Abijah battles Jeroboam...
james.wa...@elf.mcgill.ca
I thought I would mention this story just because it is applicable to
our day. In II Chronicles 13, Abijah, king of Judah, goes to battle
against Jeroboam, king of Israel. Abijah describes the two sides which
parallel the sides that exist now (there are probably other parallels
but I only listed the obvious ones)...
I) the kings of the two sides...
- one king is of the line of David whose throne will last forever...
for us this is Christ who will reign forever on David's throne (Luke
1:32-33)...
Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over
Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of
salt? vs. 5
- the other king is a servant of the first king and is in rebellion
against him...
Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David,
is risen up, and hath rebelled against his lord. vs. 6
II) the priests of both sides...
- one side has retained the priest(s) of God's choosing... for us this
is Christ, our high priest in the heavenly temple (Hebrews 3:1,2;
4:14-15; 5:5-10; 6:20; 9:11,24)...
But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and
the priests, which minister unto the LORD, are the sons of Aaron, and
the Levites wait upon their business: And they burn unto the LORD every
morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense: the
shewbread also set they in order upon the pure table; and the
candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening: for
we keep the charge of the LORD our God; but ye have forsaken him. vs.
10-11
- the other side has made idols and for them priests of the common people...
...and there are with your golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for
gods. Have ye not cast out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron,
and the Levites, and have made you priests after the manner of the
nations of other lands? so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself
with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them
that are no gods. vs. 8-9
III) the numbers on the two sides...
- one side has few men...
And Abijah set the battle in array with an army of valiant men of war,
even four hundred thousand chosen men... vs. 3
- the other has many men...
...Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him with eight hundred
thousand chosen men, being mighty men of valour. vs. 3
IV) How does the battle go?
- Abijah's army is surrounded and all looks lost but they cry out to
the Lord, God fights for his people, and the tide is turned... so shall
it be in the end times for us... Let us continue to place our faith in
Christ and the Father knowing that history has already been written and
that we have already won...
But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them: so they
were before Judah, and the ambushment was behind them. And when Judah
looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind: and they cried
unto the LORD, and the priests sounded with the trumpets. Then the men
of Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to
pass, that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.
And the children of Israel fled before Judah: and God delivered them
into their hand. And Abijah and his people slew them with a great
slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand
chosen men. Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that
time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the
LORD God of their fathers. vs. 13-18
God bless and keep you always...
In Christ,
James