Chapter 13

Abijah's mother was Maacah, daughter of Uriel of Gibeah.  The Maacah we saw in 1Kgs is the daughter of a different man.  It seems the note above that there were two Maacah's is likely correct.  It would take some time to unravel all this - I think Maacah was also from Ammon, but I don't know that it adds much to the history.

We get more detail of the war between Jeroboam and Abijah.  Abijah has 400,000 men in his army, Jeroboam 800,000.  They face off in the hill country of Ephraim.  Abijah proclaims that Jeroboam is a scoundrel supported by scoundrels who took advantage of a very young Rehoboam.  He goes on to point out that the golden calves are not gods, that the priests of Israel are not really priests, and he contrasts this with how Judah serves God correctly, has Aaronic priests, and keeps the sacrifices and tends to the traditions of the Temple.  He warns Israel not to mess with them because God is surely on their side.  Here is another interesting thing that Abijah said:

5 Ought you not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt? [2Ch 13:5 ESV]

Covenant of salt.  I still think of all the times in the NT where the salt has lost it's savor.  I think there is another verse that says God's covenant with Israel was a covenant of salt.  I believe this covenant of salt was abrogated in preference to the New Covenant, which is about light.  Not salt.

2022 - MSB has a good note here that includes references to the covenant of salt found in Lev 2.13, Nu 18.19, and Eze 43.24.  The one in Ezekiel has to do with the Millennial.  The first two are associated with the Mosaic Law in some sense.  I do not think the New Covenant is associated with salt...certainly MSB gives no NT references to it.  The salt has lost it's savor, we are in the church age, and in the promised Kingdom, in the physical Kingdom of the Millennial, the covenant of salt returns.  It is just not about today.

Jeroboam has sent an ambush to come at Abijah from behind.  Though attacked from front and rear, the priests sound their trumpets and God gives the battle to Abijah.  It says that 500,000 men of Israel were slain, crippling Jeroboam's army to the point that he never was able to make war on Judah again.  It further says that God struck down Jeroboam, and he died. 

Abijah, on the other hand, "grew mighty" and took 14 wives and had 22 sons and 16 daughters.  Abijah's story is written in the story of the prophet Iddo.  It is interesting that Abijah was such a good king, that God was with him in this battle, and yet he only reigned for 3 years.