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Abijah – Standing on the Promises
SEE THE SLIDES IN PHOTO GALLERY ->LESSON SLIDES->ABIJAH or click the link below
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Hope you remember we are having a series of lessons based on the Kings of Judah. Last week we learnt from Rehoboam.
Saul , David & Solomon ruled the united kingdom of Israel.
1 Kings 11:9-13 The LORD became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. 10 Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD’s command. 11 So the LORD said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. 12 Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13 Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.”
It was in Rehoboam’s life time the nation of Israel was divided into 2 Judah (southern) and Israel(northern).
Jeroboam was the first king of Israel after division and he wanted to secure his seat as king of Israel and so he set up calf idols in Dan in North and Bethel in South of Israel. He did it so that people will not go to Jerusalem to worship God and go back to the kingdom of Judah.
Let us read about Abijah in
2 Kings 15:1-8 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijah became king of Judah, 2 and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maakah daughter of Abishalom. 3 He committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his forefather had been. 4 Nevertheless, for David’s sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and by making Jerusalem strong. 5 For David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not failed to keep any of the LORD’s commands all the days of his life—except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.6 There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam throughout Abijah’s lifetime. 7 As for the other events of Abijah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 8 And Abijah rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. And Asa his son succeeded him as king.
Book of Kings describes the entire life of Abijah in just in few words.
First it talks about the genealogy of Abijah.
Genealogy slide – David-Bathsheba; Solomon-Namah; Rehoboam-Maakah; Abijah
Abijah means God (Yahweh) is my father
{1 Kings 14:21 Rehoboam -His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite
2 Chronicles 11:21 Rehoboam loved Maakah daughter of Absalom more than any of his other wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. 22 Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maakah as crown prince among his brothers, in order to make him king. }
One pattern of writing we can notice in Kings is that in the beginning itself it gives a brief description about the spiritual life of the King. When the author describes the spiritual life of the King, he compares the present king with the life of David. David’s life was a measuring rod used to measure the lives of the kings of Judah.
Abijah failed the test- vs.3 He committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his forefather had been.
Today our lives are to be compared with the life of Jesus Christ! We are called to follow in his steps.
1 Peter 2:21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
1 John 2:6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.
How is our life in comparison with Jesus?
Are we having a goal & desire to be like Jesus? That is the very essence of discipleship!
Another important thing we must do when we study Scriptures is to see God more than other characters mentioned in the passage.
Slide
So what can we see about God here? Vs.4 Nevertheless, for David’s sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and by making Jerusalem strong.
God spoke to Solomon - 1 Kings 9:4 “As for you, if you walk before me faithfully with integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws, 5 I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father when I said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’
As we read book of Kings, Chronicles, Isaiah & Jeremiah, we see so many times God repeatedly mentioning this!
1 . God is faithful to His promises!
2. He blesses Generations for the good that is done by someone.
3. God does a lot of things for His Glory & honour: Isaiah 48:9 For my own name’s sake I delay my wrath; for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you, so as not to destroy you completely.
Psalm 106:7 When our ancestors were in Egypt, they gave no thought to your miracles; they did not remember your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.8 Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, to make his mighty power known.
If God does anything good, we can’t claim that it is because of my righteousness! God does a lot of things because he is righteous and he wants to gain glory & honour.
When we sin and if we don’t face consequences or punishment soon, don’t feel justified or think that God has approved it! He is refraining from punishing us for his Glory & honour and for our repentance!
Let us read what is written in 2 Chronicles about Abijah.
2Chronicles 13:1 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam, Abijah became king of Judah, 2 and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maakah, a daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 3 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.
4 Abijah stood on Mount Zemaraim, in the hill country of Ephraim, and said, “Jeroboam and all Israel, listen to me! 5 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? 6 Yet Jeroboam son of Nebat, an official of Solomon son of David, rebelled against his master. 7 Some worthless scoundrels gathered around him and opposed Rehoboam son of Solomon when he was young and indecisive and not strong enough to resist them.
8 “And now you plan to resist the kingdom of the LORD, which is in the hands of David’s descendants. You are indeed a vast army and have with you the golden calves that Jeroboam made to be your gods. 9 But didn’t you drive out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and make priests of your own as the peoples of other lands do? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams may become a priest of what are not gods.
10 “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. 11 Every morning and evening they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the LORD. They set out the bread on the ceremonially clean table and light the lamps on the gold lampstand every evening. We are observing the requirements of the LORD our God. But you have forsaken him. 12 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.”
13 Now Jeroboam had sent troops around to the rear, so that while he was in front of Judah the ambush was behind them. 14 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 15 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. 16 The Israelites fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hands. 17 Abijah and his troops inflicted heavy losses on them, so that there were five hundred thousand casualties among Israel’s able men. 18 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.
19 Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took from him the towns of Bethel, Jeshanah and Ephron, with their surrounding villages. 20 Jeroboam did not regain power during the time of Abijah. And the LORD struck him down and he died.
21 But Abijah grew in strength. He married fourteen wives and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.
22 The other events of Abijah’s reign, what he did and what he said, are written in the annotations of the prophet Iddo.
Abijah must have done many wrongs but here it describes one most wonderful thing he did.
When Jeroboam, king of Israel attacked Judah, Abijah stood up on the Mount Zemaraim and preached a sermon to Jeroboam and Israel.
He knew the people of Israel are his brothers and he had no intention to kill them.
Israel had an army of 8 Lakhs & Judah had 4 Lakhs. Humanistically thinking, Israel would have surely won! But we see the amazing confidence Abijah had on God the Lord of Israel!
See the highlights of his sermon!
• 5 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? {Abijah & Judah remembered and trusted in God’s Promise}
• God has made many promises and they give us hope! What are some promises do we remember?
• John 15:7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
• 1 Cor 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
• John 14:12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
• 8 “And now you plan to resist the kingdom of the LORD, which is in the hands of David’s descendants
• 10 “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.
• 11 We are observing the requirements of the LORD our God. But you have forsaken him. {OBEDIENCE}
• 12 God is with us; he is our leader {do we remember that – WE SAY JESUS IS LORD! IS HE REALLY YOUR LORD?}
• 18 people of Judah were victorious because they relied on the LORD, the God of their ancestors. {NOT BECAUSE THEY HAD BETTER WEAPONS OR STRATEGIES BUT JUST BECAUSE THEY RELIED ON THE LORD}
YESTERDAY in pre-teens’ meeting – girl from poor family; parents can’t read & write.
Teachers used to beat me because I could not read! So I cried out to God, help me to learn to read & write! Amazingly she has improved! Used to pray for the parents to stop fighting and to live in peace and God answered her prayers!
1. Remember the Promises of God
2. Remember God is our Leader (Jesus is Lord)
3. Submit to His Authority and Commands
4. Trust in his Saving Power
5. Face any Challenge with Complete Confidence of Victory
Jeremiah 32:27 “I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?
Romans 8:31 If God is for us, who can be against us?
Story of Christian Wolfkes –who prayed & reached out to
Richard-Wumbrand :Tortured for Christ
Christian Wolfkes was a poor old carpenter who lived in a village high up in the mountains of Romania prayed like this: 'My God, I have served you on earth and I wish to have my reward on earth as well in heaven. and my reward should be that I should not die before I bring a Jew to Christ, because Jesus was from the Jewish people. But I am poor, old and sick. I cannot go around seeking a Jew. In my village there are none. Bring a Jew into my village and I will do my best to bring him to Christ.'...
In the same time Richard who was from a jewish family who grew up as an athiest was struggling and wondering if there is a God! so he went to a church and prayed ''God if you are there -which i don't believe'- it is your duty to reveal yourself. Suddenly the name of the village Sinca Noua. He did not know anything about this place. but decided to go there and as soon as he reached this village - one out of 12,000 villages in Rumania- Christian reached out to him and gave a Bible to read. While he was reading and enjoying God's word, Christian & wife fasted and prayed for his conversion. Eventually, not only he & his wife got converted, they became powerful missionaries to the Athiest world, to Russia and many communist countries. Richard went through a lot of persecution including many years of imprisonment. He became a great helper to the persecuted Church.
there are 28,000 places with pincodes in India and out of them 18,000 of the places do not have even a single Christian or Christian worker!! See how lost is our nation! There are millions lost in sin, enslaved by superstitions etc. God is looking at us to rise up in faith and make a difference!
Today I don't know how you came here but when we leave this place consider these two things.
What is one thing you want to ask God to do that seems to be impossible but only God alone can do.
What is one thing that you want to do for God which is possible only by His help alone!
As William Carey - great missionary to India - said
EXPECT GREAT THINGS FROM GOD, ATTEMPT GREAT THINGS FOR GOD.
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