BibleProject | One Story That Leads to Jesusનમૂનો

Try describing the Chronicles scroll in five words or less. “Didn’t we already read this?” “David: only the good stuff.” “Seriously, another list of names?”

This one works pretty well: “The whole TaNaK, only shorter.”

The opening genealogies in 1 Chronicles trace a biblical storyline from Adam to Saul, zipping through Genesis to Samuel in just nine chapters. Then it slows down to zoom in on King David, portraying in him the divinely appointed king-priest, God’s promised ruler to come. Then 2 Chronicles starts zipping through history once more, this time careening toward Israel’s exile.

Today’s journey transports us into what might be the brightest moment in Israel’s story so far.

The entire nation lives in unity under one ruler. People enjoy peace, security, and Edenic abundance under Solomon’s wise rule. As the crowning moment, Yahweh’s glorious presence fills the newly constructed temple. The whole country celebrates with two weeks of singing, feasting, and too many sacrifices to count. Almost too good to be true, the extravagance described celebrates something that was, while simultaneously envisioning something yet to come.

Chronicles is like a condensed version of the TaNaK, but it’s not the only Hebrew Bible book that does this. The book of Psalms retells the entire story of the Hebrew Bible, but through poetic form. Similar to our passage from Chronicles, today’s psalm envisions the high point of Israel’s history.

Psalm 72 sees the faithful and beautiful aspects of Solomon’s reign as a picture of God’s future messianic king. Psalm 72 is also the last poem of Book Two in the five-book Psalter—right before the tide turns and Israel’s peaceful era begins to darken in Book Three.

Watch the video to learn how the psalms’ design and arrangement work like an invitation for readers to immerse themselves in the whole biblical story.

Reflection Questions

• We may have passed the section of Chronicles about David, but he’s still playing an outsized role. How many mentions of David can you find in today’s reading? What might such repetition suggest about the chronicler’s perspective on Israel’s history?
• How does Psalm 72 describe the character and rule of Israel’s messianic king? Where did Solomon live up to these expectations? Where did he fall short?