BEN-HADAD ATTACKS SAMARIA AHAB DEFEATS BEN-HADAD A PROPHET CONDEMNS AHAB 1 KINGS 20:1-43

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1 1 BEN-HADAD ATTACKS SAMARIA AHAB DEFEATS BEN-HADAD A PROPHET CONDEMNS AHAB 1 KINGS 20:1-43

2 2 Ben-Hadad Attacks Samaria Ahab Defeats Ben-Hadad A Prophet Condemns Ahab Text: 1 Kings 20:1-43, 1. Now Ben-Hadad king of Aram mustered his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he went up and besieged Samaria and attacked it. 2. He sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, saying, This is what Ben-Hadad says: 3. Your silver and gold are mine, and the best of your wives and children are mine. 4. The king of Israel answered, Just as you say, my lord the king. I and all I have are yours. 5. The messengers came again and said, This is what Ben- Hadad says: I sent to demand your silver and gold, your wives and your children. 6. But about this time tomorrow I am going to send my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials. They will seize everything you value and carry it away. 7. The king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said to them, See how this man is looking for trouble! When he sent for my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, I did not refuse him. 8. The elders and the people all answered, Don t listen to him or agree to his demands. 9. So he replied to Ben-Hadad s messengers, Tell my lord the king, Your servant will do all you demanded the first time, but

3 3 this demand I cannot meet. They left and took the answer back to Ben-Hadad. 10. Then Ben-Hadad sent another message to Ahab: May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if enough dust remains in Samaria to give each of my men a handful. 11. The king of Israel answered, Tell him: One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off. 12. Ben-Hadad heard this message while he and the kings were drinking in their tents, and he ordered his men: Prepare to attack. So they prepared to attack the city. 13. Meanwhile a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel and announced, This is what the LORD says: Do you see this vast army? I will give it into your hand today, and then you will know that I am the LORD. 14. But who will do this? asked Ahab. The prophet replied, This is what the LORD says: The junior officers under the provincial commanders will do it. And who will start the battle? he asked. The prophet answered, You will. 15. So Ahab summoned the 232 junior officers under the provincial commanders. Then he assembled the rest of the Israelites, 7,000 in all. 16. They set out at noon while Ben-Hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk. 17. The junior officers under the provincial commanders went out first. Now Ben-Hadad had dispatched scouts, who reported, Men are advancing from Samaria. 18. He said, If they have come out for peace, take them alive; if they have come out for war, take them alive. 19. The junior officers under the provincial commanders marched out of the city with the army behind them 20. and each one struck down his opponent. At that, the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with some of his horsemen.

4 4 21. The king of Israel advanced and overpowered the horses and chariots and inflicted heavy losses on the Arameans. 22. Afterward, the prophet came to the king of Israel and said, Strengthen your position and see what must be done, because next spring the king of Aram will attack you again. 23. Meanwhile, the officials of the king of Aram advised him, Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they were too strong for us. But if we fight them on the plains, surely we will be stronger than they. 24. Do this: Remove all the kings from their commands and replace them with other officers. 25. You must also raise an army like the one you lost horse for horse and chariot for chariot so we can fight Israel on the plains. Then surely we will be stronger than they. He agreed with them and acted accordingly. 26. The next spring Ben-Hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. 27. When the Israelites were also mustered and given provisions, they marched out to meet them. The Israelites camped opposite them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside. 28. The man of God came up and told the king of Israel, This is what the LORD says: Because the Arameans think the LORD is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the LORD. 29. For seven days they camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle was joined. The Israelites inflicted a hundred thousand casualties on the Aramean foot soldiers in one day. 30. The rest of them escaped to the city of Aphek, where the wall collapsed on twenty-seven thousand of them. And Ben- Hadad fled to the city and hid in an inner room. 31. His officials said to him, Look, we have heard that the kings of Israel are merciful. Let us go to the king of Israel with

5 5 sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life. 32. Wearing sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, Your servant Ben-Hadad says: Please let me live. The king answered, Is he still alive? He is my brother. 33. The men took this as a good sign and were quick to pick up his word. Yes, your brother Ben-Hadad! they said. Go and get him, the king said. When Ben-Hadad came out, Ahab had him come up into his chariot. 34. I will return the cities my father took from your father, Ben-Hadad offered. You may set up your own market areas in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria. Ahab said, On the basis of a treaty I will set you free. So he made a treaty with him, and let him go. 35. By the word of the LORD one of the company of the prophets said to his companion, Strike me with your weapon, but he refused. 36. So the prophet said, Because you have not obeyed the LORD, as soon as you leave me a lion will kill you. And after the man went away, a lion found him and killed him. 37. The prophet found another man and said, Strike me, please. So the man struck him and wounded him. 38. Then the prophet went and stood by the road waiting for the king. He disguised himself with his headband down over his eyes. 39. As the king passed by, the prophet called out to him, Your servant went into the thick of the battle, and someone came to me with a captive and said, Guard this man. If he is missing, it will be your life for his life, or you must pay a talent of silver. 40. While your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared. That is your sentence, the king of Israel said. You have pronounced it yourself.

6 6 41. Then the prophet quickly removed the headband from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. 42. He said to the king, This is what the LORD says: You have set free a man I had determined should die. Therefore it is your life for his life, your people for his people. 43. Sullen and angry, the king of Israel went to his palace in Samaria. (NIV) Introduction: I. In this chapter, emphasis is placed on God s dealings with Ahab in his struggles with Ben-Hadad. (Coffman) A. The pronouncements of other prophets are recorded here, but for the moment the story line does not include the work of Elijah. B. The emphasis remains the same: God continues to convince Ahab that Jehovah is the true God. (Coffman) 1. Ahab s two (2) victories over Ben-Hadad were designed to prove to Ahab that Jehovah was God! (Coffman) 2. Also, Ahab s victory over Ben-Hadad also protected the southern kingdom of Judah. C. Long wrote, In Hebrew narrative style, escalating tensions between the king of Israel and the king of Aram are represented through dialogue. 1. This escalation is reported in verses 1-12, called by Long, The king of Aram picks a fight with Ahab.

7 7 2. The dialogue is facilitated by way of messengers between Ben-Hadad and Ahab. II. 1 Kings 20 records two (2) major battles between Aram and Israel both of which were decisively won, with God s help, by Israel. Commentary: Ben-Hadad Attacks Samaria 1 Kings 20:1, Now Ben-Hadad king of Aram mustered his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he went up and besieged Samaria and attacked it. (NIV) I. Now Ben-Hadad (son of [the god] Hadad) mustered his entire army. A. Ben-Hadad was the name of two (2) or three (3) kings of Damascus in Syria during the ninth (9 th ) and eighth (8 th ) centuries B.C. 1. Ben-Hadad I, the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, reigned during the reign of Israel s King Baasha. Ben-Hadad I and Baasha joined in an alliance to invade Judah, but King Asa of Judah persuaded Ben-Hadad I to change sides by paying him to invade Israel instead. (Youngblood) 2. Ben-Hadad II, (Hadadezer), son of Ben-Hadad I, invaded Israel during two (2) successive years when Ahab was king and was defeated each time. Later Ahab king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah

8 8 joined forces against Ramoth Gilead. In this battle Ahab was killed. Hazael later murdered Ben-Hadad II and became king of Syria. (Youngblood) a. The reign of Ben-Hadad II is dated by Hamilton at B.C.E. 3. Ben-Hadad III, the son of Hezach, was defeated three (3) times by Joash, king of Israel. Jeroboam II was also successful in battle against Ben-Hadad III. (Youngblood) B. Ben-Hadad II, the Syrian king of 1 Kings 20, was determined to subdue Israel totally. (Smith) II. Accompanied by thirty-two (32) kings with their horses and chariots,... A. These thirty-two (32) kings were evidently rulers of tiny Aramean city-states. (Hamilton) B. This event is dated by Smith to about 860 B.C. C. These thirty-two (32) are identified by Clarke as tributary chieftains of Syria and the adjacent countries. In former times every town and city had its independent chieftain. 1. The Pulpit Commentary refers to these kings as vassals rather than allied powers. III. he went up and besieged Samaria and attacked it. A. Samaria, the capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel, was built in 880 B.C. by Omri, the sixth (6 th ) king of Israel. Samaria was located on a hill which rose to 300 feet

9 9 elevation. Samaria was located forty-two (42) miles north of Jerusalem and twenty-five (25) miles east of the Mediterranean Sea. Samaria was located on a major northsouth highway and on a major east-west highway. (Youngblood) B. The Pulpit Commentary states Ben-Hadad s purposes in bringing his forces against Samaria was to humble and pillage. C. Ben-Hadad was clearly a vain, overbearing, tyrannical prince who was angry at Israel for its independence from Aram and for Israel s failure to do Ben-Hadad homage. (The Pulpit Commentary) 1 Kings 20:2, He sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, saying, This is what Ben-Hadad says: (NIV) I. He sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, saying,... A. Ahab s reign ( B.C.) was characterized by rampant idolatrous departures from God s way, during which time Jehovah continually called by powerful demonstrations and a loving still voice his people to repentance. B. Ben-Hadad sent messengers to Ahab with his demands. II. This is what Ben-Hadad says:... A. This is the verification of the source of the message, the sender being named each time before the message is delivered, whether from Ben-Hadad, Ahab, or Jehovah.

10 10 1 Kings 20:3, Your silver and gold are mine, and the best of your wives and children are mine. (NIV) I. Your silver and gold are mine, and the best of your wives and children are mine. A. (This was a wonderful opportunity to unload Jezebel on Ben-Hadad and to afflict the whole Syrian nation for years to come!) B. These demands were terribly excessive and were designed to provoke all-out war, Smith wrote. 1. Ben-Hadad demanded Ahab s silver and gold as well as Ahab s harem and children as hostages. (Smith) a. Surrendering his harem would be a sign that Ahab had relinquished his throne, all manhood and all self-respect. b. 2 Samuel 16:21, Ahithophel answered, Sleep with your father s concubines whom he left to take care of the palace. Then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself obnoxious to your father, and the hands of everyone with you will be more resolute. (NIV) 1 Kings 20:4, The king of Israel answered, Just as you say, my lord the king. I and all I have are yours. (NIV) I. The king of Israel answered, Just as you say, my lord the king. I and all I have are yours.

11 11 A. This concession, attempt at appeasement, was accepted, made by Ahab, but this did not satisfy Ben-Hadad. 1. Wonder what Jezebel thought about Ahab s agreeing to ship her off to Damascus? B. No gold, silver, wives and children were handed over to Ben-Hadad because he made additional, even more extreme demands. C. Ahab knew Baal could not help him, he thought God would not help him, he could not help himself, and had, he thought, to yield to any force that came against him. (See Coffman.) 1. A rebel to God is a slave to everything else. (Matthew Henry via Coffman.) D. The Pulpit Commentary states, Much has been written about Ahab s pusillanimous acquiescence in these disgraceful terms. But it is not absolutely clear that he ever meant to surrender either wives or children to the invader. He may have hoped that his soft answer would turn away Ben-Hadad s wrath. 1 Kings 20:5, The messengers came again and said, This is what Ben-Hadad says: I sent to demand your silver and gold, your wives and your children. (NIV) I. The messengers came again and said,... A. Another communiqué has been sent from Ben-Hadad to Ahab with more demands. II. This is what Ben-Hadad says:...

12 12 A. Again, in standard form, the message is said to be from Ben-Hadad. III. I sent to demand your silver and gold, your wives and your children. A. Here we have a summary of Ben-Hadad s original demands to which Ahab had acquiesced, but now Ben-Hadad demands more! 1. A despot is hard to satisfy. 1 Kings 20:6, But about this time tomorrow I am going to send my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials. They will seize everything you value and carry it away. (NIV) I. But about this time tomorrow I am going to send my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials. A. The second demand was more definite and immediate, Smith wrote, and provided for Ben-Hadad s servants to pass through the palaces of Samaria seizing whatever appeared to be valuable. B. Long suggested Ben-Hadad thought Ahab was hiding something or, as Clarke suggested, Ben-Hadad was determined to sack, pillage the whole city of Samaria. C. Ben-Hadad s servants, the very next day, were to search any and all of Samaria s palaces and houses and carry away everything and every person (king, wives, children) they might decide to take. (See The Pulpit Commentary.)

13 13 1. Obviously, for Ahab to have agreed to these conditions would have amounted to total capitulation, surrender. II. They will seize everything you value and carry it away. A. Ahab and all his possessions as well as the possessions of all those in Samaria were to be pillaged. B. Ben-Hadad worded his demands in the most humiliating, offensive terms possible. (The Pulpit Commentary) 1 Kings 20:7, The king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said to them, See how this man is looking for trouble! When he sent for my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, I did not refuse him. (NIV) I. The king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said to them,... A. Ahab realized Ben-Hadad could not be appeased. 1. Ahab consulted the elders, not Jehovah, and asked them what course of action he should take. 2. Ahab needed both the advice and political support of the elders of Israel. 3. Elders were ancient tribal leaders and clearly these elders continued to have a voice in the government of the Northern Kingdom. II. See how this man is looking for trouble! A. This appears to be very clear.

14 14 B. Ben-Hadad was determined to ruin, destroy Ahab. (The Pulpit Commentary) 1. Ben-Hadad would settle for nothing less. (The Pulpit Commentary) 2. Ben-Hadad was determined to provoke Ahab to respond to his threats and demands. III. When he sent for my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, I did not refuse him. A. Ahab was saying he had done more than was reasonable or could be expected to settle this conflict peacefully. 1 Kings 20:8, The elders and the people all answered, Don t listen to him or agree to his demands. (NIV) I. The elders and the people all answered, Don t listen to him or agree to his demands. A. The choice was total capitulation or resistance. B. Ahab and the elders of Israel chose resistance, rather than tamely submitting to such ruinous and degrading conditions. (Clarke) 1 Kings 20:9, So he replied to Ben-Hadad s messengers, Tell my lord the king, Your servant will do all you demanded the first time, but this demand I cannot meet. They left and took the answer back to Ben-Hadad. (NIV)

15 15 I. So he replied to Ben-Hadad s messengers,... A. Ahab sent a reply to Ben-Hadad by his messengers. II. Tell my lord the king, A. Evidently all the messengers referenced in 1 Kings 20, Ahab s, Ben-Hadad s, and God s, faithfully delivered the messages entrusted to them. III. Your servant will do all you demanded the first time, but this demand I cannot meet. A. Ahab sent word that he would not permit his palaces to be pillaged by enemy soldiers. (See Smith.) B. However, Ahab continued to agree to comply with Ben- Hadad s first demands which evidently included the surrender of his wives to shame and of his children to slavery. (The Pulpit Commentary) IV. They left and took the answer back to Ben-Hadad. A. The messengers on both sides were more trustworthy, dependable, reliable than either King, Ahab or Ben-Hadad. 1 Kings 20:10, Then Ben-Hadad sent another message to Ahab: May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if enough dust remains in Samaria to give each of my men a handful. (NIV) I. Then Ben-Hadad sent another message to Ahab:...

16 16 A. Ben-Hadad thought he was in a position of strength and continued to make demands as if Ahab had no choice but to comply. B. Those who seek something to respect in the life of Ahab may want to complement him for finally standing his ground with Ben-Hadad, the blustering bully of Damascus. II. May the gods deal with me be it ever so severely, if enough dust remains in Samaria to give each of my men a handful. A. This reminds the reader of Solomon s and Jezebel s oaths regarding Elijah: 1. 1 Kings 2:23, Then King Solomon swore by the LORD: May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if Adonijah does not pay with his life for this request! (NIV) 2. 1 Kings 19:2, So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them. (NIV) B. Ahab s response incensed Ben-Hadad who swore to forthwith reduce Samaria to a pile of dust! 1. Ben-Hadad claimed to have so many soldiers that there wouldn t be enough dust left of Samaria to give each one a handul. 2. Samaria would be reduced to absolutely nothing, according to boisterous Ben-Hadad.

17 17 C. From this point the exchanges between Ben-Hadad and Ahab deteriorated to taunts (Long), psychological warfare techniques, and such. 1. Ben-Hadad blustered saying he was so strong and his forces so large that he was going to slaughter Ahab. D. Clarke understood the meaning of this phrase to be that by the following day his massive army would be in Samaria and would occupy with his standing troops every inch of ground on the city. E. Ben-Hadad vows that he will make Samaria a heap of dust, and at the same time affirms that so overwhelming is his host (army), that this dust will be insufficient to fill the hands of his soldiers. (The Pulpit Commentary) 1 Kings 20:11, The king of Israel answered, Tell him: One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off. (NIV) I. The king of Israel answered, Tell him: One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off. A. This was Ahab s third response to Ben-Hadad: 1. Response one: Yes. 2. Response two: No. 3. Response three: Don t be too sure. B. This was one of the wisest things Ahab ever said, according to Matthew Henry via Coffman, and, it could be

18 18 added that not many recorded words of Ahab were at all wise. C. This expression and others like it were evidently well known and understood proverbial expressions. 1 Kings 20:12, Ben-Hadad heard this message while he and the kings were drinking in their tents, and he ordered his men: Prepare to attack. So they prepared to attack the city. (NIV) I. Ben-Hadad heard this message while he and the kings were drinking in their tents, (pavilions, booths). A. This was certainly no way to prepare for battle! 1. These pavilions were elaborate portable tent like structures. B. Ben-Hadad was definitely overly confident and underestimated Israel s ability to fight. II. and he ordered his men: Prepare to attack. A. Begin the siege, Ben-Hadad ordered, Let the attack begin. III. So they prepared to attack the city. A. The troops set about to immediately obey Ben-Hadad s command.

19 19 Ahab Defeats Ben-Hadad 1 Kings 20:13, Meanwhile a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel and announced, This is what the LORD says: Do you see this vast army? I will give it into your hand today, and then you will know that I am the LORD. (NIV) I. Meanwhile a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel and announced, A. Once again, God, this time through an unnamed prophet, shows Ahab, wicked as he was, that there was one God and one God only! (See Smith.) 1. On Mount Carmel God demonstrated his superiority to Baal of the Phoenicians. (See Smith.) 2. Now God demonstrates his superiority to the gods of Aram. (Smith) 3. Jehovah clearly had other prophets in addition to Elijah who are not named in 1 Kings 20. B. Will Ahab obey God or Ben-Hadad? 1. This is the big question. II. This is what the Lord says:... A. The prophetic messenger identifies the source of his message. B. The prophet was not simply expressing his opinion, but relaying God s word to Ahab.

20 20 III. Do you see this vast army? A. Ahab indeed, with a comparatively small force, faced a huge, vast enemy army of perhaps more than one hundred twenty-seven thousand (127,000) soldiers. IV. I will give it into your hand today, and then you will know that I am the Lord. A. Jehovah would deliver Ben-Hadad s vast army into the hands of Ahab. 1. This would prove that Jehovah was truly God! 2. Regrettably, even this victory did not bring Ahab to true and lasting repentance. B. Defeat of such a huge Aramean force by such a comparatively small band of Israelites was a miraculous act of God designed to produce faith in God. 1. Psalm 20:1, 5, 7, May the LORD answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your requests. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. (NIV) 1 Kings 20:14, But who will do this? asked Ahab. The prophet replied, This is what the LORD says: The junior officers under the provincial commanders will do it. And who will start the battle? he asked. The prophet answered, You will. (NIV)

21 21 I. But who will do this? asked Ahab. A. Ahab evidently believed the prophet and asked his advice as to strategy. II. The prophet replied, This is what the Lord says: The young officers of the provincial commanders will do it. A. The young men, evidently the servants of the district governors, were to begin the hostilities. (See Smith.) B. Long suggested, The young officers may have been professional soldiers. C. Clarke surmised that these were probably some chosen persons out of the militia of different districts. III. and who will start the battle? he asked. A. Who will attack? B. God s power would be clearly seen by this victory of a small, weak Israelite force over the huge, powerful Aramean army. 1. Judges 7:2, The LORD said to Gideon, You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, My own strength has saved me. (NIV) 2. 1 Corinthians 1:27, 29, But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. so that no one may boast before him. (NIV)

22 Chronicles 14:11, Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, LORD, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. LORD, you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against you. (NIV) 4. Psalm 33:16, No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. (NIV) IV. The prophet answered, You will. A. Ahab was to initiate the attack on Ben-Hadad s forces. B. This must have astounded Ahab in view of the huge Aramean force and his tiny force. (See Coffman.) 1. However, this approach was the means God used to give Ahab the victory. 1 Kings 20:15, So Ahab summoned the 232 junior officers under the provincial commanders. Then he assembled the rest of the Israelites, 7,000 in all. (NIV) I. So Ahab summoned the young officers of the provincial commanders, two hundred thirty-two (232) men. A. This appears to be a very small number of commanders. B. Clarke wrote these were probably the king s bodyguards, royal guard in Samaria.

23 23 II. Then he assembled the rest of the Israelites, seven thousand (7,000) in all. A....and an extremely small number of soldiers! B. Victory by such a small group over the huge army of Ben- Hadad would surely be seen as a mighty work of God! C. The Pulpit Commentary describes Israel s soldiers as just a garrison designed to defend the capital rather than an army. D. This seven thousand (7,000) reminds us of the seven thousand (7,000) who had not bowed the knee to Baal Kings 19:18, Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him. (NIV) 1 Kings 20:16, They set out at noon while Ben-Hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk. (NIV) I. They set out at noon while Ben-Hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk. A. Noon was the time when those in the ancient Near East would take a lengthy respite from all activity, Smith wrote. B. Ahab, while the Arameans were resting and getting drunk, launched his attack! C. Getting drunk appears to be one thing at which many ancient kings appeared to be quite good.

24 Kings 16:9, Zimri, one of his officials, who had command of half his chariots, plotted against him. Elah was in Tirzah at the time, getting drunk in the home of Arza, the palace administrator at Tirzah. (NIV) 2. Proverbs 31:4, It is not for kings, Lemuel it is not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer, (NIV) 3. Daniel 5:1, King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. (NIV) 4. Esther 1:10, On the seventh day, when King Xerxes was in high spirits from wine, he commanded the seven eunuchs who served him Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Karkas (NIV) 5. Esther 7:2, and as they were drinking wine on the second day, the king again asked, Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted. (NIV) 6. Habakkuk 2:5, indeed, wine betrays him; he is arrogant and never at rest. Because he is as greedy as the grave and like death is never satisfied, he gathers to himself all the nations and takes captive all the peoples. (NIV) 7. Daniel 5:1-4, King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. While Belshazzar was drinking his wine,

25 25 he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone. (NIV) 1 Kings 20:17, The junior officers under the provincial commanders went out first. Now Ben-Hadad had dispatched scouts, who reported, Men are advancing from Samaria. (NIV) I. The young officers of the provincial commanders went out first. A. The young officers of the provincial commanders led the attack. B. There evidently was space between this leading group and the following seven thousand (7,000) as Ben-Hadad s scouts probably only spotted the lead two hundred thirty-two (232) officers. II. Now Ben-Hadad had dispatched scouts, who reported,... A. It surely was customary for armies to post guards, sentries, and to scout the area for enemy presence, encroachment. B. Evidently these scouts only became initially aware of the front detachment of two hundred thirty-two (232) provincial officers.

26 26 III. Men are advancing from Samaria. A. Ben-Hadad was advised of the coming attack by his scouts. 1. He was not taken totally by surprise. B. However, the scouts, according to Coffman, probably saw only the two hundred thirty-two (232) men, all likely young and inexperienced, and may have viewed this small group as no threat at all. 1 Kings 20:18, He said, If they have come out for peace, take them alive; if they have come out for war, take them alive. (NIV) I. He said, If they have come out for peace, take them alive;... A. Ben-Hadad was surely overly confident in thinking the soldiers from Samaria could be easily captured. B. This order was foolish!... totally foolish! C. Ben-Hadad was so angry he did not respect these Israelites and possibly intended, after capturing them, to torture and slay them. (The Pulpit Commentary) II. If they have come out for war, take them alive. A. Smith suggested Ben-Hadad s motive in trying to take Israel s soldiers captive rather than kill them was to allow him time to torture them before they were executed. B. Long described these orders as representing the muddled thought of someone under the influence.

27 27 1. Clarke suggested Ben-Hadad may have wanted to take them alive for interrogation or intelligence, information gathering purposes. C. Taking the two hundred thirty-two (232) princes captive may have been possible, but taking captive all seven thousand (7,000) other men would be most difficult which raises questions about Ben-Hadad s military competence at that time. 1 Kings 20:19, The junior officers under the provincial commanders marched out of the city with the army behind them (NIV) I. The young officers of the provincial commanders marched out of the city with the army behind them... A. When the two hundred thirty-two (232) young officers acting as decoys were engaged in battle, the seven thousand (7,000) man army attacked and the Arameans were routed. (See Smith.) 1 Kings 20:20, and each one struck down his opponent. At that, the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben- Hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with some of his horsemen. (NIV) I. and each one struck down his opponent. A. This may have been because Ben-Hadad had commanded that the Israelites be taken alive.

28 28 B. Following the two hundred thirty-two (232) were the seven thousand (7,000) who fell upon the enemy with a vengeance and routed the Syrians. II. At that, the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. A. The Arameans were an ancient desert people who flourished along with the Israelites during much of their history, sometimes as enemies and sometimes as friends. The region of the Arameans, the land of Aram, extended from the Lebanon Mountains on the west eastward to the Euphrates River and from the Taurus Mountains on the north southward to Damascus. Arameans were among the ancient peoples who settled the Near East as early as 2250 B.C. (Youngblood) B. Jehovah had performed a miracle by enabling Israel to overcome insurmountable odds. (Long) C. This was certainly not the result Ben-Hadad had expected! D. This rout was probably caused by panic and a disorganized, fragmented and drunken command. III. But Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with some of his horsemen. A. Ben-Hadad in panic fled for his life! B. Ben-Hadad escaped on horseback with some of his surviving cavalry. C. This most certainly was not the outcome Ben-Hadad had expected.

29 29 1 Kings 20:21, The king of Israel advanced and overpowered the horses and chariots and inflicted heavy losses on the Arameans. (NIV) I. The king of Israel advanced and overpowered the horses and chariots and inflicted heavy losses on the Arameans. A. The Revised Standard Version renders this passage, Coffman observed, as: And the king of Israel went out, and captured the horses and chariots, and slaughtered the Syrians with a great slaughter. B. The Pulpit Commentary suggested that Ahab probably remained in Samaria until the battle was decided and then joined in the slaughter. 1 Kings 20:22, Afterward, the prophet came to the king of Israel and said, Strengthen your position and see what must be done, because next spring the king of Aram will attack you again. (NIV) I. Afterward, the prophet came to the king of Israel and said,... A. This evidently was the same prophet who had previously delivered the word of God to Ahab. II. Strengthen your position and see what must be done, because next spring the king of Aram will attack you again. A. After the conflict, the same unnamed prophet returned to Ahab and told him that Ben-Hadad would return the following year; that is, in the spring when military campaigns were normally launched, and that thorough preparations were to be made for the coming battle. (See Smith.)

30 30 1. The danger was definitely not over! 2. 2 Samuel 11:1, In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem. (NIV) 3. By spring the rainy season was over and armies could move more easily. B. What the prophet foretold came about exactly as predicted. 1. Be it said to Ahab s credit (not much can be said to Ahab s credit), Ahab did as the prophet advised. 1 Kings 20:23, Meanwhile, the officials of the king of Aram advised him, Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they were too strong for us. But if we fight them on the plains, surely we will be stronger than they. (NIV) I. Meanwhile, the officials of the king of Aram advised him,... A. Both Ahab and Ben-Hadad relied on advisors. 1. However, on this occasion, Ahab s advisor was God s spokesman. B. The Israelite forces may have charged down the hills reducing the effectiveness of the chariots and cavalry. (Clarke) 1. On flat plains, the chariots and cavalry would have been more effective, it was thought.

31 31 II. Their gods are gods of the hills. A. The ancients, both of Israel and other countries, believed the gods determined the outcome of battles. 1. Within the ancient Near East and Mediterranean, gods were often associated with mountains. (Youngblood) 2. Ben-Hadad s advisors regarded Jehovah as powerless away from mountain areas. a. Jehovah was associated with certain mountains such as Sinai, Horeb and Zion. (Hamilton) b. El Shaddai, Hamilton wrote, may mean, God of the Mountains. (Hamilton) B. Ben-Hadad s advisors were quick to find an explanation for their humiliating defeat at Samaria. (Smith) III. That is why they were too strong for us. A. These wise advisors to Ben-Hadad were flat wrong about Jehovah s being only a local deity whose power was confined to the hills. B. Clarke wrote, It was a general belief in the ancient heathen world that each district had its tutelary and protecting deity, who could do nothing out of his own sphere. IV. But if we fight them on the plains, surely we will be stronger than they.

32 32 A. Ben-Hadad was advised to better select his field of battle... B, In open country, Ben-Hadad could better deploy his chariots while depriving the Israelites of their Samaritan fortresses and the advantage of the higher ground hill country. I Kings 20:24, Do this: Remove all the kings from their commands and replace them with other officers. (NIV) I. Do this: Remove all the kings from their commands and replace them with other officers. A....and to replace the inept kings with qualified officers to lead the troops in battle, and... 1 Kings 20:25, You must also raise an army like the one you lost horse for horse and chariot for chariot so we can fight Israel on the plains. Then surely we will be stronger than they. He agreed with them and acted accordingly. (NIV) I. You must also raise an army like the one you lost horse for horse and chariot for chariot... A. to take an army at least as large and well equipped as the one he had lost in the previous battle. II. so we can fight Israel on the plains. A. The Arameans thought they would, with these plans, definitely have the advantage. III. Then surely we will be stronger than they.

33 33 A. Long wrote, The Arameans will learn that Yahweh is not a localized diety who only dwells in the hills of Samaria. However, the point of Yahweh s action is that Ahab and all Israel will learn that Yahweh is the God of Israel and all creation. IV. He agreed with them and acted accordingly. A. Ben-Hadad accepted and implemented the counsel he had received. 1 Kings 20:26, The next spring Ben-Hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. (NIV) I. The next spring Ben-Hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. A. Aphek was the name of four (4) ancient Canaanite towns, this Aphek probably being a fortified Israelite city located six (6) miles east of the Sea of Galilee, (Youngblood) evidently near the Israel-Aramean border, between Heliopolis and Biblos. (Clarke). 1 Kings 20:27, When the Israelites were also mustered and given provisions, they marched out to meet them. The Israelites camped opposite them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside. (NIV) I. When the Israelites were also mustered and given provisions, they marched out to meet them. A. The Israelite army was assembled, numbered, fed and then commanded to march out to engage the enemy.

34 34 II. The Israelites camped opposite them like two (2) small flocks of goats,... A. The Israelite forces were few, like two (2) little flocks of goats (not sheep) separated from the main herd (See Smith.) when compared with the huge Aramean host. III. while the Arameans covered the country-side. A. How could two little flocks of goats hope for victory over such an army? 1....only by divine intervention! 1 Kings 20:28, The man of God came up and told the king of Israel, This is what the LORD says: Because the Arameans think the LORD is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the LORD. (NIV) I. The man of God came up and told the king of Israel,... A. The Lord sent another word by his prophet to Ahab. II. This is what the Lord says:... A. The man of God delivered to Ahab the exact word from the Lord without addition, subtraction or modification! B. This is the way we are to proclaim God s word to the world, exactly what God said in his holy Bible! III. Because the Arameans think the Lord is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys,...

35 35 A. Without a doubt, Ahab was glad to see this unnamed prophet who had given him so far positive and helpful information, advice. B. The Arameans had relegated Jehovah to the low level of a tribal god whose power was confined to certain hill country. (See Smith.) 1. Neighboring nations would now learn something of the power of Jehovah and that He could not be relegated to any particular place or terrain. (See Smith.) C. Clarke wrote, God resented their blasphemy and determined to punish it. 1. They will learn that God s power is everywhere, and that their multitude of soldiers meant nothing to Him. (See Clarke.) IV. I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the Lord. A. One reason for God s giving victory to Israel was to show Ahab that Jehovah was God! but, to say the least, in regard to learning aptitude, Ahab was not the brightest student in school. B. Israel and Aram and all who heard of Israel s great victory knew it was by the divine intervention of Jehovah! 1 Kings 20:29, For seven days they camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle was joined. The

36 36 Israelites inflicted a hundred thousand casualties on the Aramean foot soldiers in one day. (NIV) I. For seven days they camped opposite each other, and... A. This must have been a time of extreme tension and anxiety on the part of those who will do battle. B. This standoff could have been due to mutual fear of attacking and/or, on the part of the Arameans, a psychological warfare technique to instill greater fear in the hearts of the Israelites. (See The Pulpit Commentary.) II. on the seventh day the battle was joined. A. The number seven (7) was very special to the Israelites. 1. Genesis 2:1-3, Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. (NIV) 2. Exodus 20:8-11, Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day.

37 37 Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (NIV) III. The Israelites (slew or smote) inflicted a hundred thousand (100,000) casualties on the Aramean foot soldiers in one (1) day. A. What a terrible loss of life, and for what? B. What deficiency in human nature makes us so prone to resort to violence and war to solve our problems? C. Smith wrote that casualties could include both killed and wounded. D. Long suggested there may be some difficulty in accurately translating ancient Hebrew numeric references to specific numbers which could bring into question the one hundred twenty-seven thousand (127,000) casualities documented in verses Long further wrote, If these numbers are not in some way symbolic, an alternate reading would be one hundred twenty-seven (127,000) companies of soldiers. 2. Long also stated, From every indication of the size of armies, cities, and fortifications in Iron Age Palestine, these numbers are implausible. 3. The Pulpit Commentary suggests that the one hundred thousand (100,000) casualties may have included those killed, injured, put to flight and defeated, but states that slaughter appears to be the meaning.

38 38 a. Genesis 14:5, In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim (NIV) b. 1 Samuel 13:4, So all Israel heard the news: Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel has become obnoxious to the Philistines. And the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal. (NIV) 1 Kings 20:30, The rest of them escaped to the city of Aphek, where the wall collapsed on twenty-seven thousand of them. And Ben-Hadad fled to the city and hid in an inner room. (NIV) I. The rest of them escaped to the city of Aphek,... A....which (Aphek) was at that time under Ben-Hadad s control. B. The rest of them refers to the soldiers not killed, those in addition to the above mentioned one hundred thousand (100,000). II. where the wall collapsed on twenty-seven thousand (27,000) of them. A. The hand of God is clearly seen in this event. 1. Jehovah fought for wayward Israel because his loving kindness is truly great!

39 39 2. Evidently all twenty-seven thousand (27,000) people on which the wall fell were not killed, but there must have been substantial loss of life and property as well as great numbers of injured soldiers. 3. When the wall collapsed, Ben-Hadad s hiding place became accessible to Israel s army. a. The time had come for Ben-Hadad to sue for peace, plead for his life. B. The collapse of the wall at Aphek resonates with the fall of the wall at Jericho, Long stated. 1. Joshua 6:15-20, On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times. The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, Shout! For the LORD has given you the city! The city and all that is in it are to be devoted to the LORD. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall be spared, because she hid the spies we sent. But keep away from the devoted things, so that you will not bring about your own destruction by taking any of them. Otherwise you will make the camp of Israel liable to destruction and bring trouble on it. All the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron are sacred to the LORD and must go into his treasury. When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city. (NIV)

40 40 C. The collapse of the wall of Aphek could have been a miracle or the result of an Israelite military action. 1. In any event, the wall had been breeched and the people in it hiding and sequestered Ben-Hadad were at Israel s mercy. 2. Ben-Hadad, at least for the moment, was no longer blustering! III. And Ben-Hadad fled to the city and hid in an inner room. A. Ben-Hadad hid in the city s citadel (chamber within a chamber), but he knew his time was limited! B. Something had to be done, or Ben-Hadad would be soon dead. 1 Kings 20:31, His officials said to him, Look, we have heard that the kings of Israel are merciful. Let us go to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life. (NIV) I. His officials said to him,... A. His officials found a very good course of action for Ben- Hadad. B. Were these the same advisors who told Ben-Hadad he would win if he fought Israel on the plains? 1. Perhaps, but we do not know for sure.

41 41 2. Perhaps Ben-Hadad would have more confidence in a different group of officials. II. Look, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful. A. This reminds us that Rahab also at Jericho asked the spies for mercy. 1. Joshua 2:12, 14, Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign Our lives for your lives! the men assured her. If you don t tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the LORD gives us the land. (NIV) B. The Pulpit Commentary agrees that, when compared with pagan sovereigns of that day, Israel s kings were merciful. III. Let us go to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads. A. Sackcloth was a rough, coarse cloth worn as a symbol of mourning or repentance. (Youngblood) B. Ropes around their heads indicated subservience. 1. They placed themselves at the mercy of Israel s king. IV. Perhaps he will spare your life. A. Ben-Hadad was in a most precarious position.

42 42 B. His advisors suggested he surrender to Ahab and cast himself on the reputed mercy of the Israelite king. 1 Kings 20:32, Wearing sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, Your servant Ben-Hadad says: Please let me live. The king answered, Is he still alive? He is my brother. (NIV) I. Wearing sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads (necks), they went to the king of Israel and said,... A. This attire was to demonstrate their complete submission to Ahab. II. Your servant Ben-Hadad says: Please let me live. A. Why should Ben-Hadad live when he had been responsible for the needless deaths of thousands of others? B. Once Ben-Hadad had thought of himself as Ahab s lord, now he is Ahab s servant/slave! 1. Circumstances do change and often very quickly! 2. 1 Kings 20:6, 10, But about this time tomorrow I am going to send my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials. They will seize everything you value and carry it away. Then Ben- Hadad sent another message to Ahab: May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if enough dust remains in Samaria to give each of my men a handful. (NIV) III. The king answered, Is he still alive? He is my brother.

43 43 A. Ahab may have been surprised that Ben-Hadad, in all the slaughter, was still alive. 1 Kings 20:33, The men took this as a good sign and were quick to pick up his word. Yes, your brother Ben-Hadad! they said. Go and get him, the king said. When Ben-Hadad came out, Ahab had him come up into his chariot. (NIV) I. The men took this as a good sign and were quick to pick up his word. A. Ahab didn t need a brother like Ben-Hadad. B. Regarding Ben-Hadad as a brother was a serious mistake, sin. C. Ahab s emissaries were excellent listeners of which the world is in short supply! II. Yes, your brother Ben-Hadad! they said. A. This term brother was regarded as a good omen, a favorable sign that Ahab was peacefully inclined toward Ben-Hadad. III. Go get him, the king said. A. Ahab ordered Ben-Hadad s officials to bring Ben-Hadad to him. B. Ben-Hadad had little choice, but he did evidently feel confident that Ahab would receive him peacefully. IV. When Ben-Hadad came out, Ahab had him come up into his chariot.