What is the meaning of 2 Chronicles 12:2? In the fifth year of Rehoboam’s reign “In the fifth year of Rehoboam’s reign…” (2 Chron 12:2) • The writer fixes the moment with precision. Five years after Solomon’s death, Judah is already feeling the cost of turning from the Lord. 1 Kings 14:25 confirms the exact same dating, underscoring the historical reliability of the account. • The first three years of Rehoboam had looked promising—“they walked in the ways of David and Solomon for those three years” (2 Chron 11:17)—but the next two years show how quickly a nation can drift when leaders and people neglect God’s Word (Deuteronomy 17:18-20; Psalm 119:9). • The timing reminds us that God is patient, yet He will not indefinitely allow rebellion to go unchecked (Ecclesiastes 8:11; 2 Peter 3:9-10). because they had been unfaithful to the LORD “…because they had been unfaithful to the LORD…” • Scripture states the cause plainly: spiritual unfaithfulness—not military weakness—opened the gate. This fulfills the warning Solomon heard at the temple dedication: if the king or people “turn away” the Lord would “uproot” them (2 Chron 7:19-22). • Their unfaithfulness included idolatry and adopted pagan practices (2 Chron 12:1; 1 Kings 14:22-24). The covenant laid out in Deuteronomy 28:47-52 promised foreign invasion when Israel served other gods. • The same pattern appears throughout Judges: “He handed them over to raiders who plundered them” (Judges 2:14). National sin always carries national consequences (Proverbs 14:34; Galatians 6:7-8). • God’s motive is corrective, not merely punitive. As later verses show, the invasion prompts humility (2 Chron 12:6-7), illustrating Hebrews 12:6—“the Lord disciplines the one He loves.” Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem “…Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem.” • Shishak (Sheshonq I in Egyptian records) was the very ruler who had once sheltered Jeroboam during Solomon’s reign (1 Kings 11:40). The political alliance Judah might have expected now turns into an assault, highlighting that trust placed in foreign powers rather than in the Lord is futile (Isaiah 31:1). • God uses Shishak as His instrument of discipline. Later verses record the loss of the temple treasures and Solomon’s gold shields (2 Chron 12:9), a tangible reminder that earthly splendor cannot substitute for covenant loyalty (Matthew 6:19-21). • The attack stops short of annihilation. “Nevertheless, they will become his servants so that they will learn the difference between serving Me and serving the kingdoms of the earth” (2 Chron 12:8). Even judgment is tempered by mercy (Lamentations 3:31-33). • Historically, Egyptian reliefs at Karnak list towns in Judah conquered by Sheshonq I, corroborating the biblical record and demonstrating that Scripture’s historical claims stand firm. summary 2 Chronicles 12:2 teaches that God’s covenant people cannot compromise with sin without consequence. Five short years after Solomon’s kingdom divided, Judah’s unfaithfulness invites divine discipline through Shishak’s invasion. The verse ties political events directly to spiritual reality: when God’s people abandon Him, He may permit foreign powers to humble them so they will seek Him anew. Faithfulness brings security; unfaithfulness opens the door to loss—yet even God’s judgment carries the purpose of restoration for those who repent. |
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