Abijam Reigns over Judah
15 Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, Abijam became king over Judah. 2 He reigned three years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was [a]Maacah the daughter of [b]Abishalom. 3 He walked in all the sins of his father which he had committed before him; and his heart was not [c]wholly devoted to the Lord his God, like the heart of his father David. 4 But for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, to raise up his son after him and to establish Jerusalem; 5 because David did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite. 6 There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.
7 Now the rest of the acts of Abijam and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.
Wow, that’s a short one, and mostly because Abijam was no better than his father. But what can we learn from Abijam?
In short, God honors the faithfulness of those who love and follow Him. We see even three generations later, God was raising up and directing the life of Abijam’s son. Even in the middle of all the evil and corruption of Rehoboam and Abijam, there was a light and hope as God worked things toward the good of His people Israel. And all that because of the faithfulness of David.
Trust God. He has a plan, and nothing can stop it or get in the way of it. If we don’t want to be a part of that plan, we won’t like the results either, but that’s our choice. God has made a way for us to be part of His people, part of His people. Indeed, to become His own children. It’s sheer folly to forsake that love and generosity just to indulge our own selfish fancy. Will you be an Abijam, or will you be more like the son that rose up to bring hope?