Abijah Reigns in Judah

                                                                 2 Chronicles 13:1-12

 

June 28, 2023

 

Abijah Reigns in Judah

In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah.  He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Micaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.

Now there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.  Abijah went out to battle, having an army of valiant men of war, 400,000 chosen men. And Jeroboam drew up his line of battle against him with 800,000 chosen mighty warriors.  Then Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim that is in the hill country of Ephraim and said, “Hear me, O Jeroboam, and all Israel!  Ought you not to know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt?  Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord, and certain worthless scoundrels gathered about him and defied Rehoboam the son of Solomon when Rehoboam was young and irresolute and could not withstand them.

 “And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David because you are a great multitude and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made you for gods.  Have you not driven out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes for ordination with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of what are not gods.  But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him. We have priests ministering to the Lord who are sons of Aaron, and Levites for their service.  They offer to the Lord every morning and every evening burnt offerings and incense of sweet spices, set out the showbread on the table of pure gold, and care for the golden lampstand that its lamps may burn every evening. For we keep the charge of the Lord our God, but you have forsaken him.  Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with their battle trumpets to sound the call to battle against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against the Lord, the God of your fathers, for you cannot succeed.”

How often do you read and have no understanding of who the person is, or what their name stands for?  I’ve learned the need to look up words I have no understanding of what was the meaning of the Hebrew word Abijah; “Abijah, also spelled Abia, Hebrew Abiyyah, or Abiyyahu, (“Yahweh Is My Father”).”

 

Abijah's army was out number two to one, but did you read what he said to Jeroboam and the 800,000 men of war he had with him?  He reminded them and the 400,000 men of war with him that Jeroboam had brought his little gods of images of golden calves back from pagan Egypt for you to worship.  (Note: in many places where Yahweh or God is to be worshiped a lot of Egypt has crept in).  So Abijah reminded them and his 

men, who Israel would be fighting against the God of their fathers.

 

Church and I am not addressing a building or denotation but those who are the Church, the one God calls saints.  Not from the act of your righteousness but because of what Christ did on your behalf.  God the Father of our Lord, see you and me as saints, who are forgiven, we have great value, and yes, we are needed.  In Matthew 16:15, Jesus asks this question of his disciplines “But who do you say that I am?”  In verses 16-17, we have Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.”  And my dear brother and sister in Christ that holds true today.  In the 18th verse, we get this promise from Jesus; And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  The rock was Peter's confession,

 

We like the outnumbered army of Judah, have God fighting for us, when Jesus said it is finished, death and sin had been defeated, and you and I are the Lord’s, the trophy of grace, yes we are more than Conquerors in Christ, so let your light shine today.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice