The Analysed Bible, Volumes 1, 2, 3, by Rev. G. Campbell Morgan: The Book of 2 Chronicles - Analysed and Explained in Detail (Full Text and PDF).

A detailed analysis of the book of 2 Chronicles: The Temple, Possessed and Abandoned.

To the best of our knowledge we are of the understanding that this book, being published in 1907, and freely available elsewhere on the internet is in the public domain.

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The Book of 2 Chronicles - Analysed and Explained in Summary - Volumes 1, 2, and 3 of "The Analysed Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan.

To the best of our knowledge we are of the understanding that this book, taken from Volumes 1, 2, & 3 of the "Analysed Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan published in 1907, and freely available elsewhere on the internet is in the public domain.

2 CHRONICLES - THE TEMPLE, POSSESSED AND ABANDONED

Part A: SOLOMON - 2 Chronicles 1:1-9:31

A1. The First Vision and Things Following - 2Chro. 1:1-7:10

  1. The Vision - 1:1-1:13
  2. National Prosperity - 1:14-2:18
  3. The Temple - 3:1-5:1
  4. Ceremonies of Consecration - 5:2-7:10

A2. Second Vision and Things Following - 2Chro. 7:11-9:31

  1. The Second Vision - 7:11-7:22
  2. Various Acts of the King - 8:1-8:18
  3. The Queen of Sheba - 9:1-9:28
  4. Epilogue - 9:29-9:31

Part B: THE KINGS OF JUDAH - 2 Chronicles 10:1-36:23

B1. The Revolt of the Ten Tribes - 2Chro. 10:1-11:4

B2. Period of Degeneracy - 2Chro. 11:5-16:14

  1. Rehoboam - 11:5-12:16
  2. Abijah - 13:1-13:22
  3. Asa - 14:1-16:14

B3. Reform under Jehosaphat - 2Chro. 17:1-20:37

  1. Reform - 17:1-17:19
  2. Lapse and Restoration - 18:1-19:11
  3. Prevailing Prayer - 20:1-20:37

B4. Period of Degeneracy - 2Chro. 21:1-23:21

  1. Jehoram - 21:1-21:20
  2. Ahaziah - 22:1-22:9
  3. Athaliah - 22:10-23:21

B5. Reform under Joash - 2Chro. 24:1-24:27

  1. Influence of Jehoida - 24:1-24:15
  2. Failure of Joash - 24:16-24:27

B6. Period of Degeneracy - 2Chro. 25:1-28:27

  1. Amaziah - 25:1-25:28
  2. Uzziah - 26:1-26:23
  3. Jotham - 27:1-27:9
  4. Ahaz - 28:1-28:27

B7. Reform under Hezekiah - 2Chro. 29:1-32:33

  1. Consciousness of Sin and consequent Cleansing - 29:1-29:36
  2. The Passover - 30:1-30:27
  3. Practical Reforms - 31:1-31:21
  4. The Trial of Faith: Sennacherib - 32:1-32:33

B8. Period of Degeneracy - 2Chro. 33:1-33:25

  1. Manasseh - 33:1-33:20
  2. Amon - 33:21-33:25

B9. Reform under Josiah - 2Chro. 34:1-35:27

  1. Josiah's first Reforms - 34:1-34:13
  2. The Finding of the Book of the Law - 34:14-34:33
  3. The Passover - 35:1-35:27

B10. Period of Degeneracy - 2Chro. 36:1-36:10

  1. Jehoahaz - 36:1-36:4
  2. Jehoiakim - 36:5-36:8
  3. Jehoiachin - 36:9-36:10

B11. Captivity - 2Chro. 36:11-36:23

Introduction

This is really the second half of the one Book of Chronicles. The essential values are the same as those in 1 Chronicles. The history centres round the religious life of the people, and is confined to Judah and the Davidic line of kings. Degeneracy resulted from neglect of the house of God, and each reform was associated with return thereto. The story is a very sad one, opening with all the glory of Solomon's reign, and ending with captivity and the patronage of Cyrus. Its broad divisions are Solomon (1-9); the Kings of Judah (10-36).

A. Solomon - 2 Chronicles 1:1-9:31

This book opens with the story of Solomon's entering upon full possession of his kingdom, and taking up the great work entrusted to him of building the Temple. He commenced by gathering the people with him to a sacred act of worship. God met him in a special vision of the night, as a result of which wisdom was granted to him, and the promise was made of great material prosperity. Then followed the days of Israel's greatest glory so far as material things were concerned. Prosperity is always a more insidious danger than adversity to the man of faith.

Solomon devoted himself to his great work of building the Temple. In all fundamental essentials it was on the pattern of the Tabernacle which Moses had made. Its proportions and relations were identical, but it was larger. The period occupied in building was seven years. The work being completed, with filial and godly care the king carried into the sacred enclosure all that his father had collected and dedicated to the purpose. Thus, nearly half a millennium after the Exodus, the chosen people were found in the land, having a king on the throne, and a Temple in the midst of the chief city at the centre of the national life. The only principles of permanence, however, are faithfulness and purity, and already the elements of decay were at work in the heart of the king and among the people.

The work of construction being completed, there followed the glad and solemn ceremony of dedication by the people, and consecration by God. With awe-inspiring dignity the ark of God was carried to its resting-place. As at the erection of the Tabernacle of old, so now in the new Tabernacle God answered the work of man as the cloud of glory possessed and filled the sacred place, so that the ministrations of the priests had to cease. In the presence of that manifestation the king pronounced a blessing on the people which merged into a blessing offered to God. After praise the king offered his prayer, which was great in its comprehensiveness and in its understanding of the heart of God. As the ceremonies had begun with sacrifice and song, so they closed, and it is quite easy to realize how joyful and glad of heart the people were as they dispersed.

The greatest work of Solomon's life being now completed, God appeared to him in a second vision, in which lie first declared that the work done was accepted, and the prayer offered heard and answered. Then, with the tenderness and faithfulness of infinite love, He restated for the king the conditions of his safety.

Then follows the record of certain doings of the king in matters of administration. He consolidated the internal strength of the nation by building cities. He organized the labour of the conquered peoples within his dominions. He set in order the Temple worship. He enlarged his commercial activities.

The fame of Solomon's wisdom attracted the queen of Sheba, who came principally to discuss with him certain problems on her mind. He welcomed her with fine courtesy, and answered her questions to her satisfaction. The chronicler ends the story with the account of the wealth Solomon gathered, and the magnificence which characterized his reign. No account of his failure and fall is given. The purpose of the writer was served when he had made clear the relationship existing between loyalty to the Temple of God, with its worship and success, and the greatness of king and people.

B. The Kings of Judah - 2 Chronicles 10:1-36:23

Despotism is seldom transmissible. That Solomon had been an autocrat, and had ruled with a hand of iron under the glove of velvet, is evidenced by the words of the men of Israel: "Thy father made our yoke grievous." With his death men breathed anew, and discovered their chains. As a result of the quarrel between Jeroboam and Rehoboam, the nation was rent in twain. Ten tribes revolted, and the history of the book gathers round the kings of Judah, beginning with Rehoboam. Throughout his reign, and that of Abijah, there was war between Israel and Judah, and a process of corruption in the kingdom. Asa reigned for a long period, and in the earlier years gave the nation some gleams of a better order. In the latter years, however, he sadly failed, turning to Syria for help.

With the accession of Jehoshaphat, a period of definite reformation opened for Judah. He commenced by organizing what in these days would be called special missions conducted through the cities of Judah by representative princes, the Levites, and the priests. Coincident wuth this activity within, a remarkable fear of the Lord fell upon the peoples without, so that they ceased to make war upon Jehoshaphat. Economically he strengthened his kingdom by the building of castles and cities, by commerce, and by the carrying out of many works. After a while he had a strange lapse in his loyalty to God, in that he made affinity with Ahab, perhaps the most evil king that ever sat upon the throne of Israel. His repentance, however, was manifest in the new mission which he presently undertook throughout the land, to bring his people back to the Lord, and to consolidate the internal administration in righteousness.

He was undoubtedly a man of simple and yet splendid faith. This is seen in the story of how, when his kingdom was threatened with powerful and terrible invasion, he gathered his people about him and prayed. The answer was not delayed. It was a moment bright with light amid the darkness. Once more in the history of His own people the arm of the Lord was seen acting in strength, as when in the ancient days it broke the power of Egypt. The story of Jehoshaphat's life and reign concludes with a brief statement of yet another lapse, in that he made commercial alliances with Ahaziah, the king of Israel. His enterprises were unsuccessful, because God broke his ships in pieces.

With the passing of Jehoshaphat another period of degeneracy and darkness set in over the kingdom of Judah. He was succeeded by his firstborn, Jehoram, a man of utterly evil nature, who attempted to make his throne secure by the murder of his brothers. In the midst of his wickedness a message came to him by writing from Elijah. It was a terrible sentence of judgment, which was fully carried out after eight years of reign. He was immediately succeeded by Ahaziah, his youngest son, whose brief reign of one year was influenced for evil by Athaliah, his mother. Dark and terrible days followed his death, during which this woman, Athaliah, reigned over the land. Her first act was that of the destruction of all the seed royal of the house of Judah, except Joash, who was rescued, and for six years preserved within the temple by Jehoshabeath, and the high priest, Jehoiada.

The reform under Joasli was really due to the influence of this man Jehoiada. It centres, as always in this book, around the Temple. While Jehoiada lived, worship was maintained, but after his death the king who had been zealous in reform became determined in wickedness.

The account of the reign of Amaziah opens with a remarkable statement: "He did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart." Notwithstanding the general direction of his life, either through personal indulgence or ambition or carelessness, the whole heart was not set upon doing the will of God, and consequently the reign was characterized by failure. Uzziah, who succeeded him, and reigned fifty-two years, was a man of strong character, and the early part of his occupancy of the throne was characterized by true prosperity. The last years of his reign were full of suffering and sadness. In an evil moment of pride he entered into the sacred courts, and violated the ancient order of God concerning the offering of sacrifices. He was smitten with leprosy, and lived for the latter part of his life a prisoner, isolated from his fellow-men. He was succeeded by Jotham, who reigned in equity, and refrained from his father's sin. During the whole of this period, however, the corruption of Judah went forward, and the great ministry of Isaiah commenced. The reign of Ahaz was marked by terrible and rapid degeneracy. With appalling fearlessness he restored all the evils of idolatry, even including the terrible offering of children to Moloch. The evil of his character is manifest in the fact that calamities did not seem to have the effect of rousing him to consciousness of his sin. "In the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the Lord, this same king Ahaz."

With the accession of Hezekiah a great change came over the life of Judah. Among all the reforming kings he was undoubtedly the most remarkable. This was in all probability due to the influence of Isaiah. His reformation commenced in his own deep consciousness of the wretched condition of the people, and the reason thereof. His first reforming act was that of cleansing the house of God, and restoring it as the place of worship. He then made arrangements for the keeping of the Passover, and with a largeness of heart sent messengers throughout Israel, inviting them to come and take part therein. Only a remnant responded. The observance of the feast was followed by the work of reorganization in tlio nation. The story is told in general terms, and special note is made of the thoroughness with which the king carried out the work. "In every work that he began to do in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek liis God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered." Then came a trial of his faith in the invasion of Sennacherib. In the presence of the peril his heart did not fail. He acted with promptitude by stopping the supply of water, by strengthening the fortifications, by mobilizing his army, and then sought refuge in prayer and in fellowship with the prophet Isaiah. The chronicler then briefly relates the story of his illness, and of that failure which characterized his last days.

Manasseh the son of Hezekiah seems to have set himself to the most wilful and persistent form of every abomination. The strong hand of God was stretched out against him, and he was carried away in irons, broken and defeated. In his distress he cried out for help to God. His repentance was evidently the chief subject in the mind of the chronicler, and constitutes a wonderful picture of the readiness of God to pardon. Amon, on coming to the throne, followed the earlier example of his father, and was so utterly corrupt that his own servants conspired against him and slew him.

The story of the reign of Josiah is full of brightness. Ascending the throne when eight years old, at the age of sixteen he began to seek after God. Four years later he set himself to the actual work of reformation. It was during the cleansing of the Temple that the book of the law was discovered, the result of which was a still greater determination on his part to reform the nation. He observed the Passover. Following the story of his death, we read of the lamentation of the people. The reformation under him was due entirely to their love for him, and not to any return on their part to God.

The story of final movements in the downward course of the nation concludes the book. Jehoahaz reigned for three months. He was deposed by the king of Egypt, who appointed Jehoiakim. After eleven years of evil courses he was carried away by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon. He was succeeded by Jehoiachin, who also was carried away by Nebuchadnezzar. Zedekiah, appointed by Nebuchadnezzar to the succession, rebelled against him, and continued his evil courses for eleven years. The Chaldeans carried the remnant away to Babylon. The book closes with the statement of the proclamation of Cyrus, which also opens the book of Ezra.