Bible Reading: 2 Chronicles 13, 14; John 12:1-25
“The LORD shall go forth like a mighty man of war, he will stir up jealousy like a man of war, he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies.” – Isaiah 42:13 (KJV)
Yesterday, we looked at how the prophetic declaration was established in the life of Jeroboam and how the king was cautioned so as not to change the fulfilment of God’s word. Let me say here that God is never the author of confusion. Yes, he fulfilled His word in the life of a one-time servant of Solomon. He however derailed from the path of righteousness.
The death of Rehoboam paved way for Abijah to become the king and he was a son whom Maacah the daughter of Absalom born for him. When he was a boy and his father Rehoboam was ‘deprived’ of complete reign in the land of Israel as a result of the prophecy given to Jeroboam, he perhaps held on to the promise given to David that one day, he shall revisit the matter especially since the pathway has been created by his father to become the next king. (2 Chronicles 11:22). With this I presume, Abijah began to dig into the archives to get the fact about the promise which God earlier pronounced to David.
At a point when he became king, he engaged the house of Israel under the leadership of Jeroboam in war. “In the eighteen year of rule of King Jeroboam, Abijah took over the throne of Judah… War broke out between Abijah and Jeroboam” 2 Chronicles 13:1-2. Abijah was versed in history and leveraged it to engage Jeroboam in battle. He reminded him that the prophetic wing upon which he was riding cannot override what God had earlier pronounced over the descendants of David. “Now then tell my servant David, this is what the LORD Almighty says… I will never take my love away from him, as I took it away from your predecessor, I will set him over my house and my kingdom forever; his throne will be established forever” 1 Chron. 17:7, 13-14 (NIV)
He confronted him with the fact that he has derailed into the worship of idols and that God had left him in spite of his 800,000 troops. Abijah remarked that God of Israel was still with the house of Judah and he set the order in motion even with the strategy of Jeroboam to ambush the troops of Judah. When the battle ensued, they called upon God, who had given the kingship of Israel to David by the covenant of Salt, and he marched forth like a mighty man and delivered them (2 Chronicles 13:15). You cannot do less by regaining your territory which some scoundrels are currently occupying but you must know that this takes courage to do. You can do it through Christ who strengthens you. May you regain your territory no matter how long strangers have been using it to your disadvantage in Jesus name.
Prayer: Lord, I receive Your courage to regain my lost territory in Jesus Christ name.
Rev. Julius Oluwole