1 Kings 20 – Study

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: 1 Kings 20:13-29

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. 21 The king of Israel advanced and overpowered the horses and chariots and inflicted heavy losses on the Arameans.

22 Afterwards, 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.

A. Find Out:

1. Who came to Ahab and said what? v.13-14
2. What was the outcome? v.15-21
3. What did the prophet then instruct? v.22
4. What was the thinking of Aram and what happened? v.23-26
5. What did the prophet then say? v.28
6. What happened? v.29

B. Think:

1. How many times did Ahab receive divine guidance here?
2. Who was the divine messenger? What does that say to us?
3. What do you think is strange about all this?

C. Comment:

      So far every king of Israel has been bad. More than this, they have been getting worse and so the present king, Ahab, was described as doing more evil than any previous one. What is so remarkable therefore is that he receives so much help from the Lord. Surely this is a staggering picture of God’s grace and mercy!

      Three times in this passage an unnamed prophet comes to Ahab and brings him guidance. When you consider that recent history had seen Jezebel killing any of the Lord’s prophets, this was a remarkably courageous act of obedience. Maybe it indicates that the tide was turning in Israel after Elijah’s defeat of the false prophets on Carmel.

      Anyway, the prophet comes and, remember, in the face of the siege, comes and brings a word about victory. Ahab is cautious and wonders who will do this (perhaps being aware he’s not a courageous warrior!) and is told it will be his younger leaders. He follows the instructions he is given; they advance out of the city and rout the enemy. Victory! Then Ahab is told to strengthen the army, for Aram will be back next Spring. This happens and Ahab is given a further word about victory – which happens! Israel had been massively outnumbered, yet somehow Israel triumph. It must be the Lord! Despite Israel ‘s folly with idols, the Lord seeks to win back their hearts. He’s giving them every chance for a new future.

D. Application:

1. God’s grace keeps on flowing despite our folly.
2. Don’t think God approves of sin simply because He blesses you!

Passage: 1 Kings 20:29-43

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 sackcloth round our waists and ropes round our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life.’

³² Wearing sackcloth round their waists and ropes round 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 brought him 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.’

⁴¹ Then the prophet quickly removed the headband from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognised 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.

A. Find Out:

1. What happened to the army of Aram ? v.29,30
2. What did the king of Aram decide to do? v.31,32a
3. How did Ahab respond? v.32b,33
4. What agreement did they come to? v.34
5. How did the prophet approach Ahab? v.35-40
6. What judgement did he bring? v.41-43

B. Think:

1. Who had given victory to Israel?
2. What error did Ahab commit?
3. What therefore was at the heart of his error?

C. Comment:

     Remember in the previous study we saw that three times the Lord gave his man a message to help and guide Ahab, a message that said He would grant them the victory over this king that came to enslave the people of God.

      The victory is given and Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram manages to survive when the vast majority of his army are killed. His counsellors come up with an interesting idea. They have heard that the kings of Israel are merciful. That’s interesting, that’s different from how things were when Israel first took the land. That’s different from what used to be. Originally if an enemy tried to wipe out Israel, God brought the death penalty on that people, but since Israel have drifted away from the Lord and allowed idolatry into the land, anything goes.

     This battle had been the Lord’s, He had enabled Israel to triumph, and His intention was that the triumph was complete, for He knows that unless it is, this enemy will rise up again and be a thorn in Israel’s side. Amoral Ahab is foolish and ungodly and in an attitude of gracious magnanimity allows the enemy king to live. The only problem is that that is an act of total disregard for God and thus receives the Lord’s censure. As God’s people you judge when he judges and have grace when He has grace. He’s the Lord! He’s the only arbiter of right or wrong.

D. Application:

1. You don’t forgive, condone or make light of sin. God doesn’t.
2. You forgive when there is repentance. God does.