1Ki 20:35-43 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for 1Kgs 20:35-43: 20:35-43 Ahab’s leniency toward Ben-hadad met with God’s disfavor, portrayed in the symbolic actions of an unidentified prophet . God’s prophets often conveyed the Lord’s message through symbolic actions (Isa 20 ; Jer 27:1-7 ; Ezek 4:1-3 , 9-17 ; 5:1-4 ). Ahab had brought judgment upon himself and his people by sparing an untrustworthy enemy rather than trusting further in the Lord.

Summary for 1Kgs 20:35-43: 20:35-43 ^a Ahab’s leniency toward Ben-hadad met with God’s disfavor, portrayed in the symbolic actions of an unidentified prophet. God’s prophets often conveyed the Lord’s message through symbolic actions (Isa 20 ^b; Jer 27:1-7 ^c; Ezek 4:1-3 ^d, 9-17 ^e; 5:1-4 ^f). Ahab had brought judgment upon himself and his people by sparing an untrustworthy enemy rather than trusting further in the Lord.
20:36 ^g a lion will kill you: A lion was previously the means of divine judgment (13:20-24 ^h) and would be so again during the repopulation of Israel following the fall of Samaria (2 Kgs 17:25-26 ⁱ).
Summary for 1Kgs 20:42-43: 20:42-43 ^j The Lord had apparently told Ahab to put Ben-hadad to death (cp. Josh 6:17-21 ^k), but Ahab violated his charge, perhaps viewing the Aramean king as part of the spoils of war (cp. 1 Sam 15:1-23 ^l). The king of Israel would regret his folly: He later faced Ben-hadad in another battle that would cost him his life (1 Kgs 22:29-37 ^m). Rather than learning from the prophet’s rebuke, Ahab went home angry and sullen. 20:42 ⁿ destroyed: See thematic note for Complete Destruction at end of chapter.

Thematic note: Complete Destruction
God instructed Saul to “completely destroy” the Amalekites, who had ambushed the Israelites after the Exodus (see Exod 17:8-16 ^o; Deut 25:17-19 ^p). The Hebrew word kharam (“completely destroy”) often means dedicating something or someone completely to the Lord, either by destroying it (1 Sam 15:3 ^q; Josh 6:17-18 ^r) or by giving it as an offering (see Lev 27:28-29 ^s; Josh 6:19 ^t).
Complete destruction was called for in cases where those to be destroyed had committed a severe offense against God, such as worshiping false gods (Deut 7:1-6 ^u; 13:12-18 ^v). In 1 Samuel 15:3 ^w, complete destruction is prescribed as God’s judgment on a nation that mistreated his chosen people. Those who curse God’s family are, in turn, cursed (Gen 12:3 ^x).
God still judges the godless and impenitent. But in the new covenant, Christians are not called to be agents of such judgment. God calls us to exercise his mercy toward those who wrong us (see Luke 9:51-56 ^y). We must completely destroy whatever within ourselves wars against Christ (Rom 8:12-13 ^z; Col 3:5 ^aa). And we must overcome the enemies of Christ by our faith, by the Good News, and by our love (Eph 6:10-20 ^ab; 1 Jn 2:9-17 ^ac). God will mete out judgment according to his justice and in his time (Rom 12:19 ^ad; 2 Thes 1:6-10 ^ae).

Passages for Further Study
Exod 22:20 ^af; Lev 27:28-29 ^ag; Num 21:2-3 ^ah; Deut 7:1-6 ^ai, 26 ^aj; 13:12-18 ^ak; Josh 6:17-19 ^al; 7:11-26 ^am; 1 Sam 15:3 ^an; 1 Kgs 20:42 ^ao; Isa 43:26-28 ^ap