The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Chronicles — Section 163

Mosaic cultus (vere. 10, 11). Like multitudes before and since, he and his people con- ceived it might be possible to do homage on equal terms to Jehovah and heathen divinities, which it we.a not (Isa.. xiii, 8); just as many in the present day fancy they cl_'n serve God 11nd mammon, which they cannot (Matt. vi. 24). (8) Their rebellion was directed against Jehovah himself (ver. 12), who was present in the camp of Judah as Captain, as he had been in the days of the conquest (Josh. v. 14), and as he still is, in the Person of Uhrist, in the army of the New Testament Church (Matt. xxviii. 20). This constituted the hopelessness of Jeroboam's attack (Exod. xv. 3-7; 1 Sam. ii.10; Job xii. 10), as it does still of every assault upon the Church of Christ (Acts v. 39; xxiii. 9), No weapon that is formed against her shall prosper (Tua. !iv. 17; Matt. xvi. 18). That Jehovah remained in Judah in the midst of so much corruption was entirely owing to his gracious covenant with David (1 Kings xii. 36); that Christ continues in the New Testament Church even when overrun with errors in doctrine and worship, as well as marred by defects in practice, is owing solely to his own faith- fulness and truth (Matt. xxviii. 20). ~9) Their rebellion was foredoomed to failure, because the alarm-trumpets of Jehovah s priests were against them (ver. 12). Those alarm-trumpets were "the divinely appointed pledges that God would remember bis people in war, and deliver ~hem from their enemies'' (Numb. x. 9). .Against the Midianites Moses sent into the field, along with twelve thousand warriors, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, with the holy instruments and the trumpets to blow in his hand" (Numb. :xxxi. 6). So the .iuty of Christian ministers is to sound an alarm in God's Name against every thing and person that would injure Christ's Church. Were this always done, timeously and earnestly, ultimate victory for the Church would be ensured (.Acts xx. 31; 1 Cor. iv. 14; Col. i. 28). III. THE AMBUBHMENT OF JEROBOAM. (Vers. 13, 14.) 1. Bkilfv1Zy prepared. (1) By Jeroboam. Wicked men often possess high talent, and, though not pious, make splendid generals, eminent statesmen, successful merchants, etc. (2) While .Abijah was orating. Neither praying nor preaching will suffice without watching. While performing every duty earnestly and thoroughly (Eccles. ix. 10), it must not be imagined that prudence, foresight, and vigilance are not duties. The Christian, while praying always with all prayer and supplication, must take unto himself the whole armour of God (Eph. vi. 13-18). (3) Round about Judah. That A.bijah had not perceived the stratagem of bis opponent is explicable-he had been preoccupied with his harangue; that his generals and soldiers were not on the alert was hardly to their credit, even f they were listening to their monarch's eloquence. A.t any rate, as Jeroboam circum- vented .Abijah and his army, while engaged in what might be termed a religious duty, an attempt to avert the calamity of war and to promote the interests of peace, so does the prince of the power of the air commonly select the moment when Christ's soldiers are engaged in some religious service to cast around them his snares. 2. OOU,rageou.sly met. Though surprised, the men of Judah were not thrown into panic. Realizing their danger, they confronted it: (1) With faith: "they cried unto Jehovah," whom they believed to be their Captain (ver, 12)-an excellent lesson for the Church (collectively and individually), which, though professing to regard Christ as her Captain, does not always turn to him for help in duty or relief in difficulty, but often repairs to worldly policy, human wisdom, or material props and defences. (2) With hope : "The priests sounded with their trumpets," thus showing they anticipated victory, So should the Church of Christ never enter the field against her adversaries in a doubtful, but always in a confident, spirit (Ps. Ix. 12; cviii. 13), expecting to be victorious (Rom. viii. 37), (3) With spirit: "The men of Judah gave a shout "-not merely sounded with their war-trumpets (Bertheau, Keil), but shouted like men contending for the mastery (Exod. xxxii.18), as soldiers do when rushing into battle (Josh. vi. 20; Judg. xv. 14:; 1 Sam. xvii. 20). So should the Church give expression to her confident anticipationa of victory in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs (Ps. cxxxii. 9; cxlix. 8, 5; Eph. v. 19), IV. THI!: VIOTOBY OF JUDAH, (Vers. 15-18.) 1. The sourca of it. God. Not A.bijah or Judah, but Elohim smote Jeroboam and all Israel. "Safety [' victory,' Revised Version) is of the Lord" (Prov. xxi. 13), and "it is he that giveth salvation [ or, 'deliverance '] unto !tinge" (Ps. cxliv. 10). " Jehovah is a Man of war," sang Miriam (Exod. xv. 3); while David owned, "He teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight" (Ps. xviil. 34 i oxliv. 1). 2. The time of it. "As the men of Judah shouted."  THE SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. [ou. xm.1-22,