In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijah reigned over Judah in the south from 913-911 B.C., 2 Chronicles 13:1-2 /1 Kings 15:1-2. Some translations have his name as Abijam. His mother’s name was Maakah daughter of Abishalom, 2 Chronicles 13:2 / 1 Kings 15:2.
He just like Rehoboam, continued to lead God’s people in idolatry, 1 Kings 15:3, and it’s clear that he simply wanted to please the people around him because his heart wasn’t devoted to God.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘He was an idolater, or did not support the worship of the true God. This appears to be the general meaning of the heart not being perfect with God.’
For David’s sake, 1 Kings 15:4 / 1 Kings 11:36 / 1 Samuel 13:14 / Acts 13:22, Abijah’s son, Asa was given the right to rule as king in Jerusalem by God. God did this in order that the seed promise of the Messiah would be fulfilled, Genesis 12:3.
David had done what was right in the eyes of God and hadn’t failed to keep any of God’s commands all the days of his life, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite, 1 Kings 15:5 / 2 Samuel 11-12. Once again we read about war, 2 Chronicles 13:2 / 1 Kings 15:6 / 1 Kings 15:8. This war was between the northern kingdom and the southern kingdom, this is brother against brother.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This was mentioned in 1 Kings 14:30, and it can mean no more than this: there was a continual spirit of hostility kept up between the two kingdoms, and no doubt frequent skirmishing between bordering parties but it never broke out into open war, for this was particularly forbidden, 1 Kings 12:24. Hostility did exist, and no doubt frequent skirmishes but open war and pitched battles there were none.’
Abijah went into battle with an army of four hundred thousand able fighting men, and Jeroboam drew up a battle line against him with eight hundred thousand able troops, 2 Chronicles 13:3. Abijah stands on Mount Zemaraim, and asks Jeroboam and all Israel, listen to him, 2 Chronicles 13:4.
The covenant of salt, 2 Chronicles 13:5 / Numbers 18:19, was a continuous covenant between God and Israel, Leviticus 2:13. As far as Abijah was concerned, he thought the northern tribes no longer honoured this covenant, because of the division of Israel.
Dummelow, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The use of salt in connection with sacrifice, Leviticus 2:13, probably arose from its association with a meal and ’there is salt between us’ is said to be a phrase still employed to denote the bond which secures, for anyone who has partaken of an Arab’s hospitality, protection and in case of need, assistance.’
Abijah accused Jeroboam of rebellion and with the help of some scoundrels, Jeroboam took advantage of the young Rehoboam because he wasn’t strong enough to resist, 2 Chronicles 13:6-7. Jeroboam rebelled against his lord, 2 Chronicles 13:8, that is, the house of David because God had given him the right to reign over the northern ten tribes.
If anyone came with a bull and seven rams, he could be a priest, 2 Chronicles 13:9 / Exodus 29:1 / Leviticus 8:2. In other words, Jeroboam was selling the office of a priest. He basically accused them of rejecting the covenant and hiring priests who weren’t Levites. Although God had given the ten northern tribes to Jeroboam, Jeroboam took them into idol worship.
Abijah says that the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him and the priests who serve the LORD are sons of Aaron, and the Levites assist them, 2 Chronicles 13:10. Abijah goes on to speak of how the Levitical priests go about their daily duties. Every morning and evening they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to God, 2 Chronicles 13:11. They set out the bread on the ceremonially clean table and light the lamps on the gold lampstand every evening, 2 Chronicles 13:11.
Abijah tells Jeroboam that they are observing the requirements of the LORD our God, but Jeroboam has forsaken him, 2 Chronicles 13:11. Abijah says that God is with us and He is their leader and His priests with their trumpets will sound the battle cry against Jeroboam, 2 Chronicles 13:12. Abijah speaks against the northern tribes and tells them they will not succeed, 2 Chronicles 13:12, because they have moved too far away from God’s will.
Jeroboam sets up an ambush to go around behind them, 2 Chronicles 13:13, however, when the battle lines unexpectedly changed, knew that a surprise attack from an army twice as large as them left them in a very dangerous place. The only thing they could do was cry out to God, 2 Chronicles 13:14. They cried out to God and God struck the army of Israel and Judah won, simply because they relied on God, 2 Chronicles 13:18.
Since Jeroboam had taken the northern tribes further away from God and since he became king over the northern tribes, God fought for Abijah, 2 Chronicles 13:15-16. This resulted in the death of five-hundred-thousand Israelites, 2 Chronicles 13:17, and the defeat was so great that the north under the rule of Jeroboam was never able to regain military strength, 1 Kings 14:20 / 1 Kings 15:9.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘It has been proposed to change the numbers, here and in 2 Chronicles 13:17, into 40,000, 80,000, and 50,000 respectively, partly because these smaller numbers are found in many early editions of the Vulgate, but mainly because the larger ones are thought to be incredible. The numbers accord well, however, with the census of the people taken in the reign of David 1 Chronicles 21:5, joined to the fact which the writer has related 2 Chronicles 11:13-17, of a considerable subsequent emigration from the northern kingdom into the southern one. The total adult male population at the time of the census was 1,570, 000. The total of the fighting men now is 1,200,000. This would allow for the aged and infirm 370, 000, or nearly a fourth of the whole. And in 2 Chronicles 13:17, our author may be understood to mean that this was the entire Israelite loss in the course of the war, which probably continued through the whole reign of Abijah.’
They cried out to God and God struck the army of Israel and Judah won, simply because they relied on God, 2 Chronicles 13:18. Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took from him three towns and their surrounding villages, 2 Chronicles 13:19.
We are told that that Jeroboam didn’t regain power during the time of Abijah, 2 Chronicles 13:20. Notice God struck Jeroboam down and killed him, 2 Chronicles 13:20. In other words, God used the army of Judah to judge the northern tribes because they followed Jeroboam.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Jeroboam’s death was a judgment upon him for his sins. Chronologically speaking, his death is here out of place, for he outlived Abijah at least two years, compared to the marginal reference and 1 Kings 15:9, but the writer, not intending to recur to his history, is naturally led to carry it on to its termination.’
Abijah grew in strength, married fourteen wives, and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters, 2 Chronicles 13:21. Here again, we find a reference to the annotations of the prophet Iddo, which have a record of Abijah’s reign and everything he said and did, 2 Chronicles 13:22.
1 Kings 15:7, tells us that everything he did is written in the book of annals of the kings of Judah. Abijah dies and his son Asa now becomes king of Judah, 1 Kings 15:8.