2 chronicles 12 and 13

Read 2 Chronicles 12 and 13 at Bible Gateway.

The Hebrew paragraph divisions:

2 Chr 11:13-12:1 {p} Priests, Levities + children of Israel came to dwell in Judah/ Rehoboam’s family
2 Chr 12:2-4 {s} Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem because they had transgressed
2 Chr 12:5-8 {s} The word of the Lord/ the king + the leaders humbled themselves/ God granted them reprieve
2 Chr 12:9-12 {s} Shishak took all the Lord’s + king’s treasures, but as Rehoboam humbled himself, he was not destroyed completely
2 Chr 12:13-14 {s} Rehoboam strengthened himself + reigned 17 years, doing evil in the Lord’s sight
2 Chr 12:15-16 {p} The acts of Rehoboam/ his death + burial/ Abijah his son reigned in his place
2 Chr 13:1-3a {s} Abijah king in Judah/ war with Jeroboam: Abijah fielded 400,000 choice warriors
2 Chr 13:3b {s} Jeroboam fielded 800,000 choice warriors who were mighty men of valor
2 Chr 13:4-5 {p} Abijah: Hear me, Israel: The LORD gave dominion to David + his sons forever, by covenant
2 Chr 13:6-9 {s} But Jeroboam rebelled/ can you withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David
2 Chr 13:10-20 {p} Judah prevailed against Israel, because they relied on the LORD God
2 Chr 13:21-23 {p} Abijah grew mighty/ his family + acts + death, burial + his son Asa reigned

The strong themes:

2 Chr 11:5-12:1 {s+p} Rehoboam fortified Judah/defection of Levites + people/ royal family/ he forsook the Lord
2 Chr 12:2-16 {sx4+p} Shishak king of Egypt made Judah tributary because they did evil/ Rehoboam’s reign
2 Chr 13:1-5 {s+s+p} Abijah king in Judah, king by covenant/ war with Jeroboam, whose force was twice as large
2 Chr 13:6-20 {s+p} Since Jeroboam was in rebellion, he was defeated before Judah, who relied on the LORD
2 Chr 13:21-23 {p} Abijah grew mighty/ his family + acts + death, burial + his son Asa reigned

The chiastic structure of chapter 13:

1a) 2 Chr 13:1-2a, In the 18th year of Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah + he reigned 3 years;

1b) 2 Chr 13:2b, Abijah’s mother;

1c) 2 Chr 13:2c-3a {s} There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam/ Abijah’s army of 400,000;

1d) 2 Chr 13:3b {s} Jeroboam fielded 800,000 choice men, mighty men of valor;

1e) 2 Chr 13:4-5 {p} Abijah: The God of Israel gave the dominion over Israel forever to David + his sons by covenant;

central axis) 2 Chr 13:6-7, Jeroboam rebelled against his lord + strengthened himself against Rehoboam;

2e) 2 Chr 13:8-16, Israel cannot withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David;

1a) 2 Chr 13:8a, You think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord, which is in the hand of the sons of David;
1b) 2 Chr 13:8b, You are a great multitude + your gold calves that Jeroboam made are with you;
1c) 2 Chr 13:9 {s} Did you not cast out the priests + Levites and make priests for yourselves like the nations;
central axis) 2 Chr 13:10a, But as for us, the Lord is our God;
2c) 2 Chr 13:10b-11, The priests + Levites attend to their duties by the command of the Lord;

1a) 2 Chr 13:10b, And we have not forsaken Him;
central axis) 2 Chr 13:10c-11a, The priests are the sons of Aaron; the Levites attend to their duties;
2a) 2 Chr 13:11b, But you have forsaken Him;

2b) 2 Chr 13:12, God Himself is with us at our head, therefore you cannot prosper in this fight against Him;
2a) 2 Chr 13:13-16, The battle joined/ Judah cried out to the LORD + God delivered Israel into their hand;

2d) 2 Chr 13:17, Abijah + his army struck them so that 500,000 choice men of Israel fell slain;

2c) 2 Chr 13:18-20, The conclusion of the war between Abijah and Jeroboam;

1a) 2 Chr 13:18a, Thus the children of Israel were subdued at that time;
1b) 2 Chr 13:18b, And the children of Judah prevailed;
central axis) 2 Chr 13:18c, Because they relied on the Lord God of their fathers;
2b) 2 Chr 13:19, Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took cities from him;
2a) 2 Chr 13:20 {p} Jeroboam did not recover strength again + the Lord struck him, and he died;

2b) 2 Chr 13:21, Abijah grew mighty/ his wives + children;

2a) 2 Chr 13:22-23 {p} The acts of Abijah + his death, burial + his son Asa reigned in his place.

Concerning Shishak: I don’t believe he was a native Egyptian pharaoh, just because whenever the Scripture talks about Pharaoh, he is called such; but Shishak is only ever referred to, in all the Scripture’s mention of him, as king of Egypt. These are the clues provided by the accurate history recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures, which will help Egyptologists create an accurate chronology of ancient Egypt, if only they would listen to it. For someone outside the field (like me), it would be hard, only having their own writings to go from, and not the evidence that archaeology provides. Perhaps one of the homeschooled generation, with a strong foundation in the Scripture, will solve the puzzle for the world.

Jeroboam did everything according to worldly wisdom, to win the war against Abijah. The army he fielded was twice as strong as Abijah’s; they were all choice men, mighty men of valor, the same adjectival phrase used of David’s mighty men. He surrounded Abijah before and behind with a superior force. He brought his golden calves with him to the battle (2 Chr 13:8). However, with Abijah was the Lord their God. Abijah must have not done as his father Rehoboam, but as his forefathers David and Solomon and walked in the ways of the Lord God, for his speech sounds nothing like a speech given by someone who had forsaken the Lord for idols.

The encouraging prophetic message is this: Israel (nor anyone else) cannot withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the Son of David. Amen!