1 Kings 20

CHAPTER 20

Ben—Hadad Attacks Samaria (20:1–12)

1–4 Ben—Hadad king of Aram¹⁰⁸ (Syria) decided to take advantage of Israel’s famineweakened condition, so he besieged Samaria (Israel) and attacked it (verse 1). BenHadad had with him a group of thirty—two kings; these were lesser kings who had become subject to him. BenHadad demanded from Ahab his silver and gold and the best of his wives and children (verse 3). Ahab, seeing no hope for a military victory, agreed to BenHadad’s demands.

5–9 Seeing how weak Ahab was, BenHadad then increased his demand: he said he would seize everything of value in Ahab’s capital city and carry it away (verse 6). This was too much for Ahab and the elders of Israel, and so they refused to meet this second demand (verse 9).

10–12 BenHadad was infuriated; he sent a message to Ahab saying he would destroy Israel so thoroughly there wouldn’t even be enough dust left to give each of his men one handful! (verse 10).

Ahab, perhaps bluffing,¹⁰⁹ retorted that BenHadad shouldn’t boast like one taking off his armor after a battle (verse 11). BenHadad was only putting on his armor"; the battle hadn’t even begun. It was better not to boast until the outcome was known! After receiving this affront from Ahab, BenHadad prepared to attack.

Ahab Defeats Ben—Hadad (20:13–34)

13–21 An unnamed prophet informed Ahab that the Lord would deliver the vast army of BenHadad into his hands (verse 13). Although Ahab had not asked for the Lord’s help, He was graciously offering to deliver Israel in order to give Ahab another chance to recognize that the Lord was indeed Israel’s God. The prophet then outlined to Ahab how the battle was to be fought. Israel’s army consisted of only seven thousand men, in addition to the 232 commanders who were to lead the way (verse 15). Such a small force, humanly speaking, had no chance of victory.

As the prophet had said, BenHadad and his thirtytwo kings, together with their vast army, were utterly defeated, and BenHadad himself was forced to flee (verses 20–21). The Lord had won the victory for Israel that day.

22–25 After Israel’s victory, the prophet came to Ahab and told him that BenHadad would again attack next spring when the rains had subsided. And indeed, BenHadad was preparing for another attack. His officials told him that the reason for his defeat was that the gods” of Israel were gods of the hills, and that was where he had been defeated (verse 23); next time he should fight on the plains, where the gods of Aram would be stronger. BenHadad’s officials reflected the widespread opinion that the gods’ of the various nations were limited in their influence to certain geographic areas.

26–28 As the prophet had predicted, BenHadad renewed his attack in the spring; this time he carried out his attack on the plains. Compared with BenHadad’s vast army, the army of Israel seemed like two small flocks of goats (verse 27).

But the prophet again told Ahab that that vast army would be delivered into his hands. God intended to make it known that His power was not limited “to the hills.”

29–30 Again the tiny army of Israel destroyed the huge army of BenHadad; there could be no doubt that it was God alone who was responsible for Israel’s victory. The surviving soldiers of BenHadad’s army fled to the walled city of Aphek, but the city wall collapsed on them. Meanwhile, BenHadad hid in a room inside the city (verse 30).

31–34 BenHadad’s officials advised him to begfor mercy, andheagreed. Andso his officials, wearing sackcloth (a sign of humility), went to Ahab and asked him to spare BenHadad’s life. Ahab, instead of acting like a victor over an enemy, treated BenHadad as his brother, his equal (verse 32). He even invited him to ride in his chariot (verse 33).

Not only that, Ahab went on to make a treaty with BenHadad. In return for his freedom, BenHadad agreed to restore to Israel various cities that his father had captured earlier (1 Kings 15:20). In all of this, Ahab was trusting in his own judgment¹¹⁰ rather than in God, who had given him the victory.

A Prophet Condemns Ahab (20:35–43)

35–36 One of the sons of the prophets¹¹¹ received a word from the Lord that one of his companions should strike him and wound him. Only in verse 38 do we learn the reason for this strange command from the Lord.

The companion, however, refused to carry out the prophet’s instruction—even knowing it was a command from the Lord. The prophet predicted that because of his disobedience, the companion would be killed by a lion—which soon happened (verse 36). Once more we see that disobeying the Lord’s word is a serious matter (see 1 Kings 13:20–32 and comment).

37–40 Theprophetfoundanother manto strike him. His purpose in being wounded was to disguise himself as a soldier who had supposedly been wounded in the recent battle with BenHadad. In this guise the prophet would deliver a message to Ahab.

When King Ahab passed by, the disguised prophet told him that a prisoner had escaped from his custody and that he (the prophet) would have to either pay with his life or pay one talent (over thirty kilograms) of silver—an amount no ordinary soldier could have paid (verse 39). Ahab quickly understood that the wounded soldier” (the prophet) would not be able to produce the silver and thus would have to forfeit his life.¹¹² Ahab then coldheartedly confirmed that the soldier” would indeed pay with his life if he failed to come up with the silver (verse 40).

41–43 Little did Ahab realize that he had just pronounced his own death sentence! The prophet removed his disguise and said to Ahab, You are the man who allowed the prisoner—Ben-Hadad—togofree.TheLord had given him into your hands to be put to death; he was meant to die"¹¹³ (verse 42). “Now you will die in his place—your life for his life.” Not only would Ahab die, but since he was king his people would have to suffer too—“your people for his people.” And indeed both verdicts came to pass: Ahab died while fighting the Arameans under Ben-Hadad (1 Kings 22:29–38), and Israel suffered for years under the oppression of Ben-Hadad’s successor, Hazael (2 Kings 10:32–33; 13:3,22).

Thus the prophet, by making up a story, had exposed Ahab’s sin. In a similar way, an earlier prophet, Nathan, had exposed David’s sin by making up a story (see 1 Samuel 12:1–10). In each case, the king was guilty of the very sin he was so quick to condemn in others. Jesus said: “. . . in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:2).

Ahab had witnessed three unmistakable demonstrations of God’s power and of His continuing graciousness to His people Israel: first, the burning up of Elijah’s sacrifice on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:38–39), and then two clearly supernatural victories over BenHadad (verses 19–21,29–30). And yet Ahab still could not bring himself to worship God and resist the evil influence of his wife Jezebel. When God reaches out to people in grace, His purpose is to draw them to Himself. But if, like Ahab, people repeatedly resist God’s grace, the day will come when it is no longer available to them.