Bazaars!
1 King 20:34”And Ben-hadad said to him, "The cities that my father took from your father I will restore, and you may establish bazaars for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria." And Ahab said, "I will let you go on these terms." So he made a covenant with him and let him go.”
Memorize 1 Timothy 6:10-For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
Sandwiched between the war details, we have a lesson for each one of us today! Listen! Ben-hadad the king of Syria gathered all his army together, thirty-two kings were with him, and horses and chariots, he went up and closed in on Samaria and fought against it. The Syrian king further said to king Ahab, “Deliver to me your silver and your gold, your wives and your children." It is during this time of crisis and great danger, God helped Ahab to fight against the huge Syrian army: the people of Israel struck down the Syrians 100,000 foot soldiers in one day. And the rest fled into the city of Aphek, and the wall fell upon 27,000 men who were left. ( I King 20:29,30) Phew! When God is in on your side, even walls become weapons! After experiencing the tangible Hand of God in the battle and the overwhelming victory, Ahab instead of honoring God for the success, bows before Ben-hadad the enemy! The fact that people ditch, God after tasting the spectacular goodness from His Hands, still remains opaque to me! There is more to this malicious episode, Benhadad knowing the gluttonous spirit of Ahab, offers him ‘cities and bazaars’ and with open mouth Ahab makes a covenant with the enemy! Atrocious!
Ahab trades his Great God and His love for ‘bazaars’! We don’t think of the hazards the bazaars offered by the devil will bring, but accept the bizarre plan of the enemy and get ruined. Are you listening? I know of a young girl who was of great help to her pastor and the Lord also rewarded the girl and the family much, for her service to the church. Be it any program, she would be there on the stage helping the church; alas, when she got a job with plentiful salary that demanded work on Sunday, she sheepishly left the church and joined work. How callous and short-sighted are we! I am speaking to someone out there today! Have you forgotten God and embraced the enemy? Have you stopped giving offerings to God and instead paying your hefty loans? Have you forgotten church and the Bible? Hello! Anybody listening?
Mathew Henry said: ”There are those on whom success is ill bestowed; they know not how to serve God, or their generation, or even their own true interests, with their prosperity. Let favour be shown to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness.”
From the above study, let me just state a few important things for your meditation this morning:
• The devil knows just which button to click and the exact strings to pull so that you deviate from the path of God. Are you listening? He perfectly knows your weakness! Beware!
• Money is the root cause of all evil! Apostle Paul was right when he said: ‘For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.’ (I Timothy 6:10)
Don’t you ever leave the ‘Presence of God’ for the presents of this world! Are you listening?
