1 Kings 20:1 -25 “Now Ben-hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he marched up, besieged Samaria, and waged war against it. Then he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, saying, “This is what Ben-hadad says: ‘Your silver and gold are mine, and your best wives and children are mine!’ ”
And the king of Israel replied, “Just as you say, my lord the king: I am yours, along with all that I have.”
The messengers came back and said, “This is what Ben-hadad says: ‘I have sent to you to demand your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children. But about this time tomorrow I will send my servants to search your palace and the houses of your servants. They will seize and carry away all that is precious to you.’ ”
Then the king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said, “Please take note and see that this man is looking for trouble, for when he demanded my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, I did not deny him.”
And the elders and the people all said, “Do not listen to him or consent to his terms.”
So Ahab answered the messengers of Ben-hadad, “Tell my lord the king, ‘All that you demanded of your servant the first time I will do, but this thing I cannot do.’ ”
So the messengers departed and relayed the message to Ben-hadad.
Then Ben-hadad sent another message to Ahab: “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if enough dust remains of Samaria for each of my men to have a handful.”
And the king of Israel replied, “Tell him: ‘The one putting on his armor should not boast like one taking it off.’ ”
Ben-hadad received this message while he and the kings were drinking in their tents, and he said to his servants, “Take your positions.” So they stationed themselves against the city.
Meanwhile a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and declared, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Do you see this entire great army? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand this very day, and you will know that I am the LORD.’ ”
“By whom?” Ahab asked.
And the prophet replied, “This is what the LORD says: ‘By the young officers of the district governors.’ ”
“Who will start the battle?” asked Ahab.
“You will,” answered the prophet. So Ahab assembled the young officers of the district governors, and there were 232 men. And after them, he assembled the rest of the Israelite troops, 7,000 in all.
They marched out at noon while Ben-hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk. And the young officers of the district governors marched out first.
Now Ben-hadad had sent out scouts, who reported to him, “Men are marching out of Samaria.”
“If they have marched out in peace,” he said, “take them alive. Even if they have marched out for war, take them alive.”
Meanwhile, these young officers of the district governors marched out of the city, with the army behind them, and each one struck down his opponent. So the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben-hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with the cavalry.
Then the king of Israel marched out and attacked the horses and chariots, inflicting a great slaughter on the Arameans.
Afterward, the prophet approached the king of Israel and said, “Go and strengthen your position, and take note what you must do, for in the spring the king of Aram will come up against you.”
Meanwhile, the servants of the king of Aram said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they prevailed over us. Instead, we should fight them on the plains; surely then we will prevail. So do this: Dismiss all the kings from their positions and replace them with other officers. And you must raise an army like the one you have lost—horse for horse and chariot for chariot—so we can fight the Israelites on the plain, where we will surely prevail.”
And the king approved their plan and acted accordingly.”
The King of Syria, Ben – hadad, assembles a huge army with 32 other kings and all their soldiers and chariots to besiege Samaria. When Ben – hadad first demands that the people of Samaria hand over their silver and gold and their best wives and children, Ahab is such a wimp that he agrees! But then Ben – hadad increases his demands, and the city elders all advise Ahab to resist. Ben – hadad sends Ahab an arrogant message, but for once, Ahab says the right thing. “Then Ben-hadad sent another message to Ahab: “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if enough dust remains of Samaria for each of my men to have a handful.”
And the king of Israel replied, “Tell him: ‘The one putting on his armor should not boast like one taking it off.’ ”
Go, Ahab!
While the Syrians are lining up against Samaria, a prophet of the Lord tells Ahab that God is going to destroy the Syrian army. Ahab not only listens, but takes advice from the prophet, sending the 232 young governors of the provinces to lead his 7,000 soldiers into battle. With the Lord’s help, the Israelites massacre the Syrian troops and their horses; however, Ben – hadad manages to escape. The same prophet of the Lord warns Ahab to begin planning because the Syrians are going to regroup and attack again in the spring. The Syrians fail to realize that they are fighting the One True Living God, so they think that if they can fight on the plains instead of the hills, the God of Israel will be powerless.
APPLICATION: This is an amazing story for many reasons. Jezebel has tried to kill all the prophets of the Lord; yet, this man has come and is advising Ahab. The first miracle is that Ahab actually listens and follows God’s advice. The result is a resounding victory. The second miracle is that for a brief moment in time, Ahab actually speaks like a man of faith, advising Ben – hadad not to boast until the battle is over. And the third miracle is that when the prophet of God returns, Ahab again listens to him.
What has made the difference for Ahab? The encounter on Mount Carmel has just taken place and the demonic power of the Baals and the Asherah has been broken, leaving Ahab open to godly influence. The results are obvious; a relatively small Israelite force defeats a huge army, shredding them. Is Jezebel still around? Oh yes! Are there still people in Israel worshiping demons? Most likely. But God through Elijah has sovereignly moved, and it’s likely that those righteous ones left in Israel have taken courage and are praying as they never have before.
We are living in a day when flood tides of evil appear to be engulfing many countries. Economic conditions are deplorable, environmental disasters threaten, and there are a host of other problems. But we can take heart from this story. Ahab is not a believer; however, the prayers of Elijah and others and the breaking of demonic power have left this ruler open to godly influence. St. Paul repeatedly urged those to whom he wrote to pray for all those in authority. God told Elijah on Mount Horeb that there were 7,000 men in Israel who believed in Him. God always has a remnant who pray. Rather than whining and complaining, let us become part of that prayer force! Who knows how much the course of history might be changed if we pray seriously?
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to pray rather than to complain. Help us to trust that when we pray, You will act to change the course of history for entire nations. You are the God of heaven and earth and nothing is too difficult for You. Let us trust in that fact and worship You as Savior and Lord and King. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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