Being Too Accommodating

I Kings 20:29-43

“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 an hundred thousand footmen in one day.  But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and there a wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men that were left.” (I Kings 20:29-30a)

The Syrians had been sure God would not have much power out on the plains.  When the battle was joined Israel killed a hundred thousand infantrymen that day.  The survivors took refuge inside the city of Aphek, taking defensive positions on the wall.  One of the walls collapsed, killing twenty seven thousand men and leaving one side unprotected.

"And Benhadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner chamber.  And his servants said unto him, Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings: let us, I pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel: peradventure he will save thy life.” (I Kings 20:30b-31)

Benhadad was terrified.  He took refuge in a room with no outer doors surrounded by his guards.  His advisors told him that Israel had a reputation for mercy and that if they would apologize there was a good chance they would save his life.

“So they girded sackcloth on their loins, and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel, and said, Thy servant Benhadad saith, I pray thee, let me live. 

And he said, Is he yet alive? he is my brother. 

Now the men did diligently observe whether any thing would come from him, and did hastily catch it: and they said, Thy brother Benhadad. 

Then he said, Go ye, bring him. Then Benhadad came forth to him; and he caused him to come up into the chariot.” (I Kings 20:32-33) 

Benhadad’s advisors went out of their way to indicate they were sorry for what they had done and to ask that Ahab not kill Benhadad.  Syria was larger and more powerful than Israel, and Ahab didn’t want to be a bad sport.  He asked how he was and referred to him as his brother, like they were good buddies.  He totally ignored the fact that had the Syrians won, they intended to take over Israel, and probably kill him.  He could demand whatever he wanted because he had defeated them.

Benhadad’s advisors were quick to catch Ahab’s comment and capitalize on it, playing on his comment about being brothers.  He asked to see him and when he came invited him into his chariot as an honored guest rather than a defeated enemy.

“And Benhadad said unto him, The cities, which my father took from thy father, I will restore; and thou shalt make streets for thee in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria. 

Then said Ahab, I will send thee away with this covenant. So he made a covenant with him, and sent him away.” (I Kings 20:34) 

Benhadad agreed to return the land they had taken from Israel, and to allow Israel to establish a community in Damascus like his father had set up in Samaria.  Ahab agreed to accept this and they made a treaty, after which Benhadad returned to Damascus.

“And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his neighbour in the word of the LORD, Smite me, I pray thee. 

And the man refused to smite him.  Then said he unto him, Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee. And as soon as he was departed from him, a lion found him, and slew him.” (I Kings 20:35-36)

Receiving a message from God, one of the prophets asked his neighbor to hit him as a sign.  The neighbor refused, because he didn’t feel it was right to hurt the prophet of God, and the prophet warned him that because he refused to obey God, he would be killed by a lion.  A short time later he was killed as prophesied.  We ought to obey God, even when it goes against our conscience or cultural standards.  Failure to do so leaves us disobeying God.  We may not know what God’s plans are.

“Then he found another man, and said, Smite me, I pray thee. And the man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded him.  So the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face.

“And as the king passed by, he 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.  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.” (I Kings 20:37-40) 

The second man obeyed God, smiting and injuring the prophet.  The prophet then waited along the way for the king.  When Ahab came by the prophet told him a story that during the battle he’d been injured, and that a man brought him a prisoner.  He had agreed to keep the prisoner, and that his life would be forfeit if I the prisoner escaped.  He’d gotten busy and the prisoner had escaped and now he wanted Ahab to keep him from being killed for letting him get away.

Ahab declared that he had agreed to the terms, and that now he must live up to them even though it wasn’t what he wanted.  It is what Numbers 30:2 specified.  “If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.”  A man was not to break his promise even when things didn’t turn out the way he expected them to.  Hardship was not an excuse.

“And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his face; and the king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets. 

And he said unto him, 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.  And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria.” (I Kings 20:41-43)

Once Ahab had rendered his judgment, The prophet revealed his identity and pointed out what Ahab had done in making the treaty.  Charged by God with protecting Israel by destroying Benhadad, Ahab signed a treaty and allowed him to get away free.  Just as Ahab had said the prophet should be held to account for his failure, Ahab would be held accountable for allowing Benhadad to go free.  Being such a nice forgiving person contrary to God’s will would cost him his life and his people.  Ahab was pretty upset by the prophecy.  Three years later, Ahab would be killed by the Syrian army.  A few years later, in II Kings 6, Benhadad would besiege Samaria, resulting in starvation for many.   Obviously his sorrow was only the result of fear of death.

While Christians are to be willing to forgive, they are not expected to ignore sin.  Both Matthew 18 and I Corinthians 5 insist that people be held accountable for sin.  I Corinthians 7 says that if a woman is forced to leave her husband, she is free not to go back if she chooses.  We need to seek God’s leadership, not blindly try to be such a forgiving person.  It is too easy for a person to just say they’re sorry with no indication of repentance.

John the Baptist recognized this in Matthew 3:7-8.  “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:”  

Only a changed attitude indicates real repentance.  A changed attitude does not necessarily insure that a person won’t occasionally repeat the offense, but it is not deliberate.  This is the idea behind Luke 17:3-4.  “Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.  And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.”  It is not that we just have to ignore his sin.  To do so only means we’ll have to deal with it again.