2Ch 13:14-15 | KingComments | STEP | While Abijah gives his speech, Jeroboam lays an ambush ( ). When Abijah notices that, it’s over with his talk. He boasts, so to speak, of standing on the foundation of the faithful Philadelphia, while his heart is in the lukewarm state of Laodicea. Then he calls to the LORD. He only does this when He has taught him a good lesson and not before he enters into the confrontation. Yet God helps. He is never called upon in vain ( ). When every way out around us is cut off, the way up is always open ( ). The battle from the “front” ( ) can be applied to fear for the future, paralyzing us to do something for the Lord. The battle from the “rear” we can apply to memories of mistakes made, the consequences of sins, the misunderstandings that alienate us from others and make it difficult for us to live as we would like to. But when we have the battle both front and rear, when we are surrounded and enclosed by the battle, we may remember that God also encloses us “behind and before” ( ) and covers us with His hand. He then gives the victory. In the blowing of the trumpets we see the call to the LORD, as was said by Moses ( ). After his defamatory defeat, Jeroboam has no strength left ( ). He is no longer capable of a new showdown. Abijah has nothing more to fear from him. The end of Jeroboam’s bad life is attributed to an act of God. He does not fall asleep, but the LORD strikes him deadly, possibly by illness or stroke (cf. ; ). Unlike Jeroboam, who is very weak, Abijah strengthens his position ( ). His strength seems to lie in the number of children he conceives with the wives he has taken for himself. This brings the chronicler to the end of his description of Abijah’s life. “His ways and his words”, that is to say what can still be said of him, “are written in the treatise of the prophet Iddo” ( ). That treatise is not taken up in God’s Word, but it is recorded by a prophet of the LORD. That treatise will appear before the judgment seat of Christ on the day that all men will be revealed and will be opened to show Abijah what and how “his ways and his words” have been. He will be judged correspondingly ( ).

‏ 2 Chronicles 13:14-15

Abijah Defeats Jeroboam

While Abijah gives his speech, Jeroboam lays an ambush (2Chr 13:13). When Abijah notices that, it’s over with his talk. He boasts, so to speak, of standing on the foundation of the faithful Philadelphia, while his heart is in the lukewarm state of Laodicea. Then he calls to the LORD. He only does this when He has taught him a good lesson and not before he enters into the confrontation. Yet God helps. He is never called upon in vain (Psa 34:6-7 ; Psa 50:15 ; Psa 107:6).

When every way out around us is cut off, the way up is always open (2Cor 4:8b). The battle from the “front” (2Chr 13:14) can be applied to fear for the future, paralyzing us to do something for the Lord. The battle from the “rear” we can apply to memories of mistakes made, the consequences of sins, the misunderstandings that alienate us from others and make it difficult for us to live as we would like to.

But when we have the battle both front and rear, when we are surrounded and enclosed by the battle, we may remember that God also encloses us “behind and before” (Psa 139:5) and covers us with His hand. He then gives the victory. In the blowing of the trumpets we see the call to the LORD, as was said by Moses (Num 10:9).

After his defamatory defeat, Jeroboam has no strength left (2Chr 13:20). He is no longer capable of a new showdown. Abijah has nothing more to fear from him. The end of Jeroboam’s bad life is attributed to an act of God. He does not fall asleep, but the LORD strikes him deadly, possibly by illness or stroke (cf. Acts 5:1-10 ; Acts 12:21-23; 1Cor 11:30).

Unlike Jeroboam, who is very weak, Abijah strengthens his position (2Chr 13:21). His strength seems to lie in the number of children he conceives with the wives he has taken for himself.

This brings the chronicler to the end of his description of Abijah’s life. “His ways and his words”, that is to say what can still be said of him, “are written in the treatise of the prophet Iddo” (2Chr 13:22). That treatise is not taken up in God’s Word, but it is recorded by a prophet of the LORD. That treatise will appear before the judgment seat of Christ on the day that all men will be revealed and will be opened to show Abijah what and how “his ways and his words” have been. He will be judged correspondingly (2Cor 5:10).