The challenge to choose God and what hinders us
1 Kings 20:31-43
A friend’s colleague was a heavy drinker from youth, out with the lads most nights. He would take bets on whom he could drink under the table, making an accomplishment out of his addiction. At one point, he acknowledged to himself that he had a problem but could not stop. Then one day he woke up and the craving for alcohol was gone! Having come from a Christian background, he felt that God had cured him, and he committed his life to the Lord. However, not long after, one of his drinking buddies invited him out and in a reckless moment he decided to go. After all, he was cured of alcoholism, wasn’t he? He was able to keep from becoming drunk that first time, but soon he was back on the circuit of nights out. He initially justified these as opportunities ‘to share the gospel’, then even that excuse fell away and he simply enjoyed getting drunk again. It did not take long before his ‘Christian phase’ became a thing of the past.
Ahab’s challenge to choose God
Similarly in Ahab’s story, God has enabled the king to overcome Ben-Hadad, but now Ahab turns around and calls this enemy ‘a brother’, typical language for covenant partners (1 Kings 20:32). He then makes a covenant with him for political advantage (1 Kings 20:34). While this may seem sensible, even gracious from a modern perspective, it is theologically problematic in an ancient setting. Religion permeated the public sphere in that context, so going into battle involved invoking the gods’ help and victory was followed by thanksgiving and sacrifices offered to the same gods. Alliances between nations would likewise call for sealing the deal in front of the gods with worship and sacrifices. Not only would such a setup encourage trust in human strength as well as in the gods of other nations, it could also inspire participation in each other’s worship. Since the gods were so closely associated with every activity, a joint victory from an alliance of nations would be the joint victory of their gods. This would ally Israel’s God with false gods! For these reasons, Israel was repeatedly warned against foreign alliances (e.g. Exod 34:12-16; Deut 7:2; 17:16-17).[1]
Confronted and resisting God
Ahab is quickly confronted, though a curious incident precedes this, which underlines the point that disobedience to the prophetic command brings punishment from God. The man who refuses to strike the prophet at the latter’s command is killed by a lion (1 Kings 20:35-36), just like the disobedient prophet earlier was killed the same way (1 Kings 13:1-2, 26). The unnamed prophet with his disguise in place then tells a fictitious story for the king to judge, so that Ahab (like David when confronted with his sin, 2 Sam 12:1-7) condemns himself (1 Kings 20:39-40). The king of Aram is described in the Hebrew as ‘a man of ḥerem’ (NASB ‘devoted to destruction’, 1 Kings 20:42), a term difficult to translate into English. Its primary sense is that it is something taboo, under the ban. In other words, it is taken out of human use and given to God, which may or may not involve its destruction.[2] Ahab should have known that the enemy vanquished by God was ‘taboo’ for him. His sullen attitude when challenged (1 Kings 20:43) suggests a stubborn streak. He wants the benefits of the relationship with God but has no interest in following Him.
What hinders us from choosing God?
While the warfare context is alien to us, the point to ponder is that we cannot return and ally ourselves with the very things that God has saved us from. As James puts it, friendship with the world makes us enemies of God (James 4:4). It is not that we shall never sin again or give in to temptation – we all do – but that giving sin free reign in our lives, as if it were harmless, will eventually destroy us. Another key feature in Ahab’s attitude is his lack of remorse when confronted. Who knows how things might have turned out if he had repented? His pouting, however, indicates his resistance to God’s will. Keeping a soft heart when the Lord confronts us is another key takeaway of this story.
[1] Deuteronomy 17:16-17 is a command for the king not to rely on horses imported from Egypt (i.e. on military might provided by another nation), nor multiply wives because they will turn him away from the Lord. Although not spelt out, the text has in mind foreign alliances sealed by marriage with a foreign princess who would bring the worship of other gods into the household of the king and lead him astray. This is exactly what happened to Solomon (1 Kings 11:1-4). While Ahab did not have many wives, his Sidonian wife, Jezebel was quite enough to exert a bad influence on him (1 Kings 16:31-33).
[2] E.g. Saul was told to put the Amalekites under the ban (ḥerem), which in this case meant putting them to death (1 Sam 15:3, NASB ‘utterly destroy’). For the particular issues there, see my post on the Destruction of the Amalekites. On the other hand, Jericho, the first city captured in the promised land, is put under the ban (ḥerem) so that the silver, gold and other valuables are put into the treasury of the Lord (Josh 6:17-19). Achan who steals some of the spoil forfeits his life (Josh 7:15, 20-21).
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