Study notes

2 Chronicles 14

Introducing 2 ChroniclesWho wrote it, when, why, and what to look for as you read

13:1–14:1 Section

2 Chronicles records a story about Abijah that wasn’t included in 2 Kings. This story describes a time when Abijah was faithful to God.

Abijah didn’t want to fight against Jeroboam and the army of the northern kingdom. He wanted the northern kingdom to come back together with the southern kingdom. He wanted them to be one nation again with only one king. That king would be from David’s family line. He wanted all 12 tribes of Israel to worship only God. They would all follow the laws in the Mount Sinai covenant about worshipping God.

Abijah spoke to Jeroboam and his army about all of this. The northern kingdom opposed the southern kingdom. Abijah explained that this meant that the northern kingdom was fighting against God. This is because the southern kingdom worshipped God faithfully.

When the battle began and Abijah’s army cried out to God, God took action. He saved them from Jeroboam’s army. God saved them even though Jeroboam’s army was much bigger.

14:1

Asa ruled from 910 to 869 BC.

14:2–5

At the start of his reign, Asa removed the foreign altars in Judah (2 Chronicles 14:5). However, he did not remove the pagan shrines from Israel (2 Chronicles 15:17). These shrines were likely in the northern kingdom cities that Asa inherited from Abijah. Idolatry by other groups in the land troubled Judah throughout its history. This pagan activity might have increased again toward the end of Asa’s reign, over thirty years later.

14:2–16:14 Section

For many years Asa led God’s people the way that kings were supposed to. The rules about kings were recorded in Deuteronomy 17:14–20.

Asa led the southern kingdom in worshipping only God and obeying the Law of Moses. He trusted God to save the southern kingdom when they were attacked. He listened to the prophet Azariah and obeyed his message. Asa led the people to commit again to being faithful to God’s covenant with them.

But when he was older he stopped leading the way kings should lead. Asa didn’t trust God to save the southern kingdom from Baasha and the northern kingdom. He put the prophet Hanani in prison for speaking God’s messages against him. Asa treated God’s people badly. He didn’t ask God for help when he had a problem with his feet.

Because of these things, the southern kingdom didn’t have peace and rest. They were always at war. That was how God brought judgement against Asa for his sins.

14:4

The phrase seek the LORD is the Chronicler’s way of describing how to restore faith. It highlights and critiques Asa’s reign (see 2 Chronicles 15:2, 12–13; 16:12).

14:7–14

  • Solomon prayed for the Lord to hear his people when they went into battle (2 Chronicles 6:34). In the battle against Zerah, God answered this prayer.

  • The term Cushite might refer to someone from southern Egypt (Nubia) or a Midianite area northeast of Aqabah (see Numbers 12:1; Habakkuk 3:7). However, several things suggest that Zerah was Egyptian:

    • The mention of Libya in 2 Chronicles 16:8

    • The battle's size (similar to Shishak's attack on Rehoboam in 2 Chronicles 12:3)

    • Mareshah's location in western Judah suggest Zerah

    He is otherwise unknown. He might have been a Nubian general sent by Osorkon I, the Libyan pharaoh who ruled Egypt between the tenth and fourteenth years of Asa, around 900 to 897 BC. Another view is that Shishak created a buffer state around Gerar, supported by Nubian mercenaries who invaded Judah. The account, however, only states that Asa and his armies chased the enemy south to Gerar and took a large amount of plunder, especially from the herdsmen living in tents around the cities.

Verse notes: Adapted by Mission Mutual (Aquifer Open Study Notes) from Tyndale Open Study Notes © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. CC BY-SA 4.0. Section notes: Biblica Study Notes © 2023 Biblica, Inc. CC BY-SA 4.0, via BibleAquifer. About the sources