Know our Lord, Trust Him, and Flee from Complacency (2 Chronicles 13 and 1 Kings 15:1-3)
Background To 2 Chronicles 13
This chapter took place after the split of Israel into the two kingdoms (Northern & Southern). The split happened as a result of King Solomon disobeying God (1 Kings 11). The Northern Kingdom, called Israel, comprised 10 tribes and had Jeroboam as king. The Southern Kingdom, called Judah, comprised 2 tribes and came under King Abijah, who was the grandson of King Solomon and a descendant of King David.
In verses 3 and 13, the author described the bleak situation that King Abijah and his men were in: surrounded by their enemies and vastly outnumbered in troops (400,000 against 800,000). Humanly speaking, things were definitely not in their favour.
Instead of fighting, King Abijah took some time to remind his enemies, including those who had grown up in the unified kingdom, about 4 things:
1) God’s covenant with David (verse 5);
2) King Jeroboam’s defiance against God (v8 - 9 depicted how the king blatantly constructed idols in Bethel and Dan, and replaced the ordained priests and Levites with laymen);
3) Judah’s obedience and reliance on God, who was their captain/leader (v10 - 12)
4) A warning to stop fighting, as Israel was up against the almighty God (v12).
However, King Jeroboam ignored these reminders and God delivered Israel into the hands of Judah - 500,000 men were slain and King Abijah expanded his terrority. God was merciful to King Abijah and his men, as they knew Him and trusted in His providence.
As the people of God today, should we not know our Lord?
King Abijah’s reminders are applicable to us today.
- Don’t we know that we ought to obey God, as revealed in His bible?
- Don’t we know the command to tell the world about the gospel?
- Don’t we know what our Master hates?
Yet, why do we still reject His commands, to seek our own pleasure pursuits and to covet material gains?
Avoid the mistake of King Jeroboam. Let’s cultivate a passion for His Word and pray that we will truly know the heart of our Lord. King Jeroboam was promised reign over Israel by God in 1 Kings 11. The chapters that followed show that he did not really know His Lord and, soon, he decided to depend on his own strength to remain as king (e.g., through building idols in his land to prevent his people from going to Jerusalem).
God is our captain, who shall we fear?
Verse 12 also reminds us of Romans 8:31, that if God be for us, who can be against us? Church history has proven that persecutors can clamp down on churches but they cannot defeat God – Christianity and Christians are still thriving today.
Be thankful for His grace that we, Christians in Singapore, face minimal persecution when we evangelize. However, if you are feeling fearful because you are the only Christian in your workplace/class/family, lean on your heavenly captain and trust that He has your back. Someone put it aptly: “When you are alone, you are the minority. But when you are with God, you are the majority.”.
Abijah – A Cautionary Lesson On Complacency
Sometimes, we wonder why our Christian lives are so mundane? We crave the moments of Elijah, Abraham, and King Abijah. We forget about the blessings and different gifts He has bestowed.
In 1 Kings 15:1-3, the same King Abijah was recorded negatively, in sharp contrast to 2 Chronicles 13. In his short 3-year reign, King Abijah had a great victory (2 Chronicles 13), but he later became a wicked king (1 Kings 15). His name was changed from Abijah (worshipper of Yahweh) to Abijam (worshipper of an idol).
Yes, we should savour our victories, but let’s always give God the glory and not rest on our laurels. King Abijah might have become complacent after his victory and took on the bad practices of the land. He might have won the initial battle but lost the war, ultimately.
Enjoy The Spiritual Highs, Desire Your Spiritual Lord
Similarly, let us watch our hearts, and guard ourselves from pride so that we do not merely want the big victories that appear impressive. Rather, earnestly desire Him and walk with Him faithfully. More often than not, it is so easy to be charged up after a service, but when the mundane things (e.g. work) come and life goes back to the norm, we might start craving for the ‘big’ victories and forget God.
Let us persevere in knowing Him through His Word, trusting in Him. May God help and guide us, as He has so promised (Philippians 4:7, 1 Peter 1:5).
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