2 Chronicles 13:1-14:1
Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, “Jeroboam and all Israel, listen to me! Don’t you know that the Lord, the God of Israel, has given the kingship of Israel to David and his descendants forever by a covenant of salt?
"As for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him. The priests who serve the Lord are sons of Aaron, and the Levites assist them. God is with us; he is our leader. His priests with their trumpets will sound the battle cry against you. People of Israel, do not fight against the Lord, the God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed.”
Judah turned and saw that they were being attacked at both front and rear. Then they cried out to the Lord. The priests blew their trumpets and the men of Judah raised the battle cry. At the sound of their battle cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah. The Israelites fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hands. Abijah and his troops inflicted heavy losses on them, so that there were five hundred thousand casualties among Israel’s able men. The Israelites were subdued on that occasion, and the people of Judah were victorious because they relied on the Lord, the God of their ancestors.
Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took from him the towns of Bethel, Jeshanah and Ephron, with their surrounding villages. Jeroboam did not regain power during the time of Abijah. And the Lord struck him down and he died.
The fuller account here enlarges on what constitutes 'proper' worship, and on the reason for Judah's victory. Abijah's large family is meant to be seen as a sign of God's blessing.
Why?
For Judah rely on the Lord, when they called on the Lord, God helped them, and rescued them from enemies.
God is the greatest king beyond anything in the world. Listen to the word of the Lord will lack nothing.
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亞比雅的為人,兵力只有耶波羅安的一半。
我們的信仰純正,是否真是敬畏神的人,從列王紀看不是如此敬虔,不如大衛。
我們常常和亞比雅一樣,與主是若即若離。亞比雅說的是聖殿的禮儀,卻沒有提及他是否公義、憐憫、信實。好像兩個人在比較誰奉獻多、參加晨更、來教會。生活中是否對神有信實的心?不知道!不能斷定!我們不能從外表來斷定一個人的信仰。
列王紀從責備的角度看,歷代紀並非如此而是整體上來看。真正敬虔的人不會強調自己多麼敬虔。
猶大人呼求耶和華,神回應他們,而非記載亞比雅呼求。這也是神的慈愛,只要呼求就幫助呼求神的人。
凡是願意回轉歸向神的神必幫助他,憐憫他。並非平常可以放縱自己,需要時再呼求神。對於從被擄之地回來的人,他們需要看到神的憐憫。
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How?
As for me, the Lord is my God, and I have not forsaken him. Return to the Lord! God prefers to save us when our heart turn to Him.
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