This program of daily devotions is designed to take you through the Bible in three years. It is our desire to help you gain a better general understanding of God's Word.
Please understand that in a study this brief, we will be concerned with only the major emphases and context of the Scriptures.
Each day a devotion for one or two chapters is posted, beginning with chapter one of Genesis and going through chapter twenty-two of Revelation. You are free to print each page as it appears. If you miss a day, you may contact us and request that devotion. Please send your request, along with $.50 (p&handling) for each page to:
Bruce McGee,Pastor
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HERE
Bro. Bruce's commentaries for the books of
Genesis through 2Kings are
now available in hard copy for $7.50. Just
mail your request for COMMENTARY ON (BOOK NAME) to the address above.
2CHRONICLES
1 Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah.
2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.
Jeroboam had begun to reign in Israel when Rehoboam began his reign in Judah. Jeroboam has now been king of Israel 18 years. Abijah, Rehoboam's son begins his reign at that time.
3 And Abijah set the battle in array with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men: Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, being mighty men of valour.
4 And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim, which is in mount Ephraim, and said, Hear me, thou Jeroboam, and all Israel;
5 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?
6 Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, is risen up, and hath rebelled against his lord.
7 And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them.
8 And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David; and ye be a great multitude, and there are with you golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods.
9 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.
10 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:
11 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.
12 And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.
Abijah gathered his troops. He had only 1/2 as many as Jeroboam.
13 But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambushment was behind them.
14 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.
15 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.
16 And the children of Israel fled before Judah: and God delivered them into their hand.
While Abijah was talking, Jeroboam sent a company of men behind him to make an ambush.
17 And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.
18 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.
The Bible plainly says the troops of Abijah gained victory because they "relied upon the Lord God of their fathers." (verse 18)
19 And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Bethel with the towns thereof, and Jeshanah with the towns thereof, and Ephrain with the towns thereof.
20 Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah: and the LORD struck him, and he died.
21 But Abijah waxed mighty, and married fourteen wives, and begat twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters.
22 And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo.
Abijah not only led the battle that day, but also led in conquering the Israelites. Jeroboam became "servant" to Abijah, and Abijah took several defense cities and made them his own for Judah.
There's an interesting note on Abijah's name.
Another interesting note about Abijah that applies to life TODAY. Abijah "slept with his fathers." In other words, he DIED. Please continue in Bible Study with us.
CHAPTER 13
And the Bible says taht Jeroboam and Abijah began a war.
He stood on the side of a mountain overlooking the valley where the troops were gathere and upbraided Jeroboam for having left the faith and begun idol-worship. In verse 6, Abijah callse Jeroboam's revolt a revolt against God and God's covenant with David.
He continued to reprove Jeroboam for having brought in "vain" priests while Judah had remained true to God.
He also told Jeroboam that God was the "Captain" of the forces of Judah. He truly believed that God was directing him in the war against Jeroboam.
But the priest called upon God for help, and they sounded the trumpets for war under the Lord's leadership.
Then God performed a miracle and "smote" Jeroboam and his troops.
It was God Who won the battle and gave Abijah the victory.
There is VICTORY in following Christ!
Jeroboam did not recover from this battle; he was servant to Abijah for three years, then Abijah died.
Abijah means "father of the sea," or "father of the West." Rehoboam had expected Abijah to be king of ALL Israel. And all Israel was considered "West" of all the Eastern territories. After all, it bordered on the "Western Sea," or the Mediterranean.
But Abijah is also called "Abijam" (1Kings 15:1). And that name means "my Father is Jehovah." This perhaps gives a better perspective on Abijah's life. Though he was a sinner, and his heart was not perfect with God (according to 1Kings 15:3), he really loved the Lord and showed it in his life living by FAITH.
No matter how GOOD a man may be, the Bible plainly says that "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.." (1Corinthians 15:50).
Man, because of sin, is destined to DIE. And unless our Lord returns to earth prior to our death, we must simply trust Him through death.
We are sinners and there is a barrier between flesh and blood sinners and eternal glory. The only way to surpass that barrier is to entrust our lives to Christ and live for Him daily. That is called SURRENDER. And without surrender there is NO salvation.