The difference between the history given in Kings and Chronicles
The Books of Kings have given us the general and public history of God’s government in Israel; and, from Rehoboam to Zedekiah, the history of the kings of Israel-a history in which the result of the fall of the kingly power is manifested in presence of God’s long-suffering. That which is said in these books respecting Judah only extends to the connection of Judah with the house of Israel during this period.
The Books of Chronicles give us the history of the same period under another aspect (that is, that of blessing and of the grace of God); and, more particularly, they give us the history of the house of David with respect to which this grace was manifested. We shall see this verified in a multitude of instances.
God’s history of the people preserved
These books, written or drawn up after the captivity (see 1 Chronicles 6:1515And Jehozadak went into captivity, when the Lord carried away Judah and Jerusalem by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. (1 Chronicles 6:15)), preserve God’s history of His people, recorded by the Holy Spirit, as He loved to remember it, exhibiting only such faults as require to be known in order to understand the instructions of His grace.
God’s record of names
He records at the same time the names of those who had gone through the trials mentioned in this history without being blotted out of the book. Here indeed it is but the outward figure of this blessed memorial of the people of His grace; but in fact this is what we find here. All Israel is not there; but all are not Israel who are of Israel. At the same time the Spirit of God goes further back, and gives us the genealogy from Adam of the generation blessed by grace according to the sovereignty of God, with that which belonged to it outwardly, or after the flesh. He puts into relief, sufficiently to make it apparent, the part owned in grace, which stood externally in relationship with that which was merely outward and natural; putting always that which is natural first, as the Apostle tells us.