Today’s text comes at a significant point in Chronicles. During Rehoboam’s reign, the kingdoms of Judah and Israel were still taking shape. Abijah is the first king of Judah to reign after the division of the kingdoms becomes an established fact. The account of Abijah sets out key elements in the Chronicler’s view of the two kingdoms. As we might put it, modifying a familiar saying about God, sin, and sinners, the Chronicler “hates the Northern Kingdom, but loves northern Israelites”.

Judah and Israel are about to fight a battle. But first, Abijah addresses Jeroboam and Israel. He asks: What are you doing here? God chose David’s line to rule Israel (2 Chronicles 13:5). The only reason we are now facing each other as enemies is that Jeroboam rebelled against Solomon and “some worthless scoundrels” helped him to seize power, taking advantage of Rehoboam’s inexperience (vv. 6–7).

Furthermore, your religion is corrupt: golden calves are worshipped as gods and served by men who ought not to be priests (vv. 8–9). Judah, however, worships the Lord: the priests are descended from Aaron and aided by Levites. Judah’s worship follows the forms given by God, and God is the one who leads our army (vv. 10–12). How can you succeed against “the kingdom of the Lord, which is in the hands of David’s descendants” (v. 8)?

This is a rather one-sided retelling of events: Abijah does not mention Rehoboam’s foolish arrogance nor God’s hand in what happened (see 10:12–15); instead, he reminds them that God’s covenant is with David’s line and so denounces Jeroboam’s kingdom (which he does not even call a kingdom) as utterly illegitimate. It is all the more striking, then, that he begins by addressing Jeroboam’s men as “all Israel” (13:4) and ends with an appeal (v. 12): you shouldn’t be fighting the God whom your ancestors worshipped! In other words: we should be on the same side, because we are all Israelites.

But the battle goes ahead. Jeroboam has superior forces, 800,000 troops against Abijah’s 400,000 (v. 3), and he sets an ambush, so that Judah must fight on two fronts (v. 13). All this counts for nothing: Judah cries out to the Lord, the priests blow their trumpets, and Jeroboam’s army is roundly defeated (vv. 14–15).

The Chronicler’s explanation is unambiguous: “God routed Jeroboam and all Israel . . . the people of Judah were victorious because they relied on the Lord, the God of their ancestors” (vv. 15, 18). This battle marks the end for Jeroboam: he soon dies at God’s hand. But Abijah fathers many sons and daughters (vv. 20–21). The fates of the two kings and their kingdoms could not be more different.

But there is another message in today’s text: Jeroboam’s kingdom is corrupt through and through, but Israelites from the northern tribes do not have to share its fate. The way back is open: they can worship God in Jerusalem and live under the rule of David’s line. That was a message the Chronicler wanted his contemporaries to take on board.

See also 1 Kings 15:1–8.