“7 Reasons Why I’m Preaching Chronicles” by guest author, Pastor Mike Penza
An introductory note from Dr. Kaminski:
I first got to know Pastor Mike when he was a student at seminary, and since graduating, he’s been serving in pastoral ministry. Mike is committed to preaching and teaching the Word of God. In 2022 he did a preaching series using the Casket Empty outline, preaching through the entire Bible! I was reminded of Mike’s passion for the Word of God when I visited his church in 2022 to do a Casket Empty Old Testament Seminar. I love the fact that Mike is enthusiastic about the Scriptures, which brings me to his post. As many of you may know, my commentary on 1-2 Chronicles was recently published in Zondervan’s Story of God Bible Commentary Series. My prayer has been that God would use the commentary to help pastors preach from this neglected book. Mike emailed me a few days ago, letting me know that he’s not only been reading my commentary, but he’s decided to do a preaching series in Chronicles! I emailed him back and asked him, “Would you write a short blog, letting pastors know why you decided to do a preaching series in Chronicles?” Mike has provided his “7 Reasons Why I’m Preaching Chronicles.” I hope you enjoy reading his post and that you are encouraged to dive into Chronicles.
7 Reasons Why I’m Preaching Chronicles
By Mike Penza
1. These pages are dusty. Most people I know are unfamiliar with 1-2 Chronicles. I’ve never preached these books before nor have I ever heard anyone else preach it. Have you? To preach 1-2 Chronicles is to bring a new and unexpected Word to God’s people.
2. These pages include a lot of history. Did you know that the first nine chapters include the most expansive genealogy in all of Scripture? It begins with Adam and ends with King Cyrus! The only other Biblical genealogy to cover more ground is chapter 1 of Matthew. Additionally, over 50% of Chronicles is a review of the books of I-II Samuel and I-II Kings, but with some added twists and turns along the way. Reading this book is akin to taking a tour of the history of the entire Old Testament.
3. These pages include much more than history. These pages preach! Did you know Chronicles includes more than a dozen original prophetic speeches found nowhere else in the Bible? Various scholars speak of the author as a “historical theologian” and others categorize this book as “prophetic historiography.” The Chronicler reports the past in order to inspire hope for the future. We learn that no matter how low the people of God sink, their cause is never lost!
4. These pages are the last words of the Old Testament. Chronologically, Chronicles was the last scroll of the Old Testament to have been written, which means 1-2 Chronicles is to the Old Testament what Revelation is to the New Testament. Last words tend to be memorable and important. Chronicles is no exception. Spoiler alert: The punchline at the end is a shocker!
5. These pages are filled with practical application points. Common themes of the book include repentance, prayer, humility, seeking God, singing to God, giving generously, and listening to wise counsel. These actions are just as valuable today as back then. 1-2 Chronicles highlights healthy spiritual habits that lead to Godly renewal.
6. These pages include flamboyant stories. Replete with both villains and heroes, ups and downs, successes and failures. What else would you expect when studying 20 different ancient Near Eastern kings? Someone once said, “if you want humans to learn the truth, tell them the truth. If you want them to love the truth, tell them a story.” Reading through these stories increases our love for God’s truth.
7. Because Dr. Kaminski told me to. Not really, but kind of! When Dr. Kaminski recently taught through the Old Testament in my church she mentioned as a sidenote that she believed 1-2 Chronicles was underutilized and under-taught. I’ve not been able to shake that comment since. Her recently published small group Bible Study and commentary highlight the contemporary relevance of Chronicles and are helping me overcome my hesitancy to step into uncharted territory.
Pastor Mike Penza
Lead Pastor
Gracepointe Church, Mundelein, Illinois
https://www.gracepointe.org/