“Now a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his neighbor by the word of the Lord, “Strike me, please.” And the man refused to strike him. Then he said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord, surely, as soon as you depart from me, a lion shall kill you.” And as soon as he left him, a lion found him and killed him. And he found another man, and said, “Strike me, please.” So the man struck him, inflicting a wound. Then the prophet departed and waited for the king by the road, and disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes.” I Kings 20:35-38 NKJV
a. A certain man of the sons of the prophets: This seems to be a different prophet from the man mentioned earlier in the chapter. This is another reminder that the 7,000 faithful followers of Yahweh were active in Israel.
i. “Although he is not named, Josephus believed the anonymous ‘man of God’ introduced in verse 35 was Micaiah who figures so prominently in the next story. He suggested it was in retaliation for Micaiah’s prophetic condemnation that the king put him in prison.” (Dilday)
ii. “This is the first reference to these special bands of prophets (2 Kings 2:3-7, 2:15; 4:1, 4:38; 5:22; 6:1; 9:1) who appear during the critical period of the Omride dynasty but are otherwise not well attested.” (Wiseman)
b. Strike me, please: Directed by God, the prophet needed an injury to display to King Ahab. When his neighbor refused, the prophet announced coming judgment on the neighbor, through the unusual method of a lion attack (a lion found him and killed him).
i. The neighbor was not just another man in the kingdom of Israel. The implication was that he was a fellow member of the sons of the prophets. He himself was a man given to following God and sensitive to God’s work in the prophets. He should have known better. Though this is not as clear in the New King James translation, it is clearer in other translations: his companion (NIV), a certain member of a company of prophets said to another (NRSV) another (NASB) to another man (NLB).
ii. “This seems a hard measure, but there was ample reason for it. This person was also one of the sons of the prophets, and he knew that God frequently delivered his counsels in this way, and should have immediately obeyed; for the smiting could have had no evil in it when God commanded it, and it could be no outrage or injury to his fellow when he himself required him to do it.” (Clarke)
c. Disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes: Ready with his injury, the prophet waited for the arrival of King Ahab so he could deliver his message from God to the king. (Guzik)
God works in mysterious ways!
When we read these verses and the commentary we wonder what the Lord is doing with the injured prophet and why the death sentence to the one who refused to strike him?
In our own lives we sometimes wonder why the Lord is doing things differently than we would!
““For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.” Isaiah 55:8 NKJV
We need to trust in the Lord because the Father knows best!
Blessings
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