12<\/strong>. God<\/em> himself is with us for<\/em> our captain<\/em> ] R.V. God is with us at our head<\/strong>.<\/p>\n with sounding trumpets<\/em> ] R.V. with the trumpets of alarm<\/strong> (Num 10:9<\/span>). Abijah here threatens his opponents with a jihd<\/em> or holy war.<\/p>\n 2Ch 13:12-17<\/span><\/p>\n And behold, God Himself is with us for our captain <\/em><\/p>\n God with us<\/strong><\/p>\n We have here–<\/p>\n A mysterious doctrine.<\/p>\n Mans extremity and Gods power to help<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>By their own foolish enterprises.<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>By the temptations of their enemies.<\/p>\n 3. <\/strong>By the providence of God leading them, to test and train them.<\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>By prayer: They cried unto the Lord.<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>By super-natural power. (J<\/em>. Wolfendale<\/em>.)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The Holy War<\/strong><\/p>\n It <\/em>is not my intention to discuss the merits of the quarrel between Judah and Israel. That is interesting history; but I am now to speak to you concerning our work and warfare for Christ our King. That we are engaged in a fierce struggle, with a powerful foe, must be admitted. Oh, let us understand at the outset that our warfare is real, earnest, desperate; that we are not playing at soldiering.<\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>Turning to this chapter we shall find that the enemy in this case consisted of rebels against the God-appointed authority. They were, in fact, insurgents, of whom the children of Judah said truly, We keep the charge of the Lord of God; but ye have forsaken Him. So the men of Judah had this to help them in their struggle–they knew that their position was one that God approved. They had not forsaken Him; they were by no means perfect, but they still held to Davids throne and to his rightful successor. They had the strength that always comes of the consciousness of right. Right is might, though some will have it that might is right. No, no! He is thrice armed who hath his quarrel just and I want to encourage my own heart and yours by saying: We are by no means all we should be, but by the grace of God we are what we are. The enemy has rebelled against God. These things with which we do battle are doomed to destruction, and we are authorised to help to hasten the coming of that doom.<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>I find, further, that these men of Israel were idolaters. They worshipped golden calves, and almost any man who wished could become a priest to those that were no gods. Our struggle also is against idolatry. I am speaking on behalf of foreign missions. Believe me, there is idolatry both here and there.<\/p>\n 3. <\/strong>I find here again, that the children of Israel are spoken of as vain men, and children of Belial. There had gathered in that north country men of no repute, neer-do-wells, and those who had come to grief, empty-headed men–for such is the real meaning of the word vain. The children of Belial were utterly unprincipled, many of them were doubtless renegades, the castaways of society. We do not fight against those who have lost their reputation, who have sinned against the laws of our land, as well as against high heaven; we go out to try to save them, we do battle against unholiness, uncleanness, debauchery, and insobriety.<\/p>\n 4. <\/strong>Further, if you look at this chapter, you will notice that the men of Israel were determined characters, o| whom it is written that they strengthened themselves. They were very numerous, but they did not trust to numbers, they took every precaution to ensure success. We may learn some lessons from our foes. How diligent they are, how active, how united. How earnestly they combine to defeat, if possible, the purposes of God, and our attempts to do His will. Oh, that we were as earnest as they! With a Master infinitely better, why should we not serve Him with twice as much zeal as they who serve the devil?<\/p>\n 5. <\/strong>The numbers of Israel were very large, twice as many as Judah possessed; and oh, how many are the forces and principles of evil with which we have to contend! Ah! but let us remember that numbers are not everything. We shall have to remind one another presently that God is with us. How many count you Jehovah for? Yet we must not under-estimate the foe; they are numberless. Oh, that our forces were increased!<\/p>\n 6. <\/strong>And, moreover, they are wily. Did you notice, as we read, how the king of Israel set an ambush against Abijah and his men? It was hardly a brave thing to do. Well, our enemy is not very particular how he goes to work. The serpent is still the most subtle of all the beasts of the field, but we are not ignorant of his devices.<\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>Moreover, we are well commanded. Did you notice what the king said in the 12th verse? And behold God Himself is with us for our Captain. When Napoleon went up and down among his troops on the eve of battle, he used to assure them that he was himself directing their battalions. That it was which nerved them for the fray. I think I hear my blessed Master saying, Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the age. We bow before Thee, glorious Captain! Lead Thou us on! For Thou alone canst lead to victory.<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>Moreover, the priestly service, with the people of Judah, had never ceased. Morning and evening the lamb was slain, and the lamp was lighted, and the incensed waved. This was a sign that God was still honoured and obeyed. Ah, think of it! We are going forth to battle day by day, but our great High Priest before the Throne still pleads. He ever liveth to make intercession for us.<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>Then the priests sounded the trumpets to animate the people, to call them to their duty, to stir up within them their slumbering energies and dying courage. I warrant you they gave no uncertain sound. Those silver trumpets were made all of one piece, for God will have all His work united, symmetrical, and complete. Those silver trumpets sounded out their sweetest and their loudest at this critical juncture. Be it ours, leaders of the hosts of God, so to sound forth the Word of God that there shall be no mistake as to the meaning, and by our brave demeanour to encourage all the people.<\/p>\n 3. <\/strong>Did you notice, next, that the rank and file commenced to shout? The men of Judah shouted. No, no! let us cry and shout, for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of us. The cry of prayer should be attended with the shout of faith, and if we shout not audibly in our services and meetings, let there be shoutings in the soul which the Lord our God can hear. The secret and gist of it all is here.<\/p>\n 4. <\/strong>They relied upon the Lord. There was perfect confidence in heaven. Even in the midst of the clash of arms, even when they saw they had apparently been bested by this ambushment, they still trusted. Father, I will trust thee, for the work is Thine.<\/p>\n 5. <\/strong>They relied upon the Lord God of their fathers. Oh! I like that word. The God of Abraham! The history of the patriarch flashes through their minds at the mention of his name. The God of Isaac, and of Jacob, and of David, with whom He had made a covenant of salt! This was the God they relied on, and this God is our God, the God of our fathers. Did He not treat our fathers well? Did He not glorify His name through them? Did He not make them pillars in the house of the Lord? What God has done, God can do. Let us trust Him.<\/p>\n 6. <\/strong>As soon as they fully trusted Him, He began to work, and delivered Jeroboam into the hand of Abijah. Yes, the rule always holds good, Them that honour Me I will honour. If you trust Him in that little work you have in hand for God, He will use you.<\/p>\n 7. <\/strong>Then we must follow up the work that God does. Abijah and his people slew their routed adversaries. Abijah pursued them.<\/p>\n 8. <\/strong>And what about the spoils? When the work is done and the victory won, what about the booty? Ah! it belongs to Him who gave the power. All must be cast at Jesus feet. Have we not been often mistaken just here? We asked Him for power to serve, and thank God we got it; but when the victory was ours, we wanted to share the honour with the King. <\/em>(T<\/em>. Spurgeon<\/em>.)<\/p>\n .<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Verse 12<\/span>. God himself is with us<\/B><\/I>] Ye have golden calves<\/I>; we have the living and omnipotent Jehovah<\/I>.<\/P> <\/P> With – trumpets to cry alarm against you.<\/B><\/I>] This was appalling: When the priests sound their trumpets, it will be a proof that the vengeance of the Lord shall speedily descend upon you.<\/P> <\/p>\n With sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you; <\/B>upon the sounding whereof God hath solemnly promised to assist his people, Num 10:9<\/span>. <\/P> Fight ye not against the Lord God of your fathers; <\/B>you have not only us for your enemies, but God, even the God whom your fathers honoured and served, to their own great comfort and benefit. <\/P> <\/p>\n And, behold, God himself is with us for our Captain<\/strong>,…. To go before our armies, and fight our battles for us:<\/p>\n and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you<\/strong>; which was one use of the trumpets, that the people might be remembered by the Lord, and saved from their enemies, Nu 10:9<\/span>, so that this circumstance was against Jeroboam and his army, and for Abijah and his:<\/p>\n O children of Israel, fight ye not against the Lord God of your fathers<\/strong>; for fighting against his people, that retained the pure worship of him, was fighting against him:<\/p>\n for you shall not prosper<\/strong>; he seems to be assured of victory.<\/p>\n (12) God himself.<\/strong>The<\/em> (true) God.<\/em> So in 2Ch. 13:15<\/span>. Literally, and behold there are with us at the head the God and his priests, and the trumpets of alarm to sound alarm against you.<\/em> (See Num. 10:9<\/span>; Num. 31:6<\/span>.) The trumpets were the divinely appointed pledges that God would remember them in war. The Syriac gives this verse thus: But ye have forsaken him, and gone after dead gods, and worshipped and bowed down to them, and forsaken the Lord God of your fathers; and also ye shall not prosper in the world. Then there is a lacuna extending to 2Ch. 13:15<\/span>.<\/p>\n 12<\/strong>. <\/strong> O children of Israel, fight ye not against the Lord God of your fathers <\/strong> Abijah’s speech, throughout, rings with the true theocratic spirit, but, as mentioned above, it fails to note all the facts involved in the division of the empire of David and Solomon. Its earnest and solemn appeals, however, may have had much to do with the defeat of Israel, for God may have caused it to terrify multitudes of Jeroboam’s warriors.<\/p>\n DISCOURSE: 403 2Ch 13:12<\/span>. Behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarni against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the Lord God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper,<\/em><\/p>\n GOOD advice should be attended to, by whomsoever it may be given. Our blessed Lord particularly inculcated this on his disciples, commanding them to do whatever those who sat in Moses chair required of them, without regarding the moral character of the persons themselves, or refusing compliance with what was good, because it was not exemplified in the conduct of their instructors. The words before us were not spoken by a good man; for Abijah was on the whole a wicked King [Note: 1Ki 15:3<\/span>.]: but they contain very sound instruction, and have a semblance even of piety itself. The whole address indeed was well fitted for the occasion, though it certainly savours much of that partiality, which is found in almost all who plead their own cause. There is undoubtedly a good deal of false colouring in what he speaks to the disparagement of his enemies, though there is ground for his assertions, if they had been more carefully expressed and more duly qualified. Notwithstanding Abijah had invaded Jeroboams country, in order to make that, rather than his own country, the seat of war, we think it probable that Jeroboam was the aggressor; because the address of Abijah was altogether of a pacific nature. It seems from the words of our text that he laboured hard to prevent the effusion of blood: and if his adversary had been like-minded with himself, the dispute might perhaps have been amicably adjusted.<\/p>\n We shall consider the words of our text,<\/p>\n I.<\/p>\n In reference to the contest then pending between Judah and Israel<\/p>\n Abijahs address was certainly striking and judicious Well did the Israelites know, that there could be no effectual resistance to the Lord of Hosts, especially when those who were under his command were observant of the laws appointed for them. Hence, when Abijah told his adversaries, that he was come forth in dependence on Gods aid, and in a strict observance of his commands [Note: Num 10:9<\/span>. This passage reflects much light on the text.], they had reason to tremble for themselves, and to refrain from prosecuting the contest any further. True indeed, a hypocrite may make all these pretensions, even as Rabshakeh. did in his address to Hezekiahs servants [Note: Isa 36:10<\/span>.]: but where the dependence is real, and the obedience true, a suecessful issue may justly be expected.]<\/p>\n The event justified his expectations Taking the text in somewhat of an accommodated sense, we will proceed to consider it,<\/p>\n II.<\/p>\n In reference to the contest now pending between God and us<\/p>\n There is a contest now existing between God and sinners Application From the former view of this subject, we may learn how to obtain the blessing of God upon our arms<\/p>\n [It is not by confidence in an arm of flesh that we can hope to prevail, but by an humble trust in God. It is said, The children of Israel prevailed, because they relied upon the Lord God of their fathers<\/em> [Note: ver. 18.]. Notwithstanding the numbers and the stratagems of their enemies, they prevailed, because God himself fought for them. Let us then by prayer and supplication call God to our aid, and rest assured that he will interpose for us in the hour of necessity.<\/p>\n Whilst indeed we trust in him for success, we must use every effort for the attainment of peace: but if our adversary will not listen to reasonable terms, then may we go forth with confidence against him, knowing that with God it is alike easy to save by many or by few.]<\/p>\n 2.<\/p>\n From the latter view of this subject we may learn how to escape the destruction to which we are exposed<\/p>\n [Our God has made ready his glittering spear; and he has already said, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies [Note: Isa 1:24<\/span>.]. What then shall we do? Shall we continue the contest? What would this be, but to set briers and thorns in battle against the devouring fire, which would go through them, and burn them up together [Note: Isa 27:4<\/span>.]? No: let us throw down our weapons of rebellion against him, and cast ourselves on the multitude of his tender mercies: let us go, like Benhadad, with ropes round our necks, and sackcloth on our loins, and confess our desert of his heavier judgments, Then will he turn from his fierce anger, and be reconciled towards us: yea, he will be merciful to our transgressions, and our sins and iniquities will he remember no more.]<\/p>\n<\/p>\n 2Ch 13:12 And, behold, God himself [is] with us for [our] captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.<\/p>\n Ver. 12. And, behold, God himself is with us.<\/strong> ] E , qua praecipua argumenta repetit:<\/em> he is speaking his last to them, and therefore speaks thick. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n For our captain.<\/strong> ] Deus est dux; <\/em> he is in the head of us, who is himself a whole army. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Fight ye not against the Lord.<\/strong> ] A good motion, had it come from a better mouth.<\/p>\n behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. <\/p>\n sounding trumpets. Compare Num 10:9; Num 31:6. <\/p>\n God: Num 23:21, 1Sa 4:5-7, Isa 8:10, Zec 10:5, Rom 8:31 <\/p>\n for our captain: Deu 20:4, Jos 5:13-15, Psa 20:7, Heb 2:10 <\/p>\n his priests: Num 10:8, Num 10:9, Num 31:6, Jos 6:13-20 <\/p>\n fight ye: Job 15:25, Job 15:26, Job 40:9, Isa 45:9, Jer 50:24, Act 5:39, Act 9:4, Act 9:5 <\/p>\n ye shall not: 2Ch 24:20, Num 14:41, Deu 28:29, Job 9:4, Isa 54:17, Jer 2:37, Eze 17:9 <\/p>\n Reciprocal: Num 14:9 – the Lord Deu 3:22 – for the Lord Deu 20:2 – General Jos 6:4 – trumpets of rams’ Jdg 12:3 – wherefore 2Ki 20:5 – the captain 1Ch 16:6 – with trumpets 2Ch 13:14 – the priests 2Ch 13:17 – five hundred 2Ch 14:11 – in thy name 2Ch 15:2 – The Lord 2Ch 25:7 – for the Lord 2Ch 32:8 – with us Neh 4:18 – he that sounded Neh 12:35 – with trumpets Neh 12:44 – some Psa 46:7 – Lord Psa 81:3 – Blow Psa 108:11 – go forth Jer 32:5 – though<\/p>\n 2Ch 13:12. Behold, God himself is with us for our captain Here in our camp. We may be sure he is with us, because we are with him. And as a token of his presence we have here with us his priests, sounding his trumpets According to the law, as a testimony against you, and an assurance to us, that in the day of battle we shall be remembered before the Lord our God, and saved from our enemies. See Num 10:9, where this sacred signal is thus explained. Nothing is so effectual to imbolden men, and give them courage and fortitude in the day of battle, as to have an assurance that God is with them, and fighteth for them. Fight ye not against the God of your fathers It is folly to fight against the God of almighty power; but it is treachery, and base ingratitude, to fight against your fathers God, and you cannot expect to prosper. Thus he concludes with giving them fair warning.<\/p>\n 13:12 And, behold, God himself [is] {l} with us for [our] captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.<\/p>\n (l) Because their cause was good and approved by the Lord, they did not doubt the success and victory.<\/p>\n And, behold, God himself [is] with us for [our] captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper. 12. God himself is with us for our captain ] R.V. God is with us … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Chronicles 13:12”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11477","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11477","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11477"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11477\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11477"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11477"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11477"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
I.<\/strong><\/p>\n
II. <\/strong>A comforting truth.<\/p>\n
III. <\/strong>A solemn fact. (Bp<\/em>. Montagu Villiers<\/em>.)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
I. <\/strong>Gods people are often brought into extremities.<\/p>\n
II. <\/strong>Gods people are delivered by him in extremities.<\/p>\n
I. <\/strong>Let us reconnoitre the enemy. It is a great mistake, all too frequently made, to ignore the strength of our opponents, to fail to investigate their position and their practices. No general would think of conducting a campaign without the due precaution of reconnoitring. We shall do well in our war against error and iniquity, and all that is not of our God, to make all investigations, to send some forth to spy out the country to discover, if possible, what the enemy is designing against us.<\/p>\n
II. <\/strong>What about our own forces? We must not sing our own praises, but to the glory of God, as we review our troops, we will declare, first, that we are His.<\/p>\n
III. <\/strong>And now about the battle. We must not wonder, if, when beginning to fight for God, we find ourselves in a difficulty. These men did. They had not got to the battlefield before they were caught in an ambushment. There were foes behind them as well as in front of them. It is not the easiest thing in the world to fight those who attack us from behind. I know some who go out to serve the Lord, either in the home or in the foreign field, who, as soon as they find the battle wax hot against them, or discover themselves caught in a trap, begin to imagine that the battle is lost already, that they have made a mistake in taking up arms for God, and are like to turn tail forthwith, only the enemy is behind them, and they cannot! Ah! what a mistake is this! If God brings us into a crisis, it is that we may trust Christ. What is the best thing to do when we get into such a state? Why, just what these did. They cried unto the Lord. Was there time to pray, when there were enemies on either hand? Yes, yes, there is always time to pray. Praying time is not lost time. Let us cry unto the Lord of Hosts.<\/p>\n
<\/strong><\/p>\nFuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
ABIJAHS REMONSTRANCE WITH JEROBOAM<\/strong> [Note: For a Fast-Day in war.]<\/p>\n
[Abijah contrasts the usurpation and idolatry of Jeroboam with the legitimate claims of his own family, and their continued adherence to the God of their fathers [Note: ver. 411.] and doubtless these were just grounds for hope, that God would espouse his cause: for though it may please God for a season to let the ungodly triumph over his people, yet we believe, that, as a righteous Governor, he will ultimately favour the cause of righteousness and truth.<\/p>\n
[Whilst Abijah was endeavouring to avert the conflict, Jeroboam sought by stratagem to overwhelm him and all his followers. He placed in ambush a considerable portion of his army, and attacked Abijah both in front and rear. But Abijah cried unto the Lord; and the priests sounded with their trumpets; and the men of Judah gave a shout, expressive of their confidence in God: and immediately the hosts of Israel turned their backs; and, though they were twice as numerous as their enemies, no less than five hundred thousand of them fell down slain before the victorious hosts of Judah. Never was there such a slaughter in one single battle, either before or since: and the event of that day fully proves, that they who fight for God have nothing to fear; nor they who fight against him, to hope [Note: Eze 22:14<\/span>. with Rom 8:31<\/span>.] ]<\/p>\n
[By every sin that men commit, they do indeed fight against God What shall we say of those who cast off their allegiance to the God of Israel; who bow down to idols of their own creation; who disregard the word and ordinances of their God; and who seek only to wound and destroy those who warn them of their guilt and danger? Are not they avowed enemies to God? They are: their own reason may tell them so: the Scriptures universally declare it: justify themselves as they may, their excuses are all vain; and they only deceive their own souls ]
Suffer ye then the word of exhortation
[O children of Israel, fight ye not against the Lord God of your fathers! We are appointed of God to blow the trumpet of alarm against you; and we must blow it, at the peril of our own souls: we must lift up our voice as a trumpet, and shew you both your sin and danger [Note: Isa 58:1<\/span>.]. It is against God, even the Captain of our salvation himself, that you are fighting: it is his majesty that you oppose, his law you trample on, his mercy you despise, and his salvation you reject O think with yourselves, Can you prosper? Did ever any harden themselves against him and prosper [Note: Job 9:4<\/span>.]? No indeed; it is in vain to kick against the pricks: though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not go unpunished [Note: Pro 11:21<\/span>.].]<\/p>\n
1.<\/p>\n
<\/strong><\/p>\nFuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"