What I Noticed Today (1 Kings 20-21)
1 Kings 20
1 Kings 20 shifts our attention to Ben-Hadad, king of Syria (Arameans), who led a group of 32 kings against Ahab, king of Israel.
In verses 1-34, Ben-Hadad besieged Samaria and sent messengers to Ahab calling for a tribute to be paid to him (all his silver, gold, wives, and children).
- Ahab agreed to Ben-hadad’s terms.
- Ben-hadad then said the next day his men would personally come and take whatever they wanted.
- Ahab spoke to his counselors, and they said not to agree to Ben-hadad’s terms, so Ben-Hadad took up positions against Ahab.
- Ahab did battle with Ben-Hadad twice and defeated Ben-Hadad each time.
- The first victory proclaimed by the Lord was to demonstrate to Ahab that the Lord was God (1 Kings 20:13).
- The second victory was to demonstrate to Ben-Hadad that the Lord was God (1Kings 20:28).
- Ben-hadad agreed to return the cities his father had taken from Ahab’s father (Baasha).
- Ahab made a treaty with Ben-Hadad after the second victory rather than killing him as God had directed.
In verses 35-43, the Lord sent a prophet to confront Ahab for releasing Ben-hadad in opposition to the Lord’s command to destroy him.
- The prophet confronted Ahab describing a similar situation, but Ahab didn’t recognize the situation or the prophet. Because Ahab had spared Ben-hadad, he would die in his place. Because Ahab had spared the people of Ben-hadad, the people of Israel would die.
- Ahab left to return home to Samaria resentful and angry because of the prophecy against him.
Some thoughts for additional consideration:
- Elijah experienced a spiritual high, followed by a spiritual low, and significant depression. This is often the case with us as well. We should trust in God, and rest in our faith, knowing that God is in control.
- Ahab was such a stubborn hard-hearted leader. God gave him victory twice even though he didn’t deserve it. God brought messages to him from prophets. Yet Ahab was too stubborn and hard-hearted to repent and turn away from his sins, and to the Lord who had just saved him and the people.
- It is easy for us today to get so caught up in our own way that we miss God’s blessings and favor right before us. We can even miss God’s message to us to trust Him and follow Him in faith.
1 Kings 21
Ahab tries to purchase Naboth’s vineyard.
In verses 1-16, we have King Ahab who just had two miraculous military victories over Ben-Hadad, and he gets all pouty when his neighbor Naboth refuses to sell him his vineyard and give up his family’s inheritance.
Note: There was no provision in the Levitical law for selling your family inheritance, so Ahab shouldn't have been surprised by Naboth's response.
- However, Jezebel, Ahab’s wife, says she will get the land for him.
- She knows enough about the Levitical law to have two men accuse Naboth of cursing God.
- As a result, Naboth was stoned, and Ahab took his vineyard.
In verses 17-29, the word of the Lord came to Elijah and told him to go to Ahab and confront him for killing Naboth and taking his vineyard.
- Elijah appears before Ahab and passes judgment on him from the Lord for the killing of Naboth and for doing evil in the Lord’s sight.
- Elijah says the Lord has promised to eliminate all of Ahab’s heirs because he had provoked Israel to sin. The Lord’s condemnation extended to Jezebel, who said Elijah, would be eaten by the dogs in Jezreel.
- In a surprising turn of events, Ahab repented. He tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted upon hearing the Lord’s judgment, so the Lord delayed bringing disaster on the house of Ahab.
