“14 And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind: and they cried unto the LORD, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.
15 Then the men of Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.
16 And the children of Israel fled before Judah: and God delivered them into their hand.”
From Matthew Henry Commentary
“Abidjan overcomes Jeroboam. – Jeroboam and his people, by apostacy and idolatry, merited the severe punishment…In their(Judah) distress, when danger was on every side, which way should they look for deliverance unless upward? They cried unto the Lord. Earnest prayer is crying. To the cry of prayer they added the shout of faith, and became more than conquerors.” -and-
“…Abijah undertakes to make out,…That he had right on his side, -a divine right: ‘You know, or ought to know, that God gave the kingdom to David and his sons for ever’ (v. 5), not by common providence, but by a lasting covenant, a covenant made by sacrifice…David was a king of God’s making; so that Jeroboam’s taking the crown of Israel at first was not justifiable: yet it is not certain that Abijah referred chiefly to that, for he knew that Jeroboam had a grant from God of the ten tribes. His attempt, however, to disturb the peace and possession of the king of Judah was by no means excusable; for when the ten tribes were given to him two were reserved for the house of David. Abijah shows, (1.) That there was a great deal of dishonesty and disingenuousness in Jeroboam’s first setting himself up: He rebelled against his lord (v. 6). Those that supported him are here called vain men, men that did not act from any steady principle, but were given to change, and men of Belial, that were for shaking off the yoke of government and setting those over them that would do just as they would have them do. (2.) That there was a great deal of impiety in his present attempt; for, in fighting against the house of David, he fought against the kingdom of the Lord.”
This story beautifully fit into the tapestry of the lesson. The message was a good reminder both individually and collectively. For me it spoke to many levels- even if you are hemmed in by challenges turn to God, the importance of obedience to God, might does not rule the right, God can help your nation even if it is not perfect from unrighteousness for Judah had many pious people and that worship of idols eventually catches up with you.
“..honesty always defeats dishonesty.” Misc. p. 126