Reading
SAA Notes
Rehoboam forsakes God, and God’s judgment is not long in coming. King and leaders listen to Shemaiah the prophet and repent, and they were merely impoverished, not destroyed. Abijah testifies to the Lord and the Lord saves him from Jereboam.
SJA Notes
* Lord God, give ear to our voices when we call to You! Let our prayer be counted as incense before You, and the lifting up of our hands as the evening sacrifice.
“But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have no forsaken him.”
Abijah bears witness to the Lord and to his own and the people’s faith in the Lord.
This declaration is at a battle where God’s people fought against God’s people. One generation from the big split, the parting of ways.
This is a good example of witnessing, and what it means – That we witness to one another, and not just the world around us.
There are many examples through all of scripture.
Hebrews 11 has that uplifting list of conviction. We see the evidence of the prophets who witnessed even unto death. We see that the apostles and early disciples of Jesus bore witness again and again – That Jesus was the Christ.
Stephen’s story resonates strong, as we read in Acts 7,
“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.”
This and the other examples are both an encouragement and a rebuke to us all.
Let us embrace the Holy Spirit, His leading us in prayer, His writing His word on our hearts.
Let us do as our spiritual forebears have done and proclaim the NAME of our King!
We serve the living and true God – There is none like Him!
* Father Above,
Thank You for these examples throughout Your word of people pointing to You.
Please help us to do the same today, in whatever opportunities You bring.
Teach us today what You would have us know.
Amen.