Chapter 176. 1 Kings 20:1-30. Ben-Hadad
DURING Ahab’s reign, Benhadad, a wicked man, was king of Syria. The Syrians were neighbors of the Israelites, and lived on the north and east of them. David had conquered them, and while he and Solomon, his son, reigned they were subject to the children of Israel, but as soon as they were strong enough they rebelled against their masters and gave them much trouble.
Success had made them very bold, and Ben-hadad, gathering all his army, determined to besiege Samaria. With him were thirty-two kings from the small kingdoms around, with men, horses and chariots in quantity. Messengers were sent into the city to Ahab, saying, “Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine.”
Ahab was much frightened, and hastened to send reply, “My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have.” This did not satisfy Benhadad who sent the messengers once more with the word that the Syrians would come on the morrow and search the houses and take whatever they wished.
Hastily, Ahab sent for the elders of Israel, and all decided they could not allow this, and told Ben-hadad not to boast ahead of time. The Syrians prepared to attack the city.
Ahab, idolatrous and wicked as he was, had no thought of turning to the Lord for help, but God was looking down upon this disobedient king and his people, and through His goodness and patience sought to bring them back to Himself. A prophet came to Ahab and told him that all the multitude of the Syrians should be delivered into their hands, that all might know it was of God.
Ahab then counted his army and found he had only seven thousand, with two hundred and thirty-two princes to lead the men. At noon, while Ben-hadad sat eating and drinking with the thirty-two kings, his allies, the princes walked out of the city. They had left the soldiers behind to follow at a distance. The Syrian guards informed Ben-hadad that there were men come out of Samaria. “Take them alive,” said he, “whether they come for peace or for war.”
Confident that there was nothing to fear from such a small band, the Syrians came forward. But the army, behind the princes, had followed, and each singling out his man, they slew many of the Syrians. The others fled and Israel pursued after them.
Ben-hadad jumped on his horse and escaped. Ahab and his men pursued and utterly routed their enemies.
The Syrians, however, were not discouraged. They said, “The gods of Israel are the gods of the hills, therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.” So Ben-hadad arranged his army in the valley of Aphek. It was a very great army indeed against which the Israelites looked like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the whole country. The Lord had heard what the Syrians had said, and He determined to give them into the hand of Israel that they might know that He is God, and there is none else. He sent a prophet to Ahab to tell him that He would deliver this great multitude into his hands that they might know who He was. Por seven days the two armies faced each other and on the seventh the Israelites slew one hundred thousand footmen and the rest fled, learning in this terrible way that there is but one God, that He reigns over all the earth. The hills and valleys are alike to Him; we cannot hide from His eyes, which are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.
ML 04/08/1917