GOD’S ECONOMY
SERIES THIRTEEN
GOD’S ECONOMY IN ALL THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE
God’s Economy as Revealed in the Old Testament
Message Twelve
God’s Economy as Revealed in Chronicles
Scripture Reading: 1 Chron. 1:1, 28, 2:1, 3, 3:4, 6:28 13:1-3, 30:7, 2 Chron. 33:13, Jer. 2:13, Rom. 3:20
I. The books of 1 and 2 Chronicles cover the genealogy of mankind from Adam to Abraham and the genealogy of God’s elect from Abraham to the family of Saul, and the history of Israel from Saul the king to Israel’s return from their captivity—1 Chron. 1:1, 2:1, 3. (Life-study of Chronicles, msg. 1)
II. The matter of the central thought of 1 and 2 Chronicles is very crucial—1:1, 28, 6:28, 2 Chron. 33:13: (Life-study of Chronicles, msg. 1)
A. The central thought is, first, to give us a full chronology of God’s move in man’s history—1 Chron. 1:1, 2:1, 3: (Life-study of Chronicles, msg. 1)
1. The central point of view in 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings is the chosen people of God, but in 1 and 2 Chronicles it is the entire race of mankind—1:1.
2. The chronology in 1 and 2 Chronicles indicates that God’s move in man’s history is to prepare the way for God to carry out His eternal economy in humanity by becoming a man that man may become God; This matter concerns not only the history of God’s elect, Israel, but also the history of the entire race of mankind—Matt. 3:3. (Life-study of Chronicles, msg. 1)
B. The central thought of 1 and 2 Chronicles is also to present to us some of the important details of God’s dealing with the kings of Judah—1 Chron. 2:3, 2 Chron. 20:15: (Life-study of Chronicles, msg. 1)
1. At the beginning of 1 Chronicles a part of mankind’s history is recorded that is recorded neither in 1 and 2 Samuel nor in 1 and 2 Kings—1 Chron. 1:1. (Life-study of Chronicles, msg. 1)
2. At the end of 1 Chronicles there is a supplement to David’s history, and in 2 Chronicles there is a supplement to the history of the kings of Judah—29:1-30, 2 Chron. ch. 36. (Life-study of Chronicles, msg. 1)
C. In 1 and 2 Chronicles we have a complete history of God’s move in man’s history from Adam to Abraham, from Abraham to Samuel, and from Samuel, who brought in the kingship, to Israel’s return from their captivity—1 Chron. 1:1, 28, 6:28. (Life-study of Chronicles, msg. 1)
III. A concluding word to the supplement to the history of the kings of Judah—3:4, 13:1-3, Jer. 2:13: (Life-study of Chronicles, msg. 12)
A. The supplement in 2 Chronicles to the history of the kings covers only the kings of the kingdom of Judah and not one king of the kingdom of Israel—1 Kings 15:7, 2 Kings 24:5. (Life-study of Chronicles, msg. 12)
B. Unlike the kings of Israel, the kings of Judah remained on the ground of the unity of God’s chosen people (Jerusalem) and kept the oneness according to the fundamental teaching of Moses—1 Chron. 3:4, 2 Chron. 19:1. (Life-study of Chronicles, msg. 12)
C. The condition of the kings of Judah did not match their standing on the unique ground and their fundamental belief; most of these kings were wrong in their intention, purpose, desire, and preference—1 Chron. 13:1-3, 21:4-6. (Life-study of Chronicles, msg. 12)
D. Most of the kings of Judah, like the kings of the kingdom of Israel, forsook God as the fountain of living waters and followed the idols to hew out for themselves broken cisterns which hold no water; in principle, certain local churches have fallen somewhat into this kind of situation, forsaking the fountain of the living waters and following something else—Jer. 2:13, 2 Chron. 21:6. (Life-study of Chronicles, msg. 12)
E. It seemed that none of the kings of Judah had a heart that was absolutely pure in seeking the kingdom of God, not their monarchy, and in establishing and living for the kingdom of God on the earth and not laboring and struggling for a monarchy for themselves and for their descendants—v. 3-4. (Life-study of Chronicles, msg. 12)
IV. The kings of Judah broke the law of God, which was given to them through Moses to govern them and keep them in the enjoyment of the God-promised good land; however, the kings of Judah broke the law of God—30:7, 1 Chron. 5:25: (Life-study of Chronicles, msg. 12)
A. The law of God, which was decreed through Moses in the second part of Exodus, beginning from chapter twenty, and the entire book of Leviticus, had two sections—the moral section and the ceremonial section—Exo. ch. 20-Lev. ch. 27: (Life-study of Chronicles, msg. 12)
1. The moral section was composed mainly of the Ten Commandments; the first five commandments governed the relationship of God’s people with Him and their parents; the last five commandments governed the relationship of God’s people among themselves—Exo. ch. 20-24. (Life-study of Chronicles, msg. 12)
2. The ceremonial section was composed of the laws of the tabernacle, the offerings, the priesthood, and the feasts; these four things are all types of Christ—Exo. ch. 25-Lev. ch. 27: (Life-study of Chronicles, msg. 12)
a. The laws of the tabernacle; the tabernacle typifies Christ as the embodiment of God for God’s people to contact Him and to enter into Him for their enjoyment—Col. 2:9, John 1:14. (Life-study of Chronicles, msg. 12)
b. The laws of the offerings; the offerings typify Christ as all kinds of sacrifices to meet the need of God toward His people and the need of His people before Him—Heb. 10:5-12. (Life-study of Chronicles, msg. 12)
c. The laws of the priesthood; the priesthood typifies Christ as the High Priest taking care of God’s chosen people before God—8:1. (Life-study of Chronicles, msg. 12)
d. The laws of the feasts; the feasts typify Christ as the bountiful enjoyment in every aspect assigned by God to His chosen people—Col. 2:16-17, Phil. 1:19.
B. God knew that no man can keep the Ten Commandments as the moral section of His law to be justified by Him—Rom. 3:10, Deut. 6:25: (Life-study of Chronicles, msg. 12)
1. By His grace and according to His economy, He also gave His people the ceremonial section of His law, through which the condemned sinners, the breakers of the moral law of God, could contact Him and enter into Him to enjoy Him as their everything—Luke 1:6. (Life-study of Chronicles, msg. 12)
2. In this way sinners could be justified by God to be righteous men; foreknowing that we could not keep His commandments, God prepared the ceremonial law to be our salvation, to save us from the condemnation under the moral law —cf. Matt. 1:19a, Luke 1:6, 75, 2:25, 23:50. (Life-study of Chronicles, msg. 12)
C. The entire law of God was decreed to His people by Him with the intention to expose and convict His people by the moral section of His law, that they would be conducted to the ceremonial section of His law —Rom. 3:20, John 16:8. (Life-study of Chronicles, msg. 12)
D. The kings breaking the entire law of God and provoking the wrath of God—2 Chron. 36:17-20: (Life-study of Chronicles, msg. 12)
1. Since the kings broke the entire law of God, both the moral and the ceremonial sections, again and again, they provoked the wrath of God and caused Him to give their good land to the Gentiles and make them captives to the pagan nations —v. 17-20. (Life-study of Chronicles, msg. 12)
2. Thus, they lost their portion in the enjoyment of the God-promised good land; this miserable outcome has lasted for twenty-seven centuries until today—v. 11-20. (Life-study of Chronicles, msg. 12)
E. To study the history books of the Old Testament in the way of life is to comply with God’s purpose, that these books were written in His divine revelation for our admonition and enlightenment —1 Cor. 10:11. (Life-study of Chronicles, msg. 12)