The Nation of Judah Calls Out to God and He Routes Their Enemy
Here’s a story that shows why we should rely on the Lord God.
King Abijah is the grandson of King Solomon and the great grandson of King David. Civil war during the reign of Abijah’s father, Rehoboam, splits the nation of Israel into two parts.
David’s descendants retain rule in Judah, while Jeroboam takes control of the rest of Israel.
The thirteenth chapter of 2 Chronicles contrasts the spiritual condition of these two nations.
Under the rule of evil King Jeroboam, Israel has turned their back on God, replaced him with their manmade gods, and established their own priests and practices.
The much smaller nation of Judah, however, has kept their focus on the Lord and pursued the right worship of him.
Armies from the two nations form battle lines. King Abijah, from Judah, has a force of 400,000. Israel’s King Jeroboam has an army twice the size. Judah is outnumbered two to one. They’re sure to lose.
Even worse, Jeroboam has divided his forces with some before the army of Judah and the rest in an ambush behind them.
In desperation, Abijah and the army of Judah cry out to the Lord. They sound the battle cry and begin the fight. God routes the enemy army and Judah is victorious, inflicting significant casualties on the army of Israel.
Jeroboam does not regain his power. God strikes him down and he dies. For his part, Abijah grows in strength.
The author of 2 Chronicles explains why the smaller army of Judah routes the larger army of Israel. It is simply because they rely on the Lord God, the God of their ancestors. He is the one true God, as revealed in Scripture.
May we likewise rely on the Lord God and put our trust in him regardless of the situation that surrounds us.
May we find victory because we rely on him.
[Read through the Bible with us this year. Today’s reading is 2 Chronicles 13-15 and today’s post is on 2 Chronicles 13:18.]
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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