November 23, 2025

Abijah is now the King of Judah; he was the son of Rehoboam, the grandson, or possibly the great-grandson, of Absalom, King David’s son, who had amazing hair that led to his death. That’s not the point of 2 Chronicles 13, but I thought it was a good tidbit of information to help keep track of the lineage. Abijah tried to restore the ten tribes to the authority of the line of David, but King Jeroboam disagreed. Abijah continued to acknowledge God and continue the daily ritual of sacrifice to Him, but Jeroboam and the people of Israel, the ten tribes that left, worshipped the golden calf that Jeroboam had made for them to worship. Abijah told them that God was on his side. A battle ensued, with Abijah having 400,000 men of valor and Jeroboam having 800,000 soldiers. Jeroboam ambushed the soldiers of Abijah’s army, but the priests sounded the trumpets, and the men of Judah shouted unto God. Israel fled, and God delivered them into the hands of Judah; it was a slaughter. Judah won because God was on their side. Jeroboam was weakened that day and never recovered; he died a few years later.  

We all face battles, but if you want to win, you had best proclaim God as your strength. There might be an order to procuring the victory: tell your enemy that God is on your side, and when you appear to be losing, cry for God to intervene, and don’t ever leave God out; make Him the reason for your confidence. It worked for Abijah; it certainly couldn’t hurt to use his strategy. The point is never to go it alone; God is for you, so who could be against you?

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. 2 Chronicles 13:18