God's Decision

Introduction

A. Inserted in the Elijah narrative of 1 Kings is chapter 20. No name is given to the prophet in this text and there is nothing in the text to make us think that it is Elijah. The principal characters are Ahab, Ben-Hadad, king of Aram (pronounced Airam), the unnamed prophet, and God. Before we even get into the text you should understand that the hero of this text is God. He is working behind the scenes to bring about his will and purpose. Inserted as this text is serves as a reminder that God is the main character. People live their lives; Ahab conducts business; but it is God who brings things about. The story is fairly straightforward.

The Story

A. Ben-Hadad amasses a large army. They lay siege to Samaria, the capital city of Israel, and demand their surrender. Ahab gives in. What he has belongs to Ben-Hadad. This was common in those days. The stronger army asked for tribute, the weaker nation was glad to give it. This kept the weaker from having to rebuild and allow the stronger to expand. But Ben-Hadad is not satisfied with tribute. In verses 5–6, Ben-Hadad sends a stronger demand. He is going to send his officials to search and seize what is in Ahab’s palace. What is going on here comes from an extra-biblical source from Egypt. One king overthrew another. The victorious king believes the defeated king is hiding his best and most precious wealth. Thus, the victorious king sends his servants out to find the concealed wealth of the city. This intrusion into a surrendered king’s palace would have been similar to our expression “rubbing salt in the wound.” It assumed the defeated king was cheating his new master of the best. It dishonored the defeated king and humiliated him in the eyes of his people. Ahab denies Ben-Hadad’s request. Ben-Hadad is incensed and promises to completely destroy Samaria. Ahab replies with a proverb in verse 11. It is the same saying as our “don’t count your chickens before they hatch.” So the challenge is presented and Ben-Hadad intends to wipe Samaria off the earth.

B. It is at this point that a prophet comes to Ahab to advise him about this battle. His words come straight from God. Ahab is to attack. God will give Ben-Hadad’s army into his hand. Why? So that Ahab will know that God is Lord. The small army of Israel soundly defeats the Arameans. The prophet returns telling Ahab to prepare for next spring because Ben-Hadad will certainly return with another army. Meanwhile, Ben-Hadad listens to his advisors and prepares for the next attack. Believing that Israel’s God controls the hill country (it didn’t occur to him that chariots don’t do well in mountainous areas), he plans on attacking on the plains of Aphek. Again, it is a mighty army against a visibly smaller Israelite army.

C. The prophet shows up and again tells Ahab that God is going to deliver this army into his hand. Why? So Ahab will know that God is Lord. The Arameans are soundly defeated. Ben-Hadad escapes with his life. His advisors encourage him to throw himself on Ahab’s mercy. Ben-Hadad pleads for his life. If Ahab lets him live, Ben-Hadad will return territory and open his markets to Israelite goods and products. Ahab makes the treaty and rides home in triumph. But his triumph is short lived. The prophet again appears disguised as a wounded soldier. In verses 39–42, the prophets tells the story that he was taking care of a prisoner with the stipulation that if the prisoner escaped he would give his life for that of the prisoner. The prisoner escapes. What is he to do? Ahab pronounces sentence. The wounded soldier must die. The prophet removes his disguise and pronounces God’s judgment against Ahab. Because he let Ben-Hadad go, then Ahab will give his life in exchange for Ben-Hadad’s. Ahab goes home sullen and angry.

Lessons

A. What lessons should we get? Let’s see what we can learn about God. First, God is sovereign. This simply means that no one is above him and that God will bring about his will and purpose. In this story, twice Ahab is told that God will allow him to defeat what appears to be a far superior army for the express purpose of knowing that God is Lord. There is no one above God. No other God can do what God can do. Just when one may not be certain about where God is or who God is, God acts providing us yet another opportunity to know that his is Lord. Why would God do this for Ahab? Ahab was an evil man. This tells us that God in his sovereignty is willing to give multiple chances for Ahab to come to know him. God takes a military situation and uses it to give Ahab the opportunity to know him as Lord. I am making no broad statements about wars, but it is interesting to me that when war happens that many will indeed turn to God. Ahab spent his life not caring about God but God uses this military political conflict to give Ahab the chance to know him as Lord.

1. What opportunities has God brought into your life so that you can know that his Lord? This is what sovereignty is about. Recognizing the rule and authority of God. A superior army is no match for God’s power. Ahab can look out from his palace and see this huge army. And here is the prophet telling him that God guarantees the victory.

2. Haven’t you won in what seemed an impossible situation? Haven’t there been times when you thought your back was to the wall and you were just road kill for buzzards? And yet something good happened and you won. How do you explain it? Ahab was told directly “when the battle is over you should realize that you won because God made it happen.” What do we attribute success to. “I sure was lucky.” “Knock on wood everything went well.” “I can’t believe it worked out.”

3. The proper response is to thank God who is sovereign. To acknowledge his power to bring about what is good for us and what completes his will and purpose. Ahab had the opportunity to praise God for his power. So do we if we will but look for it.

B. Second, God’s sovereignty doesn’t mean we don’t have to fight. Ahab gave up at the first siege. It was the insult which caused him to fight against Ben-Hadad. After the first defeat, the Aramean army returns to fight the next season. If God is sovereign why didn’t he just keep Ben-Hadad away? Or why didn’t he keep Ben-Hadad from returning? Let’s take a simple quiz. Was Ahab a good man or an evil man? After the Mt. Carmel experience did Ahab fear God? If Ben-Hadad had not attacked Israel, would Ahab have paid attention to God? You see, God’s sovereignty doesn’t mean we never have obstacles instead those obstacles are our opportunity to know God better. We might say that obstacles are good. Rarely do we see that at the moment we go through them, but if we turn our focus on God, then we can see the value of those obstacles in coming to know God better.

1. While I believe this, I don’t always live it. Most of the time we complain about the obstacles. We see them as an intrusion into our lives. But my prayer life becomes more intense during those times. I learn to trust God more. In fact, I could honestly say that it has been the obstacles in my life that has made my relationship with God deeper and better.

2. Why? Our tendency is to take the good times for granted assuming we deserve them and believing that they are blessings from God. These good times then have a tendency to take us away from God. Ahab was an evil man. He didn’t care about God’s will. But when Ben-Hadad arrives, Ahab is now willing to listen to God’s word. “I thought if I prayed, read my Bible, and went to church everything would be okay.” Who are we kidding? These are not good luck charms to prevent difficulties.

3. In His sovereignty, God knows what we need. And what we need are times which drive us back to God and keep us dependent on him. That is rarely pleasant, but necessary so that we may know him as Lord. It is in our brokenness that we come to know God better. In our dilemmas we are thrown back to God and come to trust him more and more. ILL. “Suffering.”

C. Third, don’t blame God for not listening. Notice Ahab’s reaction to being made aware that he was not listening to God. He became sullen and angry. Pouting like a child, Ahab withdraws. Sometimes children will get angry at the parent when they are corrected. The child isn’t compliant; instead, the child is contentious. Ahab wasn’t repentant; he was angry. But he was the one who didn’t listen. ILL. “Listening.” If we don’t listen to God, then what can we expect when God is displeased with us. Ahab missed his opportunity to repent. He missed the opportunity to turn to God. Don’t let that happen with you. The trials you go through can be the door for you to come near to God. Give God the praise for his power. Listen to him and respond. ILL. “Listening: mining disaster.” Invitation.

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