1 Kings 20:12-17: a reflection

12When Ben Hadad heard this message as he was drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions, he said to his servants, “Prepare to attack!” So they prepared to attack the city. 13Behold, a prophet came near to Ahab king of Israel, and said, “The LORD says, ‘Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand today. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’” 14Ahab said, “By whom?” He said, “The LORD says, ‘By the young men of the princes of the provinces.’” Then he said, “Who shall begin the battle?” He answered, “You.” 15Then he mustered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty-two. After them, he mustered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand. 16They went out at noon. But Ben Hadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty-two kings who helped him. 17The young men of the princes of the provinces went out first; and Ben Hadad sent out, and they told him, saying, “Men are coming out from Samaria.”

When a vast enemy army, led by a drunken, boasting king, threatens Samaria, a prophet comes to Ahab with a surprising promise from God: Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand today. Then you will know that I am the LORD. And the deliverance comes not through a great army, but through a mere handful, two hundred and thirty-two young men, against a host. God chose to deliver through a small, unlikely means, so that the victory would clearly be his doing, not the achievement of a strong army. The smallness of the means made plain whose the victory was: not theirs, but the LORD's.

Notice how God delivered through a small, unlikely means, so the victory was clearly his. The enemy was a great multitude; the deliverance came through a mere handful. God did not need a great army; he used a small, unlikely force precisely so that the victory could not be credited to human strength, but would clearly be his doing. The purpose was stated: that you will know that I am the LORD. The smallness of the means made the victory unmistakably God's; had it come through overwhelming force, it might have been credited to the army, but through a handful, it was plainly the LORD's. God works through small and unlikely means so that the glory is clearly his, not ours.

That is worth taking to heart, for God often works through small, unlikely means, so that the glory is clearly his. We can think that God needs great strength, large numbers, impressive means to accomplish his purposes, and can despair when we have little; but God delivered Samaria through a mere handful, so that the victory was clearly his. God works through small and unlikely means precisely so the glory goes to him, not to human strength. When you have little, do not despair as though God needed great means; he works through the small and unlikely so the glory is clearly his. Trust that God can work through small and unlikely means, so that the victory and the glory are clearly his rather than the achievement of human strength, as he delivered a great army into Ahab's hand through a mere handful of young men; for God does not need great strength to accomplish his purposes, and he often works through the small and weak so that the glory is unmistakably his.

Lord, when a vast enemy army, led by a drunken, boasting king, threatens Samaria, a prophet comes to Ahab with a surprising promise from you: have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand today; then you will know that I am the LORD. And the deliverance comes not through a great army, but through a mere handful, two hundred and thirty-two young men, against a host. You chose to deliver through a small, unlikely means, so that the victory would clearly be your doing. Show me how you delivered through a small, unlikely means, so the victory was clearly yours. The enemy was a great multitude; the deliverance came through a mere handful. You did not need a great army; you used a small, unlikely force precisely so that the victory could not be credited to human strength, but would clearly be your doing. The purpose was stated: that you will know that I am the LORD. The smallness of the means made the victory unmistakably yours. You work through small and unlikely means so that the glory is clearly yours, not ours. Take that to my heart, for you often work through small, unlikely means, so that the glory is clearly yours. I can think that you need great strength, large numbers, impressive means to accomplish your purposes, and can despair when I have little; but you delivered Samaria through a mere handful. You work through small and unlikely means precisely so the glory goes to you. When I have little, keep me from despairing as though you needed great means; you work through the small and unlikely so the glory is clearly yours, Lord. Help me trust that you can work through small and unlikely means, so that the victory and the glory are clearly yours, as you delivered a great army into Ahab's hand through a mere handful.