1 Kings 20:1-6 Anything of Value!

 “Now Ben-Hadad the king of Syria gathered all his forces together; thirty-two kings were with him, with horses and chariots. And he went up and besieged Samaria, and made war against it. Then he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, and said to him, “Thus says Ben-Hadad: ‘Your silver and your gold are mine; your loveliest wives and children are mine.’ ” And the king of Israel answered and said, “My Lord, O king, just as you say, I and all that I have are yours.” Then the messengers came back and said, “Thus speaks Ben-Hadad, saying, ‘Indeed I have sent to you, saying, “You shall deliver to me your silver and your gold, your wives and your children”; but I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they shall search your house and the houses of your servants. And it shall be, that whatever is pleasant in your eyes, they will put it in their hands and take it.’ ”” I Kings‬ ‭20‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Ben-Hadad the King of Syria gathered all his forces together; thirty-two kings were with him: This was a formidable military attack against Israel. Though they were outwardly strong politically and militarily during the reign of Ahab, they were not strong enough to discourage such an attack.

i. “Ben-Hadad may be the same king Asa enlisted against Baasha in 15:18; or he may be that king’s son or grandson by the same name.” (Dilday)

ii. “The thirty-two kings would include minor tribal chiefs.” (Wiseman)

b. My lord, O king, just as you say, I and all that I have are yours: Ahab’s response to Ben-Hadad fit his general personality. He was a man concerned with the luxuries and comforts of living, and so he did not have the character to stand in the face of such a threat. Ahab surrendered unconditionally to Ben-Hadad.

i. Ahab believed he was in no position to resist Ben-Hadad. No doubt, the national and military might of Israel was greatly weakened by the three-and-a-half-year drought and famine that had just ended.

c. They shall search your house and the houses of your servants: This was a greater demand than what Ben-Hadad made at first. “When Ahab agreed to his terms readily, Ben-Hadad demanded the additional right to unlimited search of the palace and the houses of Ahab’s officials so as to carry away anything of value.” (Patterson and Austel) (Guzik)

Anything of Value!

I am reminded of what Job said when he was mourning the loss of his children and possessions! “And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.”” ‭‭Job‬ ‭1‬:‭21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I am reminded of a story: there was a husband who was very rich and he told his wife that if he died before her that he wanted  to be buried with all his money. He hounded her about it and she finally gave in and said that she would. He died before her and at the funeral a friend of hers says, you didn’t fulfill his request did you? She replied, yes I did! Wait for it…… I wrote him a check and put it in the casket! 🤣

Like Job said, we can’t take anything of value with us when we die! “naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there.”

The free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ is greater than anything of value that we might have acquired in our lifetime on this earth!

Blessed be the name of the Lord!