the Messiah,” we can begin to set the stage for these books. The children Israel—the southern kingdom, Judah—has been in captivity for 70 years. There has been no Temple worship; there have been no sacrifices; the people are in need of being reminded of who they are.
Harrison, in his Introduction to the Old Testament says, “the two books of Chronicles comprise a history of the Hebrew people from Adam to the time of Cyrus, paralleling the writings from Genesis to Kings, with Ezra and Nehemiah as a conclusion.”[1]
Setting the stage
The periods just before the exile: the Divided Kingdom and Judah Alone. During and marking the end of the period of the Divided Kingdom in 722 B.C. the northern kingdom, Israel, was defeated by the Assyrians and taken into captivity. Thanks to God’s intervention, Judah was not taken by the Assyrians (2 Chr. 32:21; 2 Kin. 19:35-37; Isa. 37:36). However, the Babylonian Kingdom arises to take over the Assyrian Kingdom, and beginning with the first carrying away in 606 B.C. Judah was taken into captivity for 70 years. The three carryings away: 606 B.C – Daniel; 597 B.C. – Ezekiel; 586 B.C. Jeremiah and the Destruction of Jerusalem and the temple.
The Babylonians fall to the rising power of the Medo-Perisan empire in 538 B.C. under Cyrus. Cyrus in 536 B.C. – now think for a moment if we take that first carrying away of 606 B.C. and subtract 70 from it we come up with the year 536 B.C., 70 years after the exile began physically – issues a decree that allows the Jews (as well as other captive states, but we see God’s hand in the deliberate actions) to return home from the exile.
It is profound though that just as the Jews were carried away from Judah in three waves, they (along with their brothers from the northern kingdom, though not as an independent state) return home to semi-independence in three waves:
· In 536 B.C. Zerubbabel leads a group back to rebuild the temple. This work is completed in 516 B.C. It is worth noting that this could be the end of the captivity spiritually as the temple was destroyed in 586 B.C, 70 years later its rebuilding is completed in 516 B.C.
· In 455 B.C. Ezra leads a group back to fully institute the temple worship and Jewish practices in Jerusalem.
· In 444 B.C. Nehemiah leads a third group back to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
In the final scene for the stage of these books we see Esther and those Jews that chose not to return to Judah. These have established lives in what was to be their temporary homes and they chose to stay. The book of Esther shows us that God did not forget those that stayed and in fact we may see His providence in that this begins to give the basis for the spreading of the gospel long into the future, since if every Jew had returned from their exile, where then would the synagogues that Paul and others used so effectively to spread the gospel have been?
The Time Periods Covered
These books cover events in the Patriarchal and Mosaic Ages (ca. 4004 B.C. – 430 B.C.).
· The Patriarchal Age of Scripture covers from ca. 4004 B.C. (the Creation) until ca. 1445 B.C. with the Law of Moses being delivered.
· The Mosaic Age covers from the delivery of the Law (ca. 1445 B.C.) until the arrival of the church on the Day of Pentecost ca. A.D. 30.
Within in the concept shown on the PowerPoint slides it covers:
· The Creation – Abraham (ca. 4004 B.C.—2166 B.C.) {Patriarchal Age}
· Abraham to the Sojourn in Egypt (ca. 2166 B.C.—1526 B.C. [the birth of Moses]) {Patriarchal Age}
· Moses and the Exodus (ca. 1526 B.C.—1406 B.C.) {Patriarchal Age->Mosaic Age}
· The Conquest and the Judges (ca. 1406 B.C.—1051 B.C.) {Mosaic Age}
· The United Kingdom (ca. 1051 B.C.—931 B.C.) {Mosaic Age}
· The Divided Kingdom (ca. 931 B.C.—586 B.C.) {Mosaic Age}
· The Exile and Return to Jerusalem (ca. 586 B.C.—430 B.C.) {Mosaic Age}
In the accepted 15 periods of Biblical History the following are covered; see the information in [ ] to correlate to the PowerPoint breakdowns:
· Ante-Diluvian Period—From Adam to the Flood (ca. 4004 B.C.—2348 B.C.) [The Creation] {Patriarchal Age}
· Post-Diluvian Period—From the Flood to the call of Abraham (ca. 2348 B.C.—1921 B.C.) [Abraham to the Sojourn in Egypt] {Patriarchal Age}
· Abrahamic or Patriarchal Period—From the call of Abraham to the Egyptian Bondage (ca. 1921 B.C.—1706 B.C.) [Abraham to the Sojourn in Egypt] {Patriarchal Age}
· Bondage in Egypt—From the enslaving of Israel to the Exodus (ca. 1921 B.C.—1446 B.C.) [Abraham to the Sojourn in Egypt] [Moses and the Exodus] {Patriarchal Age}
· Wilderness Wanderings—From the Exodus out of Egypt to the entry into Canaan (ca. 1446 B.C.—1406 B.C.) [Moses and the Exodus] {Mosaic Age}
· Conquest of Canaan—From the entry into Canaan to the Period of the Judges (ca. 1406 B.C.—1383 B.C.) [The Conquest and the Judges] {Mosaic Age}
· The Period of the Judges—From the Judges to the United Kingdom (ca. 1383 B.C.—1051 B.C.) [The Conquest and the Judges] {Mosaic Age}
· The United Kingdom—From Saul through Solomon (ca. 1051 B.C.—931 B.C.) [The United Kingdom] {Mosaic Age}
· The Divided Kingdom—From the division of the kingdom to the fall of Israel (ca. 931 B.C.—722 B.C.) [The Divided Kingdom] {Mosaic Age}
· Judah Alone—From the fall of Israel to the fall of Judah (ca. 722 B.C.—586 B.C.) [The Divided Kingdom] {Mosaic Age}
· Babylonian Captivity—From the fall of Judah to the return to Jerusalem (ca. 586 B.C—536 B.C.) [The Exile and Return to Jerusalem] {Mosaic Age}
· Restoration of the Jews—From the return to Jerusalem to the end of the Old Testament (ca. 536 B.C.—430 B.C.) [The Exile and Return to Jerusalem] {Mosaic Age}
ONE LINE THEME FOR EACH BOOK
1 Chronicles: The Preparation for the Temple
2 Chronicles: The Destruction of the Temple
Ezra: The Reconstruction of the Temple
Nehemiah: The Reconstruction of the City
Esther: The Protection of the People
INTRODUCTION TO 1 AND 2 CHRONICLES
Originally a single volume—Chronicles—the “books” were divided during translation from Hebrew to Greek in the Septuagint. Originally titled with the Septuagint, “The Things Omitted,” suggesting that they contained additional information and were supplemental to Samuel and Kings. This suggestion however is not absolute. It is true that the books do contain additional information, but they were written at a far different time and for a far different purpose as we shall see.
Author and Date
Like the other historical books, Chronicles does not specify the name of its author. Internal evidence points to a period between 450 and 425 b.c. as its time of composition. It is quite possible that the Talmudic tradition (Baba Bathra, 15a) is correct in assigning the authorship to Ezra. As the chief architect of the spiritual and moral revival of the Second Commonwealth, he would have had every incentive to produce a historical survey of this sort. As a Levite from the priestly line, his viewpoint would have been in perfect agreement with that of the author of this work, and he would be very apt to lay the stress just where the Chronicler has. It is pertinent to note that there was embodied in 2 Macc. 2:13–15 a tradition that Governor Nehemiah owned a considerable library: “He, founding a library, gathered together the books about the kings and prophets, and the books of David and letters of the kings about sacred gifts.” If Nehemiah did possess such a sizable collection of reference works, it might very well be that his close collaborator, Ezra, would have had ready access to these reference works and used them in the compilation of Chronicles.[2]
Purpose
The books of Chronicles contain lists of genealogies in the first seven chapters of I Chronicles which go back to the very beginning and proceed through the times of the Babylonian captivity. There is a brief section in I Chronicles 9:1-34 which describes the re-establishment of ancient inheritances after the return from the Captivity, The primary content from I Chronicles 9:35 to the conclusion of II Chronicles has to do with the history of the kingdom of Judah to the time of the Captivity and the restoration. There is a considerable body of material recorded only in the Books of Chronicles. The same is true with regard to the Books of Samuel and Kings. There are many parallel accounts in the books of Chronicles and Kings.
The materials in the books of Chronicles were not designed merely to supplement the other historical records. The author concerns himself with the great tribe of Judah. It is estimated that five-sixths of the entire work is devoted exclusively to the history of Judah. Much attention is given to the Temple, her priests and services. Looking to the re-establishment of God’s people after the Captivity and return, the books of Chronicles formed an authoritative reference with regard to the Temple, territorial assignments, and civil service. These books formed “the charter of the reconstruction of a shattered kingdom on its proper historical basis.”[3]
Simply put, Chronicles resets the nation of promise into a remembrance of its sole purpose: the bringing of the Messiah, the Christ, into the world. The books cover history from circa 4004 B.C. (the creation) to 971 B.C. (the death of David) in 1 Chronicles, and then from 971 B.C. (the rise of Solomon) to 536 B.C. (the decree of Cyrus) in 2 Chronicles.
INTRODUCTION TO EZRA
The books of Chronicles end with the children of Israel in captivity and the proclamation from Cyrus for their release (2 Chr. 36:22-23) and Ezra opens with this same proclamation (Ezra 1:1-3). What a beautiful way in which these books then are joined to create a picture for this nation returning from exile of where they have been to where they are going. The self titled Ezra and its companion Nehemiah were originally a single volume.
The theme of this composite book is a record of the reconstruction of the Hebrew theocracy upon the physical and spiritual foundations of the past. As God protected His remnant from the hatred of external foes, so also He delivered them from the insidious corruption of the false brethren within the commonwealth.
Author and Date
“Ezra is a man of no small stature among the heroes of the Old Testament, His name itself means ‘Help,’ We may reflect on the number of ways in which he ‘helped’ his people.”[5]
On the assumption that Artaxerxes mentioned in Ezra 7:1 was Artaxerxes I Longimanus, Ezra’s arrival at Jerusalem must have occurred in about 457 B.C. (the seventh year of the king, Ezra 7:8). Thus Ezra’s career at Jerusalem commenced twelve years before that of Nehemiah, who did not come until the twentieth year, or about 445 B.C. Ezra himself undoubtedly wrote most of the book named after him. (Note the use of I in Ezra 7–10.) But he evidently incorporated into the final edition the personal memoirs of Nehemiah (i.e., the book of Nehemiah) including even his form of the list of returnees. Using Nehemiah’s library facilities, Ezra probably composed Chronicles during this same period.
The book traces events beginning in 536 B.C., when Cyrus of Persia instituted procedures for Israel’s return from Captivity under the Babylonians, whom Cyrus had defeated in 538. Ezra is introduced in the narrative at chapter 7:1. According to E. J. Young, this sets the date of the writing of the book during the reign of Artaxerxes I (465-424 B.C.). The events in the book fit into two time slots: The first, identified with Israel’s return from Captivity, and the second following a gap of more than seventy years. The returned captives, small in number and still disheartened, are having a struggle, and Ezra accompanies another band of the returnees (7:7) to help bring encouragement and to assist in re-establishing the institutions of the Law of Moses.[7]
Purpose
Ezra wrote the first 6 chapters for much the same reason that he wrote the Chronicles—to demonstrate the faithfulness of God to His obedient children. Chapters 7 and 8 likewise stress God’s great blessings on the obedient. Chapters 9-10 show the need to deal with problems that happen within the Lord’s people in the Lord’s way. The children of Israel were not to intermarry with those round about them—yet what has happened?
INTRODUCTION TO NEHEMIAH
The book of Nehemiah records the reconstruction of Jerusalem, especially her walls. Matched with Ezra (and having been treated as one book in the original Hebrew Bible—see Introduction to Ezra) these books provide an account of the religious and political in Judah during the return of the children of Israel from captivity in Babylon.
Author and Date
See the section on Ezra.
Purpose
Chapters 1-7 deal with rebuilding the wall; 8-12 deal with the reading of the law and the pledge of faithfulness; and chapter 13 lists some problems and the solutions—how the problems were dealt with.
INTRODUCTION TO ESTHER
The book of Esther fits chronologically between Ezra 6 and 7. It is an amazing account of God’s providential protection of the Jews who did not return from the captivity. No other book in the Bible teaches the providence of God as forcibly as the book of Esther. The providence of God preserving the Jews through Esther is no more astonishing than that predicted (Dan. 2:20-23) and recorded in the life of Daniel. God’s providence is over all things.
The Book of Esther, in the Hebrew Bible, is the last of the five Megilloth. The Megilloth (literally, the word means, rolls or scrolls) is a group of writings (Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther) which are used in the Jewish liturgical year. Song of Solomon is read at Passover (first month); Ruth is read at Pentecost (third month); Lamentations is read in the fifth month (Ab); Ecclesiastes is read at the Feast of Tabernacles (seventh month); and Esther is read at the Feast of Purim (twelfth month).[8]
Author and Date
Quite simply, we do not know who the author was. The name Esther is probably from Ishtar, a Persian or Akkadian word meaning, star (Venus). Jewish rabbinical tradition (Bava Betra-a part of the Talmud) says: ''… the man of the Great Synagogue wrote … the roll of Esther." Others (including Josephus and Ibn Ezra) attribute the authorship of the book to Mordecai, Esther's uncle. We just do not know with any certainty who wrote this book. The author was probably a Persian Jew. Familiarity with Persian life and customs forces that conclusion. The author of this book made use of some of Mordecai's writings (9:20), the official records of the kings of Media and Persia (2:23; 10:2), and probably the eyewitness accounts preserved through oral tradition.
The book was evidently written after the death of Ahasuerus (Xerxes). We set this date because 10:2 implies that the official state history of the reign of Ahasureus had already been written when the book of Esther was composed. Ahasureus died by assassination in 465 B.C. Scholars have pointed to the absence of any traces of Greek influence either in language or thought as evidence that the book of Esther may not be dated any later than 330 B.C. While on the other hand, the intimate and exact knowledge of Persian culture of the fifth century B.C. indicates the most likely date to be somewhere between 460-450 B.C.[9]
Purpose
The main theme is the providential protection of God for His people, even those who did not return from exile. The grave danger that faced them at the hands of Haman (Est. 1-4) was triumphantly overcome by the great deliverance wrought through Esther (Est. 5-10). The result was the institution of the feast of Purim.
[1] Paul T. Butler. Esther in Bible Study Textbook Series. Joplin, MO: College Press, 1979.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Robert E. Black. The Books of Chronicles in Bible Study Textbook Series. Joplin, MO: College Press, 1991.
[4] Gleason Leonard Archer, A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, 3rd. ed.]. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1998), 456.
[5] Ruben Ratzlaff, Ezra and Nehemiah in Bible Study Textbook Series. Joplin, MO: College Press, 1979.
[6] Gleason Leonard Archer, A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, 3rd. ed.]. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1998), 457.
[7] Ruben Ratzlaff, Ezra and Nehemiah in Bible Study Textbook Series. Joplin, MO: College Press, 1979.
[8] Harrison, Ronald K., Introduction to tbe Old Testament, Wm. B. Eerdman’s Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Mich., 1969, p. 1152.
[9] Gleason Leonard Archer, A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, 3rd. ed.]. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1998), 450.
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