1 Kings 20 opens with Ben-Hadad, king of Aram, threatening King Ahab and ends with one of the best teaching one-liners in the Bible. Here’s the opening:
At about this same time Ben-Hadad king of Aram mustered his troops. He recruited in addition thirty-two local sheiks, all outfitted with horses and chariots. He set out in force and surrounded Samaria, ready to make war. He sent an envoy into the city to set his terms before Ahab king of Israel: “Ben-Hadad lays claim to your silver and gold, and to the pick of your wives and sons.” (1 Kings 20.1 – 3, MSG)
It goes downhill from there, but…
Just then a lone prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and said, “GOD’s word: Have you taken a good look at this mob? Well, look again—I’m turning it over to you this very day. And you’ll know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that I am GOD.” (1 Kings 20.13, MSG)
God has his people, many of them unnamed and unrecognized. Like the “man of God from Judah” in chapter 13. This one says, “You’ll win the battle and you’ll know that I am God.” The Israelites win the first battle. The same guy appears again in verse 22:
Sometime later the prophet came to the king of Israel and said, “On the alert now—build up your army, assess your capabilities, and see what has to be done. Before the year is out, the king of Aram will be back in force.” (1 Kings 20.22, MSG)
One battle is not enough. The enemy always returns.
Another holy man appears after the Arameans have regrouped.
Just then a holy man approached the king of Israel saying, “This is GOD’s word: Because Aram said, ‘GOD is a god of the mountains and not a god of the valleys,’ I’ll hand over this huge mob of an army to you. Then you’ll know that I am GOD.” (1 Kings 20.28, MSG)
Israel defeats that army. Then there’s an oops: Ahab spares his enemy. Ben-Hadad is hiding in a cave and sends his emissaries to Ahab:
They dressed in old gunnysacks and carried a white flag, and came to the king of Israel saying, “Your servant Ben-Hadad said, ‘Please let me live.’” Ahab said, “You mean to tell me that he’s still alive? If he’s alive, he’s my brother.” (1 Kings 20.32, MSG)
He’s my brother?! The guy who wanted to take all of Ahab’s silver, gold, wives, children? That guy? Then the famous rebuke by “one of the prophets” who asked someone to punch him (look it up! 1 Kings 20.35 – 37).
Then the prophet went and took a position along the road, with a bandage over his eyes, waiting for the king. It wasn’t long before the king happened by. The man cried out to the king, “Your servant was in the thick of the battle when a man showed up and turned over a prisoner to me, saying, ‘Guard this man with your life; if he turns up missing you’ll pay dearly.’ But I got busy doing one thing after another and the next time I looked he was gone.” (1 Kings 20.38 – 40, MSG)
But I got busy doing one thing after another and the next time I looked he was gone.
It was a rebuke to Ahab who “let a man go who was under sentence by God,” and Ahab went home “in a very bad mood,” but it’s also an important principle for us. I think I’ll give it another day.
He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me. (Colossians 1.28 – 29, NIV)