Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took from him the towns of Bethel, Jeshanah and Ephron, with their surrounding villages. – 2 Chronicles 13:19

Today’s Scripture Reading (October 13, 2013): 2 Chronicles 13

On June 22, 1940, France fell to the German army and the British were forced to leave their weapons and flee home across the English Channel. The Battle of France lasted just over a month. France was one of the best equipped and prepared nations for war in Europe. With the support of British Forces and the Maginot Line defense as well as a dense forest, it was unthinkable that the German tanks could penetrate the French defenses. And yet they did. The defeat came quickly and indicated that there was a change in power structure of Europe.

Jeroboam was confident that Abijah and Judah would never be able to defeat the forces from the north. Not only did Jeroboam think that the north was better prepared for war, but Jeroboam and placed a golden calves, the gods that Israel had chosen to serve, on the border of his nation in the north and in the south. It was believed that these gods would secure Israel from defeat. For Judah to win the war and invade Israel, they would not only have to defeat the army of Israel, but the god of Israel as well. The southern calf resided in Bethel.

But the northern armies were routed in the war between the two nations, and armies of Judah followed the northern army home. And on the way, Judah attacked the city of Bethel – and Bethel fell. The unthinkable had happened. Israel had believed that they held a military advantage over Judah, but there was about to be a change in the military fortunes of the two nations.

But the southern rout stopped soon after the fall of Bethel. Abijah’s dream of reuniting the nation of Israel stopped at Bethel. Apparently the plan of reunification was not in God’s plan. And there might be a reason. As careful as Abijah was trying to be in his worship of the God of Abraham, if the golden calf was left in the Bethel Abijah did not destroy it. It might be that what Abijah would do with the god of Bethel was a test that Abijah had failed. God required obedience in everything, and that often seems to be a price we do not want to pay. It might have been more than Abijah was ready to pay.

Today’s Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 14

Note: The VantagePoint Community Church (Edmonton) Message "By the Rivers of Babylon" is available on the VantagePoint website. You can find it here.