"By whom?" Ahab asked. And the prophet replied, "This is what the LORD says: 'By the young officers of the district governors.'" "Who will start the battle?" asked Ahab. "You will," answered the prophet. “By whom?” Ahab asked.Ahab, the king of Israel, is seeking guidance in a time of crisis. This question reflects his uncertainty and reliance on prophetic insight, a common practice in ancient Israel where kings often consulted prophets for divine direction. Ahab's inquiry shows his dependence on God's word, despite his previous idolatrous actions. And the prophet replied, “This is what the LORD says:
The prophet serves as God's mouthpiece, delivering a direct message from the LORD. This phrase underscores the role of prophets in Israel as intermediaries between God and His people. It highlights the authority of God's word, which is central to the narrative and decision-making process in Israel's history. ‘By the young officers of the district governors.’”
The young officers, likely inexperienced and not the usual choice for leading a battle, are chosen by God to demonstrate His power and sovereignty. This choice emphasizes that victory comes from the LORD, not human strength or conventional military strategy. It parallels other biblical instances where God uses the unlikely to achieve His purposes, such as David's victory over Goliath. “Who will start the battle?” asked Ahab.
Ahab's question reveals his concern about leadership and responsibility in the upcoming conflict. It reflects a common theme in Scripture where leaders seek assurance of God's presence and guidance before engaging in battle. This question also indicates Ahab's hesitance and need for confirmation of God's plan. “You will,” answered the prophet.
The prophet's response places the responsibility directly on Ahab, signifying that he must take an active role in God's plan. This directive challenges Ahab to trust in God's promise and act in faith. It serves as a reminder that while God orchestrates events, human participation and obedience are often required to fulfill His purposes. This interaction can be seen as a test of Ahab's faith and willingness to follow God's command. Persons / Places / Events 1. AhabThe king of Israel, known for his idolatry and marriage to Jezebel. He is a central figure in this passage, seeking guidance for battle. 2. The ProphetAn unnamed prophet who delivers God's message to Ahab, indicating divine intervention and guidance in the battle against the Arameans. 3. Young Officers of the District GovernorsThese are the individuals chosen by God to lead the battle, highlighting God's unconventional choice of leaders. 4. The LORDThe God of Israel, who provides direction and assurance of victory, demonstrating His sovereignty and involvement in Israel's affairs. 5. The BattleThe impending conflict between Israel and the Arameans, where God promises victory through unexpected means. Teaching Points God's Sovereignty in LeadershipGod often chooses unexpected leaders to fulfill His purposes, reminding us that His ways are higher than ours. Faith in Divine GuidanceLike Ahab, we must seek and trust God's guidance in our battles, knowing that He has a plan for victory. Obedience to God's CommandsAhab's willingness to follow the prophet's instructions demonstrates the importance of obedience in achieving God's plans. God's Power in WeaknessThe choice of young officers highlights that God can use anyone, regardless of status or experience, to accomplish His will. Initiating Action with FaithAhab's question, "Who will start the battle?" and the prophet's response, "You will," teaches us to take initiative in faith when God directs us. Bible Study Questions 1. How does God's choice of the young officers as leaders challenge our understanding of leadership and qualifications? 2. In what ways can we seek and discern God's guidance in our personal battles today? 3. How does the account of Ahab and the young officers encourage us to trust in God's power rather than our own abilities? 4. What are some areas in our lives where we need to take initiative in faith, trusting that God will lead us to victory? 5. How can we apply the principle of "not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit" in our daily walk with God? Connections to Other Scriptures Judges 7The account of Gideon and his 300 men parallels this passage, where God uses a small, unlikely group to achieve victory, emphasizing His power and glory. 1 Samuel 17David's victory over Goliath is another example of God using the seemingly weak or insignificant to accomplish His purposes. Zechariah 4:6This verse underscores the principle that victory comes "not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit," aligning with the message in 1 Kings 20:14. People Ahab, Aram, Ben, Benhadad, Ben-hadad, Hadad, Israelites, SyriansPlaces Aphek, Damascus, Samaria, SyriaTopics Ahab, Battle, Begin, Chiefs, Commanders, Direct, Districts, Divisions, Fighting, Governors, Heads, Officers, Order, Princes, Prophet, Provinces, Provincial, Replied, Rulers, Says, Servants, Start, Started, ThusDictionary of Bible Themes 1 Kings 20:14 5261 commander
5434 officer 1 Kings 20:13-21 1429 prophecy, OT fulfilment Library The Lost Opportunity
TEXT: "And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him, So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it."--1 Kings 20:40. There is a very striking incident connected with this text. The great battle is raging, a certain important prisoner has been taken, and if you read between the lines you seem to know that upon him depend many of the issues of war. His skill in leading the enemy had been marvelous, his courage in the thick of the fight striking; …
J. Wilbur Chapman—And Judas IscariotPutting on the Armour
And the king of Israel answered and said. Tell him. Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.'--1 KINGS xx. 11. For the Young. Ahab, King of Israel, was but a poor creature, and, like most weak characters, he turned out a wicked one, because he found that there were more temptations to do wrong than inducements to do right. Like other weak people, too, he was torn asunder by the influence of stronger wills. On the one side he had a termagant of a wife, stirring …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture The Section Chap. I. -iii.
The question which here above all engages our attention, and requires to be answered, is this: Whether that which is reported in these chapters did, or did not, actually and outwardly take place. The history of the inquiries connected with this question is found most fully in Marckius's "Diatribe de uxore fornicationum," Leyden, 1696, reprinted in the Commentary on the Minor Prophets by the same author. The various views may be divided into three classes. 1. It is maintained by very many interpreters, …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament The Letter of the Synod to the Emperor and Empress.
(Labbe and Cossart, Concilia, Tom. VII., col. 577.) To our most religious and most serene princes, Constantine and Irene his mother. Tarasius, the unworthy bishop of your God-protected royal city, new Rome, and all the holy Council which met at the good pleasure of God and upon the command of your Christ-loving majesty in the renowned metropolis of Nice, the second council to assemble in this city. Christ our God (who is the head of the Church) was glorified, most noble princes, when your heart, …
Philip Schaff—The Seven Ecumenical Councils Nature of the Renderings
From the text we now turn to the renderings, and to the general principles that were followed, both in the Old and in the New Testament. The revision of the English text was in each case subject to the same general rule, viz. "To introduce as few alterations as possible into the Text of the Authorised Version consistently with faithfulness"; but, owing to the great difference between the two languages, the Hebrew and the Greek, the application of the rule was necessarily different, and the results …
C. J. Ellicott—Addresses on the Revised Version of Holy Scripture The Practice of Piety in Glorifying God in the Time of Sickness, and when Thou Art Called to Die in the Lord.
As soon as thou perceivest thyself to be visited with any sickness, meditate with thyself: 1. That "misery cometh not forth of the dust; neither doth affliction spring out of the earth." Sickness comes not by hap or chance (as the Philistines supposed that their mice and emrods came, 1 Sam. vi. 9), but from man's wickedness, which, as sparkles, breaketh out. "Man suffereth," saith Jeremiah, "for his sins." "Fools," saith David, "by reason of their transgressions, and because of their iniquities, …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety The Twelve Minor Prophets.
1. By the Jewish arrangement, which places together the twelve minor prophets in a single volume, the chronological order of the prophets as a whole is broken up. The three greater prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, stand in the true order of time. Daniel began to prophesy before Ezekiel, but continued, many years after him. The Jewish arrangement of the twelve minor prophets is in a sense chronological; that is, they put the earlier prophets at the beginning, and the later at the end of the …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible Tiglath-Pileser iii. And the Organisation of the Assyrian Empire from 745 to 722 B. C.
TIGLATH-PILESER III. AND THE ORGANISATION OF THE ASSYRIAN EMPIRE FROM 745 to 722 B.C. FAILURE OF URARTU AND RE-CONQUEST Of SYRIA--EGYPT AGAIN UNITED UNDER ETHIOPIAN AUSPICES--PIONKHI--THE DOWNFALL OF DAMASCUS, OF BABYLON, AND OF ISRAEL. Assyria and its neighbours at the accession of Tiglath-pileser III.: progress of the Aramaeans in the basin of the Middle Tigris--Urartu and its expansion into the north of Syria--Damascus and Israel--Vengeance of Israel on Damascus--Jeroboam II.--Civilisation …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 7 Kings
The book[1] of Kings is strikingly unlike any modern historical narrative. Its comparative brevity, its curious perspective, and-with some brilliant exceptions--its relative monotony, are obvious to the most cursory perusal, and to understand these things is, in large measure, to understand the book. It covers a period of no less than four centuries. Beginning with the death of David and the accession of Solomon (1 Kings i., ii.) it traverses his reign with considerable fulness (1 Kings iii.-xi.), …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links 1 Kings 20:14 NIV1 Kings 20:14 NLT1 Kings 20:14 ESV1 Kings 20:14 NASB1 Kings 20:14 KJV
1 Kings 20:14 Commentaries
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