THE KINGDOM OF JUDAH OR THE SOUTH: JERUSALEM FROM ABIAS TO JEHORAM

When we watch the Olympic Games, we are overwhelmed by the athletes’ performances. Something extremely difficult seems easy for them. We witness many joys and achievements, but also many failures and disappointments.

Many athletes face the television cameras and burst into tears, lamenting their defeat; others, both the winner and the loser, have similar speeches: “I worked hard for this moment to arrive, I fought hard for this medal,” says the winner. Others say, “I waited so long for this moment, I trained hard to get this medal and I’m leaving without it,” says the loser. Things work like this in the games: some win and others lose. Even if it is a collective victory, it is necessary to eliminate an opposing group. In the Christian life, it is not like this, despite some similarities, because those who fight, train, seek and are disciplined win. There are no losers for those who obey the Lord; all are more than conquerors in Christ.

ABIAS AND ASA OF JUDAH (1 Kings 15.1-24; 2 Chronicles 13-16)

During the days of Abijah, Jeroboam and Rehoboam were at war. Abijah also faced a f ierce battle against Jeroboam as recorded in the book of 2 Chronicles. Abijah’s army was very large, but Jeroboam’s was twice as large. The reason for the war was basically because of Jeroboam’s idolatry (2 Chronicles 13:4).

Abijah summoned not only the king, but the people, to tell them about the covenant that God made with David, but Jeroboam did not pay attention to King Abijah’s words and rebelled.

When we analyze the second book of Chronicles, we may have the impression that Abijah’s reign was relatively good, and it was in the beginning. He was faithful to the Lord and, therefore, raised an army to fight against Jeroboam. However, as his reign progressed, he apostatized, even saying during the war that God was with them (2 Chronicles 13:12). In the end, he abandoned the Lord and bowed down before other gods.

The Christian life is not easy. We do not live in a glass dome. The Christian life is not an amusement park, and the church is neither a circus nor a summer camp. We live in a war and are delivered to death every day.

Abijah was the son of Rehoboam, and he reigned for about three years. Abijah behaved like his father and committed all the sins his father had committed (1 Kings 15:3). Precisely, for the sake of David, the Lord was merciful to Judah. “Abijah continued the tradition of religious inclusivism introduced by Solomon and promoted by Rehoboam. He did not abolish the worship of God in the temple, but, at the same time, he allowed the worship of foreign deities”[1]. He was merely a religious man, just doing his homework.

Because of sin, we are prone to behave way differently from what we believe or what we say we believe. Many times, we do what we disapprove of and what we say we believe is different from what we practice. As a result, we tend to have a merely religious life. Many people start out well on their walk with the Lord, active and completely focused on serving the church, but end up returning to the cistern of the world.

Beginnings are important, but the end is essential. The cry is not at the beginning, but at the end: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim 4:7). We must not neglect the journey. Being negligent was what caused Abijah’s unhappy end. We must watch every day to remain firm in the presence of the Lord.

When Abijah died, his son Asa took his place and reigned for many decades. For a time, peace reigned during his government, and this was due to the religious reforms implemented by Asa; because during his reign the altars of foreign gods, with the pillars of idols were removed, and Maacah certainly helped him with that (2 Chronicles 15:16), because she was deposed for also being involved in idolatry. It was real peace in fact, “the people were admonished to observe the law and the Mosaic commandments”[2].

Everything was going well, thank you, the cities were being strengthened, and the kingdom was prospering. During his reign, Asa was warned by the prophet Azariah. He rushed to bring about a general religious reform among the people. The victory obtained against the Ethiopians was clearly an answer to his cry to the Lord: “Asa cried out to the Lord his God: Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. Lord, you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against you” (2 Chronicles 14:11).

Our victory depends on the Lord, our battles are not won by our own strength. There is no point in using powerful weapons, seeking help outside, since help comes from God. It is to Him that we must cry out for help, our victory is in His hands and only He can free us from the hands of our enemies. Whatever your struggle may be, know that there is a God who can fight for you. How about calling on Him now to fight your war? God is interested in fighting with you and for you; just seek Him now.

Despite Asa’s relative success in his endeavors, after Maacah’s death, he lost his way. Although he had removed the idols his father had made and had banished the Sodomites, he was not able to destroy the high places. See what the text says: “Although he did not remove the high places, Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life” (1 Kings 15:14). Asa did a lot, but he did not do everything; it is not enough to do things and leave things to be resolved. In the work of the Lord, those who put their hand to the plow can no longer look back (Luke 9.62).

Asa became seriously ill, with a very serious disease in his feet. He trusted the doctors and did not ask the Lord for help. He did not seek the Lord’s presence, and he died (2 Chronicles 16:11,12). In illness, we must seek help from doctors, but we cannot neglect the help of the Physician of physicians.

ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT GOLD (1 Kings 22.41-50; 2 Chronicles 17-21)

Jehoshaphat, son of Asa, took his place. He was smart enough to follow in his father’s footsteps and destroy several idolatrous altars in Judah. He refused to participate in idolatry and did not surrender in any way to another god; for him, worship was only for Yahweh (2 Chronicles 17:2-4). He removed the idolatrous altars and, finally, the sacred poles from the midst of Judah. He had the wisdom to send his officials to teach the people (2 Chronicles 17:9). We need to go out into the streets of our cities and preach the Word of the Lord, teaching a high ethical and moral standard, helping the people to live happily and in peace. He did even more for the people: he appointed judges to take care of the cities of Judah and to judge according to God’s precepts, to be fair and knowing that God was their witness (2 Chronicles 19:5,6). When we are appointed to public office, we must take care of our reputation and do everything that pleases the Lord. We cannot make an alliance with anyone who insults the Lord or mocks His house. Jehoshaphat could have ended his days pleasing the Lord in every way, but he made an alliance with someone he shouldn’t have. Ahab was not only an idolater, but he also persecuted the Lord’s prophets.

After the death of Jehoshaphat, his son Jehoram took his place. his father was a good king; he did many good things and left a legacy for his successor. He could have done even better, but he was a spoiled boy, full of privileges for being the firstborn, so he received the kingdom from his father. Upon taking over, he tried to kill his brothers and some of the leaders of Israel. He was proud and followed the path of the kings of Israel. Like Ahab, he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and so the prophet Elijah warned him that his entire house would receive the wrath of God (2 Chronicles 21).

CONCLUSION

What legacy are we building today?

And what about the marks left by our predecessors?

The work cannot stop until Jesus comes. Many servants of the past left marks and footprints so that we could be here today. They went through many tears, prisons, hunger, and trials so that we could gather and study the Word of God. Jehoshaphat handed over a successful kingdom to his son. Despite his flaws, he governed well, but Jehoram wanted to do everything new. He did not want to continue his father’s legacy and abandoned God.

We must look back and learn from the men and women of the past. How wonderful it is to read the book “The Apostle of the Amazon”[3] and be moved by José dos Reis Pereira, the feat of a man without limits for the love of Christ!

[1] SCHULTZ, 2009, p. 220.

[2] ditto.

[3] https://archive.org/details/JosDosReisPereiraOApstoloDaAmaznia/page/n21/mode/2up

OBS: Este texto é uma tradução e adaptação para o inglês da lição 9 da Revista Compromisso da Editora
Convicção Ano CXIX, no. 473, para fins de uso didático em sala de Escola Bíblica Dominical.

Tradução de Ester Rangel Peregrina e Paula Adriana Azevedo Baião Cordeiro.