1 Kings 20:1-43

Memory Verse: 13

Questions

Outline

I. Know that I am the Lord (20:1-17)

* The map is from the 1983 NIV Study Bible no longer in print.

>1. What threat did Samaria face? (1-3)

* 1 Kings 20:1-3 "Now Ben-Hadad king of Aram mustered his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he went up and besieged Samaria and attacked it. He sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, saying, "This is what Ben-Hadad says: 'Your silver and gold are mine, and the best of your wives and children are mine.'"

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>How did Ahab respond? (4)

* 1 Kings 20:4 "The king of Israel answered, "Just as you say, my lord the king. I and all I have are yours."

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>When Samaria's enemies saw how easy Ahab gave away all he had what new demand did they give? (5-6)

* 1 Kings 20:5-6 "The messengers came again and said, "This is what Ben-Hadad says: 'I sent to demand your silver and gold, your wives and your children. But about this time tomorrow I am going to send my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials. They will seize everything you value and carry it away.'"

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>2. What can we learn about Ahab's character from his word to the elders? (7)

* 1 Kings 20:7 "The king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said to them, "See how this man is looking for trouble! When he sent for my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, I did not refuse him."

* Proverbs 5:22-23 "The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold him fast. He will die for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly."

* Proverbs 12:12-13 "The wicked desire the plunder of evil men, but the root of the righteous flourishes. An evil man is trapped by his sinful talk, but a righteous man escapes trouble."

* Proverbs 17:4 "A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar pays attention to a malicious tongue."

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>What advice did Ahab accept? (8-9)

* 1 Kings 20:8-9 "The elders and the people all answered, "Don't listen to him or agree to his demands." So he replied to Ben-Hadad's messengers, "Tell my lord the king, 'Your servant will do all you demanded the first time, but this demand I cannot meet.'" They left and took the answer back to Ben-Hadad."

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>How did the exchange of words between the two go? (10-12)

* 1 Kings 20:10-12 "Then Ben-Hadad sent another message to Ahab: "May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if enough dust remains in Samaria to give each of my men a handful." The king of Israel answered, "Tell him: 'One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off.'" Ben-Hadad heard this message while he and the kings were drinking in their tents, and he ordered his men: "Prepare to attack." So they prepared to attack the city."

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>3. Why did the Lord give Ahab his word of encouragement? (13-14)

* 1 Kings 20:13-14 "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.' "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.""

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>How did Ahab respond? (15-17)

* 1 Kings 20:15-17 "So Ahab summoned the young officers of the provincial commanders, 232 men. Then he assembled the rest of the Israelites, 7,000 in all. They set out at noon while Ben-Hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk. The young officers of the provincial commanders went out first. Now Ben-Hadad had dispatched scouts, who reported, "Men are advancing from Samaria."

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>What can be learned about the Lord?

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II. Ahab Makes a Treaty with Aram (20:18-34)

* The map to the right is 10th century Middle East. Israel is shown as one nation in the map. Use the link above to see a map of the kingdom divided.

>4. How did the Lord keep his word? (18-21)

* 1 Kings 20:18-21 "He said, "If they have come out for peace, take them alive; if they have come out for war, take them alive." The young officers of the provincial commanders marched out of the city with the army behind them 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. The king of Israel advanced and overpowered the horses and chariots and inflicted heavy losses on the Arameans."

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>What new direction did the Lord give? (22)

* 1 Kings 20:22 "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."

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>Who did Aram understand helped Samaria, but what did he know know about God? (23-27)

* 1 Kings 20:23-27 "Meanwhile, the officials of the king of Aram advised him, "Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they were too strong for us. But if we fight them on the plains, surely we will be stronger than they. Do this: Remove all the kings from their commands and replace them with other officers. You must also raise an army like the one you lost--horse for horse and chariot for chariot--so we can fight Israel on the plains. Then surely we will be stronger than they." He agreed with them and acted accordingly. The next spring Ben-Hadad mustered the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. When the Israelites were also mustered and given provisions, they marched out to meet them. The Israelites camped opposite them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside.

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>What did the Lord want everyone to understand? (28)

* 1 Kings 20:28 "The man of God came up and told the king of Israel, "This is what the LORD says: 'Because the Arameans think the LORD is a god of the hills and not a god of the valleys, I will deliver this vast army into your hands, and you will know that I am the LORD.'"

* Isaiah 59:1 "Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear."

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>5. How did the battle go? (29-30)

* 1 Kings 20:29-30 "For seven days they camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle was joined. The Israelites inflicted a hundred thousand casualties on the Aramean foot soldiers in one day. The rest of them escaped to the city of Aphek, where the wall collapsed on twenty-seven thousand of them. And Ben-Hadad fled to the city and hid in an inner room."

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* See a wood engraving by Gustave Dore (1832-1883) to the right depicting the slaughter of the Syrians by the children of Israel. Dore's drawings were in Bibles that are now in public domain. This one was scanned in by creationism.org.

>Why did Ahab call his enemy his brother? (31-32; Gen. 28:5)

* 1 Kings 20:31-32 "His officials said to him, "Look, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful. Let us go to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life." Wearing sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, "Your servant Ben-Hadad says: 'Please let me live.'" The king answered, "Is he still alive? He is my brother."

* Genesis 28:5 "Then Isaac sent Jacob on his way, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, who was the mother of Jacob and Esau."

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>6. How did Ahab treat Ben-Hadad? (33)

* 1 Kings 20:33 "The men took this as a good sign and were quick to pick up his word. "Yes, your brother Ben-Hadad!" they said. "Go and get him," the king said. When Ben-Hadad came out, Ahab had him come up into his chariot."

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>After being defeated twice how far was Ben-Hadad willing to go to stay in power? (34)

* 1 Kings 20:34 "I will return the cities my father took from your father," Ben-Hadad offered. "You may set up your own market areas in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria." [Ahab said,] "On the basis of a treaty I will set you free." So he made a treaty with him, and let him go."

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>Was Ahab wise in accepting his offer?

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III. A Prophet Condemns Ahab (20:35-43)

>7. What can be learned from verses 35-36?

* 1 Kings 20:35-36 "By the word of the LORD one of the sons of the prophets said to his companion, "Strike me with your weapon," but the man refused. So the prophet said, "Because you have not obeyed the LORD, as soon as you leave me a lion will kill you." And after the man went away, a lion found him and killed him."

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>Why might the prophet disguise himself? (37-38)

* 1 Kings 20:37-38 "The prophet found another man and said, "Strike me, please." So the man struck him and wounded him. Then the prophet went and stood by the road waiting for the king. He disguised himself with his headband down over his eyes."

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>8. How was the prophet's story like Ahab's treatment of Ben-Hadad? (39-40)

* 1 Kings 20:39-40 "As the king passed by, the prophet called out to him, "Your servant went into the thick of the battle, and someone came to me with a captive and said, 'Guard this man. If he is missing, it will be your life for his life, or you must pay a talent of silver.' While your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared." "That is your sentence," the king of Israel said. "You have pronounced it yourself."

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>What did the prophet boldly proclaim? (41-42)

* 1 Kings 20:41-42 "Then the prophet quickly removed the headband from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. He said to the king, "This is what the LORD says: 'You have set free a man I had determined should die. Therefore it is your life for his life, your people for his people.'"

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>9. How did Ahab respond? (43)

* 1 Kings 20:43 "Sullen and angry, the king of Israel went to his palace in Samaria."

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>How is this the opposite of repentance?

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