1 Kings 22:41-53 - Following God-Pleasing Examples

1 Kings 22:41-53

Jehoshaphat Reigns in Judah (2 Chronicles 20:31—21:1)

41 Jehoshaphat the son of Asa had become king over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. 42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 43 And he walked in all the ways of his father Asa. He did not turn aside from them, doing what was right in the eyes of the LORD. Nevertheless the high places were not taken away, for the people offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places. 44 Also Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.

45 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, the might that he showed, and how he made war, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 46 And the rest of the perverted persons, who remained in the days of his father Asa, he banished from the land. 47 There was then no king in Edom, only a deputy of the king.

48 Jehoshaphat made merchant ships to go to Ophir for gold; but they never sailed, for the ships were wrecked at Ezion Geber. 49 Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants in the ships.” But Jehoshaphat would not.

50 And Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David his father. Then Jehoram his son reigned in his place.

Ahaziah Reigns in Israel

51 Ahaziah the son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned two years over Israel. 52 He did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin; 53 for he served Baal and worshiped him, and provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger, according to all that his father had done.

The reign of kings in Judah and Israel diverged again between good and evil; in Judah, Jehoshaphat reigned in doing good as his father Asa (1 Kings 15:14) did in God’s eyes before him, while in Israel Ahaziah the son of Ahab ruled in the same evil idolatrous manner taught by his father and mother Jezebel before him.  Jehoshaphat even made peace with the king of Israel (Romans 12:18) on his part while still stopping the same kinds of things offensive to the LORD which Ahaziah did not do.  The king of Judah set the example for us to do our part to make peace while not compromising the Lord as we do what is right in the eyes of God.  He did draw the line at engaging in a business with Israel be of the rampant sins of idolatry and others, even though the venture was shipwrecked before it took off.  When Jehoshaphat died, he was remembered for righteous service, while Ahaziah was remembered as a worshipper of Baal and one rejecting the word of God and provoked the LORD’s wrath and made the people imitate his sin as his parents had taught him and not imitate the righteous ones.  We are called to imitate those who live for the Lord as Paul gave us his own life example after that of Jehoshaphat, calling us to imitate him (1 Corinthians 11:1, Ephesians 5:1, Philippians 3:17, 1 Thessalonians 1:6) just as he imitated and pleased the Lord in living for Him.  We need to tear down the idols in our lives faster than we set them up and we must avoid immorality of all kinds with the same effort that we may be pleasing to the Lord and godly examples to disciple others ( 2 Timothy 2:2), following God-pleasing examples. 

1 Kings 22:29-40 - Listen to God’s Word and Choose Life!

1 Kings 22:29-40

Ahab Dies in Battle (2 Chronicles 18:28–34)

29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead. 30 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle; but you put on your robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.

31 Now the king of Syria had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, saying, “Fight with no one small or great, but only with the king of Israel.” 32 So it was, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, “Surely it is the king of Israel!” Therefore they turned aside to fight against him, and Jehoshaphat cried out. 33 And it happened, when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him. 34 Now a certain man drew a bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded.”

35 The battle increased that day; and the king was propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrians, and died at evening. The blood ran out from the wound onto the floor of the chariot. 36 Then, as the sun was going down, a shout went throughout the army, saying, “Every man to his city, and every man to his own country!”

37 So the king died, and was brought to Samaria. And they buried the king in Samaria. 38 Then someone washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood while the harlots bathed, according to the word of the LORD which He had spoken.

39 Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, the ivory house which he built and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 40 So Ahab rested with his fathers. Then Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.

Here Ahab finally was killed in battle and the prophetic end of his blood being licked up by dogs (1 Kings 21:19) in recompense for slandering and having his neighbor blood shed so he could steal his vineyard.  The prophet Micaiah had warned him he would die in battle and the people of Israel scattered as shepherdless sheep afterwards if he attacked the Syrians, but he locked up the word of God and went anyway.  A random Syrian arrow ended him as his blood ran out onto the field of battle and later the rest of it was consumed by dogs in Samaria when it was washed from his chariot there.  Even though the enemy army first thought the king of Judah was him, they still did not target Ahab because he was disguised and the seemingly random bow did him in as promised in retribution for his sins to include murder and theft along with blatant idolatry in disregard for the word of God.  He built an ivory house and many cities, but they were for himself and not to honor the LORD, so it all was left behind in the hands of his son Ahaziah who also pursued evil (1 Kings 22:52-53) like Ahab and Jezebel who raised him in that way and served the lifeless idol Baal instead of the living God of Israel.  How a man, especially a leader and more importantly a leader of God’s people, how this man lives for the Lord or rejects Him and serves himself or other manmade idols determines the outcome of his deeds.  The price to pay for rejecting the Lord is more than facing death by a seemingly random means such as an arrow, but is the highest price for a living soul, the judgment leading to an eternal torment (Hebrews 9:27-28, 1 John 4:18, Revelation 20:10, 14) for rejecting the word of the Lord made more evident now that the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ, has come for us to receive or reject as God’s final word (2 Thessalonians 1:8, 1 Peter 4:17) on retribution for sin (Romans 3:23, 6:23), with the aim for forgiveness of sin to find redemption and reconciliation.  May we heed the word of the Lord and not worship any other, listening to the gospel words of life (John 6:68, Acts 5:20) and finding eternal peace with God (Romans 5:1) in knowing and following Him into the battle He chooses and not as we are led to like Ahab chose to do.  When faced with death, listen to God’s word and choose life!

1 Kings 22:1-28 - Sheep Needing a Shepherd

1 Kings 22:1-28

Micaiah Warns Ahab (2 Chronicles 18:1–27)

1 Now three years passed without war between Syria and Israel. 2 Then it came to pass, in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went down to visit the king of Israel.

3 And the king of Israel said to his servants, “Do you know that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, but we hesitate to take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?” 4 So he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to fight at Ramoth Gilead?”

Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” 5 Also Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire for the word of the LORD today.”

6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall I go against Ramoth Gilead to fight, or shall I refrain?”

So they said, “Go up, for the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king.”

7 And Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of Him?”

8 So the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the LORD; but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.”

And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say such things!”

9 Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, “Bring Micaiah the son of Imlah quickly!”

10 The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, having put on their robes, sat each on his throne, at a threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them. 11 Now Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made horns of iron for himself; and he said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘With these you shall gore the Syrians until they are destroyed.’” 12 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, “Go up to Ramoth Gilead and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the king’s hand.”

13 Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, “Now listen, the words of the prophets with one accord encourage the king. Please, let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak encouragement.”

14 And Micaiah said, “As the LORD lives, whatever the LORD says to me, that I will speak.”

15 Then he came to the king; and the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall we refrain?”

And he answered him, “Go and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king!”

16 So the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?”

17 Then he said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the LORD said, ‘These have no master. Let each return to his house in peace.’”

18 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”

19 Then Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by, on His right hand and on His left. 20 And the LORD said, ‘Who will persuade Ahab to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner. 21 Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will persuade him.’ 22 The LORD said to him, ‘In what way?’ So he said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the LORD said, You shall persuade him, and also prevail. Go out and do so.’ 23 Therefore look! The LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours, and the LORD has declared disaster against you.”

24 Now Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, “Which way did the spirit from the LORD go from me to speak to you?”

25 And Micaiah said, “Indeed, you shall see on that day when you go into an inner chamber to hide!”

26 So the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah, and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son; 27 and say, ‘Thus says the king: “Put this fellow in prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and water of affliction, until I come in peace.”’”

28 But Micaiah said, “If you ever return in peace, the LORD has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Take heed, all you people!”

After three years of peace between Syria and Israel, Judah and Israel combined forces to attack Syria and reclaim lost territory.  Ahab asked Jehoshaphat to fight their enemy at Ramoth Gilead but first asked for God’s word from Israel, which is interesting since Jerusalem and the temple were in Judah.  The prophets came in droves to assure victory for this endeavor, but Jehoshaphat did not trust them with their unanimous approval among all four hundred of them.  He asked if there was still a faithful and true voice of God in the multitude who would speak the straight truth for whether they should engage the enemy in battle as they both were prepared to fight for the right.  The king of Israel, Ahab, told the king of Judah that there was one, Micaiah, but that he only prophesied evil against Ahab and not good.  That should have been an indication to the king that it was not the prophet but the LORD opposing him.  They even sent a messenger to the prophet to urge him to agree with the other four hundred, yet the faith voice of God told him that whatever the LORD said to him, that he would speak for the LORD.  At first he mocking answered the same false advice to go to battle because the LORD would deliver the enemy into their hands.  The king knew he was not serious and asked again for the truth.  He prophesied the word of God by telling them that the people have no master and should return to their houses in peace.  He also explained why in that all Israel was seen to be scattered on the mountains like sheep that have no shepherd, an immediate truth with a future-looking deeper need for a Shepherd in the Messiah to come (Matthew 9:36), Jesus the Christ.  All God’s people, Israel, Judah, and from all nations promised to Abraham (Galatians 3:8), all need this Shepherd (John 10:14) and King to rule and lead them to still waters (Psalm 23:2, John 4:14, Isaiah 55:1, Revelation 7:17) for true satisfaction and deliverance.  May we all find our rest and victory in Him who is the truth we seek and the divine Ruler over us all in His lovingkindness for eternity.  Sheep need a Shepherd and those who tell the message at all costs to escape the wrath of God on our sins and find peace (Romans 5:1) with Him.  No earthly ruler can protect or provide for us but Him.

1 Kings 21:1-29 - Breaking Commandments and Repentance

1 Kings 21:1-29

Naboth Is Murdered for His Vineyard

1 And it came to pass after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel, next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 So Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near, next to my house; and for it I will give you a vineyard better than it. Or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its worth in money.”

3 But Naboth said to Ahab, “The LORD forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you!”

4 So Ahab went into his house sullen and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no food. 5 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said to him, “Why is your spirit so sullen that you eat no food?”

6 He said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite, and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if it pleases you, I will give you another vineyard for it.’ And he answered, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’”

7 Then Jezebel his wife said to him, “You now exercise authority over Israel! Arise, eat food, and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”

8 And she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who were dwelling in the city with Naboth. 9 She wrote in the letters, saying,

Proclaim a fast, and seat Naboth with high honor among the people; 10 and seat two men, scoundrels, before him to bear witness against him, saying, “You have blasphemed God and the king.” Then take him out, and stone him, that he may die.

11 So the men of his city, the elders and nobles who were inhabitants of his city, did as Jezebel had sent to them, as it was written in the letters which she had sent to them. 12 They proclaimed a fast, and seated Naboth with high honor among the people. 13 And two men, scoundrels, came in and sat before him; and the scoundrels witnessed against him, against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth has blasphemed God and the king!” Then they took him outside the city and stoned him with stones, so that he died. 14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.”

15 And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.” 16 So it was, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.

The LORD Condemns Ahab

17 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18 “Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who lives in Samaria. There he is, in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down to take possession of it. 19 You shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Have you murdered and also taken possession?“‘ And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD: “In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs shall lick your blood, even yours.”’”

20 So Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?”

And he answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD: 21 ‘Behold, I will bring calamity on you. I will take away your posterity, and will cut off from Ahab every male in Israel, both bond and free. 22 I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with which you have provoked Me to anger, and made Israel sin.’ 23 And concerning Jezebel the LORD also spoke, saying, ‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’ 24 The dogs shall eat whoever belongs to Ahab and dies in the city, and the birds of the air shall eat whoever dies in the field.”

25 But there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the LORD, because Jezebel his wife stirred him up. 26 And he behaved very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites had done, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.

27 So it was, when Ahab heard those words, that he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his body, and fasted and lay in sackcloth, and went about mourning.

28 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 29 “See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his days. In the days of his son I will bring the calamity on his house.”

Ahab coveted his next-door neighbor Naboth’s vineyard but was refused the purchase by the owner who valued his possession as his rightful inheritance and refused to sell it.  His wife Jezebel (whose name now carries a very unpleasant meaning) saw his plight of depression and told him she would arrange it so that her husband as dictatorial king over all could have it.  She connived a slander campaign by sending for a witness tribunal of sorts to pretend to honor the landowner but set him up with false accusations of paid witnesses.  These scoundrels were paid to say Naboth had blasphemed the LORD and the king, as if a leader could be blasphemed at the same level as God.  She then urged the elders gathered there to stone the innocent accused to death that her husband could take the land for himself!  Because of this dastardly act, the word of the LORD was given to Elijah the Tishbite to bring a condemning accusation to Ahab for plotting murder and theft.  Because they murdered an innocent man and allowed the dogs to lick up his blood while his body lay in the street in dishonor, the prophetic proclamation against Ahab and Jezebel promised the same end for him (1 Kings 22:37-38) for following the plot of his evil wife (2 Kings 9:33, 36, 37) Jezebel whose blood was also required, and the resulting excrement of her body was left by the same dogs who consumed her in judgment.  The prophecy by the mouth of Elijah accused Ahab of mercenary conduct against the LORD for personal gain while breaking the commandments of covetousness and murder; such ungodly actions earned him the wrath of God by offending Him and misleading His people.  The words here sum it up best, “there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the LORD, because Jezebel his wife stirred him up.”  Ahab was accused of the same evil as the ungodly nations Israel had been commanded to drive out of the presence of God in the promised land such as the Amorites, and of worse evil than even Jeroboam and Baasha before him.  But as Ahab was faced with the seriousness of these true accusations, he repented in humble mourning and God relented from passing an immediate sentence on him, delaying the calamitous consequences until the time of his son Ahaziah after his passing.  Though his blood would be licked up by dogs as promised, it was only after dying in battle when his chariot was washed (1 Kings 22:38) afterwards, not the same as that of Jezebel who died from being thrown out a window and left in the street to be licked up and consumed by the dogs.  She did not repent and suffered a worse end.  This leads us to learn not only to treat others as the second greatest commandment summarizes for us (Mark 12:30, 31) in areas such as hate for murder and stealing for covetousness, but also to move us to repentance when we do stumble, breaking these commandments and losing love for our neighbors, and fall under God’s grace and mercy in order to humbly turn from our sin (1 John 1:9) to go on to follow Him and treat others as we desire to be treated by them and the Lord. 

1 Kings 20:31-43 - Beware Misplaced Mercy

1 Kings 20:31-43

Ahab’s Treaty with Ben-Hadad

31 Then his servants said to him, “Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Please, let us put sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads, and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will spare your life.” 32 So they wore sackcloth around their waists and put ropes around their heads, and came to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-Hadad says, ‘Please let me live.’”

And he said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”

33 Now the men were watching closely to see whether any sign of mercy would come from him; and they quickly grasped at this word and said, “Your brother Ben-Hadad.”

So he said, “Go, bring him.” Then Ben-Hadad came out to him; and he had him come up into the chariot.

34 So Ben-Hadad said to him, “The cities which my father took from your father I will restore; and you may set up marketplaces for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.”

Then Ahab said, “I will send you away with this treaty.” So he made a treaty with him and sent him away.

Ahab Condemned

35 Now a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his neighbor by the word of the LORD, “Strike me, please.” And the man refused to strike him. 36 Then he said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, surely, as soon as you depart from me, a lion shall kill you.” And as soon as he left him, a lion found him and killed him.

37 And he found another man, and said, “Strike me, please.” So the man struck him, inflicting a wound. 38 Then the prophet departed and waited for the king by the road, and disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes. 39 Now as the king passed by, he cried out to the king and said, “Your servant went out into the midst of the battle; and there, a man came over and brought a man to me, and said, ‘Guard this man; if by any means he is missing, your life shall be for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.’ 40 While your servant was busy here and there, he was gone.”

Then the king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you yourself have decided it.”

41 And he hastened to take the bandage away from his eyes; and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. 42 Then he said to him, “Thus says the LORD: Because you have let slip out of your hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people.’”

43 So the king of Israel went to his house sullen and displeased, and came to Samaria.

Ahab displayed misplaced mercy to the enemy of God and His people, Ben-Hadad the king of Syria.  This enemy had attacked Israel, taken cities, and defied the armies of the living God.  The LORD had appointed Ahab for utter destruction, a word used for a dedicated object that was doomed, this one for its idolatry and opposition to God.  Ahab had misplaced his loyalty for God on this enemy of the state and of his own God, treating him as a friend when God had ordered him to be destroyed (1 Kings 20:13, 28) just as He did for all the idolatrous and immoral peoples when Israel entered the promised land of Canaan.  Ahab trusted friendship with the world more than the command of God who raises kings (Daniel 2:21) and brings them down, using leaders like Ahab as instruments of His will.  Ahab chose his own affections instead and it was revealed to him by a prophet along the road in disguise who told a parable as if he had been wounded in battle, entrusted to guard a prisoner, and let him get away while he was busy elsewhere.  He then revealed himself as God’s messenger and confronted Ahab with letting Ben-Hadad free with a treaty when he was given charge by the LORD for his complete destruction as judgment for the sins of Syria against His people.  Ahab and Israel were therefore to pay the price that Ahab and his were owed, death and defeat.  We must learn who is opposed to the gospel and not befriend them, ending up supporting their enmity against us and the Lord like the one Paul encountered (1 Timothy 1:19-20, 2 Timothy 4:14-15, Acts 13:8, 9-10) in his ministry.  Discernment is now needed, however, lest we stand against other sincere believers as enemies who are not joined with us (Mark 9:38, 39-40) but still proclaiming the truth of the gospel and who are our true friends and brothers in Christ fighting on the same side of the Lord for His Kingdom and people.  We need mercy with discernment to test all things (1 Thessalonians 5:21), not misplaced spiritually naive mercy to allow the enemy to infiltrate and make treaties and share in the sins of those proclaiming another gospel based on a human rather than divine Christ, as many imitation religions do while posing as true denominations.

1 Kings 20:23-30 - LORD of All Hills and Valleys

1 Kings 20:23-30

The Syrians Again Defeated

23 Then the servants of the king of Syria said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hills. Therefore they were stronger than we; but if we fight against them in the plain, surely we will be stronger than they. 24 So do this thing: Dismiss the kings, each from his position, and put captains in their places; 25 and you shall muster an army like the army that you have lost, horse for horse and chariot for chariot. Then we will fight against them in the plain; surely we will be stronger than they.”

And he listened to their voice and did so.

26 So it was, in the spring of the year, that Ben-Hadad mustered the Syrians and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. 27 And the children of Israel were mustered and given provisions, and they went against them. Now the children of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of goats, while the Syrians filled the countryside.

28 Then a man of God came and spoke to the king of Israel, and said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Because the Syrians have said, “The LORD is God of the hills, but He is not God of the valleys,” therefore I will deliver all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD.’” 29 And they encamped opposite each other for seven days. So it was that on the seventh day the battle was joined; and the children of Israel killed one hundred thousand foot soldiers of the Syrians in one day. 30 But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; then a wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the men who were left.

And Ben-Hadad fled and went into the city, into an inner chamber.

The LORD is God over all hills and valleys, from the lowest to the highest parts of all creation.  The king of Syria listened to the lies of his subjects to believe otherwise because they imagined Yahweh was only sovereign in the hills and they could defeat His people in the valley of the plains.  They rebuilt an army under this delusion with captains taking the place of the kings who previously led their troops and lost against God’s people.  They made the fatal mistake of underestimating the LORD and attributing the previous strength of Israel’s victory to the men and not to their God who fought the battle for them.  We need this reminder as we contend with the unseen forces (Ephesians 6:12) set against the Lord and His Anointed (Psalm 2:2) whom we fight for the testimony of (Revelation 12:17) the gospel.  When the Syrians attacked in this false assumption of the source of the strength of God’s children, filling the countryside with a massive army, the victory was given by the LORD over them to prove to the enemy that He is indeed the sovereign King over hill and dale, unlimited in power and purpose to deliver and protect His own people.  The same LORD over these hills and valleys fights for us as we engage the enemy with the sword of the Spirit which is the testimony of the word of God’s gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news of the person and work of Christ to set men free from judgment on their sin of unbelief in that power that breaks the chains of the enemy who has us in bondage (Hebrews 2:14-15), captive to doubt and deny the King of kings who is sovereign over all things everywhere.  The truth of God’s power and will to deliver us give us lasting victory over the enemy in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57) and therefore over death and sin in this powerful grace of our Commander of all battles and wars.  He delivers us no matter where we are, high in protected strongholds or low in fields open to attack by the enemy because the battles (Deuteronomy 3:22, 2 Chronicles 20:15, Revelation 19:15, 16) and victory belongs to Him. 

1 Kings 20:1-22 - Take Note What You Should Do!

1 Kings 20:1-22

Ahab Defeats the Syrians

1 Now Ben-Hadad the king of Syria gathered all his forces together; thirty-two kings were with him, with horses and chariots. And he went up and besieged Samaria, and made war against it. 2 Then he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, and said to him, “Thus says Ben-Hadad: 3 ‘Your silver and your gold are mine; your loveliest wives and children are mine.’”

4 And the king of Israel answered and said, “My lord, O king, just as you say, I and all that I have are yours.”

5 Then the messengers came back and said, “Thus speaks Ben-Hadad, saying, ‘Indeed I have sent to you, saying, “You shall deliver to me your silver and your gold, your wives and your children”; 6 but I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they shall search your house and the houses of your servants. And it shall be, that whatever is pleasant in your eyes, they will put it in their hands and take it.’”

7 So the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, “Notice, please, and see how this man seeks trouble, for he sent to me for my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold; and I did not deny him.”

8 And all the elders and all the people said to him, “Do not listen or consent.”

9 Therefore he said to the messengers of Ben-Hadad, “Tell my lord the king, ‘All that you sent for to your servant the first time I will do, but this thing I cannot do.’”

And the messengers departed and brought back word to him.

10 Then Ben-Hadad sent to him and said, “The gods do so to me, and more also, if enough dust is left of Samaria for a handful for each of the people who follow me.”

11 So the king of Israel answered and said, “Tell him, ‘Let not the one who puts on his armor boast like the one who takes it off.’”

12 And it happened when Ben-Hadad heard this message, as he and the kings were drinking at the command post, that he said to his servants, “Get ready.” And they got ready to attack the city.

13 Suddenly a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel, saying, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand today, and you shall know that I am the LORD.’”

14 So Ahab said, “By whom?”
And he said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘By the young leaders of the provinces.’”
Then he said, “Who will set the battle in order?”
And he answered, “You.”

15 Then he mustered the young leaders of the provinces, and there were two hundred and thirty-two; and after them he mustered all the people, all the children of Israel—seven thousand.

16 So they went out at noon. Meanwhile Ben-Hadad and the thirty-two kings helping him were getting drunk at the command post. 17 The young leaders of the provinces went out first. And Ben-Hadad sent out a patrol, and they told him, saying, “Men are coming out of Samaria!” 18 So he said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive; and if they have come out for war, take them alive.”

19 Then these young leaders of the provinces went out of the city with the army which followed them. 20 And each one killed his man; so the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them; and Ben-Hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with the cavalry. 21 Then the king of Israel went out and attacked the horses and chariots, and killed the Syrians with a great slaughter.

22 And the prophet came to the king of Israel and said to him, “Go, strengthen yourself; take note, and see what you should do, for in the spring of the year the king of Syria will come up against you.”

Ahab king of Israel was threatened by Ben-Hadad the king of Syria as he besieged Samaria, surrounding the city and demanding not only the silver and your gold, but also threatened to take their loveliest wives and children, all that was pleasant in his eyes to possess.  Ahab reluctantly agreed at first out of fear of conquest until wise counsel moved him against the invader.  He sent a message to the Syrian king that he drew the line at the personal request and would only offer the silver and gold, enraging the imminent conqueror.  When Ben-Hadad heard this he threatened to wipe out all of Israel in Samaria, but Ahab answered back, ‘Let not the one who puts on his armor boast like the one who takes it off.’  This meant that he would have to prove his boasting against God’s people in battle.  A nameless prophet assured Ahab that He would give the victory that day over the Syrians so that he and all Israel would know and understand that He is the Omnipotent LORD over all His people and against their common enemies.  Ahab mustered his defense of young leaders and all seven thousand of the people for battle against the thirty-two kings of the enemy with horses and chariots.  They attacked the overconfident drunken Syrian soldiers and sent them all running for their lives in the face of the small but mighty army of God whom they dared oppose with a great slaughter as the Syrian king fled for his life with his cavalry to guard his escape.  The prophet then warned Ahab they would be back to attack them again in the spring to prepare defensive measures for their return.  He told him to take note to see what he should do to be ready.  We who are now in the fray of the good fight of the gospel for the testimony of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 6:10, 1 Timothy 6:12, Revelation 12:11, 17) against apparent odds of a powerful enemy in the heavenly realm (Ephesians 3:10, 6:12), with the assurance of the final prophet above all others (Acts 3:22, 7:37, Hebrews 1:1-2), Jesus Christ who is God’s own divine Son to back the certain victory (1 Corinthians 15:57-58) to come.  We therefore strengthen ourselves in the power and grace of the Lord to engage the enemy and repel him and his hordes until the final day of eternal judgment and the kingdoms of this world are defeated under His rule.  The enemy will then face the fact that his boasting to don his armor must be answered by the fact he will have to take it off in defeat in the end just like the proud Syrian as we don our armor now (Ephesians 6:10-11, 13) in the army of the Lord for the gospel’s sake.  Take note what you should do!

1 Kings 19:1-21 - Following the Still Small Voice

1 Kings 19:1-21

Elijah Escapes from Jezebel

1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” 3 And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.

4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”

5 Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.” 6 Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.” 8 So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God.

9 And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

10 So he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”

God’s Revelation to Elijah

11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

14 And he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”

15 Then the LORD said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria. 16 Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. 17 It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. 18 Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

Elisha Follows Elijah

19 So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. 20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.”

And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?”

21 So Elisha turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slaughtered them and boiled their flesh, using the oxen’s equipment, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah, and became his servant.

Elijah wanted to see the glory of the Almighty face to face, but ended up more than satisfied hearing His still small voice after the thundering sounds preceding that moment.  After the prophet had the confrontation with Ahab and the priests of idolatry were executed, Ahab returned and told Jezebel his evil wife all that Elijah had done to her minions.  She threatened Elijah’s life as of a price was put on his head and he would be found dead within a day.  He of course ran to safety into the wilderness, but then sat in self-pity under a tree, wondering how he could have done such a great thing for the LORD and turned His people from sin to Him on Mount Carmel.  He expected safety and reward for all that confrontation, no doubt, yet did not simply rejoice in the fact that he was now suffering for the LORD (Matthew 5:10, Acts 14:22, 2 Timothy 3:12, 1 Peter 4:12, 16) as we do for His Son and the message of repentance from dead works and sin to Him through the gospel now.  Like Jonah before him (Jonah 4:3), Elijah wanted to die because he thought he failed God since he did not see great judgment lead to a great reward of satisfaction for himself.  God demonstrated grace and provision by sending an angel to feed the sulking prophet in the middle of nowhere for forty days and forty nights until he arrived at the mountain of God called Horeb.  There the LORD asked him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”  The prophet bemoaned his sorry state of how he was so zealous for God but failed as he was met with idolatry by the people he was sent to turn in repentance from sin to Him who was their God.  He failed so much in his eyes that he believed all the prophets were killed and he alone was left to bring the message to the people who rejected him and sought to kill him also as Jezebel had promised. God then proceeded to take Elijah out of the cave he had been hiding in to witness the presence of the LORD who protected him.  There was a great stormy wind, an earthquake, and then a blazing fire, but he did not see God in these expressions of power and awe-inspiring displays of His might.  It was the still small voice after these that once more asked him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”  This time he answered with the same words, but with a renewed sense of hope and not self-pitying hopelessness.  He was then given the mission of anointing two kings and then his own successor, Elisha.  He was encouraged by the news that God had reserved seven thousand people in Israel who had not bowed to Baal in idolatry, and that he was not alone as the only one still serving and worshiping God.  This strengthened his resolve to continue to fight the good fight (1 Timothy 6:12, 2 Timothy 4:7) to the end and pass on the torch to the next man of God as we follow his example and Paul’s of discipleship (2 Timothy 2:2) with Timothy.  He found Elisha and invited him as a calling from God, who then followed him.  All because Elijah listened to the still small voice and followed in obedience that trusted and obeyed.  May we continue to do likewise and not demand or expect great fanfare of miracles or accolades for our faithfulness as we serve Him and bear testimony to the gospel of such grace.  We have heard the still small voice of God speak the words of truth (John 1:12-13, Ephesians 1:13, Colossians 1:5, 1 Thessalonians 2:13, James 1:18) in the gospel of repentance and faith to us through His Spirit to our spirits that regenerated us and gave us lasting hope and purpose to trust and live for Him as we follow Him like both Elijah and Elisha did.