I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on 1 Kings 20-22.

There are multiple things about the attacks by King Ben-Hadad of Aram on Samaria and King Ahab that provide us with useful life lessons.  By this point, we know that King Ahab did not serve God, not even a little bit.  However, after Ben-Hadad was defeated the first time he chose to attack again.  The second time, he based his strategy on the idea that God was geographically limited.  God proved that he was mistaken.  But what I want to focus on is what happened after that second battle.  When King Ahab’s forces captured Ben-Hadad after the battle, he was happy to learn that his enemy survived.  This was not the happiness of a man who did not want to see anyone die (see his later reaction to the death of Naboth).  No, King Ahab was happy because he viewed Ben-Hadad and himself as part of a group which was above, and better then, the common people.  King Ahab viewed himself and Ben-Hadad as members of the elite, those who should be treated differently from the common people.  Despite the fact that Ben-Hadad would happily cause misery and death for those for whom King Ahab was responsible, King Ahab wanted to see Ben-Hadad treated well.  Later, when King Ahab went to war with Aram to regain a city Ben-Hadad had taken from him, we learn that Ben-Hadad did not return this feeling.  We often see leaders today with the same attitude as King Ahab had here towards leaders of other countries who have the attitude of King Ben-Hadad.