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(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Kings 20:12–21, “And it came to pass, when Benhadad heard this message, as he was drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions, that he said unto his servants, Set yourselves in array. And they set themselves in array against the city. And, behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou seen all this great multitude? behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD. And Ahab said, By whom? And he said, Thus saith the LORD, Even by the young men of the princes of the provinces. Then he said, Who shall order the battle? And he answered, Thou. Then he numbered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty two: and after them he numbered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand. And they went out at noon. But Benhadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty and two kings that helped him. And the young men of the princes of the provinces went out first; and Benhadad sent out, and they told him, saying, There are men come out of Samaria. And he said, Whether they be come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they be come out for war, take them alive. So these young men of the princes of the provinces came out of the city, and the army which followed them. And they slew every one his man: and the Syrians fled; and Israel pursued them: and Benhadad the king of Syria escaped on an horse with the horsemen. And the king of Israel went out, and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.”
Benhadad had done everything he could to provoke Ahab and when Ahab refused his request he decided to go to battle with Ahab and the Israeli armies. Ahab was still waiting in Samaria and the Lord sent a prophet to tell Ahab that the Lord would give him a great victory against this huge army. The Lord was giving Ahab another chance to repent of his sin and submit to the Lord. Even though Ahab refused to accept that the Lord was God at Mount Carmel, the Lord remained gracious and gave this king, and Israel, another chance to accept that the Lord was God and obey the Law that was an essential part of their tenancy in the Promised Land. The prophet, inspired by God, told Ahab to get 232 senior pubic servants from his own administration and ask then to lead his army against the Syrians. Benhadad and his army were so confident of victory that they spent their time getting drunk. Ahab’s small army came out to the battlefield and Benhadad’s army went to meet them. The Syrian confederation was confident but they were massacred in the battle.
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