A Jewish Bible Companion (Part 9 of 0)

A Reading Plan for Ezra, Nehemiah, Chronicles (2) – Part ten

In this article, we continue our study of Chronicles. Specifically, we list parallels between II Chronicles and Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Most of the connections can be found in the marginal references of a good Bible. What is perhaps new is the recognition that the connections fall in distinct sections: Leviticus parallels are followed by Numbers parallels which are followed by Deuteronomy parallels. The parallels to Leviticus and Deuteronomy are basically in sequence, whereas those to Numbers hop around. Nevertheless, the more than three dozen allusions in II Chronicles back to the last three books of the Torah provide further evidence that these books were to be read side-by-side.

Parallels to Leviticus

In the reign of King Solomon

  1. Forgiveness. At the dedication of the temple, Solomon prayed repeatedly, “Hear thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel” (II Chr. 6:21,25,27,30,39; cp. the Lord’s response in 7:14). Solomon patterned his prayer after the repeated promise that anyone who offered appropriate sacrifices would be “forgiven” (Lev. 4:20,26,31,35; 5:10,13,16,18; 6:7).
  2. Oaths. “If a man sin against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to make him swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house, then hear thou from heaven” (II Chr. 6:22-23) recalls laws governing oaths in Leviticus 5 and 6 (Lev. 5:1,4; 6:1-7).
  3. Priests’ clothing. “Now therefore arise, 0 LORD God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, 0 LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness” (II Chr. 6:41; cp. Psa. 132:8-9,16) points back to the consecration of the priests in Leviticus 8 (esp. Lev. 8:2,7-9; cp. Ex. 28:2-4; 39).
  4. Acceptable sacrifice consumed by fire. At the dedication of the altar in Leviticus 9, “the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people. And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat” (Lev. 9:23-24). Likewise, “when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house” (II Chr. 7:1).
  5. King and people offer sacrifices. “Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the LORD” (II Chr. 7:4). The laws governing these sacrifices are given in Leviticus 1-7.
  6. Tabernacles an eight day feast. “Solomon kept the feast seven days…And in the eighth day they made a solemn assembly: for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days. And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away into their tents” (II Chr. 7:8-10) is based on the laws given in Leviticus 23:33-36,39.
  1. But if you turn away. “But if ye turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments” (II Chr. 7:19) echoes “But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; and if ye shall despise my statutes” (Lev. 26:14-­15).
  2. Set feasts. “Solomon offered burnt offerings unto the LORD on the altar of the LoRD…offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year, even in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles” (II Chr. 8:12-13) recalls the calendar of holy convocations given in Leviticus 23 (cp. Num. 28-29).

In the reign of King Rehoboam

  1. He-goats. Jeroboam “ordained priests for the high places, and for the devils (he-goats, RV), and for the calves which he had made” (II Chr. 11:15), so he violated an explicit law of God, “they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils (he-goats, RV), after whom they have gone a whoring” (Lev. 17:7). These are the only two places where this word “he-goats” refers to idols.
  2. Marriage laws. II Chronicles 11:18-20 tell of Rehoboam’s wives, two of whom are his first cousins, which was not forbidden by the marriage laws given in Leviticus 18.

In the reign of King Abijah

  1. The shewbread and the lamps. In II Chronicles 13:11, Abijah refers to the shewbread (Lev. 24:5-9) and the lamps (Lev. 24:2-4).

In the reign of King Asa

  1. High places and sun-images. Asa “took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the sun-images” (II Chr. 14:5 RV) just as God had said that He would do, “I will destroy your high places, and cut down your sun-images” (Lev. 26:30 RV). Ezekiel 6:6 is the only other verse where both terms, “high places” and “sun-images,” occur together.
  2. The land had rest. Because “Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God…the kingdom was quiet before him…the land had rest, and he had no war in those years; because the LORD had given him rest” (II Chr. 14:2,5­6). God had promised this in Leviticus 26, “If ye walk in my statutes and keep my commandments to do them…I will give peace in the land” (Lev. 26:3,6).
  3. Enemies flee. Leviticus 26 continues with “And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword” (Lev. 26:7-8). And II Chronicles 14 continues with the army of Judah smiting and chasing an Ethiopian army nearly twice its size (II Chr. 14:8-15).

Parallels to Numbers

In the reign of King Jehoshaphat

  1. Numbering. “And these are the numbers of them (the tribes of Judah and Benjamin) according to the house of their fathers…” (II Chr. 17:14-19) parallels the numbering of the 12 tribes of Israel at Mt. Sinai recorded in Numbers 1-4.
  2. What my God saith. The prophet Micaiah says, “What my God saith, that will I speak” (II Chr. 18:13) just as the false prophet Balaam had said, “What the LORD saith, that will I speak” (Num. 24:13).
  3. As sheep that have no shepherd. Micaiah answers the king, “I did see all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd” (II Chr. 18:16), in contrast to Moses’ prayer “that the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd” (Num. 27:17).
  4. Judges. Jehoshaphat “set judges in the land” (II Chr. 19:5-7), exhorting them to have no respect of persons. Moses had done the same (Dt. 1:17; Num. 11:16-17, 24-25).
  5. Moab and Edom. In Numbers 20 and 21, the children of Israel were not allowed to destroy either Edom or Moab. Jehoshaphat refers back to this episode, “And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir, whom thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them, and destroyed them not” (II Chr. 20:10-11).

I have not identified any parallels in the reigns of King Jehoram and King Ahaziah.

In the reign of King Joash

  1. Why transgress ye? The prophet Zechariah says, “Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper?” (II Chr. 24:20). He is using the words of Moses, who said to presumptuous Israel, “Wherefore now do ye transgress the commandment of the LORD, seeing it shall not prosper?” (Num. 14:41 RV).
  2. Zechariah stoned. The people “conspired against (Zechariah), and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD” (II Chr. 24:21). Similarly, all the congregation had wanted to stone Joshua and Caleb (Num. 14:10), but the glory of the LORD interceded.

In the reign of King Amaziah

  1. Numbering. Amaziah numbered the tribes of Judah and Benjamin according to the houses of their fathers from 20 years old and above (II Chr. 25:5) paralleling Moses’ numbering of the tribes of Israel just before they entered the land recorded in Numbers 26.

In the reign of King Uzziah

  1. False priests, incense, leprosy. The burning of incense was the job of the priests and no one else. In Numbers 16, Korah became a false priest by burning incense. Likewise, Uzziah presumed to take on the priestly duty of burning incense (II Chr. 26:16-19).

I have not identified any parallels in the reigns of King Jotham and King Ahaz.

In the reign of King Hezekiah

  1. Passover in second month. Hezekiah summons all of Israel to keep the passover in the second month (II Chr. 30:2,13,15). The law regarding when the passover could be kept in the second month is given in Numbers 9:10-11.
  2. Levites bless the people. “The priests the Levites arose and blessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy dwelling place, even unto heaven” (II Chr. 30:27). The priestly blessing of the people is given in Numbers 6:23-27.
  3. Sacrifices for set feasts. “(Hezekiah) appointed also the king’s portion of his substance for the burnt offerings, to wit, for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the sabbaths, and for the new moons, and for the set feasts” (II Chr. 31:3). Hezekiah was following the commands given in Numbers 28-29.
  4. Portion of the priests and Levites. “(Hezekiah) commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites…the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn…and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly” (II Chr. 31:4-5). The law of firstfruits and tithes going to the priests is given in Numbers 18:8-24, and Numbers 31:25-54 gives an example of the sharing of spoils with the priests.

Parallels to Deuteronomy

  1. Be strong and of good courage. Hezekiah exhorts the people with the same exhortation Moses had given, “Be strong and of good courage” (II Chr. 32:7 RV // Dt. 31:6)
  2. Be not afraid. Hezekiah says, “Be not afraid…with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles” (II Chr. 32:7-8) just as Moses had said, “Ye shall not fear them: for the LORD your God he shall fight for you” (Dt. 3:22).
  3. Who among the gods? Sennacherib’ s taunt, “Who was there among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed, that could deliver his people out of mine hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of my hand?” (II Chr. 32:14), had been Moses’ confession of faith, “What God is there in heaven or in earth, that can do according to thy works, and according to thy might?…What nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for?” (Dt. 3:24, 4:7).
  4. God drives out the enemy. God had promised to drive out the nations from before the children of Israel (Dt. 4:38; 7:1) and so He drives out the Assyrians (II Chr. 32:21-22).
  5. Heart tried by riches. II Chronicles 32:23-31 is written to parallel the Deuteronomy 8 account of the temptation of Israel in the wilderness. In particular, the obedient are promised riches and Hezekiah receives riches (Dt. 8:6-13 // II Chr. 32:23,27-29); these blessings may cause “thine heart to be lifted up” even as they caused Hezekiah’s heart to be (Dt. 8:14 // II Chr. 32:25); and God proves people to know what is in their hearts (Dt. 8:2 // II Chr. 32:31).

In the reigns of King Manasseh, King Amon, and King Josiah

  1. High places, altars, groves, and sun-images. God commanded Israel, “Ye shall utterly destroy all the places…ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods…Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees…Neither shalt thou set thee up any image (pillar, AVm); which the LORD thy God hateth…If there be found among you…man or woman that…hath gone and served other gods, and worshiped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven…” (Dt. 12:2-3; 16:21; 17:2-3). But disobedient Manasseh “built again the high places…and he reared up the altars for Baalim, and made groves, and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served them” (II Chr. 33:3). In contrast, obedient Josiah “began to purge the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images. And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images (sun-images, AVm), that were on high above them, he cut down” (II Chr. 34:3-4).
  2. As dust. Josiah brake in pieces the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, “and made dust of them” (II Chr. 34:4), just as Moses took the golden “calf which ye (Israel) had made, and burnt it with fire, and stamped it, and ground it very small, even until it was as small as dust” (DL 9:21).
  3. Children through fire, augury, sorcery, wizards. Manasseh “made his children to pass through the fire…he practiced augury, and used enchantments, and practiced sorcery, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards” (II Chr. 33:6 RV), all of which God had expressly forbidden (DL 18:9-14).
  4. Place God puts his name. “The house of God, of which God had said…In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever” (II Chr. 33:7) refers back to Deuteronomy 12:5.
  5. The king obedient to the book. The king was to be obedient to the law (Dt. 17:8-20) and Josiah was just that (II Chr. 34).
  6. Passover. II Chronicles 35 records Josiah’s great passover and corresponds to Deuteronomy 16:1-8.

In the reigns of King Jehoahaz, King Jehoiakim, King Jehoiachin, and King Zedekiah

  1. Carried away to Babylon. Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah were all carried away to Babylon (II Chr. 36:6,10,20), fulfilling God’s promised reward for disobedience (Dt. 28:36).
  2. Babylon brought against Israel. “Therefore (the LORD) brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword…and had no compassion” (II Chr. 36:17) fulfills “The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far…a nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor shew favor to the young” (Dt. 28:49-50).
  3. End of captivity. If Israel returned to God, then He would end their captivity (DL 30:1-3). II Chronicles concludes with Cyrus’ proclamation that Israel return to the land (II Chr. 36:22-23), fulfilling the promise in Deuteronomy.