Bulletins - First Baptist Church of Huntersville West Virginia

1 Kings 20 CSB
1 Now King Ben-hadad of Aram assembled his entire army. Thirty-two kings, along with horses and chariots, were with him. He marched up, besieged Samaria, and fought against it. 2 He sent messengers into the city to King Ahab of Israel and said to him, “This is what Ben-hadad says: 3 ‘Your silver and your gold are mine! And your best wives and children are mine as well!’ ” 4 Then the king of Israel answered, “Just as you say, my lord the king: I am yours, along with all that I have.” 5 The messengers then returned and said, “This is what Ben-hadad says: ‘I have sent messengers to you, saying, “You are to give me your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children.” 6 But at this time tomorrow I will send my servants to you, and they will search your palace and your servants’ houses. They will lay their hands on and take away whatever is precious to you.’ ”
After years of drought and famine, Israel is weak and the king of Syria sees it as an opportunity to attack.
He is accompanied by a coalition of 32 kings and quickly put Samaria under seige.
King Ben-hadad sent messengers demanding silver and gold and the best wives and children - this was done to humiliate the King Ahab.
King Ahab quickly agreed to the terms but the king of Syria responded with an additional demand… he will come and search the palace and the houses of Ahab’s officials and whatever they found and deemed valuable they would take.
1 Kings 20 CSB
7 Then the king of Israel called for all the elders of the land and said, “Recognize that this one is only looking for trouble, for he demanded my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, and I didn’t turn him down.” 8 All the elders and all the people said to him, “Don’t listen or agree.” 9 So he said to Ben-hadad’s messengers, “Say to my lord the king, ‘Everything you demanded of your servant the first time, I will do, but this thing I cannot do.’ ” So the messengers left and took word back to him. 10 Then Ben-hadad sent messengers to him and said, “May the gods punish me and do so severely if Samaria’s dust amounts to a handful for each of the people who follow me.” 11 The king of Israel answered, “Say this: ‘Don’t let the one who puts on his armor boast like the one who takes it off.’ ” 12 When Ben-hadad heard this response, while he and the kings were drinking in their quarters, he said to his servants, “Take your positions.” So they took their positions against the city.
Ahab was obviously concerned with this new development so he called a council of elders.
Ahab caved quickly the first time but the elders encouraged him to not give in. So Ahab sent a no message…
The king of Syria sent a 3rd message threatening to destroy Samaria so thoroughly that there would bot be enough left of it to make a handful of dust for each of his men.
King Ahab’s response the the threat - “Don’t let the one who puts on his armor boast like the one who takes it off.” - in other words, don’t be bragging about winning a fight that hasn’t even started yet… well not it is on
1 Kings 20 CSB
13 A prophet approached King Ahab of Israel and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Do you see this whole huge army? Watch, I am handing it over to you today so that you may know that I am the Lord.’ ” 14 Ahab asked, “By whom?” And the prophet said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘By the young men of the provincial leaders.’ ” Then he asked, “Who is to start the battle?” He said, “You.”
An unknown prophet comes to the king and informs him that God is going to give them the battle but only if the king uses his provincial commanders to lead the fight.
Ahab is also not to wait for the king of Syria to attack but he is to start the fight.
1 Kings 20 CSB
15 So Ahab mobilized the young men of the provincial leaders, and there were 232. After them he mobilized all the Israelite troops: 7,000. 16 They marched out at noon while Ben-hadad and the thirty-two kings who were helping him were getting drunk in their quarters. 17 The young men of the provincial leaders marched out first. Then Ben-hadad sent out scouts, and they reported to him, saying, “Men are marching out of Samaria.” 18 So he said, “If they have marched out in peace, take them alive, and if they have marched out for battle, take them alive.” 19 The young men of the provincial leaders and the army behind them marched out from the city, 20 and each one struck down his opponent. So the Arameans fled and Israel pursued them, but King Ben-hadad of Aram escaped on a horse with the cavalry. 21 Then the king of Israel marched out and attacked the cavalry and the chariots. He inflicted a severe slaughter on Aram.
The young men of Isreal (about 232) led an army of 7000 against Syria - of course the Syrian leaders were still getting drunk instead of out fighting
The route was on where even King Ben-hadad barely escaped with his life
The victory should have convinced the king of Israel that God was still with him.. sadly this was not the case.
1 Kings 20 CSB
22 The prophet approached the king of Israel and said to him, “Go and strengthen yourself, then consider carefully what you should do, for in the spring the king of Aram will attack you.” 23 Now the king of Aram’s servants said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hill country. That’s why they were stronger than we were. Instead, we should fight with them on the plain; then we will certainly be stronger than they are. 24 Also do this: remove each king from his position and appoint captains in their place. 25 Raise another army for yourself like the army you lost—horse for horse, chariot for chariot—and let’s fight with them on the plain; and we will certainly be stronger than they are.” The king listened to them and did it.
The prophet returned to warn King Ahab to strengthen his forces because the enemy would return next year.
God knows all because Ben-hadad was being told by his people that the only reason they lost was because Israel’s gods were the gods of the hill country
If the king rebuilds his army and attacks Israel on the plains then they will win… the king did it but they were mistaken about Israel’s God.
1 Kings 20 CSB
26 In the spring, Ben-hadad mobilized the Arameans and went up to Aphek to battle Israel. 27 The Israelites mobilized, gathered supplies, and went to fight them. The Israelites camped in front of them like two little flocks of goats, while the Arameans filled the landscape. 28 Then the man of God approached and said to the king of Israel, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because the Arameans have said, “The Lord is a god of the mountains and not a god of the valleys,” I will hand over all this whole huge army to you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’ ” 29 They camped opposite each other for seven days. On the seventh day, the battle took place, and the Israelites struck down the Arameans—one hundred thousand foot soldiers in one day. 30 The ones who remained fled into the city of Aphek, and the wall fell on those twenty-seven thousand remaining men. Ben-hadad also fled and went into an inner room in the city. 31 His servants said to him, “Consider this: we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. So let’s put sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads, and let’s go out to the king of Israel. Perhaps he will spare your life.”
Just as the prophet said King Ben-hadad went out to fight Israel in the spring.
I love the description of the size of the forces - the Israelites - 2 little flocks of goats but the Arameans filled the landscape.
God is going to use this moment to show the world that He is not a God that is limited to one location… God can and will defeat the Arameans in plains just like He did in the mountains.
Not only did this little army defeat the larger force even those who fled to the city wound up being crushed by a collapsed wall.
After such a thorough defeat a new plan is hatched… beg for mercy.

1 Kings 20 CSB
32 So they dressed with sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, went to the king of Israel, and said, “Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please spare my life.’ ” So he said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.” 33 Now the men were looking for a sign of hope, so they quickly picked up on this and responded, “Yes, it is your brother Ben-hadad.” Then he said, “Go and bring him.” So Ben-hadad came out to him, and Ahab had him come up into the chariot. 34 Then Ben-hadad said to him, “I restore to you the cities that my father took from your father, and you may set up marketplaces for yourself in Damascus, like my father set up in Samaria.” Ahab responded, “On the basis of this treaty, I release you.” So he made a treaty with him and released him.
The plan worked, the servants humbled then begged for mercy
Ben-hadad came to Ahab and promised to give him back the cities that were taken from him so Ahab entered a treaty with Ben-hadad
In doing so Ahab was trusting in his own appraisal of his needs and the world situation rather than in God who had given him the miraculous victory.
1 Kings 20 CSB
35 One of the sons of the prophets said to his fellow prophet by the word of the Lord, “Strike me!” But the man refused to strike him. 36 He told him, “Because you did not listen to the Lord, mark my words: When you leave me, a lion will kill you.” When he left him, a lion attacked and killed him. 37 The prophet found another man and said to him, “Strike me!” So the man struck him, inflicting a wound. 38 Then the prophet went and waited for the king on the road. He disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes. 39 As the king was passing by, he cried out to the king and said, “Your servant marched out into the middle of the battle. Suddenly, a man turned aside and brought someone to me and said, ‘Guard this man! If he is ever missing, it will be your life in place of his life, or you will weigh out seventy-five pounds of silver.’ 40 But while your servant was busy here and there, he disappeared.” The king of Israel said to him, “That will be your sentence; you yourself have decided it.” 41 He quickly removed the bandage from his eyes. The king of Israel recognized that he was one of the prophets. 42 The prophet said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because you released from your hand the man I had set apart for destruction, it will be your life in place of his life and your people in place of his people.’ ” 43 The king of Israel left for home resentful and angry, and he entered Samaria.
Ahab’s leniency would not go without divine rebuke.
God raised up another prophet to deal with Ahab - the plan is a little strange because he asks a fellow prophet to hit him but he refused
Because the prophet spoke for God the other man refusing him as tantamount to disobeying God and as such he was dealt with harshly… he was killed by a lion.
So he found someone else to do it and this guy listened.
The reason for the wound was part of a disguise as a soldier who had been wounded in battle and had been given a prisoner to watch.
He told the king that he was to guard the prisoner or lose his life or pay a huge sum of money - in all the commotion the prisoner escaped.
This is reminiscent of Nathan telling David a story to get his reaction…
The king confirmed the sentence - and then the prophet revealed himself to Ahab.
It was King Ahab who actually lost the prisoner God had given him - it was even against Torah for King Ahab to enact a treaty with King Ben-hadad.
The kings pronouncement against the fictitious solider would now be the kings judgment - Ahab would pay with his life for letting King Ben-hadad go.
Three Takeaways
God’s power is not limited by our worthiness.
Ahab was a wicked king, yet God still delivered Israel - not because of Ahab’s worthiness but to reveal His glory
God working in and through us does not depend on us being perfect.
In child development studies, parents who show grace-based discipline (rewarding or restoring a child even after failure) create longer-lasting character than those who only reward merit.
And just like the grace-based parent, God uses underserved help as a teaching moment - not to affirm Ahab’s behavior, but to reveal His own character and invite repentance
God works through all sorts of people - He works through weak people, broken systems and imperfect leaders to accomplish His will.
Sometimes, we strongly assume God’s blessings mean we’re doing everything right. Or worse - we assume we have to earn His power through performance.
When God moves it’s not about our strength - it’s about His glory.
God sometimes blesses us not because we’re faithful, but because He is.
Godly success should lead to humility and obedience
Ahab was victorious but it was through God’s intervention - he could not have done it on his own.
Instead of honoring God he disobeyed by letting Ben-hadad go free (this is clearly an issue of pride)
He turned what was a great spiritual victory into a political negotiation that benefited him.
Success can become a snare if it lead us to self-reliance or compromise.
When God gives us success, it should lead to deeper obedience.
Don’t misuse grace to make deals God never approved (or even worse, clearly rejects).
Ignoring God’s warnings have consequences.
Even after being warned by a prophet of his failure, Ahab refuses to repent.
His anger reveals pride, not conviction - and this sets the stage for his eventual downfall.
On the night of April 14, 1912, the RMS Titanic received at least 6 iceberg warnings from nearby ships. These messages were transmitted via wireless telegraph and alerted the crew to dangerous ice field ahead. Yet these warnings were either ignored, downplayed, or delayed. Some never even reached the bridge…why?
Because Titanic was thought to be “unsinkable”. The belief in the ship’s invincibility led to overconfidence - and that overconfidence led to tragedy.
When the Titanic struck the iceberg, it was too late. Over 1500 lives were lost in a disaster that wasn’t about ignorance - it was about disregard. They should have changed direction.
God is merciful to warn us but His patience has a purpose: repentance.
Don’t harden you heart when confronted by truth.
Pride responds with resentment.
Humility responds with repentance.

God’s power is not limited by our worthiness.

Godly success should lead to humility and obedience

Ignoring God’s warnings have consequences.