Shishak’s invasion in the fifth year of Rehoboam’s reign warns of the vulnerabilities that arise when rulers and nations deviate from following God’s commandments.
“Now it happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, that Shishak the king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem,” (1 Kings 14:25). This verse places us in the early portion of King Rehoboam’s reign, roughly the year 926 BC, when the ruler of Judah had only recently ascended the throne after the death of his father, King Solomon (who died around 931 BC). King Rehoboam’s decision-making and the spiritual condition of his kingdom loom in the background of this event. The text emphasizes the “fifth year” of Rehoboam’s reign, indicating a divinely significant moment in which Judah’s political situation was about to be tested by a foreign power.
The verse introduces Shishak, “the king of Egypt” (v.25), who was a historical pharaoh reigning during Egypt’s Twenty-Second Dynasty (approximately 945-924 BC). By stating that Shishak “came up against Jerusalem,” Scripture provides both geographic and political context. Jerusalem, located in the hill country of Judah, served as the capital and spiritual hub of the southern kingdom. In antiquity, marching from Egypt to Jerusalem would involve traveling north along the Mediterranean coastal route and then inland toward the mountainous region of Judah. Shishak’s incursion here signals more than a simple military maneuver: it evidences that Judah’s spiritual wavering opened them up to geopolitical threats (an idea echoed in other biblical accounts where a nation’s covenant faithfulness is tied to its security).
What makes this invasion even more significant is the backdrop of Israel’s division and Rehoboam’s role in it. After Solomon’s death, the kingdom split into northern Israel and southern Judah, leaving Rehoboam overseeing only two of the original twelve tribes. By highlighting the fifth year of his reign, 1 Kings 14:25 reveals how swiftly foreign powers tested Judah’s sovereignty and how crucial covenant faithfulness was to their protection. In New Testament contexts, the theme of God allowing difficult circumstances to draw His people back to Himself is seen repeatedly (Luke 15:14-18), underscoring the timeless truth that trust in the Lord offers spiritual and often practical security.
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1 Kings 14:25 meaning
“Now it happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, that Shishak the king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem,” (1 Kings 14:25). This verse places us in the early portion of King Rehoboam’s reign, roughly the year 926 BC, when the ruler of Judah had only recently ascended the throne after the death of his father, King Solomon (who died around 931 BC). King Rehoboam’s decision-making and the spiritual condition of his kingdom loom in the background of this event. The text emphasizes the “fifth year” of Rehoboam’s reign, indicating a divinely significant moment in which Judah’s political situation was about to be tested by a foreign power.
The verse introduces Shishak, “the king of Egypt” (v.25), who was a historical pharaoh reigning during Egypt’s Twenty-Second Dynasty (approximately 945-924 BC). By stating that Shishak “came up against Jerusalem,” Scripture provides both geographic and political context. Jerusalem, located in the hill country of Judah, served as the capital and spiritual hub of the southern kingdom. In antiquity, marching from Egypt to Jerusalem would involve traveling north along the Mediterranean coastal route and then inland toward the mountainous region of Judah. Shishak’s incursion here signals more than a simple military maneuver: it evidences that Judah’s spiritual wavering opened them up to geopolitical threats (an idea echoed in other biblical accounts where a nation’s covenant faithfulness is tied to its security).
What makes this invasion even more significant is the backdrop of Israel’s division and Rehoboam’s role in it. After Solomon’s death, the kingdom split into northern Israel and southern Judah, leaving Rehoboam overseeing only two of the original twelve tribes. By highlighting the fifth year of his reign, 1 Kings 14:25 reveals how swiftly foreign powers tested Judah’s sovereignty and how crucial covenant faithfulness was to their protection. In New Testament contexts, the theme of God allowing difficult circumstances to draw His people back to Himself is seen repeatedly (Luke 15:14-18), underscoring the timeless truth that trust in the Lord offers spiritual and often practical security.