John Mark Hicks

“It is difficult to imagine any theological question asked in this generation on which the book of Chronicles is likely to shed any light.”  So wrote John McKenzie, A Theology of the Old Testament (Garden  City: Doubleday, 1974), p. 27. [Thanks to Keith Stanglin for pointing me to this quote.] I only wish I had […]

In light of the Occupy Movement and the interests of the wealthy, I thought I wold share a piece that bears God’s interest in testing the wealthy with wealth. 1 Chronicles 29:1-20 The testing motif fills the story line of Scripture. Abraham is tested (Genesis 22:1). Israel is tested (Deuteronomy 8:1-5). Job is tested (Job […]

In stark contrast with the Uzzah story in 1 Chronicles 13, I do not remember any lessons on Hezekiah’s Passover in 2 Chronicles 30 in my younger years growing up in Churches of Christ. There may have been some but they did not make an impression on me that I can remember. The Uzzah example, […]

Once again forgive the length of this post, but this is material adapted here from my commentary on 1 & 2 Chronicles. Tomorrow I will reflect on the text in connection with an application I recently made in a 2004 publication and will respond to some criticisms that application has engendered.  But today it is the hard–sometimes boring–work […]

I remember quite a few sermons about Uzzah and the Ark over the years.  Usually—if I recall correctly—they were based on 2 Samuel 6 which is not as nearly helpful for understanding the theological point of the story as is 1 Chronicles 13 & 15.  The point of the sermon usually boiled down to something […]

Forgive the length of this post, but this is material adapted here from my commentary on 1 & 2 Chronicles. Tomorrow I will reflect on the text in connection with its usage among Churches of Christ.  But today it is the hard–sometimes boring–work of exegesis.     *****************************   The Chronicler moves from enthronement of […]

In my quest to eventually make available materials I have used in teaching over the years, I have upload another set of materials.  1 & 2 Chronicles does not usually seem like a place to go for theological and contemporay studies, but I do believe it is quite relevant.  Indeed, I would credit my study […]