Ben-Hadad attacks Samaria

1 Kings Chapter 20

King Ben-hadad of Aram mobilized his army, complete with chariots and horses of thirty-two allied kings. They besieged Samaria, the Israelite capital and attacked it. Ben-hadad sent messages to King Ahab telling him that all his riches and wives were his. King Ahab agreed. But the next message from Ben-Hadad said he would search the palace and homes of his people and take everything of value.

King Ahab agreed to the first demands, but not the second, and so Ben-hadad was angry and ready to attack Samaria and turn it to dust. Then a prophet came to see King Ahab and told him the Lord would hand over all Ben-hadad's forces if he did what the Lord requested. So Ahab mustered troops of the 232 provinces and called out his army of seven thousand men. About noontime, Ben-hadad and his allied kings were in their tents getting drunk when a scout told them of Ahab's advancing troops. Ben-hadad ordered they be taken alive. But the Israelite soldiers killed the Aramean opponent and the entire Aramean army panicked and fled. King Ben-hadad and a few others escaped on horses, but a great many Arameans, horses and chariots were destroyed. And King Ahab told his own soldiers that they needed to be prepared for another attack by the king of Aram in the spring.

After their defeat, Ben-hadad's officers insisted that the Israelite gods were gods of the hill, and they could beat them easily on the plains. So the next spring Ben-Hadad called up the Aramean army and marched out again to battle at Aphek. The prophet of God went to King Ahab and told him he would help him defeat the Arameans again. The battle was won by the Israelites and Ben-hadad and his officers put on sackcloth and ropes and begged to be kept alive. He appeared before Ahab and together they established a treaty in which Ben-hadad gave back towns his father had taken from Ahab's father. Under these conditions, Ben-hadad was allowed to go free.

Meanwhile the Lord instructed one of the group of prophets to say to a man, "Strike me." But the man refused to strike the prophet. So the prophet said, "Because you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord, a lion will kill you as soon as you leave me." And it did happen. Then the prophet turned to another man and said, "Strike me." And the man struck him and wounded him. Then the prophet waited for the king to pass and placed a bandage on his eyes to disguise himself and told the king, "I was in battle and a man brought me a prisoner. He said guard this man; if for any reason he gets away, you will either die or pay a fine of 75 pounds of silver. But while I was busy, the prisoner disappeared." The king was not sympathetic and said, "It's your own fault. You determined your own judgment."

Then the prophet pulled the bandage from his eyes and the King recognized him as a prophet. The prophet said, "This what the Lord says: because you have spared the man I said must be destroyed, now you must die in his place, and your people will die instead of his people." So the King of Israel went home to Samaria angry and sullen.

BIBLE NOTES SHOW: Israel's soldiers were known for being superior fighters, but not effective on the plains because they did not use chariots. What Ben-hadad's officers did not understand was that it was God, not chariots, that made the difference in battle.

In the prophet's story, the first man was killed by a lion because he refused to obey the Lord's instructions through the prophet.

It is difficult to understand why Ahab let Ben-hadad go. God helped Ahab destroy the Aramean army to prove that he alone was God. But Ahab failed to destroy the king, his greatest enemy. Ben-hadad was under God's judgement to die and Ahab had no authority to let him live. For this, God told Ahab he must die.

HOW DOES THIS CHAPTER RELATE TO US TODAY? Hard to relate a great hand to hand battle to our world today, but we can relate to a king thinking he was so far above God, that he made his own decisions. Decisions that were not sanctioned by God. Our God can be made angry when not obeyed. It is at times when we anger God, that we realized how wonderful the opportunity for repentence is- that comes from his son our Savior, Jesus Christ. Repentence truly points out the reason for Jesus' creation. I hope you get a chance to get down on your knees today and thank your heavenly father for the opportunity to be foregiven of your sins.

Yours in Christ,
Mary

Prayer Requests are needed for:
HEALTH: Gabe, Wanda, Janice Long’s parents, and Arlene’s nephew David. Pray for my neighbor Al who is nearing the end of his life. Pray for Carolyn’s brother Ronald who has cancer. Pray for our friend Michelle who was diagnosed with MS. Pray for Cyndi Sullivan who was given 14 months to live with cancer, but has made it six years. The pain has returned and she needs our prayers.
UPDATE on Barb who went in for back surgery and had a heart attack and stroke, she has 90 percent of her speech back and is home , but continues to have a problem with one arm and hand. She will require long therapy and insurance may soon be a problem since her job was not held for her.
Pray for Robert Sargent with lung cancer and Marthaline Sargent with serious health issues. Update on Stella: She has shed the feeding tube and is taking formula on her own! But breathing problems are still with her, though improving all the time. She continues to have a long road, so prayers are still needed. She has been moved to a St. Louis hospital.
Pray for Carolyn’s friend Margaret and her husband who were in a car accident. As elderly drivers they may face a life change which may cost them their independence. Let’s all raise our voices to God to hear our prayers.
Pray for Brian and Ashley, as they lost the expected baby boy. It was so sad because she was 4 months and we had seen the sonogram of him moving and sucking his thumb.
SPIRITUAL UPLIFTING: Gail, Mary
RESTORATION OF FAITH: Al, John
LOVE AND SUPPORT: Claire, Hunter, Brian
SUPPORT: Haiti, Chile, survivors of Japan’s earthquake,those who need jobs, those who are about to lose or have lost their homes. Pray too, for our country’s leaders and our military people who die each day for our freedom.