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Whether the children of the Northern Tribes had forgotten God on accident or on purpose, the result has been the same: apostasy. Eliyahu (Elijah) had an uphill battle trying to reintroduce God to the children of Israel.
Don’t forget what happened in 1st Kings 17–19. [See the studies on 1st Kings 17 (parts 1 and 2), 18 and 19.] Those events only occurred a few years before the events of 1st Kings 20. The same people are witnessing the same historical events as God is trying to re-teach the children of Israel about Himself.
The first lesson was at Mt. Carmel and the teachable moments Eliyahu brings are not just for Ahab but for all the Israel. The events of Mt. Carmel made it easier for God’s other prophets to operate in plain sight among the children of Israel. The death sentence for Yezebel (Jezebel) lost much of its bite.
King Ben-Hadad is the king of Aram/Syria. This may not be the same King Ben-Hadad that King Asa of Yehudah (Judah) confronted 30 years before. [See the studies on 1st Kings 11 and 15:9—32.] We also know that eventually Hazazel will be anointed by Eliyahu’s successor Elisha as the future king of Aram.
God knew that Ahab would not kill Ben-Hadad, but God was more concerned about the children of Israel than He was about King Ahab himself.
Samaria and Damascus are only about 40 miles apart. Ben-Hadad laid siege to Samaria and asks a high price:
“Your silver and your gold are mine; your most beautiful wives and children are also mine.” (1st Kings 20:3)
And Ahab was willing to capitulate, but the children of Israel were not. Once they decided to stand firm and fight against Ben-Hadad rather than give in, God came in and said He would protect them from Ben-Hadad.
When Ahab decided not to capitulate to Ben-Hadad, he said:
“May the gods do so to me and more also, if the dust of Samaria will suffice for handfuls for all the people who follow me.” (1st Kings 20:10)
Ben-Hadad’s threat echoed Yezebel’s threat against Eliyahu:
“So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” (1st Kings 19:2)
Ben-Hadad and Yezebel had the same mentality. Spiritually, they were the same.
Ahab still didn’t trust God, and he is not known for his bravery or leadership. Ahab was one who “led from behind.”
Israel only sent 232 “young rulers” and 7,000 foot soldiers against Ben-Hadad’s “great multitude,” yet Israel defeated Aram and captured Ben-Hadad alive.
No matter how many mighty acts and miracles God performed, He was not in those. But He was the still, small voice — the lessons behind the mighty acts and miracles.
The events of 1st Kings 20:22 is about six months after the battle with Ahab and Ben-Hadad. The first battle Ahab did not have any warning, but this time, God gives Ahab six-eight months advanced warning about another invasion by Aram.
Ben-Hadad trusted his chariots and the great numbers of his men, which is something God specifically forbid the Kings of Israel to do.
They are unequally balanced again, God is trying again to teach Ahab not to trust in men and chariots but in God. God is also going to teach both Ahab and Ben-Hadad that God is not just a “god of the mountains” and that God is not reigned in by geography.
Israel’s small army killed 100,000 Aramaeans. Then a wall fell on the remainder of Ben-Hadad’s army and killed an additional 27,000 men. Both Ahab and Ben-Hadad should have seen these as miracles.
Ben-Hadad’s servants told him:
“Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings, please let us put sackcloth on our loins and ropes on our heads, and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will save your life.” (1st Kings 20:31)
Ben-Hadad did not have a history of kindness, he was a very brutal, unforgiving king. Knowing this, one would think that Ahab would have either killed him or at least thrown him in prison for the rest of his life. God did not explicitly tell Ahab to kill him but God did tell Ahab to trap him. Instead, Ahab decided to make a covenant of brotherhood with Ben-Hadad.
Ahab was only looking out for his own pocketbook. He wanted the cities that Ben-Hadad or his father had taken. He was taken in by Ben-Hadad’s offer of a free-trade agreement between Aram and Israel.
The weirdest lesson in this story is 1st Kings 20:35—36, but the lesson is clear.
Ahab shows that he is willing to twist good judgement for his pocketbook. Ahab gives mercy to Ben-Hadad, a known vicious, blood thirsty killer but refuses to grant mercy and compassion to a person he never met before who didn’t kill anyone, who simply owed a debt for not performing his duty of keeping a captive in captivity.
Ahab was not supposed to allow Ben-Hadad to go free but he did and it wasn’t because Ahab was feeble-minded, but he was willing to favor evil because it would do something for him. Since the man who owed a talent of debt for making the mistake of letting a captive go did not have anything to give Ahab, he refused to grant him any mercy.
Ahab had a soft-spot for evil, both physical (Ben-Hadad) and spiritual (Yezebel). But as we read later on, Ahab started to learn that God is above him.
Speaker: Daniel Agee. Summary: Tammy.
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