II Chronicles 13:18 Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the LORD God of their fathers
You run the numbers pretty much every day. When you open the refrigerator and pull out an empty milk carton, it is because you haven’t run the numbers. You ran out of milk early. If you ran out of fuel, it is the same thing. If you had a day double scheduled on your calendar, it is because you did not run the numbers correctly. All of us run the numbers on a regular basis. We are figuring out if we have enough milk, fuel, time, or money to do what needs to be done.
The context of II Chronicles 13 is war, war that was civil in nature between the divided kingdom of Israel. II Chronicles 11:1 talks about how Rehoboam wanted to bring the kingdom back to the house of Solomon away from Jeroboam. II Chronicles 12:15 says there were “wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.” That forms the context for chapter 13. Verse 1 says, “In the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah.” These were the two kings over the divided kings over Israel. There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.
Who was stronger, Abijah or Jeroboam? Verse 3 tells us there were four hundred thousand men who were part of Abijah’s army, and there were eight hundred thousand in Jeroboam’s army. Jeroboam doubled the numbers of Abijah. His army was twice the size, yet when you come to verse 20 it says, “Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah: and the LORD struck him, and he died. Verse 21 says, “But Abijah waxed mighty.” You see a reversal. If at the beginning of this battle you wondered who would win, the guy with 400,000 or the guy with 800,000, the answer would have been obvious, but it would have been wrong in retrospect.
In Luke 14:31 Jesus says, “What king going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able to with ten thousand meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?” In other words, count the cost. We should count the cost, but the Bible is full of stories of people who defied the odds and were victorious. Moses defied the armies of Egypt. Joshua on a number of occasions outwitted and outfought armies much larger. Gideon won in his odd skirmish. How about David and Goliath?
Now, Abijah the grandson of Solomon was a very flawed man, but he did something right in this story. That is the intent of this account. He learned something that we should learn; don’t count God out when you do the numbers. When you are figuring out your life, how much milk you have left, how much fuel remains, how many days are open on your calendar, how many dollars you have in your account, don’t count God out. We do all the time.
We count God out of our finances. I’m not suggesting we be wasteful and then pin our lack on God, but sometimes we don’t do what we should because we think, “I don’t have the money to do that.” You are counting God out. It might be ethics or sensibilities you have. Many times I hear things like, “Well, no one is doing that anymore.” I don’t think you are obliged to do what your great-great grandpappy did just because you have always done it, but you should not to do something differently just because everyone else is if it is not the right thing. You am going to stand before God and give account of your conscience. So, don’t count God out when you do the numbers.
First, remember His covenant with you. That is what Abijah, the grandson of Solomon, king of Judah did. He gives a little speech to his opponent in verse 5, “Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by covenant of salt?” He emphasizes that sonship and covenant as opposed to what his opponent Jeroboam was relying upon.
Now both these men were very flawed, but in this case one was living more in light of the covenant. Jeroboam instituted worship that was false and that was important to remember. So, remember God’s covenant with you. If you have trusted Jesus as your Savior, that counts for something. Don’t count God out. The Lord has said He will never leave us nor forsake us. The question is not whether God is with us, but if we are with God. In verse 10 Abijah says, “But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him.” In verse 11 he says to Jeroboam, “But ye have forsaken him [God].”
People are hopelessly tribal creatures. I have mentioned that some week ago I was in the Black Hills. It was bike week and there was an amazing number of people. I love motorcycles, but that was more than loving motorcycles. That is a tribe, a group, and all of us have a tribe whether we are talking about a Baptist fellowship, a biker gang, or a knitting guild. So, don’t count God out. Remember His covenant with you. Whether you are part of a tribe that gives you affirmation or not, remember that when you trusted Jesus as Savior, you are safe in His covenant and you ought to live that way.
Second, remember God’s sovereignty. In verse 10 Abijah says “But as for us, the LORD is our God.” God is sovereign. Again, this was not a matter of Abijah being perfect so God was going to let him win. No, in chapter 11 when these factions were fighting, the Lord said, “Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren…for this thing is done of me. And they obeyed the words of the LORD, and returned from going against Jeroboam.” The point is not if I am in the majority, but is God the one in control? The answer is yes. So, remember God’s covenant and His sovereignty.
Lastly, remember God’s power. In verse 8 Abijah says to Jeroboam, “And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David: and ye be a great multitude, and there are with your golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods. Have ye not cast out the priests…? Basically, they cast out God and worshipped gods that were not gods. Verse 12 says, “God himself is with us for our captain…fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.” In verse 14 they cried unto the LORD, and verse 18 has the point, “Thus the children of Israel [one kingdom] were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the LORD God of their fathers.”
I don’t know what your finances are, your peer group is saying, or your tribe is doing, but when you look in anxiety and uncertainty at your prospects, future, and the numbers before you, don’t count God out when you do the numbers.