OTS Session 12: 1 & 2 Chronicles

Notes:

I & II Chronicles Notes

Monarchy Chronology Chart

Homework:

1. Read Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, & Esther

2. Read Introduction to Ezra, Nehemiah, & Esthers in Study Bible

3. Read and complete pages 129-150 in OTS Manual

Question Box:

1. What is the significance of the mothers being included in a number of the lineages of the kings?

   Many scholars believe that the mothers of the Kings of Israel (both in the united and divided periods) held prominent positions of power in their son’s kingdom. The Bible has several references to a “queen mother” (gebhirah in Hebrew). Further, the mother of the king is included in the lineage of a king to establish the legitimacy of their rule. This was especially in an important factor in a time when kings often had multiple wives.

2. Considering there are some other mentions of threshing floors throughout Kings and Chronicles, is there significance to the threshing floor where Jehosephat and Ahab meet in 2 Chronicles 18:9?

   Throughout the Bible the imagery of the threshing floor is used to denote a place or time of judgment (Hosea 13:3, Jeremiah 51:33, Matthew 3:12, Luke 3:17). In more close proximity, a major story in both Kings and Chronicles—the story of David’s Census—culminates at a threshing floor (the eventual site of the Temple).

   However, there doesn’t appear to be any major significance to this mention of a threshing floor in 2 Chronicles 18:9. It appears to just be a descriptive detail establishing the setting of the story. It is likely that, due to the inherent nature of a threshing floor (an elevated, flat, open area), it was the best place for the kings and the number of people attending the meeting to gather.