He warned them. He really did.
The nation of Israel, God’s treasured possession had split due to Solomon’s disobedience and was now a divided nation. There were 10 tribes given to Jeroboam of the North, and 2 tribes in the South that were being ruled by Abijah. God preserved those small 2 tribes because of his covenant with David.
And now the two halves of Israel were at war. The lines were drawn. Northern Israel came with Jeroboam and their 800,000. Abijah and Southern Israel came to the battle line with 400,00. The odds were quite bad for Southern Israel, but Abijah knew the covenant. He knew that God would fight for them because of that covenant. He knew that even though Northern Israel came with twice as many, that they would lose.
So Abijah stood at the battle line and addressed Jeroboam and all the soldiers. He reminded them that they had left the LORD and were worshipping golden calves, anointing priests that were not of God, and were following wicked ways. He reminded them that Southern Israel was keeping the covenant, the sacrifices, and the relationship that God had given them. He warned them all openly.
Jeroboam was confident. He had set an ambush and now half the soldiers were in front of Abijah and half were behind him. But Jeroboam was confident in himself and not in the Lord. Abijah was confident in the Lord and not in the eyes of what was before him.
So Abijah and all Judah with him “turned and discovered that the battle was in front of them and behind them, so they cried out to the LORD. Then the priests blew the trumpets, and the men of Judah raised the battle cry. When the men of Judah raised the battle cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah” (2 Chr 13:14-15).
Abijah and his men didn’t surrender. They didn’t run. Rather they called out to the LORD and raised a battle cry.
“The Judahites succeeded because they depended on the LORD, the God of their ancestors” (2 Chr 13:18).
It was a terrible and great victory for Abijah. A lot of bloodshed could have been saved if Jeroboam and Northern Israel would have listened, but they didn’t. But because Southern Israel (Judah), was the remainder of the covenant, they were obedient to follow the Lord’s decrees, and in crisis they called on him, Judah was saved.
“But as for us, Yahweh is our God” (2 Chr 13:10).
But as for me, I choose Yahweh as my God.
