1 Kings 20:26-30 – With God we won’t lose

Ben-hadad believed the counselor's mistaken ideas about the gods of Israel being the gods of the hills. So mustering the Arameans, Ben-hadad went up to war against Israel at Aphek at the turn of the year. The children of Israel on their end also rallied together. Equipped and well provisioned, they were ready for the battle. Unlike the Arameans who filled the plain, the people of Israel with a lesser force assembled themselves like two little flocks of goats.

Again Israel was reassured of victory, through the words of a man of God. Their covenant once again stated the reason why they were going to experience victory. First Kings 20:28 reveals what that man of God said, to reassure them. He said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because the Arameans have said, “The Lord is a god of the mountains, but He is not a god of the valleys,” therefore I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord.’” God intends to debunk the Aramean’s false and foolish notion as well as to prove to the people of Israel that He alone is their Lord. He did not want them to buy into the foolish thinking of Ben-hadad’s counselors.  

Verse 29 said that they camped facing each other for seven days and on the seventh day they were locked in battle. In the conflict, 100,000 of the Aramean’s foot soldiers were devastated and killed in one day by the sons of Israel. A remaining force of 27,000 fled from the battlefield to Aphek. There they too met their end, as the wall of the city fell and killed them. Ben-hadad, however, managed to escape by fleeing into the inner chamber of the city. Once again Yahweh delivered His people and debunked the foolish thinking of the Arameans.

All that had happened should have awakened Ahab to Yahweh and caused him to return to Him. But none of that happened. He remained as clueless and stubborn as he was. It is so true that there is none so blind as one who refuses to see. The wayward king once again missed another opportunity to return to God.

Bear in mind that victory is not always determined by the number, it is determined by who we have with us. If God is on our side, there is no force too big or too strong that we cannot overcome. No one can ever come against the purpose of God and walk away victorious. With God on our side, we will always be the majority, regardless of the size. No matter how outnumbered we may feel we are, with our God victory is already secured!