After tracing the history of humankind from Adam to David, 1 & 2 Chronicles focus on the kingdom of David as God’s chosen people—and the responsibilities incumbent on them. The Chronicler’s prevailing emphases are where and how the people of Israel worship and the exclusivity of worshiping God alone. Even so, rites themselves are not sufficient. God deserves not only our worship and adoration but also our obedience. Moreover, for the author of 1 & 2 Chronicles, the Godappointed kings, priests, and prophets (plus soldiers and several wives) serve as both positive and negative examples of how fidelity to God affects later individuals and nations— and, in particular, the people of postexilic Judah. Through this ancient text, Christians can learn valuable lessons about authentic worship and heartfelt obedience.
Paul L. Redditt is Emeritus Professor of Religion at Georgetown College and taught part-time at the Baptist Seminary of Kentucky. He earned his BA from Ouachita Baptist University (1963), MDiv from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (1967), and MA and PhD from Vanderbilt University (1971, 1972). During his time at Vanderbilt, he studied one year at the Eberhard Karls University in Tübingen, Germany. He has published extensively on the Minor Prophets (particularly Joel, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi) and on the book of Daniel and apocalyptic literature. Given the temporal connections between those biblical books and 1 & 2 Chronicles, he has long held an academic interest in that literature as well.
After tracing the history of humankind from Adam to David, 1 & 2 Chronicles focus on the kingdom of David as God’s chosen people—and the responsibilities incumbent on them. The Chronicler’s prevailing emphases are where and how the people of Israel worship and the exclusivity of worshiping God alone. Even so, rites themselves are not sufficient. God deserves not only our worship and adoration but also our obedience. Moreover, for the author of 1 & 2 Chronicles, the Godappointed kings, priests, and prophets (plus soldiers and several wives) serve as both positive and negative examples of how fidelity to God affects later individuals and nations— and, in particular, the people of postexilic Judah. Through this ancient text, Christians can learn valuable lessons about authentic worship and heartfelt obedience.
Paul L. Redditt is Emeritus Professor of Religion at Georgetown College and taught part-time at the Baptist Seminary of Kentucky. He earned his BA from Ouachita Baptist University (1963), MDiv from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (1967), and MA and PhD from Vanderbilt University (1971, 1972). During his time at Vanderbilt, he studied one year at the Eberhard Karls University in Tübingen, Germany. He has published extensively on the Minor Prophets (particularly Joel, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi) and on the book of Daniel and apocalyptic literature. Given the temporal connections between those biblical books and 1 & 2 Chronicles, he has long held an academic interest in that literature as well.
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