2 Chronicles 13  Then it happened

 

The Books of Chronicles deal with the Kings of Judah

A) The nation of Israel was originally a federation of 12 united tribes.

 

B) They were a THEOCRACY..... They were ruled and governed by God THROUGH His prophets and judges

 

C) During the time of the prophet Samuel the people of Israel became tired of the theocracy.

 

D Said to Samuel – We want to be like the other nations and have a King

1) Basically saying to Samuel – we no longer want you to be our Judge

 

E) Samuel was bummed – God put things into perspective saying: : for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

 

1) That was the bigger issue – God in grace granted their wish

 

The first king of Israel was a man named Saul

A) He was a man with great potential.

 

B) He had tremendous NATURAL advantages.

1) He was good looking, strong, intelligent, from a good family.

 

C)) He had tremendous spiritual advantages.

1) Godly men around him / Holy Spirit came upon him – Saul even prophesied

Saul  had tremendous opportunities.

A) He got to be the first king over Israel. He had the opportunity to rule in such a way as to show the people that God was still their king.

 

B) But Saul did NOT have a heart for God

1) He hid from the call of God on his life.

 

C) He allowed jealousy to take control of his life. He intruded into areas that God had not called him.

1) He sought to find truth from the “Father of lies”.

 

D) His reign ended in disaster.

 

Saul was followed by a young man named David.

A) David had his shortcomings and failures. But he had a heart for God. But He LOVED the Lord.

 

B) Walked before ONE GOD worshipped / served / fought for and loved ONE GOD

1)  David goes down as the man that God measured every other king against.

 

C) David was followed by his son Solomon.

 

Solomon started well, but faltered. Amazing 1st half

A) Solomon’s problem: He  had half a heart for the Lord.

 

B) He loved the Lord yet he found himself falling into worshipping the gods of his wives.

1) In the first three kings of Israel we see Saul, who had NO heart.        David had a FULL heart.

2) Solomon had a half heart for God.

Solomon’s son, Rehoboam came to the throne after the death of Solomon.

A) Upon Rehoboam becoming king their was a REVOLT in Israel. The 10 northern tribes rejected his rule.

 

B) They formed the Northern kingdom, referred to as Israel. Judah and Benjamin formed the southern kingdom of Judah.

 

C) From this time on you have TWO nations.

1) Israel had 19 kings. All of them were rotten.

 

D) Judah had 20 kings. Eight were good, five GREAT

Three were EXCEPTIONAL

1) Focus on those 3 beginning this Sunday am – Asa / Jehoshaphat and Hezekiah

 

2 Chronicles deals almost exclusively with the revival in Judah under these kings.

A) So we pick up with Solomon gone and Rehoboam having just died.

 

B) This brings us to the rule of Rehoboam’s son, Abijah

                              2 Chron 13:1

 

In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah. 2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem.

 

Now 1Kings 15 sums up his reign in this way:

1 Kings 15:2-3

 “And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him; his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David.”

 

Abijah is a guy who is not walking in the ways of the Lord – like He should

A) But we will see that He is a man who is very aware of the Covenant that God made with David.

 

B) In other words He knows his theology but his head knowledge doesn’t produce a heart response.

 

C) That describes many in Christian Churches today

1) They know the Stories – the Principles – basic theology – but too often it doesn’t translate into life application

 

D) That is the problem: Head knowledge is of no value if it doesn’t translate into life application

1)1000’s Books on Christian living – We don’t need another book – just need to do what we know

 

E) 1,000’s of books on marriage – again - Knowledge is not the problem for us – It is the doing

 

Abijah as we will see Knows His stuff – but unfortunately it doesn’t produce a godly life.

His mother's name was Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.

And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3 Abijah set the battle in order with an army of valiant warriors, four hundred thousand choice men. Jeroboam also drew up in battle formation against him with eight hundred thousand choice men, mighty men of valor.

 

So here we see that as soon as Abijah assumes the throne – Civil war breaks out – North vs South

A) Not sure why this happened – Perhaps Jeroboam saw it as an opportunity to attack – time of transition

 

B) Recall Rehoboam was going to go to Battle with Jeroboam but listened to the counsel of the Lord not to

 

C) Maybe Abijah was doing what he knew his dad always wanted to do but didn’t

 

D) The Chronicler doesn’t tell us why the War broke out but he does tell us the odds

1) Judah under Abijah are out numbered 2 to 1

400,000 to 800,000  that is a big # 400,000

 

E) Talking a total of 1.2 million men drawn into the battle field

 

Before Any fighting takes place Abijah gives a speech -  RD V.4-12

 

Notice several things here:  First v.5 Covenant with David – Covenant of Salt?

A) Salt was a preserving agent – It was a way of saying that the covenant that God made with David was an Enduring covenant.

 

B) 2nd V.8 You are a great multitude 800,000 men and two golden calves

C) Remember Jeroboam had led the Northern Kingdoms into the worship of golden calves

1) He brought from his time down in Egypt

 

D) Problem of misplaced affections – You have 800,000 men and two golden calves

1) All that matters is that we have one living God on our side.   HE IS OUR HEAD!

 

2) What are those two golden calves going to do for you.

 

We need to remember this as we live in this world – we have THE LIVING God on our side.

A) He is behind us / He is before us / He is on our side

 

B) Jesus is the same yesterday today and forever.

 

C) Duet Our Rock is not like their Rock –

 

Psalm 3:1-4

“LORD, how they have increased who trouble me!

Many are they who rise up against me .

2 Many are they who say of me,

"There is no help for him in God." 

 

3 But You, O LORD, are a shield for me,

My glory and the One who lifts up my head.

4 I cried to the LORD with my voice,

And He heard me from His holy hill.”

 

 

3rd V.9 You have alienated the wrong People.

A) All the true priest of the Lord were replaced by false priest hand picked by Jeroboam.

 

* Watch when you start alienating the wrong pp

 

B) People are still doing this today: Have it your way religion:

1) Heep of teachers who are going to tell them what they want to hear

2) Seeker Friendly { Distort message

3) Seeker Sensitive – Bible light – but OK

 

C) Abijah’s confidence: V.10-12 God is with us – His priest are with us

 

D) That was true because of the Covenant God made with David – Abijah was related to David

 

E) Question for Abijah was not is God with us – But for him personally Abijah are you with God.

 

Notice the end of v.12 – Don’t not fight against the Lord because you will not prosper

A) This is a message that we need to boldly share with pp who are ruining their lives pursuing sin – not prosper

 

B) Need to share with every backslidden friend –

1) Why are you running from God – why are you fighting against God –

 

C) It doesn’t work – You will not prosper!

D) God draws the Battle lines – Don’t go here – don’t cross this –

1) Wrote in his word about the battle lines

2) Gives us the HS to convict us when we are getting close to crossing one of those lines

 

E) It is futile – It will not prosper {Hard to kick ..goads

 

Promise to us who share:  James 5:19-20

Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

 

So Abijah brought his speech to a dramatic finish by challenging the king and people of the northern tribes to recognize that they were really fighting against the Lord God of their fathers.

 

Jeroboam’s response: Rd V.13-14

 

Now this is the worst possible Scenario for Judah Surrounded. To their surprise = to their fear

A) Not wrong to be afraid – Wait you say: “ Not given a spirit of fear……”

 

B) True but fear is a normal emotion – it is not wrong to be afraid – living in fear is what is wrong

 

C) Misconceptions: Fear is a sin – No fear is a normal emotion

D) Grief is a sin – No grief is normal –

1 Peter 1:6-7

“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

 

Grief is normal – but don’t stay there – see the bigger picture – God is working thru the trial – to create a genuine faith in us – like gold purified in the fire.

 

Abijah and the soldiers of Judah were surprised – they were afraid – but they did the right thing – they cried to the Lord

A) Note: When the enemy is in front of you – Enemy is behind you – there is still one place you can look.

 

B) Look up because the enemy is not over you!

 

Romans 8:35-39

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ……..

 

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

 

38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  NIV

 

I have found that in my life, and in the lives of so

many others, that the enemy usually follows this

same tactic..... the IN FRONT and BEHIND attack

A) He comes and condemns you for your PAST.... the mistakes you made yesterday or last week or last year.

 

Rev. 12:10 calls Satan the accuser of the brethren who accuses us day and night

 

B) He attacks you from in front by getting you to worry by being anxious about tomorrow.

1) “What if the check doesn’t come?”

2) What if I get sick

 

Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows but only empties today of its strength.

   Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892) 

 

C) When he does that the best defense is to look back at the faithfulness of God and look forward to the promises of God

 

D) We can NOT afford to look back at failures. But we MUST look back at the faithfulness of God.

I can honestly say that when I took those actions: In those moments I have felt closer to God than at any other time in my life

A) The secret is to NOT live in the past and NOT worry about tomorrow, but instead rejoice in where you are right now.

 

B) You are a child of God. He HAS and He WILL take care of you.

1) Remember - Don’t look back.... Don’t look ahead, instead look up!!   - Keep your eyes on Jesus.

 

So they cried out to the Lord and the priest sounded their trumpets{ Outward expression of faith  

                               RD V.15-19

 

Notice: When they cried out – then it happened

A) They Cried out and God responded!

 

B) This is a theme of 2 Chronicles – The writer especially in this final section is going to point out over and over – God’s pp faced with insurmountable odds – Cry out to Him – HE RESPONDS

 

C) The remnant he was writing to were faced with insurmountable odds -  Overwhelming

1) Rebuild city and temple

 

D) He wants their hearts to be filled with Faith that when they cry out then it will happen

1) So simple – and yet so easy to forget!

Now here is the thing: Judah cried out and the Lord struck 500,000 of the men in Jeroboam’s army

A) Left with 300,000 but that was a major blow –

B) Humbling blow – now he was the minority

 

C) But this is what we need to understand – is the “then it happened” – doesn’t always translate – deliverance

 

D) Then it happened for you- might mean: Strength to endure the trial

1) Might mean grace and help to get you thru the next challenge

 

E) It might mean: Understanding as to why you are going thru this thing

1) Might mean greater insight into God that you didn’t possess

 

It was said of CHS – Read 2-3 books a day: A man of major intellect –

A) He learned more in one hour about God when on his back – afflicted than in all his yrs of studying

 

B) Listen there is a “THEN IT HAPPENED” for you

1) Only option – only response – Cry out to God

 

C) Something is going to happen!

 

                         RD v.20-21

 

The last thing I want to point out is that Jeroboam’s kingdom would never be the same after this.

A) All of this could have been avoided had he heeded the words of Abijah been heeded

 

B) Jeroboam repented – Abijah’s speech was an opportunity for Jeroboam to repent to turn

 

C) Maybe this story is that for you tonight -  Been against the Lord – Folly – not profiting

1) Tonight say – Lord forgive me – I’m an idiot

 

The 2nd thing that I want us to note is that the Chapter ends on a positive note about Abijah

A) Purpose is to affirm the faith of the Remnant

 

B) But reminded -  NT – other side of Calvary we don’t see the Flaws

1) Lot is a righteous man

2) Abe patiently endures