1Ki 20:6 | KingComments | STEP | A believer like Elijah can have their highs and lows. A wicked man like Ahab has only lows, despite so much evidence of God’s goodness. This chapter also shows this. God is good to Ahab, but he ignores it and reacts to it in pure willfulness. In this chapter we hear nothing from Elijah. He has resigned and the LORD has accepted his resignation. He still has three tasks to complete. His service is over, although we hear from him once more. We do come across several prophets in this history. We also see that Ahab hasn’t changed. In this history God gives Ahab the opportunity to deal with a great enemy, Aram or Syria. He doesn’t do that and then dies later by the hand of the Syrians. An evil spared by us will not spare us and we will perish by it. Yet something has changed because of the Carmel. The people have been reminded that there is a God in Israel. Also the hearts of the people are inclined toward God again. Then God sends blessing. That is astonishing when at the same time we see how little the people do with it. Here we see a gracious God. With a small trace of repentance God shows grace. We will also see this with Ahab in the next chapter. God also proves that He is the holy God. The kings who go with Ben-hadad will be tribal princes. All cities have their own king. Syria is an important enemy of the ten tribes. They besiege Samaria. The enemy does not want to continue the siege and proposes a compromise, in which he sets the conditions. He proposes to Ahab to escape further siege and starvation. Here we see that Ahab hasn’t changed. When Ben-hadad attacks him and makes a foolish proposal, he accepts it. Ahab is prepared to extradite his wives and children, as long as he stays out of harm. He even calls Ben-hadad “my lord”. He does not think about taking refuge in God. He accepts the proposal. Because of this he would also have to hand in Jezebel. In his hubris Ben-hadad makes another demand. He wants to send his servants into town to take away everything they want.

‏ 1 Kings 20:6

Ben-hadad Besieges Samaria

A believer like Elijah can have their highs and lows. A wicked man like Ahab has only lows, despite so much evidence of God’s goodness. This chapter also shows this. God is good to Ahab, but he ignores it and reacts to it in pure willfulness.

In this chapter we hear nothing from Elijah. He has resigned and the LORD has accepted his resignation. He still has three tasks to complete. His service is over, although we hear from him once more. We do come across several prophets in this history. We also see that Ahab hasn’t changed. In this history God gives Ahab the opportunity to deal with a great enemy, Aram or Syria. He doesn’t do that and then dies later by the hand of the Syrians. An evil spared by us will not spare us and we will perish by it.

Yet something has changed because of the Carmel. The people have been reminded that there is a God in Israel. Also the hearts of the people are inclined toward God again. Then God sends blessing. That is astonishing when at the same time we see how little the people do with it. Here we see a gracious God. With a small trace of repentance God shows grace. We will also see this with Ahab in the next chapter. God also proves that He is the holy God.

The kings who go with Ben-hadad will be tribal princes. All cities have their own king. Syria is an important enemy of the ten tribes. They besiege Samaria. The enemy does not want to continue the siege and proposes a compromise, in which he sets the conditions. He proposes to Ahab to escape further siege and starvation.

Here we see that Ahab hasn’t changed. When Ben-hadad attacks him and makes a foolish proposal, he accepts it. Ahab is prepared to extradite his wives and children, as long as he stays out of harm. He even calls Ben-hadad “my lord”. He does not think about taking refuge in God. He accepts the proposal. Because of this he would also have to hand in Jezebel.

In his hubris Ben-hadad makes another demand. He wants to send his servants into town to take away everything they want.