The Israelites were subdued on that occasion, and the people of Judah were victorious because they relied on the Lord, the God of their ancestors.

2 Chronicles 13:18

For Meditation
Israel and Judah went to war against each other under Jeroboam and Abijah. Israel’s army twice outnumbered that of Judah. The result was clear – Judah was done. But something happened. 

Abijah reasoned with Jeroboam that fighting against Judah was tantamount to fighting against God, because Jeroboam had led Israel to forsake the Lord. Judah, on the other hand, had remained faithful to the sacrificial worship and keeping of the Levitical priesthood. Jeroboam, however, would not listen. He attacked Judah from both front and rear. Abijah “cried out to the Lord.” (14, 18). He delivered Judah, “because they relied on the Lord, the God of their ancestors” (18). 

Four things from this historical account of the two sisters could be helpful to our relationship and walk with Christ Jesus.

Family feud is unnecessary and destructive. Nothing is gained when Christians fight against one another, though we may differ on some principles of worship. Christ expects us to rather encourage and stimulate each other to wholesome thinking and be built up in Christ (1 Thess. 5:11; 2 Pt. 3:1). We must listen to each other and repent where we have failed. Jeroboam should have listened to Abijah’s admonishing speech and repented (2 Chron. 13: 4-12). That’s what fellowship in the church is all about – building each other up, instead of tearing ourselves apart.   

The youth of the church must be careful who they surround themselves with, and the counsel they receive from them. In the church, there are “worthless scoundrels” like the young people King Rehoboam surrounded himself with that led to the schism of the David kingdom under his watch (5-7). Such people could destroy the faith of the youth with their bad counsel. Our youth must be trained to be decisive in their commitment to Christ. Unlike Rehoboam, they must stand up against every ungodly counsel.

Ambitious leaders who seek to build a following for themselves and to protect their “territory” must be warned against idolatry. Jeroboam feared that allowing Israel to worship at Jerusalem could cause him his kingdom. So, to secure his kinship, he shut down the Levitical priesthood and replaced God’s established sacrificial worship with an idolatrous one at Dan and Bethel. He forsook the Lord. Likewise, Christian leaders who build up self-protective systems that offends God’s holy rule over the congregation under them risk falling into idolatry, and there are many in the church now. Let’s watch out against them.

Finally, we should recognize that the size of our opposition does not limit the power of God to protect and deliver us. There is no mountain too high for us to scale, and no giant too big to defeat, if we rely on God when the enemy forces overwhelm us. Abijah relied on God at such a time and prevailed against Jeroboam and his vast army.

When we trust and rely on God, He protects and delivers us from every malicious opposition that comes up against us.