Rebels in Crowns

I Kings 20:31-

Let me remind you of where we are.

God showed kindness to the people not once but two times.

The only reason we are back is the misunderstanding that God is only God in the mountains.

So God brings about a miraclous victory with an innumberable army up against two small flocks of goats. The goats win. Because God is God in the mountain and the valley.

1000 soldiers and an additional 20,000 dead after just one day.

Our text picks up after the leaders have been cornered. And they begin to work on terms of negotiation.

1 Kings 20:31 KJV 1900

And his servants said unto him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings: let us, I pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel: peradventure he will save thy life.

The pagan kings have put on

Sackcloth for mourning

Ropes for supplication

Ashes for humility

The Fool makes a Treaty.

This is a major problem and Ahab doesn’t even understand why.

Reasons this was a foolish error on Ahab’s part.

This wasn’t Ahab’s war.

1 Kings 20:13 KJV 1900

And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.

1 Kings 20:28 KJV 1900

And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the Lord, Because the Syrians have said, The Lord is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

This was not Ahab’s fight this was God’s fight and to terminate it with anything less that God’s idea of victory is to cut God short.

This isn’t Ahab’s prisoner.

This isn’t Ahab’s brother.

1 Kings 20:33 KJV 1900

Now the men did diligently observe whether any thing would come from him, and did hastily catch it: and they said, Thy brother Ben-hadad. Then he said, Go ye, bring him. Then Ben-hadad came forth to him; and he caused him to come up into the chariot.

Just remember how loyal this brotherhood when he shows up years later to demonstrate just how much familialty he has for Ahab.

1 Kings 22:31 KJV 1900

But the king of Syria commanded his thirty and two captains that had rule over his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel.

Many think that their great showdown with temptation will be this brave and anthem like victory. Usually it is subtle and you begin to act in ways that will grate your conscience. Then another small thing you would have never let slide before.

Before long your whole life is described by one simple compromise with another. Until the sin you thought was so far away from you actually lives in you. The reason Ahab could think Benhadad a brother is because he was closer in spirit to Benhadad than he was the prophet who pleaded for righteousness.

Beware that by the time you reach the battle field of temptation that you may have already lost if you have played the compromise Game.

But if we are honest there are many who claim the name of Jesus that do the same today.

To sell the victory short when it is Christ’s victory. You don’t get to decide to have victory over temptation. It is Jesus fight not yours. You don’t get to decide how victorious you are. You just keep selling God short.

Humility

God calls the believer to humility, but you decide on your own that Humility is not the pursuit you wish to take. Just know that you are deciding for God where the victory will lie.

Forgiveness

Some are holding on to slights and discouragement, and disappointments from the past. You were called to forgive not decide whether or not to forgive.

Repentance

Hold on and hide that private sin

Gossip

You enjoy the relationship you gain from knowing all the inside scoop, don’t decide for God that busy body is not one of the victories you want.

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An elaborate ruse...

An unknown prophet emerges again. Two things happen...

The Bible establishes the prophets credibility.

1 Kings 20:35–36 KJV 1900

And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his neighbour in the word of the Lord, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man refused to smite him. Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the Lord, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and slew him.

All that is happening is God is demonstrating the credentials of the prophet.

The Bible delivers a stage show.

The prophet finds someone that is willing to bust his face up...

Seriously he gets a wound to the head, as part of his disguise. Now that he is disguised he approaches the King Ahab and calls him to act as a judge.

The prophet gives a scenario where he was put in charge of a Prisoner of War and has lost his charge. The penalty - life for life or heavy fine. Ahab’s judgement was “so be it”.

This is similar to the tool Nathan the prophet used to point out David sin with Bathsheba and its consequences.

Ahab gave a treaty to a man marked for destruction. In the process he robbed God of his will in the situation of Benhadad. Remember there was a lesson to learn that will only be fully understood if all of Benhadad and company are eliminated.

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1 Kings 4. Ahab’s Willingness to Make Peace with an Enemy of God (31–34)

Sinners should come to God the King with the same manner as Ben-Hadad. They should come with sincerity, with humility, with surrender, with earnestness, and with close watching to see whether any sign of mercy would come to them.

The pagan kings have put on

Sackcloth for mourning

Ropes for supplication

Ashes for humility