April 21, 2021: Day 46 – II Chronicles 13

The son of Rehoboam, who was the king after his father Solomon died, is Abijah.  Abijah and Jeroboam, from the north, were constantly at war with each other.  We find described in this chapter what could be described as the definitive battle.  Abijah goes out with his 400,000 warriors against Jeroboam’s 800,000 warriors.  He reminds those who were gathered that God had promised the household of David, of which Abijah was a part, to carry on the line.  He reminded all those gathered that the Israelites, the north, that would be Jeroboam and his overwhelming soldiers, had turned their backs on the Lord.  He reminds them that this war was not just between the two of them and their nations, but between the two of them and their gods.  Abijah who continued to follow the Lord God and Jeroboam who was worshipping calves made of human hands.

Well, you probably could have predicted it but the Lord wins this battle and the 2 to 1 odds do not hold up and those who served Jeroboam fall in defeat.  He warns them that they are fighting against not only the warriors but also “against the Lord, the God of your ancestors.”  You see that in vs.12.  As a result king Abijah is considered a strong king who doesn’t unify the monarchy, but at least provides some sense of pride for the south which it had been missing for a while.