2 Chronicles 9:29-31

2 Chronicles 9:29-31

[29] Now the rest  of the acts  of Solomon,  first  and last,  are they not written  in the book  of Nathan  the prophet,  and in the prophecy  of Ahijah  the Shilonite,  and in the visions  of Iddo  the seer  against Jeroboam  the son  of Nebat?  [30] And Solomon  reigned  in Jerusalem  over all Israel  forty  years.  [31] And Solomon  slept  with his fathers,  and he was buried  in the city  of David  his father:  and Rehoboam  his son  reigned  in his stead.

What does 2 Chronicles 9:29-31 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

The Chronicler omitted any reference to Solomon"s apostasy that resulted in the division of the kingdom (cf. 1 Kings 11:9-11). By doing Song of Solomon , he was not trying to whitewash Solomon"s record. The Book of Kings was available to the postexilic community as were other records of Solomon"s reign, to which he referred his readers ( 2 Chronicles 9:29). Iddo was a seer (cf. 2 Chronicles 12:15) and prophet ( 2 Chronicles 13:22) whose ministry apparently consisted primarily in writing books. No references to him depict him as involved in any other event. The writer chose to present only those aspects of Solomon"s career in which he provided a positive example of trust and obedience and consequent blessing. His purpose was to encourage his readers with a good example and to build hope for the future King, not to lament the past. The purpose of Chronicles thus emerges quite clearly. It was to preach a message for the present generation from the earlier historical records. It was not primarily to provide a parallel or supplementary historical record to what existed in Samuel and Kings.
Solomon modeled the ultimate Davidic temple builder. He was wise and prosperous. He built and dedicated the glorious temple, and he received the wealth of the Gentiles who sought his wisdom. [1] David"s ultimate Son would do all of these things too. Solomon proved not to be the Son of David who would rule forever. Nevertheless, his reign helped the Jews of the restoration period know what they needed to do, and to what they could look forward.
"The Chronicler"s aim in his portrayal of Solomon is to show how God governed the events of history to impart to the kingdom of Israel, at least once, a splendour [2] which was fit to symbolize his own.... The Kings and Chronicles accounts, taken together, become another testimony-alongside the whole biblical picture of David-to the way in which God deigns to use great sinners in the work of his kingdom, so much so that the OT"s latest picture of Solomon does not even remember his sins." [3]
"The study of typology is an approach to the Bible that can readily be abused. But nothing could be more biblical than to hold that the Davidic monarchy is a type of the rule of Christ." [4]