Michael Wilcock sees Chronicles as first and foremost a sermon; its object -- to foster a right relationship between God and his people. The Chronicler finds in the records of Israel the "great overall pattern" of God's hand in history. The Lord's constant mercy, love and faithfulness shine through. With great perception, the Chronicler first selects and then proclaims this vibrant pattern, highlighted in the living events of the nations's actual hsitory.

Once its purpose is grasped, the book comes alive. It can be seen as nothing less than a final and momentous look back over the entire Old Testament. Viewed in this way, Chronicles has something of the vividness, contrast and drama of the last book of the New Testament, Revelation.

Michael Wilcock sees the countless persons named and chronicled as part of one people of the living God. They make vivid to us the truths by which the Lord's people in every generation are to live.

About the Bible Speaks Today (BST) Series:

Edited by J.A. Motyer and the late John R. W. Stott, the Bible Speaks Today commentaries are characterized by what Stott called a "threefold ideal . . . to expound the biblical text with accuracy, to relate it to contemporary life and to be readable." As such, each contributor in this series is both a noted scholar and a working pastor.

The BST series, now complete, covers all sixty-six books of the bible (Old and New Testaments) in fifty-five volumes. If you preach or teach from Scripture, the Bible Speaks Today series will help you apply the timeless biblical message to the everyday experiences of your listeners. And if you study the Bible on your own, these volumes will be a helpful resource focusing on the significance of God's Word for your own life and work.