1 & 2 Chronicles - NIV

College Press NIV Commentary Series is formatted with a verse-by-verse explanation of the text. It was developed for both the scholar and the average Bible student. The College Press NIV Commentary Series is the only full commentary set in print from the Restoration Movement. Each volume (41 volumes for the Old & New Testament) contains the following helpful features: Biblically sound exegesis Clear exposition Objective approach Concise introduction New International Version of the Bible Key word translation Easy to use design format Practical footnotes And more!   Overview After seventy years of living in Babylon, the Israelite people have at last been allowed to return to their homeland. The walls of Jerusalem are restored and the temple has been rebuilt. Will they at last be faithful to the God of their fathers, or will they again sink into idolatry and paganism? How could a spokesman for God get across to his people the importance of faith, of morality, of commitment to a life of holiness. We don't know for certain who wrote this book (it was originally a single document) or precisely when. We can be fairly certain it was written after the Israelites were relocated to Palestine in 536 B.C. Whether before or after the rebuilding of the temple is hard to say. But we do know that the writer had a passion for God and his temple as well as a passion for his people. He wanted them to adopt the covenant, which had been given to them by God through Moses, and to be faithful to it. He was convinced that if they would, God would richly bless them. The Chronicler bridged the gap between his generation and the canon of the Old Testament available to him. He had the Pentateuch, Samuel--Kings, some of the prophets, and some of the Psalms in front of him (as well as noncanonical resources). He attempted to make sense of God's past work in Israel in his postexilic situation. As an interpreter of Scripture, he applied the meaning of God's promises to his own context. As a narrative theologian, he retold the history of Israel through the eyes of God's dynastic promise to David and his redemptive promise to Solomon (temple). He restored hope to his discouraged postexilic community ("Preface," 11-12). John Mark Hicks has given us a clear vision of God's desire for his people through the eyes of the Chronicler. The message repeated again and again throughout Chronicles and this commentary is, "God seeks those who seek him; God forsakes those who forsake him." Just as the Chronicler applied the meaning of God's promises to his own context, so Hicks challenges us to apply the meaning of these same promises to our context. 1 & 2 Chronicles has 540 pages. ISBN 978-0-89900-883-6 WEB-883   About the Author Since 2000, John Mark Hicks has been professor of Theology at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee. Prior to his current position he most recently taught in Memphis, Tennessee, at Harding University Graduate School of Religion and Magnolia Bible College, Kosciusko, Mississippi. Hicks received his BA from Freed-Hardeman College, MAR. from Westminster Theological Seminary, MA from Western Kentucky University and PhD from Westminster. Dr. Hicks has served with the Northeast Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) Church of Christ, Prattville (Alabama) Church of Christ, Ross Road Church of Christ in Memphis, and a new church plant in Cordova (Tennessee). He has spoken on a number of occasions in the United States and has taught in missions and graduate settings in Korea, Germany, Italy, Croatia, Japan, and Uganda. In addition to five lectureship books, Hicks has published three books and contributed to ten others. He has published numerous articles in academic and church publications. John Mark and Barbara live in Spring Hill, Tennessee, with their children, Ashley, Joshua, and Rachel.