Who was King Abijah in the Bible?

Quick answer

King Abijah was a king of Judah whose reign was short and marked with wickedness. King Abijah's reign warns us about the life that lacks wholehearted devotion to God.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

King Abijah, son of King Rehoboam, was considered wicked in God's eyes, as he continued the sins of his father. His short three-year reign in Judah was marked by continuous war with King Jeroboam of Israel, aiming to reclaim the northern ten tribes. Despite his overall wickedness, Abijah achieved a significant victory over Jeroboam by invoking God's covenant, leading to Jeroboam's weakened power. However, Abijah's legacy remained tainted by his lack of wholehearted devotion to God, unlike his descendant King Asa, who brought reforms and righteousness to Judah. This teaches us that moments of God's gracious success cannot substitute for a consistently devoted life to God.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

King Abijah, son of King Rehoboam, was the king of Judah and was wicked in God's eyes: "And he walked in all the sins that his father did before him, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father" (1 Kings 15:3).

King Abijah's short reign of only three years (913–911 B.C.) was filled with war between him and King Jeroboam of Israel because Abijah, like his father Rehoboam, was trying to reclaim Israel's northern ten tribes as part of his kingdom of Judah (1 Kings 15:6). King Abijah is sometimes referred to as King Abiah or King Abijam.

Not all of Abijah's battles were losses. In 2 Chronicles 13, King Abijah and his 400,000 men had a victory in battle over Jeroboam and his army of 800,000 men. During this battle, Abijah stood up to Jeroboam, stating that his ten northern tribes had not been keeping God's covenant. Truly, Jeroboam had gotten rid of the Levites and allowed people to become priests to false gods. King Abijah warned Jeroboam: "Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with their battle trumpets to sound the call to battle against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you cannot succeed" (2 Chronicles 13:12). In this battle, the men from Judah called to the Lord for help, the priests who were with them in battle blew their trumpets, and God gave them the victory (2 Chronicles 13:14–15). After Abijah's victory, King Jeroboam did not have the same level of strength as before: "Jeroboam did not recover his power in the days of Abijah. And the LORD struck him down, and he died. But Abijah grew mighty. And he took fourteen wives and had twenty-two sons and sixteen daughters" (2 Chronicles 13:20–21)."

After Abijah died, Judah and Israel experienced a season of peace for ten years (2 Chronicles 14:1).

Maacah, or Micaiah, was Abijah's mother, and she seemingly held authority during his reign and into the reign of his son, Asa. King Asa "did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God" (2 Chronicles 14:2) and brought righteous renewal and reforms to Judah. As a part of this process, he demoted his grandmother, Maacah, because she advocated for the worship of the false god, Asherah (1 Kings 15:13).

God mercifully granted King Abijah victory over Israel, but overall, Abijah had the unfortunate legacy of doing evil in God's sight. Just like his father Rehoboam, Abijah was not fully committed to the Lord in his heart or actions (2 Chronicles 12:13–14; 1 Kings 15:1–3).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

King Abijah is mentioned in Jesus's genealogy in Matthew 1:7.

King Abijah is also mentioned in reference to the priest of the time, Zechariah, in Luke 1:5.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

King Abijah's life illustrates the consequences of partial commitment to God and the importance of godly leadership. Although Abijah experienced a significant victory over Jeroboam due to God's mercy, his overall reign was marked by evil and a lack of wholehearted devotion to the Lord. This highlights that moments of God's faithfulness in intervening and giving success do not compensate for a life not fully dedicated to God. It serves as a reminder that our commitment to God must be consistent and complete, not just in times of crisis.

UNDERSTAND

Overall, King Abijah was a wicked king.

King Abijah's reign was filled with war.

God allowed King Abijah to win during a battle where his righteousness exceeded King Jeroboam's.

REFLECT

How does King Abijah's story challenge your understanding of devotion to God?

What does King Abijah’s victory over Jeroboam teach you about relying on God's faithfulness rather than your own strength or strategies?

How are you challenged by King Abijah's legacy of wickedness despite moments of success?

ENGAGE

How does King Abijah's story reflect the importance of wholehearted devotion to God in leadership, especially considering his mixed legacy of victory and wickedness?

In what ways can we see parallels between King Abijah's struggles and our own challenges in remaining faithful to God amidst conflicts and pressures?

Considering King Abijah's victory over Jeroboam despite his overall wickedness, what does this teach us about God's mercy and the consequences of our actions in relation to our commitment to Him?