God Keeps Calling

We come to 1 Kings 20, which takes a break from the Elijah and Elisha story lines. The situation is that Israel (referring to the northern 10 tribes) is in a relative time of peace from surrounding nations. However, the king, still Ahab, and government leaders have let down their guard and have not paid attention to the political and military climates of those surrounding nations.

There are several reasons that the king of Aram (modern day Syria) takes this opportunity to challenge and threaten Israel. Most of them had to do with Aram’s position in the region, and having a chance to take over Israel as they have wanted to do for many years, they gave it a try. Ahab’s alliances were soft. He essentially had no trained military. So Ben-hadad of Aram sent messengers to Ahab telling him that Ahab would have to turn over everything of value – land, gold, silver, crops, wives, children, servants – to him to avoid a deadly battle. Ahab was willing to give up a lot, but when Ben-hadad’s demands cut so deep it was humiliating, he refused and Aram moved into position to attack.

Then God stepped in. God sent a prophet to Ahab and told him that, in spite of the vast army assembled outside the gates, He would give Ahab the victory. Of course, Ahab was skeptical since God told him to gather only a few young men (232), none of who were soldiers or military men in any way. The newly formed army moved out to meet Ben-hadad’s armies and caught Ben-hadad thoroughly drunk and unprepared. Even as Ben-hadad was hosting 32 kings who were his allies, God’s small army moved in. Of course, as we would expect from remembering how God always provided the victory when He said He would, the 232 in Israel’s “army” soundly defeated the vast army of Aram.

The point of this story is two-fold for me. First, it showed that in spite of Ahab and Israel’s continued disobedience and grave sinfulness, God would again act out of His great mercy. I would say His never-ending mercy. In the last chapter, God was rebuking Elijah for his desires to bring wrath down on Israel because of their disobedience. But that is not God’s way with His people (then or now). Here, God again calls to Israel for repentance with an act of mercy by protecting them from Ben-hadad and his army. A gentle calling, an announcement that the God of Israel is a loving and longsuffering God, continually waiting on His people to become obedient. God never stops calling out to sinners attempting to draw them to Himself.

The second point for me, based on the first, is that God is still calling. He is calling for His people in the church to repent and return to worshiping Him. We as a people have continued to go astray from His commands and His wishes. Individually, we continue to sin and rebel against God’s laws and try to do things our own way. God’s calling also extends to everyone. He hasn’t stopped calling people to Himself and no matter how grave the sin or disobedience, He does not write people off as unable to be saved. He asks us to mirror His character by also mercifully, gently, and persistently calling to others to repent, turn to Him, and honor Him.

Are there people or groups of people you have given up on? 

What would God say about that? 

Are we acting as He would have us act – loving, merciful, gentle, and persistent? 

I intend to keep loving people however they behave and however they think, as that is what God is doing.

Besides, only God knows what’s going on in the hearts and minds of people. Since I don’t know and you can’t always tell by their behavior how desperate, lonely, frustrated, angry, despairing, or confused they might be, I will keep calling to them. My job is not to judge. My job is to be God’s voice to the world, mirroring His gentle, loving, and forgiving call to everyone.