1 KINGS LESSON 26


     We will begin this lesson in I Kings 20:1 "And Ben-hadad the king
of Syria gathered all his host together: and [there were] thirty and
two kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and he went up and
besieged Samaria, and warred against it."

     We mentioned earlier, that there are many Ben-hadads. This one
is, possibly, king of Syria, because his father was king of Syria
before him. The thirty-two kings with him were kings over very small
kingdoms. They were, probably, leaders of some of the Hittites. At one
time, this Ben-hadad was said to have 4,000 chariots. Whether these
are the ones mentioned here, I do not know. Samaria was a city and a
country. He, probably, was specifically mad at Ahab.

     I Kings 20:2 "And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into
the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Ben-hadad,"

     We see the messengers he sent were to Ahab. He might have been
jealous of Ahab being king of Israel. This is certainly a message to
humiliate Ahab.

     I Kings 20:3 "Thy silver and thy gold [is] mine; thy wives also
and thy children, [even] the goodliest, [are] mine." I Kings 20:4 "And
the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to
thy saying, I [am] thine, and all that I have."

     It seemed, that Ahab was a weak man. When Ben-hadad asked for all
of the silver and gold, and the wives and children, he agreed without
a fight.

     I Kings 20:5 "And the messengers came again, and said, Thus
speaketh Ben-hadad, saying, Although I have sent unto thee, saying,
Thou shalt deliver me thy silver, and thy gold, and thy wives, and thy
children;" I Kings 20:6 "Yet I will send my servants unto thee to
morrow about this time, and they shall search thine house, and the
houses of thy servants; and it shall be, [that] whatsoever is pleasant
in thine eyes, they shall put [it] in their hand, and take [it] away."

     Ahab had agreed to his unreasonable request, but now, he is not
even satisfied with that. Ahab had offered to send what he had
requested to him. He is not satisfied, but intends to send servants to
search and make sure Ahab had done what he requested.

     I Kings 20:7 "Then the king of Israel called all the elders of
the land, and said, Mark, I pray you, and see how this [man] seeketh
mischief: for he sent unto me for my wives, and for my children, and
for my silver, and for my gold; and I denied him not."

     This meeting is to explain to these elders, that he had tried to
comply with the request of Ben-hadad, but he is unreasonable. He
wants, not only the wealth of the king, but of all the people, as
well.

     I Kings 20:8 "And all the elders and all the people said unto
him, Hearken not [unto him], nor consent."

     The people would certainly be opposed to this. They expressed
their opinions knowing that they would be involved in this battle,
too.

     I Kings 20:9 "Wherefore he said unto the messengers of Ben-hadad,
Tell my lord the king, All that thou didst send for to thy servant at
the first I will do: but this thing I may not do. And the messengers
departed, and brought him word again."

     Ahab still wanted to settle this without a battle, if possible.
He still offers his own wealth, but will not allow the second request.

     I Kings 20:10 "And Ben-hadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do
so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for
handfuls for all the people that follow me." I Kings 20:11 "And the
king of Israel answered and said, Tell [him], Let not him that girdeth
on [his harness] boast himself as he that putteth it off."

     They exchange insults here. Ben-hadad vows that he will leave
Samaria as a heap of dust. In modern language, the king of Israel
tells him to do whatever he is big enough to do. They will see who
prevails.

     I Kings 20:12 "And it came to pass, when [Ben-hadad] heard this
message, as he [was] drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions, that
he said unto his servants, Set [yourselves in array]. And they set
[themselves in array] against the city."

     They immediately set themselves around the city of Samarai for
combat, when they get the news back. The fact that Ben-hadad was
drinking is, possibly, to show that he was not thinking clearly. Ben-
hadad, sometimes, had as many as 100,000 troops with him in battle. We
are not told how many there were, but we know that they outnumber
Ahab.

     I Kings 20:13  "And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king
of Israel, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou seen all this great
multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and
thou shalt know that I [am] the LORD."

     Neither one of these kings deserve the help of the LORD. We may
safely assume, then, that this is the LORD protecting the priests and
prophets, who are still here and protecting the thousands who have not
bowed to Baal. Ben-hadad might have been even more evil at this time
than Ahab. Notice, the LORD is doing this for Ahab to prove once
again, that He is the LORD.

     I Kings 20:14 "And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith
the LORD, [Even] by the young men of the princes of the provinces.
Then he said, Who shall order the battle? And he answered, Thou."

     The LORD and even one is a majority. We will see the handful of
men of Ahab fighting against the large army of Ben-hadad. These
princes of the outlying area had, probably, come to Samaria, when they
saw this large army of Ben-hadad. The LORD told Ahab that he would
order the battle.

     I Kings 20:15 "Then he numbered the young men of the princes of
the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty two: and after
them he numbered all the people, [even] all the children of Israel,
[being] seven thousand."

     This is a small army of 232 princes. It is interesting, to me,
that there are 7,000 people here. This is the same number who have not
bowed to Baal.

     I Kings 20:16 "And they went out at noon. But Ben-hadad [was]
drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty
and two kings that helped him."

     These 32 kings were the leaders of this group along with Ben-
hadad. It appears, they have been drinking so much that they are
drunk.

     I Kings 20:17 "And the young men of the princes of the provinces
went out first; and Ben-hadad sent out, and they told him, saying,
There are men come out of Samaria."

     This seems to be a scouting expedition. They come back with the
report, that some of the men have already come out of Samaria.

     I Kings 20:18 "And he said, Whether they be come out for peace,
take them alive; or whether they be come out for war, take them
alive."

     It appears, that Ben-hadad is operating under the influence of
the alcohol he drank. He tells his men to take the men of Samaria
alive.  Perhaps, he wanted to take them captive, and then kill them.
We are not told exactly why he gave these instructions.

     I Kings 20:19 "So these young men of the princes of the provinces
came out of the city, and the army which followed them."

     This is speaking of the 232 princes coming out of Samaria with
the 7,000 close behind them.

     I Kings 20:20 "And they slew every one his man: and the Syrians
fled; and Israel pursued them: and Ben-hadad the king of Syria escaped
on an horse with the horsemen."

     Ben-hadad and his men of authority, we must remember, were drunk.
This is saying, the men of Ahab killed the men that Ben-hadad had sent
out to meet them in battle, and Ben-hadad and all those with horses
fled for safety.

     I Kings 20:21 "And the king of Israel went out, and smote the
horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter."

     Ahab's army killed all of the Syrians they found. Ahab had
remained inside of Samaria, until the Syrians began to run. He, then,
came out with the men, and killed the remaining Syrains and their
horses and chariots.

     I Kings 20:22  "And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and
said unto him, Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, and see what thou
doest: for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up
against thee."

     We are not told which prophet this is. He could, possibly, be one
that had been hidden for safety in the caves. He is, now, actively
being used of God. Perhaps, the reason the Lord is not using Elijah
here, is because of the remark Jezebel had made about Elijah. She had
sworn to kill him. Ahab, probably, did not agree with her, but she was
his queen. Whoever the prophet is, he warns Ahab that they must
prepare for a war with Ben-hadad a year from that time.

     I Kings 20:23 "And the servants of the king of Syria said unto
him, Their gods [are] gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger
than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we
shall be stronger than they."

     This is speaking of the servants of Ben-hadad. They do not
recognize the God of Israel. They think of Him being limited. They are
saying, the reason they lost the battle, was because it was fought in
the hills. The hills would be a disadvantage to Syria. They do not
believe that Israel's God will help them in the plains. If they choose
the place of the battle, they believe they can win. They have
underestimated the God of Israel.

     I Kings 20:24 "And do this thing, Take the kings away, every man
out of his place, and put captains in their rooms:"

     The kings were to be replaced, to get captains who were more
skilled in the ways of war. They would be the choicest of the army.

     I Kings 20:25 "And number thee an army, like the army that thou
hast lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot: and we will fight
against them in the plain, [and] surely we shall be stronger than
they. And he hearkened unto their voice, and did so."

     He is not asking Ben-hadad for more men or chariots, because he
wants to prove the superiority of the Syrians. It is true that the
Syrians were superior to the army of Ahab, but the LORD is stronger
than them all. Ben-hadad had been embarrassed by the loss of the
battle at Samaria, so he is eager to do this.

     I Kings 20:26 "And it came to pass at the return of the year,
that Ben-hadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek, to fight
against Israel."

     "Aphek" means fortress, and this could be speaking of any of
several fortresses. We do know that it would be located on the plain,
because they do not want to fight in the hills.

     I Kings 20:27 "And the children of Israel were numbered, and were
all present, and went against them: and the children of Israel pitched
before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the
country."

     The army of Israel is very small compared to the vast army that
the Syrians had. The Israelites were gathered in two parts.

     I Kings 20:28  "And there came a man of God, and spake unto the
king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the LORD, Because the Syrians
have said, The LORD [is] God of the hills, but he [is] not God of the
valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine
hand, and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD."

     God had shown Israel, over and over, that He was God. They,
perhaps, had begun to fear this tremendous number of Syrians, who had
come to fight them. God wanted to prove to Israel, as well as to these
Syrians that He is, indeed, the God of all the earth. He is just as
powerful in the valleys as He is in the hills. God is above all the
earth.

     I Kings 20:29 "And they pitched one over against the other seven
days. And [so] it was, that in the seventh day the battle was joined:
and the children of Israel slew of the Syrians an hundred thousand
footmen in one day."

     The Syrians greatly outnumbered the Israelites, but they both
seemed reluctant to start the battle. On the seventh day, the
Israelites killed 100,000 footmen. This would seem to be impossible,
if we had not been informed earlier that The LORD would deliver Syria
into their hands. The reason for the great slaughter was because they
had defied God. They said He was not powerful in the valley, but just
in the hills.

     I Kings 20:30 "But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and
[there] a wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men [that
were] left. And Ben-hadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner
chamber."

     Aphek was a fortress, and they, probably, fled to that for
coverage from the oncoming Israelites. We see that it truly was God
who destroyed them. The fact that 27,000 had a wall fall on them,
cannot be explained any other way. This chamber could have been like a
tunnel built under the street.

     I Kings 20:31  "And his servants said unto him, Behold now, we
have heard that the kings of the house of Israel [are] merciful kings:
let us, I pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our
heads, and go out to the king of Israel: peradventure he will save thy
life."

     This would be a sign of humbling themselves before Ahab and his
men. Probably, he was a little more merciful than some of the heathen
kings. They are in mourning clothes, and perhaps, the ropes show that
they are at the mercy of Ahab.

     I Kings 20:32 "So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and [put]
ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy
servant Ben-hadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. And he said, [Is]
he yet alive? he [is] my brother."

     This appears to be the captains, or the leaders, that had advised
Ben-hadad to go to this battle. It appears, that they lived long
enough to plead for the life of their king. These are the same men,
who had bragged about how they could win this battle easily. Now, the
tables are turned, and they are begging for their lives.

     I Kings 20:33 "Now the men did diligently observe whether [any
thing would come] from him, and did hastily catch [it]: and they said,
Thy brother Ben-hadad. Then he said, Go ye, bring him. Then Ben-hadad
came forth to him; and he caused him to come up into the chariot."

     Ben-hadad was not truly his brother, but the men believed that he
was, and went and got Ben-hadad out of hiding. He received Ben-hadad
into his chariot with him, which was a sign of respect for him.

     I Kings 20:34 "And [Ben-hadad] said unto him, The cities, which
my father took from thy father, I will restore; and thou shalt make
streets for thee in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. Then [said
Ahab], I will send thee away with this covenant. So he made a covenant
with him, and sent him away."

     The agreement they made was satisfactory to both kings, and Ahab
sent Ben-hadad back to his home without killing him.

     I Kings 20:35  "And a certain man of the sons of the prophets
said unto his neighbour in the word of the LORD, Smite me, I pray
thee. And the man refused to smite him."

     It appears, that after the defaming of the prophets of Baal at
Mount Carmel, some of the prophets had come out of hiding. This
prophet wanted to be smitten, because of the disobedience of Ahab in
letting a man go, that God had planned to destroy. This could, also,
be a visible sign of what will happen to Ahab for disobeying God.

     I Kings 20:36 "Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not
obeyed the voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as thou art departed
from me, a lion shall slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from
him, a lion found him, and slew him."

     This is the prophet speaking to his neighbor, who was, probably,
a prophet, also. This prophet had disobeyed God, as well. The lion
does slay him, just as he said.

     I Kings 20:37 "Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I
pray thee. And the man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded
[him]." I Kings 20:38 "So the prophet departed, and waited for the
king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face."

     The fact that he was injured, proved that he, probably, was not a
prophet. He, also, disguised himself, hoping to get audience with the
king. The king will think he was injured in the battle.

     I Kings 20:39 "And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king:
and he said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and,
behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and said, Keep
this man: if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for
his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver."

     This is showing Ahab, that just as a soldier in battle should
obey his commandiing officer, Ahab should have obeyed God. "Silver"
speaks of redemption, and a talent was 125 pounds. We see this is
speaking of someone very important for the amount to be so great.

     I Kings 20:40 "And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was
gone. And the king of Israel said unto him, So [shall] thy judgment
[be]; thyself hast decided [it]."

     Ahab told the servant, that it would be as he had said. He had
sealed his own doom.

     I Kings 20:41 "And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his
face; and the king of Israel discerned him that he [was] of the
prophets." I Kings 20:42 "And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD,
Because thou hast let go out of [thy] hand a man whom I appointed to
utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy
people for his people."

     The king, Ahab, had spoken his own judgement upon himself,
unknowingly. Now, that the prophet had disclosed who he is, it is too
late, it is already done. This may seem to be cruel punishment for
releasing Ben-hadad, but we must remember, that Ahab is a cruel king
himself. He was evil. He really was not on the LORD's side from the
beginning. The only reason the LORD allowed him victory, was because
of the rash remarks Ben-hadad had said about God. The prophet speaks
the judgement of death on Ahab and his people. Ahab had not won the
war, the LORD had. Ahab had no right to make this decision.

     I Kings 20:43 "And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and
displeased, and came to Samaria."

     The victory is a shallow one now, knowing that he and his people
will die. Instead of being repentant, he was mad at God.



                        1 Kings 26 Questions


1.  How many kings were with Ben-hadad?
2.  What city did they besiege?
3.  What were these kings over?
4.  How many chariots did Ben-hadad have?
5.  What humiliating message did he send to Ahab?
6.  How did Ahab answer him?
7.  Was Ben-hadad satisfied with Ahab's answer?
8.  Who did Ahab call together for advice?
9.  What advice did they give Ahab?
10. When Ben-hadad found out that Ahab would not comply with his
    second request, what message did he send to Ahab?
11. What were Ben-hadad and his kings doing, when they got the final
    message?
12. What message did the LORD send Ahab in verse 13?
13. Who was to order the battle?
14. How many princes were with Ahab?
15. How many did the other people number?
16. What was the condition of Ben-hadad, when the confrontation began?
17. What did Ben-hadad say to do with the men of Ahab that came out?
18. What happened to the Syrians under the leadership of Ben-hadad?
19. As soon as the battle was over, what message did the prophet bring
    to Ahab?
20. How did the Syrians underestimate God?
21. What will be different about the next battle?
22. How were the troops of Syria compared to the troops they had in
    the first battle?
23. Where was this second battle fought?
24. How was the army of Israel compared to the army of Syria?
25. What message did God send to Ahab just before the battle?
26. How many days did they wait, before the battle began?
27. How many footmen of Syria were killed in one day?
28. What happened to twenty-seven thousand of their men?
29. What were the Syrians to do to themselves, before they came out to
    beg for mercy from the army of Ahab?
30. What did Ahab do to Ben-hadad?
31. What did the prophet ask his neighbor to do to him?
32. How did the prophet disguise himself to Ahab?
33. What does "silver" speak of?
34. How much does a talent of silver weigh?
35. Why did Ahab go to his house heavy and displeased?