What is the meaning of 2 Chronicles 28:6? For in one day – The phrase underscores the sudden, decisive nature of divine judgment. God is never slow when the time for discipline arrives (Isaiah 37:36). – It reminds us of the swiftness with which the LORD can act, fulfilling warnings such as Deuteronomy 28:20, “The LORD will send on you curses… until you are destroyed.” – A single 24-hour period can change a nation’s fortunes when sin has ripened (Psalm 90:4). Pekah son of Remaliah – Pekah reigned over the northern kingdom of Israel (2 Kings 15:27). Though himself idolatrous, God used him as an instrument of punishment against Judah, illustrating Proverbs 21:1: “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD.” – His alliance with Rezin of Aram against Judah is also recorded in Isaiah 7:1-2, showing this invasion was part of a larger, divinely-supervised conflict. Killed 120,000 valiant men in Judah – The number stresses how costly rebellion can be. “Valiant men” means Judah lost its best soldiers, crippling national security (cf. Leviticus 26:17). – Massive casualties echo earlier warnings: “You will be defeated before your enemies” (Deuteronomy 28:25). – God’s people cannot presume on past victories; even brave warriors fall when the LORD withdraws protection (Joshua 7:5). This happened because they had forsaken the LORD – Scripture leaves no doubt about causation. The defeat was not luck, tactics, or superior weaponry; it was Judah’s spiritual apostasy. – 2 Chronicles 24:20 had already sounded the principle: “Because you have forsaken the LORD, He has also forsaken you.” – Forsaking God invites covenant curses (Deuteronomy 28:15-68). Conversely, 2 Chronicles 15:2 holds the antidote: “If you seek Him, He will be found by you.” the God of their fathers – The phrase recalls the enduring covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Exodus 3:15). Faithfulness was expected generation after generation. – By abandoning the “God of their fathers,” Judah cut itself off from the very source of its identity, protection, and blessing (Jeremiah 2:13). – The verse thus contrasts ancestral faithfulness with current unfaithfulness, urging readers to stay anchored to historic, biblical faith (Psalm 78:5-8). summary 2 Chronicles 28:6 records a swift, staggering military disaster—120,000 of Judah’s finest falling in a single day under King Pekah of Israel. Scripture states plainly why it happened: Judah had abandoned the covenant God who had faithfully shepherded their forefathers. The verse stands as a sobering reminder that no amount of valor or tradition can shield a people who turn from the LORD, yet it quietly points back to the promise that returning to Him brings restoration and security. |
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