Journal: Southeastern Theological Review
Volume: STR 10:2 (Fall 2019)
Article: Creation In Chronicles: YHWH’s Supremacy Manifested In Israel’s Worship
Author: Joshua E. Williams

STR 10:2 (Fall 2019) p. 77

Creation In Chronicles:
YHWH’s Supremacy Manifested In Israel’s Worship

Joshua E. Williams

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas

This article examines how Chronicles employs the theme of creation. For this article, the theme of creation encompasses both creating and what is created, more specifically the cosmos or natural world. This theme occurs clearly in three specific passages: 1 Chr 16:31–33, 2 Chr 2:11[12], and 1 Chr 16:25–26. The first part of the article examines these passages. It concludes that these verses magnify YHWH’s universal supremacy both because he creates and because he rules justly over all creation. These texts occur in contexts relating to Israel’s ritual worship, pointing to the role of the temple in manifesting YHWH’s supremacy. The second part of the article examines the relationship between the temple and the cosmos. It concludes that despite the cosmic symbolism of the temple, Chronicles emphasizes that the temple manifests YHWH’s universal supremacy because it is the proper place for Israel’s ritual worship.

Key Words: 1–2 Chronicles, creation, cultus, supremacy, temple, worship

Creation as a theme occurs rarely in the book of Chronicles. In general, Chronicles is more interested in the history of Israel’s specific institutions of the Davidic king and Jerusalem cult. However, Chronicles does reflect on creation in a small number of passages.

Before looking at these passages, I want to clarify what I mean by creation. Creation is an ambiguous term since it may refer either to creating or to what is created. Generally, when creation occurs with the latter sense, it is associated with the entire cosmos or more specifically with the natural world. In this article I will explore both aspects of creation as they relate to the content of Chronicles.

The purpose of this article is to examine how the Chronicler employs the creation theme as part of his work. I will begin by looking at the content and context of three particular passages that address the creation theme explicitly. Next, I will take up the relationship between the temple and creation. I hope to show that the Chronicler employs the creation theme in order to present YHWH as universally supreme and that this supremacy is manifested through Israel’s ritual worship.

STR 10:2 (Fall 2019) p. 78

Passages Addressing Creation Explicitly

1 Chronicles 16:31–33