1 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:10,720 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Study Headquarters 3 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:15,320 Speaker 1: dot com. You're listening to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. 4 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: I'm John Stangi, and today we're in Second Chronicles, chapter thirteen, 5 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:26,639 Speaker 1: and we'll be reading from the New English translation. In 6 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 1: the eighteenth year of the reign of King Jerobom, Abijah 7 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:35,240 Speaker 1: became king over Judah. He ruled for three years in Jerusalem. 8 00:00:35,720 --> 00:00:40,520 Speaker 1: His mother was Makaiah, the daughter of Uriel from Gibeah. 9 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:45,519 Speaker 1: There was war between Abijah and Jerobom. Abijah launched the 10 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 1: attack with four hundred thousand well trained warriors, while Jerobom 11 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:55,280 Speaker 1: deployed against him eight hundred thousand well trained warriors. Abijah 12 00:00:55,400 --> 00:01:00,320 Speaker 1: ascended Mount Zemaraim in the Ephriamite hill country and said, 13 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:05,160 Speaker 1: listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel. Don't you realize 14 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:08,080 Speaker 1: that the Lord God of Israel has given David and 15 00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:14,119 Speaker 1: his dynasty lasting dominion over Israel by a formal agreement. Jeroboam, 16 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:17,280 Speaker 1: son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon son of David, 17 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:22,560 Speaker 1: rose up and rebelled against his master, lawless, good for nothing. 18 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 1: Men gathered around him and conspired against Raeboam, son of Solomon, 19 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 1: when Raaboam was an inexperienced young man and could not 20 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 1: resist them. Now you are declaring that you will resist 21 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:39,200 Speaker 1: the Lord's rule through the Davidic dynasty. You have a 22 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:42,160 Speaker 1: huge army and bring with you the gold calves that 23 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 1: Jeroboam made for you as gods. But you banished the 24 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 1: Lord's priests, Aaron's descendants, and the Levites and appointed your 25 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:54,600 Speaker 1: own priests, just as the surrounding nations do. Anyone who 26 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:58,040 Speaker 1: comes to consecrate himself with a young bull or seven 27 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:02,559 Speaker 1: rams becomes a priest of these fake gods. But as 28 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 1: for us, the Lord is our god, and we have 29 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:11,600 Speaker 1: not rejected him. Aaron's descendants serve as the Lord's priests, 30 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:15,360 Speaker 1: and the Levites assist them with the work. They offer 31 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 1: burnt sacrifices to the Lord every morning and every evening, 32 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:23,160 Speaker 1: along with fragrant incense. They arrange the bread of the 33 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 1: presence on a ritually clean table and light the lamps 34 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:32,040 Speaker 1: on the gold lampstand every evening. Certainly, we are observing 35 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:37,160 Speaker 1: the Lord, our God's regulations, but you have rejected him. Now. Look, 36 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 1: God is with us as our leader, His priests are 37 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 1: ready to blow the trumpets to signal the attack against you. 38 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:49,679 Speaker 1: You Israelites, don't fight against the Lord, God of your ancestors, 39 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 1: for you will not win. Now. Jeroboam had sent some 40 00:02:54,480 --> 00:02:58,600 Speaker 1: men to ambush the Juhedite army from behind. The main 41 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:01,080 Speaker 1: army was in front of the j Juhidite army, the 42 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:04,680 Speaker 1: ambushers were behind it. The men of Judah turned around 43 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:07,919 Speaker 1: and realized they were being attacked from the front and 44 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:10,800 Speaker 1: the rear, so they cried out for help to the Lord. 45 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:14,320 Speaker 1: The priests blew their trumpets and the men of Judah 46 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: gave the battle cry. As the men of Judah gave 47 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:21,040 Speaker 1: the battle cry, the Lord struck down Jeroboam and all 48 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 1: Israel before Abijah and Judah. The Israelites fled from before 49 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:29,400 Speaker 1: the Juhadite army, and God handed them over to the 50 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:34,160 Speaker 1: men of Judah. Abijah and his army thoroughly defeated them. 51 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 1: Five hundred thousand well trained Israelite men fell dead that day. 52 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 1: The Israelites were defeated. The men of Judah prevailed because 53 00:03:44,040 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 1: they relied on the Lord, God of their ancestors. Abijah 54 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:53,920 Speaker 1: chased Jerobom he seized from him. These cities Bethel and 55 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 1: its surrounding towns, Jeshinah and its surrounding towns, and Ephron 56 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:03,120 Speaker 1: and its surrounding towns Ones. Jeroboam did not regain power 57 00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 1: during the reign of Abaijah. The Lord struck him down 58 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 1: and he died. Abijah's power grew. He had fourteen wives 59 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:16,120 Speaker 1: and fathered twenty two sons and sixteen daughters. The rest 60 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:19,680 Speaker 1: of the events of Abijah's reign, including his deeds and sayings, 61 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:28,120 Speaker 1: are recorded in the writings of the prophet Ido. Let's pray, Lord, 62 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:30,200 Speaker 1: we thank you for your word and for the privilege 63 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:32,400 Speaker 1: of being able to look at it today. And Lord, 64 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:34,720 Speaker 1: as we see in this portion of scripture, we're shown 65 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:36,960 Speaker 1: a group of people who have rejected you, and a 66 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:40,800 Speaker 1: group of people who accept you and worship you and 67 00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:43,320 Speaker 1: are seeking to be faithful to the truth that you 68 00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:46,599 Speaker 1: had revealed to them in your word. Lord. We're grateful 69 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 1: for that example, and we pray that, by your grace 70 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:52,240 Speaker 1: that we would realize that this is a pattern that 71 00:04:52,279 --> 00:04:55,719 Speaker 1: you want us to abide by as well. Lord. So 72 00:04:55,839 --> 00:04:59,200 Speaker 1: often we tend to put our preferences and our opinions 73 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:02,159 Speaker 1: on a high pedestal than the teaching of your word. 74 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:04,560 Speaker 1: But we pray Lord, that, by your grace that we 75 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:08,279 Speaker 1: would value what you have communicated above our preferences and 76 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:11,880 Speaker 1: our opinions. Lord, you invite us, as those who have 77 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:15,880 Speaker 1: placed our trust in your son, Jesus Christ, to walk 78 00:05:15,920 --> 00:05:18,560 Speaker 1: by faith each and every day as we seek to 79 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:21,240 Speaker 1: put you first in all areas of our lives. And Lord, 80 00:05:21,279 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 1: we pray that you would just empower us to continue 81 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:28,080 Speaker 1: to follow you faithfully, not in our own strength, not 82 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:30,719 Speaker 1: in our own wisdom, but in your strength and in 83 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:33,840 Speaker 1: the wisdom that you supply. Lord. We're grateful for your 84 00:05:33,839 --> 00:05:36,279 Speaker 1: presence with us today, and we commit this day to 85 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:40,520 Speaker 1: your care and pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.