Get VICTORY through RELYING in GOD ALONE!
May 6
Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles Chapters 13-15
Get VICTORY through RELYING in GOD ALONE!
"And the children of Israel fled before
Judah, and God delivered them into their hand. Then Abijah and his people
struck them with a great slaughter; so five hundred thousand choice men of
Israel fell slain. Thus the children of Israel were subdued at that time; and
the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the Lord God of their
fathers." (2 Chron. 13:16-18)
While
elaborating the reign of Abijah, the ruler of Judah, the writer of Chronicles
draws our attention of the people of Judah under Abijah going to war against
the people of Israel who are under Jeroboam (v. 2b). In this war 400,000
soldiers of Judah face about 800,000 soldiers of Israel, so the war is heavily
favored in the side of Israel when we see the numerical strength of the
soldiers alone (v. 3). However, there is a distinct difference between the
people of Judah and the people of Israel, which Abijah elaborates in a speech
to Jeroboam and the people of Israel.
In his
speech before the battle, Abijah reminds Jeroboam that God had given the
kingdom to David and to his descendants. However, Jeroboam had rebelled against
the Davidic dynasty during the time of Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. Then, Israel
had set up a counterfeit priesthood and had served idols. In contrast, Judah
had clung to the Levitical priesthood and had served God who was the Captain of
Judah’s army (see Josh 5:14–15, the captain of the Lord’s host). It was foolish
on the part of Israel to fight against Judah and the Lord God (vv. 4-12).
Instead of
listening to Abijah, Jeroboam set an ambush (v. 13). When the trap closed on
Judah, the men cried out to God and the priests blew the trumpets (v. 14). God
answered by striking Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. Thus,
Abijah and the people of Judah won a great
victory. 500,000 choice men of Israel died in that battle (vv. 15–17) - a staggering price to pay for turning away
from God!
The reason
for this victory is clearly stated in the very next verse: “Thus the children of Israel were subdued at that time; and the
children of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the Lord God of their
fathers" (v. 18). The battle was the Lord’s, and the ultimate victory was
His for the people of Judah who relied on Him alone. Israel’s superior numbers (v. 3) and strategy (vv. 13, 14) were to no avail
because the victory was divine in
origin. Reliance on the power of the Lord
instead of human strength is a dominant
theme in both 1 and 2 Chronicles and the
lesson to be learned from this incident.
The army of
Israel had superior battle force and a better war strategy, but they did not have God. They had an army twice
as big as Judah’s army (Luke 14:31–32), but by the time the battle was over,
Israel had lost 500,000 soldiers. For Judah, God was their leader (v. 12) and
they believed that “If God is for us, who
can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31). God gave Judah the victory since they
relied on God through their faithful worship of God (vv. 8–11). They obeyed
God’s commandments, and God kept His promises to His children in their time of
need.
Let us
understand that Abijah put his faith in the God of the covenant who always
keeps His promises (v. 5). He was living by faith and not by sight, and as a
result God gave them the victory. Let us also rely on God by believing in Jesus
through faith, loving Him from our heart and obeying His commandments today and
always!
"Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith" (1 John 5:1-4).
