20:1 With Israel and Judah experiencing internal turmoil caused by corrupt kings, enemies around them grow the courage to once again challenge and penetrate their borders. Ben-Hadad, king of Syria, amasses a group of thirty-two kings and their horses and chariots to go against king Ahab. Ben-Hadad attacks Samaria, a place on the northern edge of Israel's borders.
20:2-3 He then sends his messengers to Ahab stating his claim on the kingdom's silver, gold, women and children.
20:4 Ahab answers by submitting to Ben-Hadad's threat. Ahab is a man without much backbone; his wife, Jezebel is the true (though evil) authority over the kingdom because he allows her to take control. Ahab has just survived a several-year long drought, likely, he does not envision a way in which Israel could truly defend itself against these threats. Surely without God it cannot.
In the previous chapter, Elijah's display and God's appearance at the altar was an effort to show Ahab that he could call upon God when in need. God, through the drought, has positioned Ahab and Israel once again into an opportunity to abandon weakness and idolatry and claim their inheritance from the true God.
20:5-6 Ahab's immediate submission emboldens Ben-Hadad. He decides that in addition to his former claims, he will also claim all that belongs to Ahab's servants. Ben-Hadad plans to take anything he wants as it has become apparent that Israel does not intend to defend itself at all. Israel and Judah once had impenetrable defenses. Their corruption has torn so many holes in their wall of defense, the protection their spirituality provided.
From this we learn that there are vultures in the world who will happily and arrogantly take whatever they want if they have the chance. But no unwelcome person or force is ever allowed into God's house. Had these tribes remained members of His family, they would not be so vulnerable to external forces.
20:7-8 Ahab panics; he realizes that his acquiescence had caused Ben-Hadad to behave outrageously. Ahab decides to consult the elders of Israel, who promptly tell him not to consent to the king of Syria.
20:9 Because he has already agreed to the first command, Ahab sends Ben-Hadad's messengers back with his refusal to bend to the additional request.
20:10 Ben-Hadad is infuriated by Ahab's response. He threatens to crush Samaria into dust. He uses the phrase "The gods do so to me, and more also, if..." in his threat. This is interesting in that Jezebel, Ahab's wife used the phrase in the previous chapter. Though Israel could once rightly claim righteousness, we see that it now shares the evil and polytheistic characteristics of its enemies.
20:11 Ahab responds rather mightily: "Let not the one who puts on his armor boast like the one who takes it off." Suddenly, Ahab is prepared for a fight instead of rolling over. Ben-Hadad has boasted a crushing victory but Ahab reminds him that he has not actually fought or won yet.
We do not know what happened to build courage without Ahab, who suddenly responds with ferocity to his enemy. But Israel was an honorable nation; it represented strength and stability. Perhaps it began to shame Ahab that he represented the nation so weakly.
20:12 Ben-Hadad receives Ahab's fighting words while he is inebriated and commands his men to attack the city. We see that Ben-Hadad makes major decisions about war while drinking. His movement against Israel is motivated by his desire for material things. The manner in which he executes the order is evidence that he does not take seriously the ending of lives.
20:13 A prophet approaches Ahab and informs him that God will deliver Ben-Hadad's multitude into his hands today. Why? So that he will know that he is the true God. Elijah assumed that God was finished proclaiming His presence at that burning altar, but we see here that that was only the start. God's actions are not party-tricks. God's actions win wars, even unlikely ones.
20:14 Ahab asks by whom God will win this victory. Surely it cannot be him, Ahab, who exhibits such weakness. But indeed God has chosen to win this battle through Ahab. It will be another display of God's power and ability. God plans to use Ahab's men, the leaders of the provinces to win this win. God does not call in a special army, He works with what Ahab has to show that He can do the impossible with the impossible and still procure the victory.
20:15 And so Ahab builds a small army of leaders. A group under three hundred! And an additional seven thousand of the children of Israel.
20:16-18 Ben-Hadad is drinking again when his scouts report that Israel has prepared an army to fight back. Ben-Hadad yells the command that any men taken are to be kept alive. He might have mistakenly ordered every man to be kept alive due to his alcohol consumption (and perhaps this is a detail allowed by God to save the lives of the Israelites). Or perhaps Ben-Hadad meant to take the men alive to keep them as captured slaves.
20:19-21 Israel defeats the Syrian army and Ben-Hadad flees. The might of God has rendered this boastful man prey.
20:22 The prophet returns to Ahab and tells him to strengthen himself because the king of Syria will return to challenge him.
20:23-25 The enemies of Israel do not understand Israel's God. They make the mistake of comparing God to their false gods. They believe that their gods rule over certain specific circumstances and weather. Because of that, they think that Israel beat them so effectively because of the landscape on which they fought. The Syrians lost on a hill and therefore assume that they will win if they fight on a plain.
As God's children, we do not have to try to configure or manipulate a win. God delivers us the win, the strength and instrument we need to achieve it.
20:26-27 And so the children of Israel are mustered and given provisions in preparation for their enemy's attack. See how thoroughly God provides for His children. Not only are we amply supplied by Him but we are strengthened, emboldened as well.
20:28-30 God proclaims that He will accomplish this victory to show that He is the God of all things. He is not restricted to hills or by any circumstance. The children of Israel take a sweeping victory over Ben-Hadad and once again he flees.
As God's children, we do not have to try to configure or manipulate a win. God delivers us the win, the strength and instrument we need to achieve it.
20:26-27 And so the children of Israel are mustered and given provisions in preparation for their enemy's attack. See how thoroughly God provides for His children. Not only are we amply supplied by Him but we are strengthened, emboldened as well.
20:28-30 God proclaims that He will accomplish this victory to show that He is the God of all things. He is not restricted to hills or by any circumstance. The children of Israel take a sweeping victory over Ben-Hadad and once again he flees.
20:31-34 Ben-Hadad humbles himself to Ahab to preserve his life. Ahab welcomes Ben-Hadad graciously. Ahab also creates a treaty with him, restoring to him the cities of his which were captured. Ahab then sends him away.
20:35-36 A prophet approaches another prophet. God's word instructs that the one hit the other to cause an apparent injury (for a purpose). But the prophet refuses and is killed by a lion. This seems a bit harsh and we can therefore assume we are missing some of the pieces. At minimum, this prophet, by denying the word of God could have been displaying an unfaithful heart (as in, in important matters, he disobeyed God). Matthew 12:31 proclaims the seriousness of disobeying the actual voice of God.
20:37 The prophet finds another to cause the mark on his face he needs to teach Ahab a lesson.
20:38 The prophet then waits by the road for Ahab to pass. The bandage disguises him, and Ahab does not immediately know he is speaking to a prophet (and thus receiving a lesson from God).
20:39-40 The prophet tells Ahab his (supposed) story: He has told to guard a man with his life. If the man was unguarded, he would lose his life. Instead of keeping the responsibility, he became busy here and there and the person disappeared.
The answer to the problem is clear to Ahab when presented this way: The man neglected his responsibility and therefore had to face the consequences.
20:41-42 The bandage is removed and Ahab realizes that he is speaking with a prophet and receiving a personal lesson and reflection of his own responsibility which he failed to guard. As a king over God's people, Ahab could not reasonably rely on the excuse that he accidentally became busy and neglected the people. Ahab let corruption distract him from his duty.
Ahab let Ben-Hadad go. God commands utter destruction of evil and evil persons. Instead, Ahab tried to make a deal with him. A treaty between corrupt men, build on a foundation God laid will not be allowed.
20:43 Ahab returns to his home grumbling because he got caught. He is not shameful or repentant. He is displeased and sullen because his deceptive plans have been figured out by God.
20:37 The prophet finds another to cause the mark on his face he needs to teach Ahab a lesson.
20:38 The prophet then waits by the road for Ahab to pass. The bandage disguises him, and Ahab does not immediately know he is speaking to a prophet (and thus receiving a lesson from God).
20:39-40 The prophet tells Ahab his (supposed) story: He has told to guard a man with his life. If the man was unguarded, he would lose his life. Instead of keeping the responsibility, he became busy here and there and the person disappeared.
The answer to the problem is clear to Ahab when presented this way: The man neglected his responsibility and therefore had to face the consequences.
20:41-42 The bandage is removed and Ahab realizes that he is speaking with a prophet and receiving a personal lesson and reflection of his own responsibility which he failed to guard. As a king over God's people, Ahab could not reasonably rely on the excuse that he accidentally became busy and neglected the people. Ahab let corruption distract him from his duty.
Ahab let Ben-Hadad go. God commands utter destruction of evil and evil persons. Instead, Ahab tried to make a deal with him. A treaty between corrupt men, build on a foundation God laid will not be allowed.
20:43 Ahab returns to his home grumbling because he got caught. He is not shameful or repentant. He is displeased and sullen because his deceptive plans have been figured out by God.
