1 Kings 20:13-22 (CLICK HERE FOR BIBLE VERSES)
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is 1 Kings 20:13-22. As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first. See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below. Let’s go!
1 Kings 20:13-22 (NIV)
13 Meanwhile a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel and announced, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Do you see this vast army? I will give it into your hand today, and then you will know that I am the LORD.'”
14 “But who will do this?” asked Ahab. The prophet replied, “This is what the LORD says: ‘The young officers of the provincial commanders will do it.'” “And who will start the battle?” he asked. The prophet answered, “You will.”
15 So Ahab summoned the young officers of the provincial commanders, 232 men. Then he assembled the rest of the Israelites, 7,000 in all.
16 They set out at noon while Ben-Hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk.
17 The young officers of the provincial commanders went out first. Now Ben-Hadad had dispatched scouts, who reported, “Men are advancing from Samaria.”
18 He said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive; if they have come out for war, take them alive.”
19 The young officers of the provincial commanders marched out of the city with the army behind them
20 and each one struck down his opponent. At that, the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben-Hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with some of his horsemen.
21 The king of Israel advanced and overpowered the horses and chariots and inflicted heavy losses on the Arameans.
22 Afterward, the prophet came to the king of Israel and said, “Strengthen your position and see what must be done, because next spring the king of Aram will attack you again.”
On verses 13-22: Through an unidentified prophet God tells Ahab that Ahab will be victorious over Ben-Hadad and his armies and that Ahab’s junior officers will be the ones to lead Ahab’s army to victory. So Ahab mobilizes 232 junior officers to launch an attack against Ben-Hadad, followed by 7,000 more soldiers. Meanwhile Ben-Hadad and the kings allied with him are unsuspecting and getting drunk (v18). The junior officers overcome their Aramean opponents, causing them to flee and sustain heavy losses. The unnamed prophet warns Ahab not to celebrate too quickly but to prepare for another attack from Aram (v22).
What can we learn from this?
1. Why would God give Ahab, an evil king who sinned greatly against God, such a decisive victory over his enemies? I believe it was to show Ahab that God was still trying to win Ahab’s heart, despite all the times Ahab had rejected God. As the LORD would say to Ahab in verse 13: “I will give it into your hand today, and then you will know that I am the LORD.'”
That’s what God does for you and me. In His amazing grace, God keeps on pursuing us, all in the hope that one day we would be His completely. God keeps on chasing after us until there is nothing left to chase — either we finally surrender to Him or we die and remain apart from God forever.
2. This is the second time in 1 Kings where a king is attacked and defeated while that king is getting drunk. These verses warn us against drunkenness and allowing alcohol or other substances to cloud our judgment.
3. By choosing the young junior officers of Ahab’s army to lead the attack, it shows how much God believes in young people and wants to use young people to advance His kingdom. You might not be the oldest, the most experienced or the most senior in your family or on your team. But don’t underestimate what God can do through you for His glory and His kingdom’s sake. As 1 Timothy 4:12 says, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.”
Father, thank You for being a God of such amazing grace – how You still pursue us even after we’ve rejected you and how You choose the weak things of this world to shame the strong. Thank You that You want to use my life to advance Your kingdom and to defeat Your enemies. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
copyright © 2022 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.
