2 Chronicles 13:1–14:1 (September 30, 2025)

13:1 In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah. 2 He reigned for three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Micaiah[a] the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.

Now there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3 Abijah went out to battle, having an army of valiant men of war, 400,000 chosen men. And Jeroboam drew up his line of battle against him with 800,000 chosen mighty warriors. 4 Then Abijah stood up on Mount Zemaraim that is in the hill country of Ephraim and said, “Hear me, O Jeroboam and all Israel! 5 Ought you not to know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt? 6 Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, a servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his lord, 7 and certain worthless scoundrels[b] gathered about him and defied Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and irresolute[c] and could not withstand them.

8 “And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David, because you are a great multitude and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made you for gods. 9 Have you not driven out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes for ordination[d] with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of what are not gods. 10 But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him. We have priests ministering to the Lord who are sons of Aaron, and Levites for their service. 11 They offer to the Lord every morning and every evening burnt offerings and incense of sweet spices, set out the showbread on the table of pure gold, and care for the golden lampstand that its lamps may burn every evening. For we keep the charge of the Lord our God, but you have forsaken him. 12 Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with their battle trumpets to sound the call to battle against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against the Lord, the God of your fathers, for you cannot succeed.”

13 Jeroboam had sent an ambush around to come upon them from behind. Thus his troops[e] were in front of Judah, and the ambush was behind them. 14 And when Judah looked, behold, the battle was in front of and behind them. And they cried to the Lord, and the priests blew the trumpets. 15 Then the men of Judah raised the battle shout. And when the men of Judah shouted, God defeated Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. 16 The men of Israel fled before Judah, and God gave them into their hand. 17 Abijah and his people struck them with great force, so there fell slain of Israel 500,000 chosen men. 18 Thus the men of Israel were subdued at that time, and the men of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the Lord, the God of their fathers. 19 And Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took cities from him, Bethel with its villages and Jeshanah with its villages and Ephron[f] with its villages. 20 Jeroboam did not recover his power in the days of Abijah. And the Lord struck him down, and he died. 21 But Abijah grew mighty. And he took fourteen wives and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters. 22 The rest of the acts of Abijah, his ways and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo.

Asa Reigns in Judah

14 [g] Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land had rest for ten years.

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 13:2 Spelled Maacah in 1 Kings 15:2

2 Chronicles 13:7 Hebrew worthless men, sons of Belial

2 Chronicles 13:7 Hebrew soft of heart

2 Chronicles 13:9 Hebrew to fill his hand

2 Chronicles 13:13 Hebrew they

2 Chronicles 13:19 Or Ephrain

2 Chronicles 14:1 Ch 13:23 in Hebrew

Trusting the Covenant God in the Face of Overwhelming Odds

Summary

In the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah became king over Judah and reigned three years in Jerusalem (13:1–2). War broke out between Abijah and Jeroboam, with Judah fielding 400,000 warriors against Israel’s 800,000 (13:3).

Standing on Mount Zemaraim, Abijah addressed Jeroboam and Israel, reminding them of God’s covenant with David:

He condemned Jeroboam for rebelling, setting up golden calves, and driving out the priests of the Lord (13:6–9). By contrast, Judah remained faithful to the temple service: priests offering sacrifices, Levites assisting, and the lampstand burning as commanded (13:10–11). Abijah declared:

Nevertheless, Jeroboam set an ambush against Judah. When Judah turned and saw the battle both in front of and behind them, they cried out to the Lord, and the priests blew the trumpets. The men of Judah raised the battle shout, and as they did, God struck Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah (13:13–15). Judah defeated Israel with a great slaughter—500,000 chosen men of Israel fell (13:16–18).

The Chronicler concludes:

Abijah grew strong, took wives, and had sons and daughters. The section closes:

Who is God?

God is the covenant-keeping Lord who fights for His people. Abijah reminded Israel that the kingship was secured to David’s line by a covenant of salt (13:5). In the ancient world, salt symbolized permanence, purity, and fellowship. It preserved food from decay, purified sacrifices, and sealed loyal relationships. A “covenant of salt,” therefore, emphasized that God’s promises do not rot, fade, or fail.

By calling the Davidic covenant a "covenant of salt," Scripture underlines God’s unchanging faithfulness. His word to David is permanent and incorruptible. God’s presence with Judah, marked by priests, sacrifices, and temple service, showed that He defends those who worship Him according to His Word. His power is not restrained by numbers or human strength. He brings victory to the weak who rely on Him, and He humbles those who trust in idols or human schemes.

What is our guilt?

Like Jeroboam and Israel, we often trust in our numbers, strategies, or self-made religion rather than the living God. We prefer golden calves that we can control over the true God who demands covenant loyalty. And like Judah, we sometimes wait until we are surrounded before crying out to Him. Our guilt is that we treat God as a last resort instead of our first trust. We attempt to fight spiritual battles in our own strength, forgetting that success apart from God is impossible.

How does grace shine?

Grace shines in God’s covenant faithfulness. Judah prevailed not because of their skill or power but because they relied on the Lord, the God of their fathers (13:18). This points us to Christ, the greater Son of David, who is Himself the covenant fulfilled. At the cross, Jesus secured the ultimate victory not by overwhelming strength but by apparent "weakness"—bearing our sin and defeating death. When we are surrounded, hemmed in by guilt, fear, or temptation, we too may cry out, and God saves us because Christ intercedes for us. In Him, we inherit not a temporary rest of ten years, but eternal rest with God.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, you are faithful to your promises and you are mighty to save. We confess that we often rely on our own strength and treat you as a last resort. Forgive us for trusting in numbers, wealth, or strategies instead of in you. Thank you for Jesus Christ, the Son of David, who won victory through weakness and gives us eternal rest. Teach us to cry out to you first, to trust in your faithfulness, and to rely on your strength alone.

In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.