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!
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