The Kings Chronicle, Chapter 3
THE ACTS OF ABIJAH.
CHAP. III.
Abijah, none of the beſt men, but a good Captaine, and well able to poſture his Kingdome; He relied upon the LORD and overcame his enemies, destroyeth Jeroboam utterly; In whom we ſee what end the Lord makes with Idolaters; Abijah waxed mighty, but dieth.
ABijah, Solomons Grand-child, Son to Rehoboam, 2 Chron. 13.begins his reigne, and quickly ends it, he reigned but three yeares: he was not much better then his Father, for he walked in all the ſinnes of his Father a1 King. 15. 3.: but he was a much wiſer man. I regiſter him amongſt the good Kings, becauſe he ordered his Militia according to Rule; nor was he ſuch a foole, as to humble himſelfe before ſtocks and ſtones, or thinke them gods, which were made with hands, or put conſidence thereon: he was valiant alſo and ſtout-hearted, and could looke-up to GOD, who gives ſpirit, courage and invention, when and where he pleaſeth. We reade-on in the Chapter, and his Acts there.
In the cloſe of the former Chapter we reade, That there were warres betwixt Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually. And in Chap. 12. 15.this Chapter we find it intimated, That Jeroboam purſues the Warre againſt Abijah, and, finding himſelfe twice as ſtrong, (for he ſet his battle in array with eight hundred thouſand men mighty in valour) ſets upon Abijah by force and fraud both, after the manner of an Idolater: Abijah ſetts his battle in array againſt him, but before he fights, he ſpeakes; and, That he may be heard, craves audience, heare me thou Jeroboam and all ver. 4, 5.Iſrael. What Abijahs ſins were, the ſacred Text tells us in generall tearmes, he walked in all the ſinnes of his Father. What his words were we ſhall heare, as full of wiſedome and grace as any we ſhall reade throughout the Chrouicles; Theſe are his words. Ought you not to know, that GOD has given the Kingdom over Iſrael to David, and his ſeed by a covenant of Salt, firme and ſtable to him for ever? You doe now, in ſeeking to reverſe this decree, rebell againſt GOD: ye have indeed, ver. 6.vaine men as ye are, and children of Belial, ſtrengthened ver. 7.your ſelves againſt my Father Rehoboam the Son of Solomon; and he could not withſtand you, being a man, and no more, young and tender hearted: No hard matter to prevaile againſt a man, and ſuch a man: but you muſt not think to withſtand ver. 8.the Kingdome of the LORD in the hand of the Sons of David. You have multitudes, twice as many as I have, but what are they againſt the LORD; You have gods good ſtore alſo, They are but ſuch as Jeroboam made you for gods; gods of mans making, will do their makers and their worſhippers little ſervice. But wot you what! ye have caſt away your ſtrength, for you have caſt-out the Prieſts of the LORD, and the Levites too; and, inſtead of them, you have made you Prieſts after the manner of the Nations of other Lands; and fit Prieſts they are ver. 8, 9.for ſuch gods, all of Jeroboams making. Thus Abijah has muſtered-up Jeroboams Troopes, his multitudes of men, of gods, and of Prieſts, like their gods. Then he tells Jeroboam where his and Judahs ſtrength is, But as for us, the LORD is our GOD▪ and we have not forſaken Him (that was very comfortable;) and the Prieſts, which minister unto the ver. 10, 11, 12.LORD, are the Sons of Aaron, and the Levites waite upon their buſineſſe, for we keepe the charge of the LORD our GOD; But ye have forſaken him; and, behold, GOD Himſelfe is with us for our Captaine, and His Prieſts with ſounding Trumpets to cry alarum againſt you: O children of Iſrael fight you not againſt the LORD GOD of your Fathers, for you ſhall not prosper.
Thus Abijah has declared to Jeroboam and all Iſrael the whole Counſell of God, touching that matter, the Kingdome of Judah, the Stability of the ſame. But ſee the treachery of Jeroboam and all Iſrael! While Abijah was thus wiſely adviſing Iſrael, Jeroboam was dealing treacherouſly with Judah, (that is the manner of Idolaters) Jeroboam cauſed an abuſhment to come about behind Judah: ſo when Judah looked back behold ver. 13.Jeroboams Troopes were there; and when they looked forward, the Troopes were there alſo, before and behind *Abijah has dealt fully and clearely ev…n in the ſight of his enemies, in m…king known u…to them the cou…ſell of the LORD: but he has loſt time, which the Idolater has improved to the bringing of Iudah into a ſnare; whereby the Lord would tell Iudah, That there is no treating with an Idolater.Truly Judah has Loſt much by ſtanding to parle, treat and debate matters with Idolatrous Iſrael; while Abijah is opening to Iſrael the purpoſe and counſell of God: Jeroboam is wholy careleſſe of that, minds only how he may croſſe the counſell of GOD, and has brought Judah into a ſnare; he has cauſed an Ambuſhment to come about Judah before and behind: And now he makes no doubt, but he ſhall reverſe the purpoſe of GOD, (The great deſigne and project of the world, the very trade they drive) touching the Kingdome over Iſrael, given to David by a covenant of Salt, an everlaſting covenant. When Judah ſaw this they cryed unto the LORD. Then was Judahs time to cry, and Gods time to help, for the battle was before and behind. Then Judah cryed, and the Prieſts did their office: Then it came to paſſe, that GOD ſmote Jeroboam, and all Iſrael before Abijah and Judah: And reade what a ſlaughter there was, there fell downe ſlaine of Iſrael, five hundred thouſand choſen men: Thus the children ver. 15, 16, 17, 18.of Iſrael were brought under at that time, and the children of Iſrael prevailed. How ſo? It followes, becauſe they relied upon the LORD GOD of their Fathers; Judah relied upon his GOD, JEHOVAH is my ſtrength bEſa 11. 2., there is the ſtrength of Judah, and it never failes. Iſrael relied upon multitudes of men, of Prieſts, and gods; all of mans making. It is the concluſion we made before; An Idolatrous people, who make fleſh their arme, leane-upon gods, and Prieſts of Mans making, are a weake people; they have no power to ſtand before Judah Hoaſt, while Judah relies upon the GOD of Hoaſts. Let Judah ſtay themſelves thereon, on the Almighties Arme, and he ſhall ſhatter. Idolatrous Iſrael to peeces; ſo did Abijah here, he purſued after Jeroboam, and tooke his ſtrong holds from him, neither did Jeroboam recover ſtrength againe in the dayes of Abijah, And yet Jeroboam, ſuch an Idolater, ſo treacherous, (for while Abijah ver. 20.was opening to him the counſell of GOD touching the ſtability of Davids Kingdome, he was contriving an ambuſhment againſt Judah) ſo treacherous, ſo rebellious, but I ſaid all before, ſuch an Idolater, ſhall not ſcape ſo; he had made gods for Iſrael, after the ſimilitude of Calves, that eate hay; and Prieſts for theſe gods, and he had dealt treacherouſly with Judah; GOD will be avenged of him for all this, He will vindicate His Glory, The LORD will ſmite Ieroboam alſo; He had ſmote him before, and all Iſrael with him, but then Ieroboam made an eſcape; The Lord ſmites him now with a deadly ſtroake, he ſhall make no more gods, nor Prieſts, after his order to offer ſacrifice unto Devils.
The Lord ſmote him and he died. The time when this deſtruction ver. 20.came upon him is remarkeable; Then the LORD ſmote him with a deadly ſtroak, that he died, when Judah might ſay of him, as David ſaid of his Adverſaries, They are lively and ſtrong, and full of wiles, and are multiplied dPſal 38. 19.. When Jeroboam was very proud, then the Lord brought him exceeding low; when his thoughts were moſt miſchievous againſt Judah, then the Lord broke him to peeces. Let Iudah relye upon his God ſtill; truſt in the Lord for ever, in aſſured confidence, That, when the Idolater hath made his ambuſhment, and cooped-up Iudah with his Troopes before and behind, then is Gods time to worke, and to magnifie Himſelfe; then the Lord comes-in for them, that relied upon Him; then He ſmites His Adverſarie: Hee cauſeth feare and dread to fall upon them: By the greatneſſe of His Arme, His enemies ſhall be as ſtill as a ſtone cExod. 15, 15.. So it was here; Iudah prevailed over Iſrael becauſe they relied upon the LORD GOD: and the LORD ſtrooke Jeroboam and he died. But Abijah waxed mighty; What ver. 21, 22.his Acts, and wayes, and ſayings were, are recorded all, but the Records are loſt. Yet we are ſure of this, if it had not beene recorded, Abijah made his bed in the darke, was laid in it, and ſlept with his Fathers.