Lesson 106

1 Chronicles; 2 Chronicles

Prepare to Learn

Prepare your mind and heart to be taught by the Holy Ghost. Be sure to eliminate any distractions that may interrupt your learning experience.

Begin your study with prayer.

Why does God call prophets?

As you watch the following video, consider how you would explain to someone else why there are living prophets on the earth today and how they can help us.

A Map

Think of a time when you used a map to help you travel from one place to another.

As you continue studying the rest of the Old Testament, there may be times when you feel unsure about when and where the events in an account took place. This is because the remaining books in the Old Testament are not in chronological order.

For this reason, we are going to use 1 and 2 Chronicles like a map to help us to know where the remaining books in the Old Testament fall in chronological order.

An Overview of the Bible

Look at the contents page in the Bible, and find 1 and 2 Chronicles. These two books present a genealogy and condensed history from Adam to about 537 BC.

Find the book of Esther on the contents page.

Now find the book of Malachi.

The books in the Old Testament from Esther to Malachi are generally not in chronological order.

Psalms

The diagram “The Kingdoms of Israel and Judah at a Glance” includes an overview of the history presented in the books of 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah. Many of the writers of the books in the latter part of the Old Testament lived during this period, and the diagram also shows approximately when and where they lived. You will refer to this diagram throughout this lesson.

The book of 1 Chronicles provides a genealogy and history of the Lord’s people from the time of Adam to the time of the Babylonian captivity as well as a brief account of the reign of King David.

David wrote some of the psalms contained in the book of Psalms. A psalm is a poem of praise, worship, or lamentation, often set to music.

Do you see where Psalms is listed on the diagram? In 1 Chronicles 16:7–12 we find a psalm that David wrote at a time of celebration in Jerusalem.

Read 1 Chronicles 16:8–12, which is a portion of a psalm written by David.

Proverbs

The book of 2 Chronicles provides a history of events from the time of King Solomon until the time when King Cyrus of Persia allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem. The beginning of 2 Chronicles recounts when the Lord appeared to Solomon and asked what gift Solomon desired. Do you know what that gift was?

Look in 2 Chronicles 1:7–12 for the answer.

Some of Solomon’s wise teachings are recorded in the book of Proverbs.

Quiz 1

1. Proverbs and four other books in the Old Testament are considered the wisdom or poetry books. Can you identify what the other four books are? Use the diagram if you need help.

   1. Psalms

   2. Ezra

   3. Ecclesiastes

   4. Job

   5. Song of Solomon

Wisdom or Poetry Books

Psalms and Proverbs, along with Job, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon, are collectively known as the wisdom or poetry books. We do not know for certain who wrote Job, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon.

Do you remember what happened to the United Kingdom of Israel after Solomon died? Look at the diagram if you need help.

A Divided Kingdom

Even though the tribes of Israel divided into the Northern Kingdom (made up of 10 of the tribes of Israel) and the Southern Kingdom (which included the tribe of Judah and most of the tribe of Benjamin), the Lord still sent prophets to all of His people. Amos, Jonah, and Hosea preached in the Northern Kingdom, and Joel, Isaiah, and Micah preached in the Southern Kingdom.

What happened to the Northern Kingdom of Israel when the people became wicked and rejected the prophets?

The Assyrian Conquerors

Because the tribes in the Northern Kingdom of Israel were wicked and rejected the prophets, the Assyrians conquered them and carried them away into captivity. These tribes were eventually scattered throughout the nations of the earth (see 1 Nephi 22:3–4). They are often referred to as “the lost ten tribes.”

The Assyrians also tried to conquer the Southern Kingdom, but because the tribes of Judah and Benjamin were righteous at that time, the Lord preserved them (see 2 Kings 19:32–35).

Read 2 Chronicles 36:15, looking for what the Lord did when the people in the Southern Kingdom also became wicked. (Note that the messengers referred to in this verse are prophets.)

From what you have learned in verse 15, why does the Lord send prophets to warn us of sin in our day?

The Lord’s Prophets

One truth we can learn from 2 Chronicles 36:15 is that because of the Lord’s compassion for us, He sends prophets to warn us of the consequences of sin.

In our day the Lord also calls prophets to warn us of the consequences of sin. These prophets include both the members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

1. Spend a few minutes reviewing two or three talks given by the prophets in the most recent general conference. Then answer the following questions:

• What are some of the warnings of latter-day prophets in our time?

• How do these warnings demonstrate the Lord’s compassion for us?

Prophets in the Southern Kingdom

Many of the teachings of the prophets who were sent to warn the Southern Kingdom (Judah) are found in the latter part of the Old Testament. These prophets include Nahum, Zephaniah, Jeremiah, Obadiah, and Habakkuk. The prophet Lehi was also among these prophets.

Read 2 Chronicles 36:16–20, looking for what happened because the people in the Southern Kingdom rejected the Lord’s prophets.

What principle can we learn from their experience?

The Lord’s Mercy

From 2 Chronicles 36:16–20 we can learn that those who reject the words of the prophets will eventually experience the judgments of God.

Notice that 2 Chronicles 36:20 records that most of the Jews in Jerusalem who were not killed were carried away to Babylon. Even then, the Lord continued to demonstrate His mercy by calling prophets.

Look again at the diagram introduced earlier in this lesson, and notice which two prophets preached to the people while they were in captivity in Babylon.

The Return to Jerusalem

After some time, the Persians conquered the Babylonian Empire and allowed the Jews from the former Kingdom of Judah to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple (see 2 Chronicles 36:22–23).

Look at the diagram again, and find Haggai and Zechariah. They were the two prophets who preached among the first group of Jews who returned to Jerusalem.

A Second Group of Jews

Not all of the Jews returned to Jerusalem at the same time. Some years after the first group of Jews returned to Jerusalem, the Persian king selected a Jew named Esther to be his queen.

Later, another group of Jews returned to Jerusalem. Find this second group on the diagram.

Which three prophets listed on the diagram were in Jerusalem during this time?

The Words of the Prophets

The following truths were identified in this lesson:

• Because of the Lord’s compassion for us, He sends prophets to warn us of the consequences of sin.

• Those who reject the words of the prophets will eventually experience the judgments of God.

Think about your current efforts to heed the words of the prophets. Do you know what the prophets are saying? Are you seeking to obey their words?

Set a goal to study and follow the words of members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from the most recent general conference.

Doctrinal Mastery Review: Psalm 24:3–4

Take some time to review Psalm 24:3–4. See if you can fill in the blanks below. Refer to your scriptures if you need help.

3 Who shall ascend into ? or who shall stand in ?

4 He that hath , and a ; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

Answer Key

Quiz 1: (1) a, c, d, e