Wholly Buyable Chas Bayfield

The propaganda machine continues apace.
In this episode, one of Judah's most virtuous kings, Hezekiah, reinstates the religious calendar and celebrates Passover. 
Then his son Manasseh, the nation's most wretched and evil ruler is given a moral makeover after and leaves the Bible both reformed and forgiven. 
The end destination of absolute destruction for Judah is still the same, but for those Jews who were the Books of Chronicles' first audience, it will have been an absolute cliffhanger.

Written and produced by Chas Bayfield
Music by Michaael Auld and Jon Hawkins Music
Cover art by Lisa Goff

If nothing else, the account of the Kings of Judah who rule after David and Solomon shows a fascinating range of personalities, from psychopath to narcissist to saint, and pretty much everything in between.

Given that rule one in Judah's  monarchy, and in daily life for every Jew is to put God first, an amazing number of  the nation's kings fail to do this.

The question is, do Judah's godly kings do enough to pull the nation over he line and rescue it from destruction?

Regular listeners will have heard the previous account of these events in the Books of Kings and know that the answer is an emphatic no.

Still, it does make for a fascinating read.

Chapters covered: 2 Chronicles 25-31

Written and produced by Chas Bayfield
Music by Michael Auld and Jon Hawkins Music
Cover art by Lisa Goff

To see the Books of Chronicles as a rehash of the Books of Samuel and Kings is to do them a disservice. It's actually the same events seen through a different lens, and these events are some of the most thrilling in the Bible - epic battles, assassinations, heroic act of rescue and grisly deaths from disease. 

But there are also unique events which only exist in Chronicles which add to and enrich the story.  That said, one fact doesn't change. Thanks to a series of godless kings, Judah continues to spiral into spiritual oblivion. The catastrophe continues here.

Chapters covered: 2 Chronicles 14-24

Written and produced by Chas Bayfield
Music by Michael Auld and Jon Hawkins Music
Cover art by Lisa Goff

After eulogising about King David for an entire book, the Chronicler now turns his attention to David's son, Solomon and Solomon's son, Rehoboam.

The elephant in the room that is the almost complete collapse of Israel that happens on Rehoboam's watch is fabulously airbrushed out. Including it doesn't help the agenda of this book which is to make the newly returned exiles from Persia to feel good about their nation and to be motivated to rebuild it.

Enjoy the spin.

Chapters covered: 2 Chronicles 1-13

Written and produced by Chas Bayfield
Music by Michael Auld and Jon Hawkins Music
Cover art by Lisa Goff

I'll be honest, the Books of Chronicles are no one's go-to place for encouragement and spiritual succour.

Mostly a repetition of the Books of Samuel and Kings, there is little new material and a lot of pro monarchist propaganda.

However, there are unique passages and in this one, David lays out his vision  for Jerusalem's first temple and encourages his son Solomon to be the godly king that Israel needs.

Chapters covered: 1 Chronicles 17-29.

Written and produced by Chas Bayfield
Music by Michael Auld and John Hawkins Music
Cover art by Lisa Goff

Not many books have the audacity to stop in the middle of the action, go back and retell exactly the same thing, but the Bible is no ordinary book. Spun for a new generation of Jews who are struggling to rebuild their nation after returning from exile, the writer of Chronicles  cherry picks history. His people need building up, not reminding of what a shocking mess they and their kings made of their country.

Chapters covered: 1 Chronicles 1-16.

Written and produced by Chas Bayfield
Music by Michael Auld and John Hawkins Music
Cover art by Lisa Goff