Applications from 1 Kings 

1 Kings 21:1-6

The Story:

As we left Ahab last he was heavy and displeased. He had twice defeated Ben-Hadad. Neither time was he able to enjoy it & had really gotten things wrong.

Here we find him interacting with Naboth. Naboth has a vineyard next to Ahab’s palace. Ahab would like the vineyard since it is near his property. He offers Naboth another vineyard or money in exchange.

Naboth will not give King Ahab the vineyard. So again we find Ahab “heavy and displeased”.

As Ahab sits around and pouts, Jezebel notices. Hearing Ahab’s sob story, Jezebel decides to take care of things. She has Naboth killed and gives the vineyard to Ahab.

For the application, let’s look in detail at each of the characters we
read.

The Application: Naboth

In refusing to sell, Naboth is not being unreasonable. His reason is honorable. He is not just trying to hold on to land, or be greedy. He isn’t trying to play hard ball with the King.

Naboth feels a biblical conviction not to sell his land. He considers the sale of this land a violation of the biblical law of inherited land. See Numbers 27:8-11.

It would be beneficial for Naboth to sell this land. This was an offer from the King, money was probably not an issue here. Also, the replacement land would likely be very good. Not to mention the benefit of helping the king out.

It is very dangerous for Naboth to keep this land. We read that Naboth is killed over it. Even if they had not killed him, going against the king is a BIG deal.

Aware of all of this…Naboth refuses to sell. He stood on his conviction. A conviction is something we are willing to die for, Naboth died. A preference is something we would like, but don’t intend to die for. A conviction is something you have truth on. (i.e. Num 27) A preference is something just based on facts. Preference is left for us to decide, convictions are truths already decided and out of our hands. Naboth was not left with a decision of, “…can I sell and still be right…” He was left with, “I can sell and be wrong or not sell and be right.” This left the results out of his hands. What a wonderful example of living with conviction. We should all be people of conviction with our decisions guided by the truths of God’s word.

Pastor Chanc Strickland
Harpeth Baptist Church
Kingston Springs, TN

This blog post was adapted from a sermon preached at Harpeth Baptist Church in the summer of 2012.

Applications from 1 Kings 

1 Kings 20:31-43

If you read the last post, Doing what I don’t want to do, please skip ahead to the application.

The Story:

The story here here has two separate elements that bring us to the conclusion: Ben-hadad comes to Ahab and asks for mercy which he receives. A prophet disguises himself to bring God & judgment to Ahab. The conclusion we reach is that God will punish Ahab for making up with Ben-Hadad.

The Application:

Just as the prophet Nathan dealt with King David, this unnamed prophet deals with King Ahab. (2 Samuel 12:1-12) Similarly Ahab here gives his own judgment. (v.39-40) Ironically, he was judged for disobeying…we the reader get a double warning of this here from the prophet and the king.

See Matthew 7:1-5…

For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. Matthew 7:2

We will be judged the way we judge others. “Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.” (Proverbs 26:27) “He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it…” (Ecclesiastes 10:8)

We should be as gracious with others as we would expect for ourselves. How would we want things if we were in their place? Would we see this differently if we had walked a mile in their shoes? We will be judged the way we judge.

Conclusion:

Have you been living unto self, satisfied with “at least having your pride”? Are living in obedience to God, or do you stop when left to do things you don’t want to do? How are you judging, do you give others the leash you would give yourself?

Pastor Chanc Strickland

Harpeth Baptist Church
Kingston Springs, TN

This blog post was adapted from a sermon preached at Harpeth Baptist Church in the summer of 2012.

Applications from 1 Kings 

1 Kings 20:31-43

If you read the last post, I have my pride, please skip ahead to the application.

The Story:

The story here here has two separate elements that bring us to the conclusion: Ben-hadad comes to Ahab and asks for mercy which he receives. A prophet disguises himself to bring God & judgment to Ahab. The conclusion we reach is that God will punish Ahab for making up with Ben-Hadad.

The Application:

The prophet asks someone to smite him who refuses, and gets eaten by a lion. The prophet then asks someone else, who does smite him.

The first guy didn’t want to smite him. Why would he? Who just sits around anxious to “smite” someone? It wasn’t up to him though, this is what God wanted and he was severely punished for not doing what he was instructed.

I imagine the prophet didn’t want to be smote. This is the method God instructed him to use. After the first guy he probably felt relieved! Then God sends him to another, who wasn’t as “nice” but more obedient and he beat him up pretty good!

In both men we see clearly that at times we must do what we don’t want to do. It may be that we have to take on personal “harm” that we would prefer not to. It may be that we have to act in a way we don’t want to. Nevertheless, we must obey God. God doesn’t always have a lion waiting to eat, but at times He requires this strict of obedience.

Pastor Chanc Strickland
Harpeth Baptist Church
Kingston Springs, TN

This blog post was adapted from a sermon preached at Harpeth Baptist Church in the summer of 2012.

Applications from 1 Kings 

1 Kings 20:31-43

The Story:

The story here here has two separate elements that bring us to the conclusion: Ben-hadad comes to Ahab and asks for mercy which he receives. A prophet disguises himself to bring God & judgment to Ahab. The conclusion we reach is that God will punish Ahab for making up with Ben-Hadad.

The Application: “I have my pride…”

Have you ever said this, or felt that way? A situation doesn’t go how you’d like, you find yourself in the place of “wrong.” The world’s solution for this is to at least walk away with your pride. Instead of operating in a repentant manner, preferring another above our self, we stick out our chest & say, “Well, I have my pride.”

As a born-again believer, you don’t have your pride. The only thing we can walk around “proud” about is Jesus. Go read 1 Corinthians 6, we don’t have our pride! We are to act humbly, always putting others before self.

…and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. 1 Corinthians 6:19b-20

As crooked as they go about it here, this is exactly what Ben-hadad and his advisors realize. They were beat and didn’t have a leg to stand on. They put on sackcloth, a traditional symbol of submission and repentance. They put ropes around their heads, symbolic of halters by which they could be led around or to say they were ready to be hanged.

These people do this almost in trickery and not true submission. We should truly be this submissive to this world. Our victories will never be victories as the world sees them. So be careful not to find yourself in a situation where your best take away is, “Well, I have my pride.”

Pastor Chanc Strickland
Harpeth Baptist Church
Kingston Springs, TN

This blog post was adapted from a sermon preached at Harpeth Baptist Church in the summer of 2012.

Applications from 1 Kings 

1 Kings 20:24-30

If you read the last post, Anyone plus God is always a Majority, please skip ahead to the application.

The Story:

As the story continues we see what was told to Ahab (v.22) come to pass. Ben-hadad forms another army to come at Israel in the plains. It is said that Israel’s army looks like 2 little flocks of goats while the Syrians filled the country. The prophet comes back to Ahab to tell him that once again God will give victory to prove Yahweh is Lord. As the war begins Israel kills 100,000 Syrians in 1 day! While the rest flee, 27,000 were killed when a wall fell on them. So Ben-hadad goes and hides in Aphek.

The Application:

These coming against Israel are putting themselves in a bad place. Then and now, going against God’s people never ends well. Already God has shown Himself “Lord” in giving an outnumbered Israel the victory.

God has word sent to Ahab that he will win again so that God can prove to him that Yahweh is the Lord. In the first day Israel takes 100,000 Syrians. Then 27,000 more are killed when a wall falls on them! Some write that this was a common military tactic
especially when out numbered. An army would lure their enemy into an unstable place and then cause a structure to fall on them. That is hard for me to believe in this case: they didn’t go somewhere that Israel had access to. To cause this much damage (a wall large enough to kill 27,000) they would have needed a lot of man power. In my opinion, God caused the wall to fall.

It is never good to be on God’s bad side. Not to say God is picking on the Syrians…. They chose this war themselves.

That is the point…don’t place yourself in a position for the wrath of God to fall upon you. I serve a God of love who is trying to deliver mankind from our cursed condition. He is not sitting in heaven trying to figure out how to torture…He works to deliver (i.e. Nineveh). But, so many times (like Ben-hadad coming after Israel) men put themselves on a path to experience God’s wrath.

Conclusion:

It is never good to be on God’s bad side. You plus God is always a majority.  They will keep coming back.

Pastor Chanc Strickland
Harpeth Baptist Church
Kingston Springs, TN

This blog post was adapted from a sermon preached at Harpeth Baptist Church in the summer of 2012.

Applications from 1 Kings 

1 Kings 20:24-30

The Story:

As the story continues we see what was told to Ahab (v.22) come to pass. Ben-hadad forms another army to come at Israel in the plains. It is said that Israel’s army looks like 2 little flocks of goats while the Syrians filled the country. The prophet comes back to Ahab to tell him that once again God will give victory to prove Yahweh is Lord. As the war begins Israel kills 100,000 Syrians in 1 day! While the rest flee, 27,000 were killed when a wall fell on them. So Ben-hadad goes and hides in Aphek.

The Application:

Here we see Israel’s defeated foe gather logic to convince themselves to fight against Israel again. They previously outnumbered Israel and still lost. Now, due to some trumped up advice, they decide to try again.

They just keep coming back. This is not a fight just against Israel, it is a fight against God. Then and now enemies of God can’t help themselves in fighting against anything Godly.

You and I must live with an awareness of this. They kept coming back then, they will keep coming back now. As long as Satan has any power or liberty to act against God in this world…he will keep coming back. As discouraging as it may be, we can never put down our sword in this life. They will keep coming back.

Pastor Chanc Strickland
Harpeth Baptist Church
Kingston Springs, TN

This blog post was adapted from a sermon preached at Harpeth Baptist Church in the summer of 2012.

Applications from 1 Kings 

1 Kings 20:13-25

If you read the last post, Being used by God means being always Prepared, please skip ahead to the application.

The Story:

As we pick up from last time you will remember that King Ahab and Ben-Hadad have been having a heated exchange of words. Ben-Hadad & 32 allies are ready to attack & Ahab is preparing to fight. As Ben-Hadad commands his men to get ready, a prophet tells Ahab that he is going to be victorious. Ahab goes on to learn that he would begin the fighting, alongside 232 young men followed by 7,000. Israel goes out to fight and wins a great victory sending Ben-Hadad and his allies fleeing. The prophet came back to King Ahab and told him to get ready because the enemy would soon return. Trying to reconcile their great defeat the Syrians conclude that Israel’s God was the God of the hills and if the fighting had happened in the plains they would have been victorious.

The Application:

The Syrians think they have it figured out. They have formed thoughts about God based off of fact. Fact – God is the God of the hills. Syrians thoughts (theology) = We can beat them in the plains. Their fact was not wrong, their theology was short-sighted. God is the God of all, not just hills.

We need to be aware that even for us, poor theology leads to bad decisions. We should never be “short-sighted” with scripture. When we form a line of thinking from the facts of God’s Word we must be sure and do so: In context. Given the entirety of scripture.

If we are careless, we will make bad decisions thinking that we are doing what God wants us to do.

The Conclusion:

When God gives gifts in your life, find a way for them to bring Him glory. Allow yourself to: always be prepared & always being prepared. Be careful with your interpretation of scripture when making decisions.

Pastor Chanc Strickland
Harpeth Baptist Church
Kingston Springs, TN

This blog post was adapted from a sermon preached at Harpeth Baptist Church in the summer of 2012.