Meanwhile, the servants of the king of Aram said to him, "Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they prevailed over us. Instead, we should fight them on the plains; surely then we will prevail. Sermons
I. THE WISDOM OF THIS WORLD IS A WISDOM OF EXPEDIENCY. 1. It is not destitute of sagacity. (1) It has its maxims of prudence. (a) Ben-hadad's counsellors would not have him underrate his enemy. The army they advise him to raise for the invasion of Israel must not be inferior to that which had been lately vanquished (ver. 25). Let us not underrate our spiritual foes. (b) Neither would they have him underrate the quality of his soldiers. They do not admit that his army was fairly beaten, but speak of "the army that thou hast lost," or "that fell from thee." In this also they were right, for if God had not helped Israel the Syrians would not have been routed. In all our spiritual conflicts let us fight under the banner of Jehovah. (2) It has its lessons of experience. (a) Ben-hadad's counsellors lay emphasis here - "And do this thing, Take the kings away, every man out of his place." Why remove the kings? Because in the last war they were "drinking themselves drunk" when they should have been at their posts, and the army, without officers, became confused and demoralized. Trust not the kings again (see Psalm 118:9; Psalm 146:8). (b) "Put captains in their rooms." Let the army be commanded by men of ability and experience. Pageants are of no use in times of exigency. 2. But its sagacity is mingled with folly. (1) Because the motives of the wicked are vicious. (a) In his former war Ben-hadad's impulse was pride. The insolence of his demands evidenced this (vers. 3, 6). But what wisdom is there in pride? (b) Though mortified by defeat, that pride remained, and was now moved by the spirit of revenge: "Surely we shall be stronger than they." But what wisdom is there in resentment? (c) Beyond these base feelings the desire for plunder seems to have moved the Syrian. But where is the wisdom in a king becoming a common robber? (2) Because they put themselves into conflict with the Almighty. (a) The Syrians formed an unworthy idea of the Elohim of Israel when they localized and limited Him to the hills. Palestine is a hilly country, and its cities and high places were generally on hills; and probably in the hill country of Samaria the cavalry and chariots of Syria were of little service. (See Psalm 15:1; Psalm 24:3; Psalm 87:1; Psalm 121:1.) (b) In the proposal to give Israel battle in the plains the Syrians now set Jehovah at defiance. II. THE WISDOM FROM ABOVE IS THE WISDOM OF TRUTH. 1. It is far reaching. (1) God sees the end from the beginning. We should therefore seek His counsel and guidance. (2) He forewarns His people. He sent His prophet to the king of Israel to inform him that the king of Syria would come up against him at the return of the year. He forewarns us of the things of eternity. 2. It is prudent. (1) The prophet advised Ahab to prepare for the event. "Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, and see what thou doest." We should ever deport ourselves as in the presence of spiritual foes. (2) God helps those who help themselves. 3. It is unerring. (1) Events foreshown by God will surely come to pass. (2) According to the advice of the prophet, "at the return of the year," viz., "at the time when kings go forth to battle" (see 2 Samuel 11:1; 1 Chronicles 20:1), probably answering to our March, which has its name from Mars, the god of war, Ben-hadad "went up to Aphek to fight against Israel." There were several cities of this name: one in the tribe of Asher (Joshua 19:30); another in Judah (1 Samuel 4:1); a third in Syria (2 Kings 13:17). The last is probably that referred to here. 4. It is profitable. (1) This follows from its other qualities. The guidance which is "prudent," "far reaching," and "unerring" must be "profitable." (2) But further, those who follow that guidance so commend themselves to God that He directly interposes in their behalf. There was a faithful "seven thousand" in Israel (1 Kings 19:18). (3) If in conflict with those who prefer a worldly policy, they not only have God on their side, but they have Him with them against their enemy. (4) God helped Ahab against Ben-hadad, not that Ahab deserved it, but that Ben-hadad had to be punished (ver. 28. See also Ezekiel 36:22). The "two little flocks of kids" could not have slain in one day "one hundred thousand men" unless God had helped them. The hand of God also was in the falling of that wall by which "seven and twenty thousand" perished. Let us faithfully pursue the policy of right. Let us never permit the expediency of a moment to swerve us from this. Truth abides. - J.A.M.
Go, strengthen thyself Israel had Just been at war with Syria, and had come off victorious. Naturally they were feeling very happy and triumphant and were congratulating themselves on their success. Then it was that God sent His prophet to the King of Israel with this sobering message. It was a call to wisdom. The king was reminded that life before him was a struggle, and that because he had won this victory he was not to take it for granted that he could live carelessly as though he had no enemies. A still greater struggle was ahead of him, and unless he strengthened himself by careful preparation he was sure to meet with defeat. Our theme is very plain. This is a message which God sends to every man and woman to-day. It should come to Christians with great emphasis. Perhaps you have had spiritual victory. God has been giving you gracious blessings. Nevertheless, I would come to you as God's messenger and say to you in the midst of your congratulation, "Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, and see what thou doest: for on a day when you are not looking for it, at a time when you are least expecting it, Satan will come against you, and unless you have made yourself strong in the strength of God you will be overcome." God had given David many victories. But it was after all that, after David had congratulated himself a thousand times on the victories which God had given him, that Satan came against him with a new temptation, a temptation unexpected and insidious, which led him into a sin so terrible that he came near losing his soul. It was after Peter had had many victories and many marks of the signal favour and love of Jesus Christ; after he had been on the Mount of Transfiguration and had been permitted to look on the inner glory of the Son of God; after he had been chosen to go into the Garden of Gethsemane and witness the supreme agony of the atoning love; after he had sworn that though all men should forsake Jesus he would remain faithful; it was after all this that Peter, assaulted unexpectedly by Satan, was overcome and denied his Lord. Now these Syrians were idolaters and had no real conception of the true God in whom was the only strength of Israel. The officers of the King of Syria thought they had found a solution of the problem as to why Israel was able constantly to defeat them, although they had the superior numbers. They said to the King of Syria, "Their gods are 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." Let us see how that turned out. You see that, after all, the only thing Israel could do to prepare for the fight against the overwhelming numbers of the Syrians was to strengthen themselves in God. So long as they obeyed God, and had Him for their friend, they were stronger than all that could come against them. But without God they were weak and helpless and easily overthrown and destroyed. There is but one way to intrench yourself in the strength of God, and that is by repentance and obedience. We cannot fight God; we cannot make compromises with God; there is just one way open — we can surrender unconditionally at the mercy-seat.(L. A. Banks, D. D.) (Helps to Speakers.) People Ahab, Aram, Ben, Benhadad, Ben-hadad, Hadad, Israelites, SyriansPlaces Aphek, Damascus, Samaria, SyriaTopics Advised, Aram, Aram's, Attack, Certainly, Fight, Gods, Hills, Lowlands, Mountains, Officials, Plain, Plains, Plateau, Rather, Servants, Strong, Stronger, Surely, Syria, YetOutline 1. Ben-Hadad, not content with Ahab's homage, besieges Samaria13. By the direction of a prophet, the Syrians are slain 22. As the prophet forewarned Ahab, the Syrians come against him in Aphek 28. By the word of the prophet, and God's judgment, the Syrians are smitten again 31. The Syrians submit; Ahab sends Ben-Hadad away with a covenant 35. The prophet, under the parable of a prisoner, 39. making Ahab judge himself, denounces God's judgment against him Dictionary of Bible Themes 1 Kings 20:23 8142 religion Library The Lost OpportunityTEXT: "And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it."--1 Kings 20:40. There is a very striking incident connected with this text. The great battle is raging, a certain important prisoner has been taken, and if you read between the lines you seem to know that upon him depend many of the issues of war. His skill in leading the enemy had been marvelous, his courage in the thick of the fight striking; … J. Wilbur Chapman—And Judas Iscariot Putting on the Armour The Section Chap. I. -iii. The Letter of the Synod to the Emperor and Empress. Nature of the Renderings The Practice of Piety in Glorifying God in the Time of Sickness, and when Thou Art Called to Die in the Lord. The Twelve Minor Prophets. Tiglath-Pileser iii. And the Organisation of the Assyrian Empire from 745 to 722 B. C. 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