Immerse: Chronicles Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 79
2C
| 13:13–14:8
C hronicles – E Z R A – N E H E M I A H
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of Israel, do not fight against the Lord, the God of your ancestors, for you
will not succeed!”
Meanwhile, Jeroboam had secretly sent part of his army around behind
the men of Judah to ambush them. When Judah realized that they were
being attacked from the front and the rear, they cried out to the Lord for
help. Then the priests blew the trumpets, and the men of Judah began to
shout. At the sound of their battle cry, God defeated Jeroboam and all Is
rael and routed them before Abijah and the army of Judah.
The Israelite army fled from Judah, and God handed them over to Judah
in defeat. Abijah and his army inflicted heavy losses on them; 500,000 of
Israel’s select troops were killed that day. So Judah defeated Israel on that
occasion because they trusted in the Lord, the God of their ancestors.
Abijah and his army pursued Jeroboam’s troops and captured some of his
towns, including Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron, along with their surrounding villages.
So Jeroboam of Israel never regained his power during Abijah’s lifetime,
and finally the Lord struck him down and he died. Meanwhile, Abijah of
Judah grew more and more powerful. He married fourteen wives and had
twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters.
The rest of the events of Abijah’s reign, including his words and deeds, are
recorded in The Commentary of Iddo the Prophet.
When Abijah died, he was buried in the City of David. Then his son Asa
became the next king. There was peace in the land for ten years.
Asa did what was pleasing and good in the sight of the Lord his God. He
removed the foreign altars and the pagan shrines. He smashed the sacred
pillars and cut down the Asherah poles. He commanded the people of Ju
dah to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and to obey his law and
his commands. Asa also removed the pagan shrines, as well as the incense
altars from every one of Judah’s towns. So Asa’s kingdom enjoyed a period
of peace. During those peaceful years, he was able to build up the fortified
towns throughout Judah. No one tried to make war against him at this
time, for the Lord was giving him rest from his enemies.
Asa told the people of Judah, “Let us build towns and fortify them with
walls, towers, gates, and bars. The land is still ours because we sought the
Lord our God, and he has given us peace on every side.” So they went
ahead with these projects and brought them to completion.
King Asa had an army of 300,000 warriors from the tribe of Judah,
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