11: Why Does 1 & 2 Chronicles Retell the Bible?

1 & 2 Chronicles may not top anyone's list of favorite Bible books, but scholar Dr. Cameron Howard makes the case that these overlooked texts have a lot to teach us. In this episode of the Bible in a Year podcast, Dr. Howard, Associate Professor of Old Testament at Luther Seminary and author of The Old Testament for a Complex World, joins hosts Jennie Wajahowski and Kathryn Schifferdecker to explore how 1 & 2 Chronicles retells the history of Israel with a bold new agenda. From nine chapters of genealogies to the Edict of Cyrus, Chronicles covers roughly 500 years of history while making a deliberate argument about David's legacy and the legitimacy of temple worship practices in the post-exilic period.What makes Chronicles so fascinating is what it reveals about how the Bible works. Dr. Howard highlights the Chronicler's willingness to leave out unflattering stories, amplify David's greatness, and root second temple practices in an authoritative past, all while openly reinterpreting texts that already existed in Samuel and Kings. The conversation also explores the curious viral moment of the Prayer of Jabez, the striking absence of women from the narrative, and what it means for us today that scripture itself models the ongoing, Spirit-led work of retelling old stories for new times.