2Ch 13:10-11 | KingComments | STEP | Before the battle begins, Abijah tries to convince his opponent that he has the right on his side. He does so by means of a speech he gives while standing on Mount Zemaraim. We can therefore call it a ‘sermon on the mount’. He addresses “Jeroboam and all Israel”. He speaks to Jeroboam in the first place, but the whole of Israel must hear it. The speech he gives seems to be propaganda for the imminent battle. What he says must justify the battle he wants to wage. His speech is special. Its content is largely in accordance with the truth. Unfortunately, for Abijah, this is only an external matter. He uses religious arguments to pursue his own political goals. His speech comes down to the fact that he and his people are the faithful and Jeroboam and his people the apostate. This pretense can be heard in the contrast of “you” ( ) on the one hand and “we” and “us” ( ) on the other. Abijah points to: 1. The salt covenant with David. God gave him and his sons after him the kingship of the twelve tribes ( ). Salt covenant means that it is an eternal covenant ( ). What Abijah says is true, but at the same time it is an accusation against himself, because he himself does not take this covenant into account. 2. The revolt of Jeroboam ( ). Abijah humiliates Jeroboam in his indictment of him and does not do justice to the matter, for God has promised Jeroboam the kingdom. 3. The weakness of his father ( ). He seems to suggest that while his father may have been too weak to defeat Jeroboam – as if God’s will did not underlie his father’s decision not to fight –, Jeroboam now faces a man of a different caliber, someone who is strong enough. 4. The introduction of idolatry by Jeroboam and making an own priestly service ( ). What Abijah says about it is true. 5. The true priestly service ( ). Regardless of Abijah’s person and mind, he gives a magnificent summary of the contents of the true priestly service. From his mouth it unfortunately sounds like “a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” ( ), because he lacks love for the LORD. 6. God is with them at their head. He claims the presence of God here, without considering what his own attitude toward God should be. Instead of that humbling him, his language sounds like the language of the Pharisee who also speaks highly of his relationship to God and claims God for himself ( ). What Abijah says may all be so true, but it sounds like the “deceptive words” in the days of Jeremiah, when people boast in the same way and say: “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the LORD” ( ). What is such a confession worth if the heart is not connected to it? The service of Jeroboam is reprehensible. Abijah’s pretense is equally reprehensible. He boasts about the LORD’s service, but his heart is far from Him. While Abijah gives his pompous speech and the arrogant “but as for us, … we have not forsaken Him” ( ) sounds from his mouth, the people of which he is king, sacrifice to the idols. That turns out when his son Asa becomes king. For immediately after his appointment King Asa holds a clean-up action and “removed the foreign altars and high places” ( ). How does Abijah dare to speak so high and mighty, when there is so much idolatry in Judah at that moment? Abijah’s statement “the LORD is our God” ( ) is a moderation against the background of the sins in which he himself lives ( ) and the idolatry committed by the people. He praises orthodoxy and tradition, but life out of and with God is strange to him. He uses the dedication of others – priests and Levites who faithfully perform their task – to maintain himself and claim the right to fight the right battle. The fact that God is at the head ( ) may indicate that he still trusts God for the victory (cf. ). However, it is not trust from a personal faith in the power God. It is very similar to the pretense of Hophni and Phinehas, who claim the ark – the symbol of the presence of the LORD – for their position and take it with them as a mascot in the battle against the Philistines ( ). In summary, we can say that Abijah points to 1. the false leadership of Jeroboam in the northern realm ( ), 2. a false company ( ), 3. false gods ( ), 4. false priests ( ) in contrast with 1. true priests ( ), 2. true service ( ) and 3. true Divine authority ( ).

‏ 2 Chronicles 13:10-11

Abijah’s Speech to Israel

Before the battle begins, Abijah tries to convince his opponent that he has the right on his side. He does so by means of a speech he gives while standing on Mount Zemaraim. We can therefore call it a ‘sermon on the mount’. He addresses “Jeroboam and all Israel”. He speaks to Jeroboam in the first place, but the whole of Israel must hear it. The speech he gives seems to be propaganda for the imminent battle. What he says must justify the battle he wants to wage.

His speech is special. Its content is largely in accordance with the truth. Unfortunately, for Abijah, this is only an external matter. He uses religious arguments to pursue his own political goals. His speech comes down to the fact that he and his people are the faithful and Jeroboam and his people the apostate. This pretense can be heard in the contrast of “you” (2Chr 13:8-9) on the one hand and “we” and “us” (2Chr 13:10-12) on the other.

Abijah points to:

1. The salt covenant with David. God gave him and his sons after him the kingship of the twelve tribes (2Chr 13:5). Salt covenant means that it is an eternal covenant (Num 18:19b). What Abijah says is true, but at the same time it is an accusation against himself, because he himself does not take this covenant into account.

2. The revolt of Jeroboam (2Chr 13:6). Abijah humiliates Jeroboam in his indictment of him and does not do justice to the matter, for God has promised Jeroboam the kingdom.

3. The weakness of his father (2Chr 13:7). He seems to suggest that while his father may have been too weak to defeat Jeroboam – as if God’s will did not underlie his father’s decision not to fight –, Jeroboam now faces a man of a different caliber, someone who is strong enough.

4. The introduction of idolatry by Jeroboam and making an own priestly service (2Chr 13:8-9). What Abijah says about it is true.

5. The true priestly service (2Chr 13:10-11). Regardless of Abijah’s person and mind, he gives a magnificent summary of the contents of the true priestly service. From his mouth it unfortunately sounds like “a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1Cor 13:1), because he lacks love for the LORD.

6. God is with them at their head. He claims the presence of God here, without considering what his own attitude toward God should be. Instead of that humbling him, his language sounds like the language of the Pharisee who also speaks highly of his relationship to God and claims God for himself (Lk 18:11-12).

What Abijah says may all be so true, but it sounds like the “deceptive words” in the days of Jeremiah, when people boast in the same way and say: “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the LORD” (Jer 7:4). What is such a confession worth if the heart is not connected to it? The service of Jeroboam is reprehensible. Abijah’s pretense is equally reprehensible. He boasts about the LORD’s service, but his heart is far from Him.

While Abijah gives his pompous speech and the arrogant “but as for us, … we have not forsaken Him” (2Chr 13:10) sounds from his mouth, the people of which he is king, sacrifice to the idols. That turns out when his son Asa becomes king. For immediately after his appointment King Asa holds a clean-up action and “removed the foreign altars and high places” (2Chr 14:3). How does Abijah dare to speak so high and mighty, when there is so much idolatry in Judah at that moment?

Abijah’s statement “the LORD is our God” (2Chr 13:10) is a moderation against the background of the sins in which he himself lives (1Kgs 15:3) and the idolatry committed by the people. He praises orthodoxy and tradition, but life out of and with God is strange to him. He uses the dedication of others – priests and Levites who faithfully perform their task – to maintain himself and claim the right to fight the right battle.

The fact that God is at the head (2Chr 13:12) may indicate that he still trusts God for the victory (cf. Deu 20:4). However, it is not trust from a personal faith in the power God. It is very similar to the pretense of Hophni and Phinehas, who claim the ark – the symbol of the presence of the LORD – for their position and take it with them as a mascot in the battle against the Philistines (1Sam 4:3-5).

In summary, we can say that Abijah points to

1. the false leadership of Jeroboam in the northern realm (2Chr 13:6),

2. a false company (2Chr 13:7),

3. false gods (2Chr 13:8),

4. false priests (2Chr 13:9)

in contrast with

1. true priests (2Chr 13:10),

2. true service (2Chr 13:11) and

3. true Divine authority (2Chr 13:12).