The Godly Clothes of King Ahab

The Godly Clothes of King Ahab

By Pastor Matt Black

Bible Text: 1 Kings 20:1-43

Preached on: Sunday, May 04, 2008, 6pm

Tabernacle Baptist Church

7020 Barrington Road

Hanover Park, Illinois 60133

Introduction: Open your Bibles to the book of 1 Kings 20. Tonight we come to a message on perseverance. It is a peculiar thing that the ungodly are always among the godly. Wheat and tares abide together until the harvest. At times the ungodly may look very much like the godly, but when you tear back the exterior of their hearts, all the ungodly have hard hearts that go every which way. They are happy for the true God to make them happy or some other God. They really don’t care. They will worship the true God when it convenient for them. When His worship goes around in silver and gold and is popular, they are happy to follow God. But when it is unpopular, they flee.

Ahab is an example of one who at times puts on the clothes of a true believer, but his heart is show never to have been changed. A person like this will put on whatever clothes are convenient for them. They’ll taste “of the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come” (Hebrews 6:5), but when it is no longer convenient for them, they will fall away.

I want to show you how Ahab was like this in 1 Kings 20. First let give you the gist of what is going on in this chapter. You will not find Elijah or Elisha mentioned in this chapter. It is very likely during this time that they have begun establishing their schools for the prophets.

This chapter is all about Ahab, king of northern Israel, where Elijah’s ministry has taken place. The other king we find is Ben-Hadad, king of Syria. Syria to Israel would be what Indiana is to us in Illinois.

What we are going to find is that Ahab is willing to surrender all of Israel’s land and people to a tyrant, Benhadad, king of Syria. God wants to show Ahab how powerful he is and gives Ahab two amazing victories and Ahab slaughters the Syrian army twice with hardly any army at all.

At the end, Ahab NEVER sees the spiritual reality of what was just accomplished. He’s happy to enjoy the prosperity of the godly if it helps and suits him. Instead of executing King Ben-Hadad, he lets him live and simply keeps him at bay for his own benefit. He will not utterly destroy that which will destroy him. So God tells Ahab through another unnamed prophet that since Ben-Hadad went free, King Ahab would then take his place and have to die instead.

He’s glad to be numbered with the godly when the godly dress in silver and gold, but he is not willing to be identified with the Lord if it means any discomfort or inconvenience to him. But before we get into this tragic story of Ahab, let’s pray.

[Prayer for Guidance]

I. The scene in Samaria: Ahab totally Dominated by a tyrant (verses 1-4).

Now the first four verses of 1 Kings 20 reveal the true character of Ahab. King Ben-Hadad has a confederation of 32 kings that intimidates King Ahab into becoming a slave state of Syria. Ahab willingly surrenders all of Israel’s wealth and people to Syria. Let’s read verses 1-4,

“Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and there were 32 kings with him, and horses, and chariots: and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it. 2 And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Benhadad, 3 Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine. 4 And the king of Israel answered and said, My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have.”

The true character of Ahab’s self-reliance and self jump from the pages. No prayer to God is offered. No trust for God who promised His people the land of Israel. When Ahab is overwhelmed he doesn’t humbly look to God, but willingly gives into the enemy that has promised to enslave him and his people. Ahab is totally powerless over the enemy.

Explanation: Ahab needed to trust in the promises of God that no enemy would overtake them. God had told Joshua in Joshua 1:3, “Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. 5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life”. Ahab should have said with David, “Who is this uncircumcised king that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

In verse 4 we read Ahab “the king of Israel answered and said [TO KING BEN-HADAD], My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have”. He gave himself and all the people of Israel to the absolute surrender and service of a tyrant.

Application: As Christians there is to be no master in our lives but Jesus Christ. I want you to see this in Romans 6.

Romans 6:14, 16, 22,

“For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace….16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.”

Compare Ahab to any one of the true believers of the OT. The true believers conquered the land. The pretenders died in the wilderness. Ahab is from the ilk of the pretenders. His carnal faith will not carry him to believe that God is greater than Ben-Hadad.

Now it seems in verses 5-7 Ahab’s heart is further revealed. Essentially, Ben-Hadad adds one more requirement. He wants to personally raid King Ahab’s palace for his wives and treasure. The elders of Israel advise Ahab against this (verse 8). So we read in verse 9,

“Wherefore [AHAB] said unto the messengers of Benhadad, Tell my lord the king, All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first I will do: but this thing I may not do. And the messengers departed, and brought him word again.”

Ahab says essentially, you can have the treasure of my people and of our land, but you cannot take away my comforts! So in verse 10, Ben-Hadad threatens Ahab that not even a handful of dust would remain in the Northern Kingdom of Israel (called Samaria): “And Benhadad sent unto [AHAB], and said, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me”.

Ahab says in verse 11, “Tell [BEN-HADAD], Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.” In other words, Ahab says, someone who is putting on the harness of his battle armor, getting ready for battle, should not boast as one who is taking off his battle armor after a great victory. Ahab looks as if he has real faith in God. It looks as if he’s had a change of heart. As we will see, this is not so. Brazen self-will sometimes looks outwardly as the confidence of faith in God. Ahab though, was not trusting in God at all at this time.

II. The scene in Syria: Debauchery. Meanwhile back in Syria Benhadad and his men is busy getting drunk (verse 12). This shows they were expecting an easy victory.

III. Now let us look at the Word of an unnamed prophet. Verse 13, “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. 14 And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Even by the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall order the battle? And he answered, Thou [YOU!]. 15 Then [AHAB] numbered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were 232: and after them he numbered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being 7,000”.

The purpose of the great slaughter to come was for Ahab. God wanted Habe to know, as verse 13 says, “and behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD”.

So 7,232 people were up against a vast army of tens of thousands of soldiers. It was going to be a slaughter. It was going to be so bad that we read in verse 16, “And they went out at noon. But Benhadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the 32 kings that helped him.”

IV. Now let’s see the first great victory. In verses 19-21 we find out that there is the first great slaughter just as the Lord said, “So these young men of the princes of the provinces [OF ISRAEL] came out of the city, and the army which followed them. 20 And they slew every one his man: and the Syrians fled; and Israel pursued them: and Benhadad the king of Syria escaped on an horse with the horsemen. 21 And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.” Notice Ahab did what was right. He didn’t keep anything but destroyed the Syrians and their horses and chariots completely.

V. Now let’s see the second great victory God gives Ahab. Verse 22 the unnamed prophet tells Ahab to get ready, because next year in the Spring Benhadad will return with his army.

We find out in verses 23-25 that the Syrians thought they lost because they fought in the mountains instead of the flat plains. They say in verse 23, “Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they”. So they make a few changes and are convinced that by fighting on the flat grounds of the plains that they will now win.

In verse 26, look at how wrong the Syrians are. They have a massive army of well over 100,000 people against a very tiny Jewish army. The sight is described in verse 27, “the children of Israel pitched before them like two little flocks of kids; but the Syrians filled the country.”.

A. In verse 28, the unnamed prophet declares that Israel will have victory yet a second time! “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.”

The purpose of God’s victory was true salvation of the heart. It was not that they would simply be safe or comforted, but that they would all know as he says in verse 28, “ye shall know that I am the LORD.”

B. Now we are going to see now in verse 29 this second victory described, “And they pitched one over against the other seven days. And so it was, that in the seventh day the battle was joined: and the children of Israel slew of the Syrians 100,000 footmen in one day.”

Ben-Hadad knew what was coming next. He was dead meat. He was going to be slaughtered. He knew the history. The people of Israel would slay their enemies utterly. So verse 30, ““Benhadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber”.

It ended up that Ben-Hadad (in verses 31-33a) sent officers to King Ahab to ask for mercy. He sent them dressed in two dramatic symbols: sackcloth and ropes. Sackcloth traditionally symbolized mourning and penitence. Ropes on their heads were unmistakable symbols of surrender.

VI. Look at Ahab’s Sad Compromise. Look at verse 33b, “Then [AHAB] said, Go ye, bring him. Then Benhadad came forth to him; and he caused him to come up into the chariot.” And he has a Treaty ceremony with King Ben-Hadad right there in the chariot. He gives no glory to the Lord. He does not slay Ben-Hadad! He keeps the enemy alive and makes a covenant with him. According to verse 34, they basically get:

· Their streets repaved

· They get their cities back from Syria

· And they get open trading between the two contries.

What Ahab isn’t thinking about is the fact that now Syria is left to one day be an enemy of Israel again! Ahab compromised with the enemy.

At the end, Ahab NEVER sees the spiritual reality of what was just accomplished in the victory. He’s happy to enjoy the spoils of victory. Instead of executing King Ben-Hadad, he lets him live and simply keeps him at bay for his own benefit. He will not utterly destroy that which will destroy him. So God tells Ahab through another unnamed prophet that since Ben-Hadad went free, King Ahab would then take his place and have to die instead

This other unnamed prophet is made to look like a wounded Jewish soldier. He tells one of his fellow prophets that the word of the Lord came to him, and that he must hit him in the face, probably with a weapon. The man refuses to hit the prophet and is killed by a lion for disobeying the Word of the Lord. Then we read in verse 37, “Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded him. 38 So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face.”

So the prophet positions himself along the road Ahab would pass to Samaria (verse 38). The prophet is disguised as a Jewish soldier wounded in recent battle.

As Ahab passed, the man called out, asking for mercy from the King. Someone had given this “soldier” custody of a prisoner of war. The penalty for that soldier if the POW escapted was an enormous sum of money (75 pounds of silver) or death. Since the poor “soldier” couldn’t pay, it meant the death penalty. Now this “soldier” admitted his carelessness, but he begged for mercy.

We see all this in verse 39, “And as the king passed by, [THE PROPHET DISGUISED AS A POW] cried unto the king: and he said, Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle; and, behold, a man turned aside, and brought a man unto me, and said, Keep this man: if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver. 40 And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone.”

And what was the King’s response? Verse 40b, “And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it.” In other words, no mercy. You must die!

Suddenly the prophet removed his disguise and Ahab recognized him. Verse 41, “And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his face; and the king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets.”

So the prophet gave the Message of the Lord to Ahab Verse 42, Thus saith the LORD, Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people.”

What is Ahab’s response? Repentance? No, he went home and pouted. Verse 43, “And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria”.

Conclusion: What is the point? What are the lessons we learn from this text?

1. Be very careful of those who are glad to use God. They are glad to be seen with the people of God when it benefits them. But they are not at all surrendered to God.

2. These false believers will be glad to surrender to the world if it benefits them. They sometimes fight against the slavery of the world when it benefits them. They may even have temporary victories and taste of the Word of God and of the power of the Word to come. But beware of them.

Look at Hebrews 6:4-8, “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. 7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: 8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.”

There are those who seem to taste of God, but they never grow but instead bear the “thorns and briers” which are rejected. Tonight I would ask all here to examine yourself. If you are in the faith, then stay away from those talkers of religion that will pollute you. They are only talkers, but know nothing of the power of heaven. Their god is their belly. Don’t be fooled by them. Perhaps you are here tonight and you may be like Ahab. I think of Talkative and Ignorance in Pilgrim’s Progress.

Listen to the words of John Bunyan in Pilgrim’s Progress:

TALKATIVE

Talkative speaks to Christian’s friend faithful, and Faithful is impressed with his godliness and knowledge.

CHRISTIAN: At this Christian modestly smiled, and said, This man, with whom you are so taken, will beguile with this tongue of his, twenty of them that know him not.

CHRISTIAN: His name is Talkative: he dwelleth in our town. He is the son of one Say-well.

He dwelt in Prating-Row; and he is known to all that are acquainted with him by the name of Talkative of Prating-Row; and, notwithstanding his fine tongue, he is but a sorry fellow.

He is at his best away from home, but near home his life is ugly. He is like the work of a painter, whose pictures show best at a distance; but very near, more unpleasing.

This man is for any company, and for any talk; as he talketh now with you, so will he talk when he is on the ale-bench; and the more drink he has in his glass, the more of these things he hath in his mouth. True Christianity hath no place in his heart, or house, or conduct; all he has is in his tongue, and his religion is to make a noise with it.

Many of God’s people are deceived by this man. Remember what the Word says, “They say, and do not;” but the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power. Matt. 23:3; 1 Cor. 4:20. He speaks of prayer, of repentance, of faith, and of the new birth; but he knows but only to talk of them. I have been in his family, and have observed him both at home and away; and I know what I say of him is the truth. His house is as empty of religion as the white of an egg is of flavor. There is there neither prayer, nor sign of repentance for sin; yea, the one who has never known the name of Christ serves God far better than he. He is the very stain, reproach, and shame of religion to all that know him, Rom. 2:24,25; it can hardly have a good word in all that end of the town where he dwells, through him. Thus say the common people that know him, “A saint abroad, and a devil at home.” For my part, I am of opinion that he has, by his wicked life, caused many to stumble and fall; and will be, if God prevents not, the ruin of many more.

IGNORANCE is anther character in Pilgrim’s Progress. He is very much like Talkative, He knows everything about Christianity in word.

John Bunyan describes as such:

Ignorance is thy name, and as thy name is, so art thou: You speak of Christ’s righteousness, but Ignorant thou art of what justifying righteousness is, and as ignorant how to convert thy soul, through the faith of it, from the heavy wrath of God. Yea, thou also art ignorant of the true effects of saving faith in this righteousness of Christ, which is to bow and surrender your the heart to God in Christ, to love his name, to love his word, His ways, and people, and not as thou ignorantly imaginest simply to know much. In your much knowledge you are IGNORANT.

Don’t you know Ignorance that Christ is so hid in God from the natural apprehensions of the flesh, that he cannot by any man be savingly known, unless God the Father reveals him to him. Do you know know that no man can know Jesus Christ but by the revelation of the Father: yea, and faith too, by which the soul layeth hold upon Christ, (if it be right,) must be wrought by the exceeding greatness of his mighty power, Matt. 11:27; 1 Cor. 12:3; Eph. 1:17-19.

The working of which faith, I perceive, poor Ignorance, thou art ignorant of. Be awakened, then, see thine own wretchedness, and flee into the arms of the Lord!

Sadly, at the end of Pilgrim’s Progress we see Ignorance at the gates of the Celestial City.

Listen again to the words of John Bunyan end the story of Pilgrim’s Progress:

Now, while I was gazing upon all these things, I turned my head to look back, and saw Ignorance come up to the river side (representing the crossing over from death to eternity); but he soon got over… he did ascend the hill, to come up to the gate; only he came alone, neither did any man meet him with the least encouragement. When he was come up to the gate, he …began to knock, supposing that entrance should have been quickly administered to him; but he was asked by the men that looked over the top of the gate, From where do you come? and what would you have? He answered, I have ate and drank in the presence of the King, and he has taught in our streets.

Then they asked him for his certificate, that they might go in and show it to the King: so he fumbled in his bosom for one, and found none. Then said they, Have you none? but the man answered not even a word. So they told the King, but he would not come down to see him, but commanded the two shining ones, that conducted Christian and Hopeful into the city, to go out and take Ignorance, and bind him hand and foot, and have him away. Then they took him up, and carried him through the air to the door that I saw in the side of the hill, and put him in there. Then I saw that there was a way to hell, even from the gate of heaven, as well as from the City of Destruction.

Conclusion: Dear friend, do not be like Ahab tonight. Do not taste of the power of God without knowing God. Do not enjoy the good Word of God but never live it. Do you only follow it when it is popular, but when you lose everything. Be a true and genuine Christian. And if you are a true Christian in public and in private, rejoice! For there are many more like you, just as there was remnant of 7000 in Elijah’s day!!