God of the Hills and Valleys

1 Kings 20

INTRODUCTION

God of the Hills and Valleys

1 Kings 20

READ 20:1-12

Your worldview has a massive impact on how you deal with depression, have you ever thought about that? If you are a materialist – you don’t believe in God – no supernatural, you only believe in the world that you can see and touch and taste and you see humans as just a higher state of animal … then when you are depressed, you’re going to see it as a chemical problem – something is misfiring in your brain … so take a pill. A chemical solution to a chemical problem. Take a pill.

On the other hand, you have other people … I’ll call them moralists … who reduce everything, not to the physical plane, but to the spiritual plane. The moralists are always sure, “You’re sinning somewhere. You’re not praying. You’re not doing this. You’re not doing that.” These are people who will never take a pill when they’re depressed.

If you are a ‘spiritualist’ – then you Moralistic people tend to be people who want to deny they have a physical being. They want to say, “The physical, the psychological, these things aren’t important. The important thing is the spiritual. The spiritual is the highest.” They talk as if we have nothing but the spiritual plane, and they will never take, ever. They say, “Oh, medicine. I’m depressed. That’s a lack of faith,” because they’ve reduced everything to the spiritual plane.

Thirdly, you have a lot of people who reduce everything to the psychological. They say, “Well, you just need to talk. I can’t judge. I could never tell you there’s anything wrong. You just need to talk. We’re not going to evaluate. You’ve been abused. You’ve been hurt. It’s all psychological.”

Listen, friends. When a worldview reduces everything to the physical, reduces everything to the spiritual, reduces everything to the psychological, it’s not going to deal with real problems. If you try to reduce everything, you’re not going to really deal with the complexity of reality. You’re not really going to help people.[1]

We’ve been journeying with Elijah - he’s depressed. He feels like he is the only one still standing for the Lord and that the investment of his whole life has been a waste. God says, “No you’re not the only one - and no your life’s ministry hasn’t been in vain.”

1 ATTACK FROM THE OUTSIDE, vv. 9-18

The story begins with the unfolding of the normal course of events. There’s no prophet to kick things off. No word from God, no earthquake and no fire from heaven. It begins with a king. Verse 1 identifies him: “Ben-Hadad the king of Syria (or Aram).”

This Ben-Hadad has recruited 32 smaller kings (tribal chieftans) and formed a coalition. Put all of their troops together and now you have a formidable force that has now made its way to the outskirts of Samaria, the capital city of King Ahab’s Israel.

The coalition sets up a siege … not right at the city gates, but back from town – tucked into the hill country, across the Jordan River … just far enough back from Samaria to choke off the highway into town and close enough that the people of Israel can peer over the city wall and see the massive force, performing its war-game practices in the distance and become suitably terrified by the size and might of the enemy.

Ben-Hadad sends messengers to King Ahab in his palace. Verse 3, “Your silver and your gold are mine; your best wives and children also are mine.”

Wait a minute! This foreign king marches into Ahab’s territory, sends him messengers to inform him that everything Ahab values - his wealth, his BEST wives and his kids … “They’re all mine”?!!

It’s the ultimate declaration that “I am the Alpha around here.” Everything that’s mine is mine - and everything that’s yours … that you treasure … It’s mine, too.

So how does Ahab respond? Well how would you respond? “There’s no way! If you are going to come for my kids … then you’re going to take them over my dead body.”

Not Ahab though. His response is pathetic. Verse 4, “As you say, my lord, O king, I AM YOURS, and all that I have.”?!!!

Ahab is supposed to be a king - king over God’s people - but he calls this foreigner HIS king and HIS LORD?! The guy has bent over and is kissing the feet of the bully. He’s grovelling.

The messengers return to the camp outside of town, report that Ben-Hadad gets everything he wants. But as is the case with most bullies - when you give in to their unfair demands … you don’t satisfy them … they just want more.

“That was too easy!” So messengers are sent back to Ahab with the demands ratcheted up. Verses 5-6, “… I sent to you, saying, ‘Deliver to me your silver and your gold, your wives and your children.’ Nevertheless I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they shall search your house AND the houses of your servants and lay hands on whatever pleases you and take it away.”

In other words, “I don’t just want you to acknowledge that everything you have is mine … I’m going to come tomorrow and physically take it … and not only YOUR stuff - I’m raiding the houses of all of your servants, too.”

Well, that’s too much, even for Ahab. It’s one thing for him to have his power stripped away and be pretty much a king in name only … but if the foreigner raids the treasure of his servants and officials … there’s going to be a palace coup - and he won’t come out alive. That’s a step too far. But even here, notice that Ahab doesn’t make a decision on his own. He has no grounding, no foundation of strength. He’s not an oak tree … he’s a dandelion.

He can’t make a decision on his own, so he calls together the elders of the land and gives them the last word. Their decision, is in v. 8, “Do not listen or consent.” And Ahab follows their advice.

See how spineless this supposed king is.

He gave in to his wife, Jezebel when she wanted to push a new religion in Israel. He gave her free reign to round up the LORD’S prophets in Israel and slaughter them. He seemed to get caught up in worship, on Mt. Carmel, when God answered in fire. But then when Jezebel threatened to kill Elijah, he didn’t have the backbone to stand up to her. He gives into a foreign king who demands his stuff when he’s just seen God show his powerful love for his people - and now that God has sent the rain of blessing.

Kids - it’s so hard to not be liked - especially in our day and age - with social media and people judging their success in life by how many likes or shares they get on social media … so they twist and pretzel themselves into whatever shape it takes to get some kind of fake/ sham approval. Don’t be an Ahab.

Ahab sends messengers back to say, “I was willing to go along with your demand on me … but I can’t hand over the valuables of the royal employees.”

Ben Hadad is mad. In fact - he swears an oath. Just like Jezebel did before him - he swears - not by GOD, but by THE gods - plural ...

Verse 10, “The gods do so to me and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people who follow me ...”

In other words, I have so many soldiers and my victory is going to be so overwhelming that there won’t be enough dust left on the ground to give each of my soldiers a ‘holy land’ souvenir!”

Well, Ahab may be a coward, but he has a pretty good one-liner in response: “Let not him who straps on his armor boast himself as he who takes it off.” That’s kind of like saying, ‘The time for boasting isn’t when you put your skates and helmet on before the hockey game … it’s better to wait to give the interview until after the game, when you’ve just scored the winning goal.”

Well, nobody dares poke Ben-Hadad in the eye … so it’s time to teach Israel a lesson. Verse 12, “Take your positions”. It’s go-time.

2 THE LORD GIVES HIS PEOPLE VICTORY, vv. 13-25

The Battle is described in vv. 13-25. And after Ahab has caved again - so willing to give his treasures to a pagan foreigner, you just know this isn’t going to go well for him. But God’s ways are not our ways.

There’s a surprise. READ vv. 13-15. A prophet shows up. Notice that it’s not Elijah; not even Elisha … this is a prophet with no name given to us - a reminder that when God said He has 7 THOUSAND who haven’t bowed the knee to Baal, He really meant it.

This prophet shows up and says, “You’ve seen the massive force arrayed against you. You’re terrified because you see no way you can defeat the enemy? Perfect. But the Good news for you is that the LORD is going to give THAT enemy into YOUR hand today - so you will know that I am the TRUE GODD.”

Ahab asks exactly who is going to actually get the victory on the battlefield, since he doesn’t have a trained Seal Team Six or Delta Force on his military staff … the answer comes in v. 14:

“The servants of the governors of the districts” THEY are going to lead you. That’s important. This is no well-trained fighting force. The Hebrew word for ‘servants’ here is ‘na-ar’ - it refers to young men - like the helper who kept checking for rain when Elijah was praying. These are apprentices to the politicians. Some of them are errand boys. There are 232 of them .... and THEY are going to lead Israel into battle?

Don’t miss the fact that this promise comes BEFORE the fight. It’s one thing for God’s prophet to come along, AFTER the fact and say “By the way - that was my victory to you. That was my gift.” But this is a promise that comes BEFORE the fight so that there can’t be any question.

The 232 teenagers from the bureaucracy are backed up by an army from all the people of Israel that amounts to a measly 7 THOUSAND. Ahhhh .... but 7000: “I have reserved for MYSELF 7000 ...”. God is working out His purposes in history, even when it looks futile and hope seems foolish.

Ahab gives the command and the army makes its move - not under the cover of darkness, to hide the small size of the army … no, they march at noon - in the middle of the day.

That’s not how it works. D-Day was all about the element of surprise. Every commander worth his salt, tries to sneak up on his enemy when he’s outnumbered. This is foolishness from a strategic point of view.

But it just so happens … God is at work on the other side. And it just so happens that even though it’s only noon … King Ben-Hadad is already deep into his drinking. This guy is so confident that he and his coalition of kings are having a PRE-Battle celebration. Who needs to wait for the actual fight?

READ vv. 16-17.

Ben-Hadad’s lookouts arrive back at battle command, panting and breathless after their run to tell the king the news he’s no doubt been waiting for: “We’ve spotted the enemy … on the move … coming towards OUR camp!”

But their commander in chief is in a drunken stupor. At noon. In the NT - on the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit comes and Peter and the apostles are sharing the good news in the centre of Jerusalem … they are speaking the wonders of God in tongues - people from all over the world hear the message in their own language. It’s amazing. The scoffers say, “Listen to them - their drunk”. And Peter’s first defense is to point out the obvious - “Take a look at your watches - It’s only noon … we can’t be drunk.” Because people don’t get drunk by noon.

But here is Ben Hadad and the rest of his kingly alliance - noon and they’ve already drunk themselves under the table.

The king gives the kind of advice that only a commander with suds on the brain would give his army: “IF they have come for peace - take them alive .... If they’ve come for war - take them alive.”

“If they’re coming to kill us, take them ALIVE?!” How exactly do you take alive an armed force that wants to destroy you. I’m pretty sure a sober Ben-Hadad would have said, ‘Take them DEAD or alive.”

But the LORD is in control - sovereign even over the vices of a pagan king.

Ahab’s Band of boys keep marching - they make their way to the enemy … then they make their way THROUGH the enemy. READ vv. 19-21

EXACTLY as the LORD promised, Israel wins a smashing victory. The only problem in this whole scene .... is that Ben Hadad manages to get on his horse and speed away to safety. And that means the bully is still alive. And THAT brings another visit from God’s nameless prophet:

Verse 22 READ

This is vital intelligence. The same king you’ve just chased away, is going to be back to attack you next spring.

So enjoy and give thanks for the win … but keep your vigilance. “Don’t let your guard down … prepare”

What a relevant lesson this is for the Christian life. Every victory over temptation is God’s gift … but we are fighting an enemy who won’t give up. So don’t go to sleep. Over and over I see people who stand firm against temptation in one area - they don’t give in to greed; they fight victoriously over lust … but then they relax … and don’t notice the pride that slithers up to their feet and strikes.

Be vigilant .... 1 Peter 5:8, “Your enemy the devil prowls like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”

1 Corinthians 10:12 – “If you think you’re standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!”

Sure enough, in our text, Ben Hadad may have been beaten up, but he’s not GIVING up. Just like a hockey coach whose team is down 3-0 in the Stanley Cup Finals … he’s not going to lay down and surrender. He goes back to his office and regroups.

Ben Hadad does exactly that. READ vv. 23-25.

“Get rid of the 32 kings - they were useless - they just drank all the time. I’m putting trained military pros in their place. Then replace every soldier and horse and chariot we lost … and this time, we’re going to use a different strategy.”

Verse 23, “Their gods are gods of the hills - that’s why they won - Guerilla warriors always like fighting int he mountains because it makes up for their smaller numbers - they can hide in caves and surprise you.

Let’s fight on the plains, in the valleys. After all, we have the chariots and horses. They do us no good on a mountainside. On the flat, level ground of the valley and plain - that’s when our advantage will shine. We will be stronger.”

That’s actually very good military strategy.

But it’s terrible theology.

The Foreign generals think that Israel’s God is the same kind of tribal deity that the rest of the nations have. They think their gods failed because they were on the wrong kind of turf - and if they get the geography right - they’re gods will be able to work their power.

We’ve been reading the book - we know they’re wrong. There LORD is the only real God there is … He’s the One who works His power in the hills, in the valleys, in the depths of the ocean and beyond the borders of the solar system.

You want to shout: “Your idea of God is too small!”

3 REMATCH: ISRAEL’S GOD CONQUERS AGAIN, vv. 26-34

Verse 26 picks up the story the next spring. And sure enough, Ben-Hadad has come for a rematch. READ vv. 26-27

Ben Hadad is definitely sober for Round 2 and things definitely don’t look good for Israel.

The Syrian forces are mustered at Aphek - a flat piece of real estate around the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee. The Syrians are here to fight.

See Ben Hadad’s army massed on one end of the battlefield - a fully-equipped camp set up with stalls for the horses and parking lots for the chariots.

And on the other side of the battlefield is Israel’s army. The narrator paints a vivid picture of what they look like. Verse 27 - The forces of Israel, compared to Ben-Hadad’s massive force, looks like, ‘two little flocks of goats; but the Syrians FILLED the country.”

It’s like a Pee-Wee hockey team facing off against the Vancouver Canucks (Actually, scratch that - it may be hard to tell the difference between those 2 teams … How about a team of Pee Wees facing the Tampa Bay Lightning). Humanly speaking - there is NO WAY that Israel wins this fight, especially under the leadership of a spineless Ahab.

But precisely here - just when things look utterly hopeless - PRECISELY at this moment - God sends another message to the human king of His people. This is a different person from the prophet we heard from in the last battle. “I have reserved for myself 7000 who have not bowed the knee!” And here’s another one.

God’s message through this messenger is another reminder of God’s faithfulness.

READ v. 28, “And a man of God came near and said to the king of Israel, ‘Thus says the LORD, ‘Because the Syrians have said, ‘The LORD is a god of the hills but he is not a god of the valleys,’ therefore I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD.”

And sure enough, round two begins - and it’s over in two verses flat. READ vv. 29-30.

There’s victory. But not just any victory. Take a look at how Israel wins - and see if you can hear an echo from another Israel victory in battle.

Verse 29 tells us that the armies camped, facing each other for 7 days without really doing anything. Then, on the seventh day - the battle started … Israel’s two little goat flock-looking divisions strike down 100k enemy foot soldiers before the rest of the Syrians can run into Aphek and take shelter behind the walls of the city. But the shelter doesn’t last - because the God brings the walls down on top of the men who are left.

Seven days of not much of anything, followed by city walls falling down on God’s enemies … If you know your OT - doesn’t that sound like Jericho? Joshua fought the battle of Jericho- but it was God who won the victory. And God wins here.

If you put the two battles together - you recognize that this is a holy war. And just like in the Jericho holy war - God’s victory means everything and everyone is devoted to Him and needs to be destroyed.

Go back to v. 28 and I want you to notice that the messenger doesn’t just tell Ahab THAT God’s going to give him the victory … He also tells him ‘Why’ and ‘What for’. “WHY” - because the enemy thinks God is small … and He isn’t. He’s living and all-powerful.

And ‘WHAT FOR’ - at the end of v. 28, “… and you shall KNOW that I am the LORD.”

I don’t know about you, but I read that and my first instinct is to say, “Are you serious, LORD?! How many times are you going to PROVE your power and love to this thankless, faithless, spineless king?” You’ve already done that - in the Drought you declared and brought into being. On Mt. Carmel - against the prophets of Baal … when you brought the RAIN down from heaven after 3 1/2 years, in answer to prayer … I’d say You have done MORE than enough to prove yourself.

That’s my first response.

My second response is to worship: “Oh Father, if you will put up with so much from Ahab to show your life-saving power and love for your people … then there’s hope for me with my feeble, fickle affections!”

4 ISRAEL’S KING UNDER JUDGMENT, vv.31-- 43

If only the story ended with the fallen city wall and Israel’s absolute, God-given victory. But it doesn’t Ben Hadad manages to escape into a bunker where he survives the collapse of the walls and plans to save his life.

READ vv. 31-34.

The Syrian king’s life is in the hands of Ahab. His leniency is his ONLY hope. Ben Hadad’s servants do the ancient version of waving the white flag … with some additional groveling. They come out of their hiding spot wearing the sackcloth of humility and with ropes around their heads - ropes around their heads – like leashes to be led around by – they go out to surrender to Ahab and beg for their own king’s life. “Your servant Ben Hadad says, ‘Please let me live.’”

Did you catch Ahab’s response in v. 32, “Does he live? He is my brother.’”

“My Brother”?!! The man demanded to take everything you care about – money, wives and children. He’s tried to kill you twice in the past year … the LORD protected you …. And now, through no excellence of your own – you are still alive, your nation is intact …. And you call the bully your ‘brother’?!

Then v. 33, “Ben Hadad comes out of hiding – ‘… and he caused him to come up into the chariot” … Ahab the ‘conqueror’ is being summoned into his enemy’s limousine. Something is wrong here. And to make it worse – they make a deal – Ben Hadad’s life is spared. In return, Ahab gets to set up a retail outlet in Damascus and gets some land back.

Ahab knows the story of Achan, in the battle of Jericho – he was the original ‘troubler of Israel’ that kept spoils for himself that were supposed to be destroyed. He payed with his life.

Verse 34 ends with Ahab making a covenant with the king who wanted him dead, wanted Israel wiped out – and God’s promises to fail.

This will not stand. This cannot stand. When God moves in your life and saves you … He doesn’t come to be your ‘Helper’ – He demands to be your Lord. Your Master. Ahab simply refuses to honour Him.

In v. 38, another prophet steps into the king of Israel’s path.

READ vv. 38-43.

This is the beginning of the end for Ahab. His demise is coming in the next couple of chapters – but this is the place where God says, “ENOUGH! I’ve shown you over and over again that I am THE God of heaven. I am God in the hills … I am God in the valleys … and I give my people everything they need WHEREVER they find themselves … but you refuse to surrender. You refuse to trust me. So I’m holding you accountable.

God’s power alone isn’t enough to bring you joy, friend. His saving power, grabbed hold of by faith and trust – that’s where the joy comes.

CONCLUSION

I don’t know how many people here watch the tv show America’s Got Talent. But if you’re watching this season, you may have seen the audition by a 30 year old female singer Nightbirdie. She performed an original song, “It’s OK” and accomplished the almost impossible feat of leaving judge Simon Cowell with tears in his eyes. He gave her the Golden Buzzer which sends her directly to the live episodes - the playoffs of the show.

Two days later - her song, ‘It’s OK’ was the top song on ITUNES. The irony though is that Nightbirde’s life seems anything BUT OK.

Four years ago, she first received the dreaded diagnosis: “Cancer”. Stage three breast cancer with a prognosis of 6 months to live. She made it through that battle and in 2018, she was declared cancer-free. Great news. But the celebration was short. Just a few months later, the cancer came back and she had single-digit odds of survival.

Last month, she auditioned for America’s Got Talent - and before performing, she shared that her cancer has now spread to her liver, spine and lungs. And she sang the song, “It’s OK”. How can she say … how can ANYONE say, ‘IT’S OK - when it’s anything but?!’

And oh how she captivated the show’s audience and viewers - because hope and joy are NOT natural responses, when life falls apart.

There is one place where hope can be found. In unfailing, living, resurrected Saviour and Rock - Jesus Christ. And Nighbirdie is a Christian.

“I believe that God can heal in one instant. I also believe that ‘no good thing does he withhold.’ so there was something God was growing in the field that is me, and if God had pulled up all of this hardship too soon, it would have also pulled up all these miracles he did in my spirit.”

That doesn’t mean that this young lady isn’t real or that she pretends her suffering doesn’t hurt:

“When it comes to pain, God isn’t often in the business of taking it away. Instead, he adds to it. He is more of a giver than a taker. He doesn’t take away my darkness, he adds light. He doesn’t spare me of thirst, he brings water He doesn’t cure my loneliness, he comes near. So why do we believe that when we are in pain, it must mean that God is far?”

“I am still reeling, drenched in sorrw. I am still begging, bargaining, demanding, disappearing. And I guess that means I have all the more reason to say thank you because God is drawing near to me. Again. Again. Again. No matter how many times he is sent away.”

God draws near to Ahab - over and over again - on a mountain … or on a valley floor. But there is no place where God drew closer to us than on the cross. God the Son took on our flesh - stepped into our sin-scarred world - festering with suffering we were … and Jesus Christ didn’t just take our suffering away - He entered the suffering - to save you friend.

He took your spiritual cancer and mine - so that He could bear the suffering and give us, not just healing - but the new creation that He earned Himself by His righteousness and resurrection.

This morning, whether you are on the mountaintop of triumph … or dragging yourself along the valley floor - I want to urge you to look at the cross. God came to meet us there.

[1] Keller, T. J. (2013). The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive. New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church.