Day 316 – Plans

1 Kings 20:1 Now Ben-Hadad the king of Syria gathered his forces together; thirty-two kings were with him, with horses and chariots. He went up and besieged Samaria and made war against it. 2 Then he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, and said to him, “Thus says Ben-Hadad, 3 ‘Your silver and your gold are mine; your loveliest wives and children are mine.’”

 4 The king of Israel answered and said, “My lord, O king, just as you say, I and everyone I have are yours.”

 5 Then the messengers came back and said, “Thus speaks Ben-Hadad, saying, ‘Indeed I have sent to you, saying, “You will deliver to me your silver and your gold, your wives and your children”; 6 but I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they will search your house and the houses of your servants. It will happen, that whatever is pleasant in your eyes, they will put it in their hands and take it.’”

 7 Then the king of Israel called the elders of the land, and said, “Notice, please, and see how this man seeks trouble, for he sent to me for my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold; and I did not deny him.”

 8 The elders and the people said to him, “Do not listen or consent.”

 9 Therefore, he said to the messengers of Ben-Hadad, “Tell my lord the king, ‘Everything you sent for to your servant the first time I will do, but this thing I cannot do.’” The messengers departed and brought back word to him.

 10 Then Ben-Hadad sent to him and said, “The elohiym do so to me, and more also, if enough dust is left of Samaria for a handful for each of the people who follow me.”

 11 Then the king of Israel answered and said, “Tell him, ‘Let not the one who puts on his armor boast like the one who takes it off.’”

 12 It happened when Ben-Hadad heard this message, as he and the kings were drinking at the command post, that he said to his servants, “Get ready.” They got ready to attack the city.

 13 A prophet approached Ahab king of Israel, saying, “Thus says JEHOVAH, ‘Have you seen this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand today, and you will know I am JEHOVAH.’”

 14 Then Ahab said, “By whom?”

  He said, “Thus says JEHOVAH, ‘By the young leaders of the provinces.’”

  Then he said, “Who will set the battle in order?”

  He answered, “You.”

 15 Then he mustered the young leaders of the provinces, and there were two hundred and thirty-two; and after them he mustered the people, the children of Israel—seven thousand.

 16 Thus, they went out at noon. Meanwhile, Ben-Hadad and the thirty-two kings helping him got drunk at the command post.

 17 The young leaders of the provinces went out first. Ben-Hadad sent out a patrol, and they told him, saying, “Men are coming out of Samaria!”

 18 Then he said, “If they have come out for peace, take them alive; and if they have come out for war, take them alive.”

 19 Then these young leaders of the provinces went out of the city with the army which followed them.

 20 Each one killed his man; so, the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them; and Ben-Hadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with the cavalry.

 21 Then the king of Israel went out and attacked the horses and chariots and killed the Syrians with a great slaughter.

 22 The prophet came to the king of Israel and said to him, “Go, strengthen yourself; take note, and see what you should do, for in the spring of the year the king of Syria will come up against you.”

 23 Then the servants of the king of Syria said to him, “Their elohiym are elohiym of the hills. Therefore, they were stronger than we; but if we fight against them in the plain, we will be stronger than them. 24 Then do this thing: Dismiss the kings, each from his position, and put captains in their places; 25 and you will muster an army like the army you lost, horse for horse and chariot for chariot. Then we will fight against them in the plain; we will be stronger than they.” He listened to their voice and did so.

 26 Thus, it was, in the spring of the year, that Ben-Hadad mustered the Syrians and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.

 27 The children of Israel were mustered and given provisions, and they went against them. Now the children of Israel encamped before them like two little flocks of goats, while the Syrians filled the countryside.

 28 Then a man of Elohiym came and spoke to the king of Israel, and said, “Thus says JEHOVAH, ‘Because the Syrians have said, “JEHOVAH is Elohiym of the hills, but He is not Elohiym of the valleys,” therefore, I will deliver this great multitude into your hand, and you will know I am JEHOVAH.’”

 29 They encamped opposite each other for seven days. Thus, it happened that on the seventh day the battle was joined; and the children of Israel killed one hundred-thousand foot soldiers of the Syrians in one day.

 30 However, the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; then a wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the men who were left. Ben-Hadad fled and went into the city, into an inner chamber.

 31 Then his servants said to him, “Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Please, let us put sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads, and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will spare your life.”

 32 Thus, they wore sackcloth around their waists and put ropes around their heads, and came to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-Hadad says, ‘Please let me live.’”

  He said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”

 33 Now the men watched closely to see whether a sign of mercy would come from him; and they quickly grasped at this word and said, “Your brother Ben-Hadad.”

 Then he said, “Go, bring him.” Then Ben-Hadad came out to him; and he had him come up into the chariot.

 34 Then Ben-Hadad said to him, “The cities which my father took from your father I will restore; and you may set up marketplaces for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.”

 Then Ahab said, “I will send you away with this treaty.” Thus, he made a treaty with him and sent him away.

 35 Now a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his neighbor by the word of JEHOVAH, “Strike me, please.” The man refused to strike him. 36 Then he said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of JEHOVAH, as soon as you depart from me, a lion will kill you.” As soon as he left him, a lion found him and killed him.

 37 He found another man, and said, “Strike me, please.” Then the man struck him, inflicting a wound.

 38 Then the prophet departed and waited for the king by the road and disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes.

 39 As the king passed by, he cried out to the king and said, “Your servant went out into the midst of the battle; and there, a man came over and brought a man to me, and said, ‘Guard this man; if by any means he is missing, your life will be for his life, or else you will pay a talent of silver.’ 40 While your servant was busy here and there, he was gone.”

  Then the king of Israel said to him, “Thus, will your judgment be. You yourself decided it.”

 41 He hastened to take the bandage away from his eyes; and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.

 42 Then he said to him, “Thus says JEHOVAH, ‘Because you let slip out of your hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore, your life will go for his life, and your people for his people.’”

 43 Then the king of Israel went to his house sullen and displeased and came to Samaria.

God’s names:

JEHOVAH – Self-existent, Eternal

Elohiym – Supreme God

Yeshuwa – Jesus

Iesous – Jesus

Theos – Supreme Divinity

God’s character:

Warrior

Deliverer

Author and Finisher of our faith

People want what doesn’t belong to them and will fight until they get it.

Ben-Hadad wanted the wealth and people of Israel and told Ahab everything he had belonged to him. JEHOVAH told Ahab He would deliver the Syrians into his hands. Ahab mustered the Israelites, seven thousand men, and did as JEHOVAH told him, and JEHOVAH killed 127,000 Syrian soldiers. However, Ben-Hadad escaped. When he did, he devised a plan to save his life and brought his plan to Ahab. Ahab agreed to his plan, even though JEHOVAH intended Ben-Hadad to die. When a prophet came to Ahab and told him he would die because he allowed Ben-Hadad to live, he went to his home displeased and depressed.

When you accepted Yeshuwa as Savior and Lord, Satan came against you to try to steal, kill, and destroy everything belonging to you. However, Yeshuwa promised you abundant life.

John 10:10 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (NKJV)

When you allow Yeshuwa to direct your life, He will go before you as a warrior into battle against Satan to deliver you from his hands. He will destroy every plan and scheme against you. However, when you listen to Satan and allow him to take one area of your life, you will find destruction waiting for you. You need to give everything in your life into Yeshuwa’s hands without holding back. Only then will you see complete victory in your life.

Everyone who accepts Yeshuwa as Savior and Lord comes to Him with a burden of sin which they confess to Yeshuwa when they accept Him as their Savior and Lord. However, Satan knows your burden and troubles of your past and does his best to keep them alive and a snare to you. When you give in to the temptations he puts in front of you, you give him a foothold in your life. Until you come to the place in your life when you can destroy the sin Satan easily comes against you with, you will be a slave to that sin. Just as Ahab agreed to the treaty Ben-Hadad suggested. It sounded good to him because Ben-Hadad promised to restore everything he took from him. Satan doesn’t want to restore anything back to you. He wants to destroy you and everything in your life. Don’t fall for his schemes.

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Iesous, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of Theos.

Your life in Yeshuwa isn’t an easy one. However, when you spend time with Yeshuwa in His Word, pray, and seek His face, you will know the schemes Satan devises against you, and you can come against him with Yeshuwa’s Word on your lips and he will flee from you.

Psalm 119:11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You!

James 4:7 Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Trust Yeshuwa to go before you into the battle and fight for you. When you do, you will always find victory in your life.

Let’s pray: Father, help me discern Satan’s lies from Your truth when he comes against me to destroy everything in my life. Let Your Word live in me so I can use it against Satan to destroy his schemes for my life. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Copyright © 30 November 2024 by Valerie Routhieaux