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If you had to choose, would you rather have God be for you or against you? That seems like such an obvious question to answer. Of course, you would choose that God would be for you. Who would want God to be against them?

But life’s choices are not always so obvious. Many look at the circumstances before them and respond according to what they see before their eyes without considering God at all. They have relegated God to what they experience at church and have not considered that it is before God “we live and move and have our being,” as Paul wrote in Acts 17.

However, I submit that if we live and move and have our being before the eyes of God, then God is part of our everyday lives and should be factored into every decision we make. Let’s call it the “God factor.”

When Solomon collected all those foreign women and built altars to their gods - even in Jerusalem - he had not considered God at all. He would therefore find himself on the wrong side of the God factor and it would not end well for Israel.

After Solomon died, the people of Israel came to his son Rehoboam asking him to lighten the hard service and heavy yoke which Solomon had put upon them. Rehoboam rejected the wise advice of the elders who had served with Solomon and instead followed the advice of his young friends. Their advice was to add to their heavy yoke and to discipline them with scorpions. They thought to teach these people a harsh lesson.

God was not considered at all. The result? God was against Rehoboam. He would find himself on the wrong side of the God factor and it would not end well.

The people rebelled against Rehoboam and the nation was divided, ten tribes in the north under their new leader Jeroboam, two tribes in the south under Rehoboam.

God had told Jeroboam in advance that he would give him ten tribes of Israel and that if he would listen to the commands of the Lord and walk in His ways and do what was right in the sight of the Lord, then God would be with him and would build for him an enduring house as he had for David.

But Jeroboam rejected these good words and made two golden calves before whom the people in the north could worship instead of worshiping the God of Israel at Jerusalem.

When Jeroboam made those golden calves, God was not considered at all. He would find himself on the wrong side of the God factor and it would not end well.

That’s where we pick up our story in 2 Chronicles 13. After Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David, his son Abijah became king in his place.

Shortly after Abijah became king, he gathered an army of 400,000 chosen men and drew up in battle formation against Jeroboam who came out to meet him with 800,000.

Before the battle was engaged, Abijah called out to Jeroboam and all the soldiers in battle array and gave one of the great speeches in the history of Israel. In this great speech Abijah warned them all that they have found themselves on the wrong side of the God factor and therefore, this would not end well for them.

Any who find themselves on the wrong side of the God factor will find themselves fighting against God. It’s a great lesson not only for Israel but for everyone today. When it comes to the God factor, I would rather that God be for me. I never want to find myself fighting or kicking against Him.

Because I have come to discover this great truth, if God is for me, who can be against me? There are great spiritual applications and life lessons from these verses.
I. Be Governed by God

 Verse 5 – “Do you not know that the Lord God of Israel gave the rule over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt?” Abijah said.

 One of the great principles of being on the right side of the God factor is understanding that God has authority.

 God gave the rule over Israel forever to David and his sons. God gave the rule over us to Jesus who is the Son of David. In other words, Jesus has authority and those who abide well under that authority are blessed indeed.


Pastor Rich Jones
Pastor Matthew Dodd
Rich Jones Calvary Chapel
Calvary Chapel Worship Center
Calvary Chapel Hillsboro
Calvary Chapel Oregon
Calvary Chapel Beaverton
Calvary Chapel Portland

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