2 Chronicles 13 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
~913-910 BC, the short reign of King Abijah of Judah, written down centuries later by a scribe working after the return from exile in Babylon (roughly 400 BC)
Location
The hill country of Ephraim in central Israel, at Mount Zemaraim, a ridge on the border between the southern kingdom of Judah and the northern kingdom of Israel
Audience
Jewish people back in the land after the Babylonian exile, rebuilding their community around the temple in Jerusalem and asking whether God was still committed to the family line of David
Situation
Abijah of Judah goes to war against Jeroboam of the northern kingdom and, before the fighting starts, shouts a speech across the valley arguing that Judah still has the legitimate priesthood and the legitimate king. Outnumbered two to one and ambushed from behind, Judah wins anyway.
Key Background
The nation had split in two after Solomon's death, and the northern kingdom set up rival worship centres with golden calves at Bethel and Dan so its people would not travel south to Jerusalem. Jeroboam also staffed those shrines with anyone willing to pay for the job, which is the charge Abijah throws at him. A pre-battle speech from high ground was a normal ancient practice, part propaganda aimed at the enemy troops and part morale for one's own, and the priests' trumpets Abijah mentions were the signal instruments commanded in the law of Moses for calling on God in war.
In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam's reign, became king over
He ruled for three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was daughter of Uriel from There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.
Abijah launched the battle with an army of — four hundred thousand fighting men. Jeroboam lined up against him with eight hundred thousand
Abijah stood on top of in the hill country of and called out, "Jeroboam and all Israel — listen to me!
Don't you know that the God of Israel, gave the kingship over Israel to David and his descendants forever — an with
But Jeroboam son of Nebat — a of Solomon son of David — rose up and against his master.
Then gathered around him and overpowered Rehoboam son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and and couldn't stand up to them.
And now you think you can stand against Yahweh's kingdom in the hands of David's descendants? You may be a massive army, and you have those that Jeroboam made as your gods.
Didn't you drive out Yahweh's priests — the of — and the Levites? And then you made your own priests, just like the nations around you do! Anyone who shows up with a young bull and seven rams can become a priest of those
But as for us — Yahweh is our God, and we haven't him. We have priests serving Yahweh who are actual descendants of Aaron, and Levites doing their assigned work.
Every morning and every evening they burn and to Yahweh. They arrange the bread on the and light the gold lampstand every evening. We are keeping our responsibilities to Yahweh our God, but you have abandoned him.
Look — God himself is with us as our and his priests are here with the ready to sound the charge against you. People of Israel, do not fight against Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, because you will not win.
But Jeroboam had sent forces around to ambush them from behind. So Israel was in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them.
When Judah turned and saw they were being attacked from both the front and the rear, they out to Yahweh. The priests blew the trumpets,
and the men of Judah the As the men of Judah shouted, God down Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.
The Israelites fled from Judah, and God them to Judah's forces.
Abijah and his troops inflicted massive casualties on them — of Israel's hand-picked men fell dead.
The Israelites were that day, and the people of Judah prevailed because they on Yahweh, the God of their ancestors.
Abijah pursued Jeroboam and captured towns from him: with its surrounding villages, Jeshanah with its surrounding villages, and Ephron with its surrounding villages.
Jeroboam never regained his power during Abijah's lifetime. Eventually Yahweh down, and he died.
But Abijah grew powerful. He married and fathered twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.
The rest of Abijah's story — everything he did and said — is written down in the of the