Ahab and Jezebel continue to steal the scene today as Elijah and then Micaiah face off against the king. Jehoshaphat, despite his teaming up with Ahab, is given a good report. Ben-hadad, despite aligning against the Lord’s people, gets away with his life. But a prophet, in a similar way to how Nathan used a story to have King David condemn himself, gets Ahab to see himself as deserving judgment. What rich teaching and history!
Speaking of richness, Proverbs 5 is desperately needed among Americans. I wish this was required teaching for all children and youth. What a tragedy that people in our country are routinely told to follow their heart’s desires, rather than to seek wisdom through self-denial. Lord, bring about a new season of humility and repentance!
1 Kings 20
Now Ben-hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he marched up, besieged Samaria, and waged war against it.
Then 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 your best wives and children are mine!’ ”
And the king of Israel replied, “Just as you say, my lord the king: I am yours, along with all that I have.”
The messengers came back and said, “This is what Ben-hadad says: ‘I have sent to you to demand your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children.
But about this time tomorrow I will send my servants to search your palace and the houses of your servants. They will seize and carry away all that is precious to you.’ ”
Then the king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said, “Please take note and see that this man is looking for trouble, for when he demanded my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, I did not deny him.”
And the elders and the people all said, “Do not listen to him or consent to his terms.”
So Ahab answered the messengers of Ben-hadad, “Tell my lord the king, ‘All that you demanded of your servant the first time I will do, but this thing I cannot do.’ ”
So the messengers departed and relayed the message to Ben-hadad.
Then Ben-hadad sent another message to Ahab: “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if enough dust remains of Samaria for each of my men to have a handful.”
And the king of Israel replied, “Tell him: ‘The one putting on his armor should not boast like one taking it off.’ ”
Ben-hadad received this message while he and the kings were drinking in their tents, and he said to his servants, “Take your positions.” So they stationed themselves against the city.
Meanwhile a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and declared, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Do you see this entire great army? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand this very day, and you will know that I am the LORD.’ ”
“By whom?” Ahab asked.
And the prophet replied, “This is what the LORD says: ‘By the young officers of the district governors.’ ”
“Who will start the battle?” asked Ahab.
“You will,” answered the prophet.
So Ahab assembled the young officers of the district governors, and there were 232 men. And after them, he assembled the rest of the Israelite troops, 7,000 in all.
They marched out at noon while Ben-hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk. And the young officers of the district governors marched out first.
Now Ben-hadad had sent out scouts, who reported to him, “Men are marching out of Samaria.”
“If they have marched out in peace,” he said, “take them alive. Even if they have marched out for war, take them alive.”
Meanwhile, these young officers of the district governors marched out of the city, with the army behind them,
and each one struck down his opponent. So the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben-hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with the cavalry.
Then the king of Israel marched out and attacked the horses and chariots, inflicting a great slaughter on the Arameans.
Afterward, the prophet approached the king of Israel and said, “Go and strengthen your position, and take note what you must do, for in the spring the king of Aram will come up against you.”
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.
So do this: Dismiss all the kings from their positions and replace them with other officers.
And you must raise an army like the one you have lost—horse for horse and chariot for chariot—so we can fight the Israelites on the plain, where we will surely prevail.”
And the king approved their plan and acted accordingly.
In the spring, Ben-hadad mobilized the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel. The Israelites also mobilized, gathered supplies, and marched out to meet them.
The Israelites camped before them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside.
Then the man of God approached the king of Israel and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because the Arameans think the LORD is a god of the hills and not of the valleys, I will deliver all this great army into your hand. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’ ”
For seven days the armies camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle ensued, and the Israelites struck down the Arameans—a hundred thousand foot soldiers in one day.
The rest of them fled into the city of Aphek, where the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the remaining men. Ben-hadad also fled to the city and hid in an inner room.
Then the servants of Ben-hadad said to him, “Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful. Let us go out to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life.”
So with sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please spare my life.’ ”
And the king answered, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”
Now the men were looking for a sign of hope, and they quickly grasped at this word and replied, “Yes, your brother Ben-hadad.”
“Go and get him!” said the king.
Then Ben-hadad came out, and Ahab had him come up into his chariot.
Ben-hadad said to him, “I will restore the cities my father took from your father; you may set up your own marketplaces in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.”
“By this treaty I release you,” Ahab replied. So he made a treaty with him and sent him away.
Meanwhile, by the word of the LORD, one of the sons of the prophets said to his companion, “Strike me, please!”
But the man refused to strike him.
Then the prophet said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, as soon as you depart from me a lion will kill you.”
And when he left, a lion found him and killed him.
Then the prophet found another man and said, “Strike me, please!”
So the man struck him and wounded him,
and the prophet went and waited on the road for the king, disguising himself with a bandage over his eyes.
As the king passed by, he cried out to the king: “Your servant had marched out into the middle of the battle, when suddenly a man came over with a captive and told me, ‘Guard this man! If he goes missing for any reason, your life will be exchanged for his life, or you will weigh out a talent of silver.’
But while your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared.”
And the king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you have pronounced it on yourself.”
Then the prophet quickly removed the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.
And the prophet said to the king, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because you have let slip from your hand the man I had devoted to destruction, your life will be exchanged for his life, and your people for his people.’ ”
Sullen and angry, the king of Israel went home to Samaria.
1 Kings 21
Some time later, Naboth the Jezreelite happened to own a vineyard in Jezreel next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.
So Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard to use as a vegetable garden, since it is next to my palace. I will give you a better vineyard in its place—or if you prefer, I will give you its value in silver.”
But Naboth replied, “The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.”
So Ahab went to his palace, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had told him, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” He lay down on his bed, turned his face away, and refused to eat.
Soon his wife Jezebel came in and asked, “Why are you so sullen that you refuse to eat?”
Ahab answered, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and told him, ‘Give me your vineyard for silver, or if you wish, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ And he replied, ‘I will not give you my vineyard!’ ”
But his wife Jezebel said to him, “Do you not reign over Israel? Get up, eat some food, and be cheerful, for I will get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
Then Jezebel wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived with Naboth in his city. In the letters she wrote:
“Proclaim a fast and give Naboth a seat of honor among the people.
But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify, ‘You have cursed both God and the king!’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”
So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city did as Jezebel had instructed in the letters she had written to them.
They proclaimed a fast and gave Naboth a seat of honor among the people.
And the two scoundrels came in and sat opposite Naboth, and these men testified against him before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king!”
So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death.
Then they sent word to Jezebel: “Naboth has been stoned to death.”
When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, who refused to give it to you for silver. For Naboth is no longer alive, but dead.”
And when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
“Get up and go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria. See, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, of which he has gone to take possession.
Tell him that this is what the LORD says: ‘Have you not murdered a man and seized his land?’
Then tell him that this is also what the LORD says: ‘In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, there also the dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!’”
When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him, “So you have found me out, my enemy.”
He replied, “I have found you out because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD.
This is what the LORD says:
‘I will bring calamity on you
and consume your descendants;
I will cut off from Ahab every male in Israel,
both slave and free.
I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat
and like that of Baasha son of Ahijah,
because you have provoked My anger
and caused Israel to sin.’
And the LORD also speaks concerning Jezebel:
‘The dogs will devour Jezebel
by the wall of Jezreel.’
Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city
will be eaten by dogs,
and anyone who dies in the field
will be eaten by the birds of the air.”
(Surely there was never one like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, incited by his wife Jezebel.
He committed the most detestable acts by going after idols, just like the Amorites whom the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.)
When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He lay down in sackcloth and walked around meekly.
Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying:
“Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity during his days, but I will bring it upon his house in the days of his son.”
1 Kings 22
Then three years passed without war between Aram and Israel.
However, in the third year, Jehoshaphat king of Judah went down to visit the king of Israel,
who said to his servants, “Do you not know that Ramoth-gilead is ours, but we have failed to take it from the hand of the king of Aram?”
So he asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to fight against Ramoth-gilead?”
Jehoshaphat answered the king of Israel, “I am like you, my people are your people, and my horses are your horses.”
But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “Please inquire first for the word of the LORD.”
So the king of Israel assembled the prophets, about four hundred men, and asked them, “Should I go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I refrain?”
“Go up,” they replied, “and the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here of whom we can inquire?”
The king of Israel answered, “There is still one man who can ask the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good for me, but only bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”
“The king should not say that!” Jehoshaphat replied.
So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.”
Dressed in royal attire, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them.
Now Zedekiah son of Chenaanah had made for himself iron horns and declared, “This is what the LORD says: ‘With these you shall gore the Arameans until they are finished off.’ ”
And all the prophets were prophesying the same, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king.”
Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah instructed him, “Behold now, with one accord the words of the prophets are favorable to the king. So please let your words be like theirs, and speak favorably.”
But Micaiah said, “As surely as the LORD lives, I will speak whatever the LORD tells me.”
When Micaiah arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should we refrain?”
“Go up and triumph,” Micaiah replied, “for the LORD will give it into the hand of the king.”
But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear not to tell me anything but the truth in the name of the LORD?”
So Micaiah declared:
“I saw all Israel scattered on the hills
like sheep without a shepherd.
And the LORD said, ‘These people have no master;
let each one return home in peace.’ ”
Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he never prophesies good for me, but only bad?”
Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left.
And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’
And one suggested this, and another that.
Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’
‘By what means?’ asked the LORD.
And he replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’
‘You will surely entice him and prevail,’ said the LORD. ‘Go and do it.’
So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours, and the LORD has pronounced disaster against you.”
Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah went up, struck Micaiah in the face, and demanded, “Which way did the Spirit of the LORD go when He departed from me to speak with you?”
Micaiah replied, “You will soon see, on that day when you go and hide in an inner room.”
And the king of Israel declared, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son,
and tell them that this is what the king says: ‘Put this man in prison and feed him only bread and water until I return safely.’ ”
But Micaiah replied, “If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Take heed, all you people!”
So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead.
And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.
Now the king of Aram had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.”
When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “Surely this is the king of Israel!” So they turned to fight against him, but Jehoshaphat cried out.
And when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him.
However, a certain man drew his bow without taking special aim, and he struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. So the king said to his charioteer, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am badly wounded!”
The battle raged throughout that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. And the blood from his wound ran out onto the floor of the chariot, and that evening he died.
As the sun was setting, the cry rang out in the army:
“Every man to his own city,
and every man to his own land!”
So the king died and was brought to Samaria, where they buried him.
And the chariot was washed at the pool of Samaria where the prostitutes bathed, and the dogs licked up Ahab’s blood, according to the word that the LORD had spoken.
As for the rest of the acts of Ahab, along with all his accomplishments and the ivory palace and all the cities he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
And Ahab rested with his fathers, and his son Ahaziah reigned in his place.
In the fourth year of Ahab’s reign over Israel, Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah.
Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother’s name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.
And Jehoshaphat walked in all the ways of his father Asa; he did not turn away from them, but did what was right in the eyes of the LORD.
The high places, however, were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel.
As for the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, along with the might he exercised and how he waged war, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?
He banished from the land the male shrine prostitutes who remained from the days of his father Asa. And there was no king in Edom; a deputy served as king.
Jehoshaphat built ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail, because they were wrecked at Ezion-geber.
At that time Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants sail with your servants,” but Jehoshaphat refused.
And Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of his father David. And his son Jehoram reigned in his place.
In the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat’s reign over Judah, Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria two years.
And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the ways of his father and mother and of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin.
Ahaziah served and worshiped Baal, provoking the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger, just as his father had done.
Proverbs 4
Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction;
pay attention and gain understanding.
For I give you sound teaching;
do not abandon my directive.
When I was a son to my father,
tender and the only child of my mother,
he taught me and said,
“Let your heart lay hold of my words;
keep my commands and you will live.
Get wisdom, get understanding;
do not forget my words or turn from them.
Do not forsake wisdom, and she will preserve you;
love her, and she will guard you.
Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom.
And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding.
Prize her, and she will exalt you;
if you embrace her, she will honor you.
She will set a garland of grace on your head;
she will present you with a crown of beauty.”
Listen, my son, and receive my words,
and the years of your life will be many.
I will guide you in the way of wisdom;
I will lead you on straight paths.
When you walk, your steps will not be impeded;
when you run, you will not stumble.
Hold on to instruction; do not let go.
Guard it, for it is your life.
Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
or walk in the way of evildoers.
Avoid it; do not travel on it.
Turn from it and pass on by.
For they cannot sleep
unless they do evil;
they are deprived of slumber
until they make someone fall.
For they eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.
The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
shining brighter and brighter until midday.
But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom;
they do not know what makes them stumble.
My son, pay attention to my words;
incline your ear to my sayings.
Do not lose sight of them;
keep them within your heart.
For they are life to those who find them,
and health to the whole body.
Guard your heart with all diligence,
for from it flow springs of life.
Put away deception from your mouth;
keep your lips from perverse speech.
Let your eyes look forward;
fix your gaze straight ahead.
Make a level path for your feet,
and all your ways will be sure.
Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
turn your feet away from evil.
Proverbs 5
My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
incline your ear to my insight,
that you may maintain discretion
and your lips may preserve knowledge.
Though the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey
and her speech is smoother than oil,
in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
sharp as a double-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death;
her steps lead straight to Sheol.
She does not consider the path of life;
she does not know that her ways are unstable.
So now, my sons, listen to me,
and do not turn aside from the words of my mouth.
Keep your path far from her;
do not go near the door of her house,
lest you concede your vigor to others,
and your years to one who is cruel;
lest strangers feast on your wealth,
and your labors enrich the house of a foreigner.
At the end of your life you will groan
when your flesh and your body are spent,
and you will say, “How I hated discipline,
and my heart despised reproof!
I did not listen to the voice of my teachers
or incline my ear to my mentors.
I am on the brink of utter ruin
in the midst of the whole assembly.”
Drink water from your own cistern,
and running water from your own well.
Why should your springs flow in the streets,
your streams of water in the public squares?
Let them be yours alone,
never to be shared with strangers.
May your fountain be blessed,
and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth:
A loving doe, a graceful fawn—
may her breasts satisfy you always;
may you be captivated by her love forever.
Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress,
or embrace the bosom of a stranger?
For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD,
and the LORD examines all his paths.
The iniquities of a wicked man entrap him;
the cords of his sin entangle him.
He dies for lack of discipline,
led astray by his own great folly.
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