Reading Second Chronicles

When it comes to First and Second Kings, and First and Second Chronicles, the similarities are striking. Especially with Second Chronicles, the stories are almost identical to First and Second Kings. And while First Chronicles really focuses on genealogies, there are similarities in that book as well.

Because the books are so similar, the question that arises is why we have books in the Bible that are almost identical. Essentially, the same story and same history is repeated. Overlap is created, and a strong relationship is built. But the question arises is why? What is the purpose of having two books that include much of the same material?

I believe there are at least a few reasonable answers to that question. The first would be for historical proof. These books were clearly written by different authors and most likely at different times as well. The traditional belief is that Ezra wrote both books of Chronicles after the Babylonian Captivity of Jerusalem, and Jeremiah wrote both books of Kings before the Babylonian Captivity. Basically, the fact that two people could write two different accounts of the same period of history and have all the facts match up so closely is amazing. Just like in a law court when two eyewitnesses will condemn someone, to have two people write accounts of the same events builds a stronger case for that historical event.

The second reason for having two books with almost the same material is that each serves a different purpose. Each author wrote their separate book with a certain purpose in mind. Kings seems to set out to provide a more comprehensive picture of history, while Chronicles is selective. Therefore, while the picture of the same events is similar, they come from a different perspective.

I've always found this useful, especially with the four gospels. Having four different accounts of many of the same stories could prove to be boring, but with the unique flair that each author adds, a more well rounded picture of the story is presented.

This does bring up the interesting doctrine of inspiration as well. So far in school, I've taken two theology courses, that have really helped to clarify this issue. Inspiration states that God divinely inspired each human author to write their books that are included in the Bible. It does not mean that God forced each word out of the human vessel. Rather, the author was able to put their own style into their writings, making it a partnership work between God and man.