5 "Do you not know that the Lord God of Israel gave the rule over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt ? 6 "Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat , the servant of Solomon the son of David , rose up and rebelled against his master , 7 and worthless men gathered about him, scoundrels e , who proved too strong for Rehoboam , the son of Solomon , when he was young and timid e and could not hold his own against them. 8 "So now you intend to resist the kingdom of the Lord through the sons of David , being a great multitude and having with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made for gods for you. 9 " Have you not driven out the priests of the Lord , the sons of Aaron and the Levites , and made for yourselves priests like the peoples of other lands ? Whoever comes to consecrate e himself with a young bull and seven rams , even he may become a priest of what are no gods . 10 "But as for us, the Lord is our God , and we have not forsaken Him; and the sons of Aaron are ministering to the Lord as priests , and the Levites attend to their work . 11 "Every morning and evening they burn to the Lord burnt offerings and fragrant incense , and the showbread e is set on the clean table , and the golden lampstand with its lamps is ready to light every evening ; for we keep the charge of the Lord our God , but you have forsaken Him. 12 "Now behold , God is with us at our head and His priests with the signal trumpets to sound the alarm against you. O sons of Israel , do not fight against the Lord God of your fathers , for you will not succeed ."
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 2 Chronicles 13:5-12
Chapter Contents
Abijah overcomes Jeroboam.
Jeroboam and his people, by apostacy and idolatry, merited the severe punishment Abijah was permitted to execute upon them. It appears from the character of Abijah, 1 Kings 15:3, that he was not himself truly religious, yet he encouraged himself from the religion of his people. It is common for those that deny the power of godliness, to boast of the form of it. Many that have little religion themselves, value it in others. But it was true that there were numbers of pious worshippers in Judah, and that theirs was the more righteous cause. In their distress, when danger was on every side, which way should they look for deliverance unless upward? It is an unspeakable comfort, that our way thither is always open. They cried unto the Lord. Earnest prayer is crying. To the cry of prayer they added the shout of faith, and became more than conquerors. Jeroboam escaped the sword of Abijah, but God struck him; there is no escaping his sword.