1 Kings 20:12 - Meaning and Application

The treaty between the attackers and the defenders was suddenly broken off, and now we are told about the battle that followed at once.

I. The Syrians, who were besieging the city, took their orders from a drunk king. Ben-hadad was giving commands while he was drinking (1 Kings 20:12), and he was drunk with the other kings in the tents at noon (1 Kings 20:16). Drunkenness has long been a sin that armies and their leaders have fallen into. So do not say the old days were better in this respect, even though these days are bad enough. If he had not been very careless, he would not have sat down to drink. If he had not been drunk, he would not have been so careless.

Security and pleasure often went together in the old world, as in the days of Sodom (Luke 17:26). Ben-hadad’s drunkenness came before his fall, just as Belshazzar’s did (Daniel 5). How could he succeed when he cared more about pleasure than duty, and kept kings drinking with him when they should have been at their posts fighting for him?

In his drunken state, he ordered the city to be surrounded, the war machines set up, and everything made ready for a full attack (1 Kings 20:12). Yet he stayed in his drinking group and did not go out to see it done. “Woe to you, land, when your king is a child.” When the defenders made a surprise attack, and by then he was far gone, he ordered that they be taken alive (1 Kings 20:18). That was a foolish command. It was also unjust, because they had come to ask for peace and renew the treaty. So he drank, forgot what was right, and ignored both the wisdom and justice that war requires.

II. The Israelites, who were under siege, took their directions from an inspired prophet, one of the Lord’s prophets whom Ahab had hated and chased away. “And behold, a prophet came near to the king of Israel,” as the verse can be read (1 Kings 20:13).

Behold and wonder that God would send a prophet with a kind message to such a wicked king as Ahab. He did this, first, for the sake of his people Israel, who, though deeply corrupted, were still the seed of Abraham, God’s friend, and Jacob, God’s chosen one. They were children of the covenant and had not yet been cast off. Second, he did it to show his mercy, by doing good to one so evil and ungrateful, and to either lead him to repentance or leave him more guilty. Third, he did it to humble Ben-hadad’s pride and stop his arrogance. Ahab’s idolatry would be punished later, but Ben-hadad’s pride would be corrected now, for God opposes the proud. He is pleased to show that he fears the enemy’s anger (Deuteronomy 32:26, 27).

There may have been only one prophet available in Samaria, and he came near with this message, which suggests he had been kept at a distance before. Ahab would not have welcomed him in his days of success, but now he is glad to see him, when none of the prophets of the groves can help him. He had not asked for a prophet of the Lord, but God sent one without being asked, because he waits to show grace.

The prophet does two things. First, he gives Ahab courage by promising victory, something better than all the elders of Israel could give him (1 Kings 20:8), though they had promised to stand with him. This prophet, whose name is not given because he spoke for God, tells him in God’s name that this very day the siege will end and the Syrian army will be defeated (1 Kings 20:13). When the prophet said, “Thus says the Lord,” Ahab likely began to tremble, expecting a message of judgment. But he was encouraged when it turned out to be a gracious word. He is also told why this must happen: “You will know that I am the Lord,” the sovereign ruler of all. God’s prediction of something so unlikely proved that it was his own work.

Second, the prophet tells Ahab what to do to win the battle. He must not wait for the enemy to attack. He must go out and catch them by surprise in their camp. The men to be used were the young men of the princes of the provinces, the attendants and footmen, only 232 in number. They knew nothing about war and were the least likely men for such a bold attack. Yet they were the ones chosen, so that weak and foolish things would shame the wise and strong, and so that Ben-hadad’s boasting would be checked and Ahab’s boasting prevented. In that way, it would be clear that the power was from God.

Ahab himself must show trust in God’s word by leading in person, even though, by human judgment, this put him in great danger. Still, it is fitting that those who receive God’s promises should go forward into them. He was also allowed to use whatever other forces he had ready, to follow the first attack after these young men had broken the way open. All he could gather in Samaria, or nearby, were 7,000 men (1 Kings 20:15). It is striking that this was the same number as those who had not bowed to Baal (1 Kings 19:18), though they were probably not the same men.

III. The outcome happened exactly as God had said. The proud Syrians were defeated, and the poor, despised Israelites proved more than conquerors. The young men gave the alarm to the Syrians at noon, right at dinner time, with the little support they had (1 Kings 20:16). Ben-hadad first looked down on them (1 Kings 20:18), but when they had shown unmatched courage and skill, killing each his man and throwing the army into confusion, he no longer dared to face them. He jumped on his horse at once, still drunk, and fled as fast as he could (1 Kings 20:20).

See how God can take courage away from princes and make himself feared by the kings of the earth. Where were the silver and gold Ben-hadad demanded from Ahab? Where were the handfuls of Samaria’s dust? Those who feel most safe are often the least brave. Ahab did not miss the chance to follow up this success, but he struck the Syrians down with a great slaughter (1 Kings 20:21). God often uses one wicked man as a tool to punish another.