Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with their battle trumpets to sound the call to battle against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you cannot succeed. – 2 Chrn 13:12 (ESV)The kingdom has been split by a greedy king Rehoboam. Even though Rehoboam was in the wrong, the new Israelite king, Jeroboam, sets up an abomination – two golden calves for the people of Israel to worship. Now Rehoboam’s son, Abijah (means my father is the Lord), tries to compel Jeroboam to come back to the kingdom. Abijah ultimately conquered Jeroboam, but the problem of separation remained. Bethel is conquered (the city of the southern idol) but yet there is no mention of a real movement back the Judah. This is the same sad story people today face – God has come and provided a way out of rebellion, but they still continue to rebel. Our hearts need to be sensitive to returning to Him. God often conquers an area in our lives by providing a means of escape, but we still must choose to go to Him.
