As is typical throughout 2 Chronicles 10–36, the royal accounts begin with a summary note, signaling the accession of a new royal figure (13:1–2a). With the death of his father, Rehoboam, Abijah the crown prince becomes king. By dating the beginning of his reign to the reign of a northern king (something common in Kings but not in Chronicles), the Chronicler prepares the reader for the fundamental tension in his reign, his battle against the founder of the northern kingdom, Jeroboam, in 13:2b–19 (see 2 Chronicles 10).

In what may appear to be a suicidal act, the much weaker Abijah invades Jeroboam’s kingdom. However, Abijah’s speech in 13:4–12 reveals that this invasion is an act of faith, based on the theological foundation of the Davidic covenant. Jeroboam’s rebellion against Rehoboam is …