1 Kings 20:20 (NLT)
Each Israelite soldier killed his Aramean opponent, and suddenly the entire Aramean army panicked and fled. The Israelites chased them, but King Ben-hadad and a few of his charioteers escaped on horses.
I really like this verse, primarily because it reminds me of the reality that everyone has a specific calling or purpose. We live on a battlefield, but we are not required to overtake every opponent. We are a united army yet we have individual "opponents" (a specific purpose). If every soldier didn't do their part in this battle, the outcome could have been significantly different.
1 Kings 20:1-8 (NLT)
1 About that time King Ben-hadad of Aram mobilized his army, supported by the chariots and horses of thirty-two allied kings. They went to besiege Samaria, the capital of Israel, and launched attacks against it. 2 Ben-hadad sent messengers into the city to relay this message to King Ahab of Israel: “This is what Ben-hadad says: 3‘Your silver and gold are mine, and so are your wives and the best of your children!’” 4 “All right, my lord the king,” Israel’s king replied. “All that I have is yours!” 5 Soon Ben-hadad’s messengers returned again and said, “This is what Ben-hadad says: ‘I have already demanded that you give me your silver, gold, wives, and children. 6 But about this time tomorrow I will send my officials to search your palace and the homes of your people. They will take away everything you consider valuable!’” 7 Then Ahab summoned all the elders of the land and said to them, “Look how this man is stirring up trouble! I already agreed with his demand that I give him my wives and children and silver and gold.” 8 “Don’t give in to any more demands,” all the elders and the people advised.
1 Kings 20:13 (NLT)
Then a certain prophet came to see King Ahab of Israel and told him, “This is what the Lord says: Do you see all these enemy forces? Today I will hand them all over to you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”
To me, even more important than the battle is knowing that God had their back. What an awesome promise to know that God said, "Today I will hand them all over to you". It wasn't a question of if they were going to win, it was more along the lines of how long it would take until they won that day and at what cost. I think it’s sometimes easy to read passages like this and just assume that since God is giving it, that's it, game over, we win. But the reality is that even when He gives us something there is still a cost associated with it; the cost of time, devotion, money, sacrifice, pain, hardship, obedience, etc. Just a thought here, but think about every miracle that happened in the Bible. In order for a miracle to occur, someone had to endure the process of being in need of a miracle! His greatest gift to all of us came at the cost of Jesus dying on the cross!
The Bible tells us in this battle every soldier struck down his opponent but it doesn't say if they got hurt, cut, or banged up while doing it. All we know is that they won and got to keep their wives, kids, and other valuables! When I read this, I first started to think how foolish and what cowards they were to be willing to give up so much without fighting for it. However the more I thought about it, it really isn't much different than what we are doing right now. The foundation of family is being eaten away. We spend more time with the TV/computer than with the people who love us. We give our kids away to video games, unmonitored internet, and the government spends money faster than we can make it!
We need a miracle! We need to get up and fight! How much are we going to give the enemy before the elders wise up and say that it’s enough?!
Lord,
Send us leaders, people after Your own heart to lead us to victory. That we might once again rise up and become one nation UNDER GOD… living in Your ways… fulfilling our purpose… and then blessing others as You have so graciously poured out Your blessings on us! Amen!
Each Israelite soldier killed his Aramean opponent, and suddenly the entire Aramean army panicked and fled. The Israelites chased them, but King Ben-hadad and a few of his charioteers escaped on horses.
I really like this verse, primarily because it reminds me of the reality that everyone has a specific calling or purpose. We live on a battlefield, but we are not required to overtake every opponent. We are a united army yet we have individual "opponents" (a specific purpose). If every soldier didn't do their part in this battle, the outcome could have been significantly different.
1 Kings 20:1-8 (NLT)
1 About that time King Ben-hadad of Aram mobilized his army, supported by the chariots and horses of thirty-two allied kings. They went to besiege Samaria, the capital of Israel, and launched attacks against it. 2 Ben-hadad sent messengers into the city to relay this message to King Ahab of Israel: “This is what Ben-hadad says: 3‘Your silver and gold are mine, and so are your wives and the best of your children!’” 4 “All right, my lord the king,” Israel’s king replied. “All that I have is yours!” 5 Soon Ben-hadad’s messengers returned again and said, “This is what Ben-hadad says: ‘I have already demanded that you give me your silver, gold, wives, and children. 6 But about this time tomorrow I will send my officials to search your palace and the homes of your people. They will take away everything you consider valuable!’” 7 Then Ahab summoned all the elders of the land and said to them, “Look how this man is stirring up trouble! I already agreed with his demand that I give him my wives and children and silver and gold.” 8 “Don’t give in to any more demands,” all the elders and the people advised.
1 Kings 20:13 (NLT)
Then a certain prophet came to see King Ahab of Israel and told him, “This is what the Lord says: Do you see all these enemy forces? Today I will hand them all over to you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.”
To me, even more important than the battle is knowing that God had their back. What an awesome promise to know that God said, "Today I will hand them all over to you". It wasn't a question of if they were going to win, it was more along the lines of how long it would take until they won that day and at what cost. I think it’s sometimes easy to read passages like this and just assume that since God is giving it, that's it, game over, we win. But the reality is that even when He gives us something there is still a cost associated with it; the cost of time, devotion, money, sacrifice, pain, hardship, obedience, etc. Just a thought here, but think about every miracle that happened in the Bible. In order for a miracle to occur, someone had to endure the process of being in need of a miracle! His greatest gift to all of us came at the cost of Jesus dying on the cross!
The Bible tells us in this battle every soldier struck down his opponent but it doesn't say if they got hurt, cut, or banged up while doing it. All we know is that they won and got to keep their wives, kids, and other valuables! When I read this, I first started to think how foolish and what cowards they were to be willing to give up so much without fighting for it. However the more I thought about it, it really isn't much different than what we are doing right now. The foundation of family is being eaten away. We spend more time with the TV/computer than with the people who love us. We give our kids away to video games, unmonitored internet, and the government spends money faster than we can make it!
We need a miracle! We need to get up and fight! How much are we going to give the enemy before the elders wise up and say that it’s enough?!
Lord,
Send us leaders, people after Your own heart to lead us to victory. That we might once again rise up and become one nation UNDER GOD… living in Your ways… fulfilling our purpose… and then blessing others as You have so graciously poured out Your blessings on us! Amen!