“Glory to the Precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ”

Proverbs 20: 16

Take the garment of one who is surety for a stranger and hold it as a pledge when it is for a seductress.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen

We, the bride, the church should not mix with strangers and should safeguard ourselves.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in the portion of the Bible that we meditated upon in the past days, we meditated that our soul, the bride, the church should always abide in Christ so that we do not fall down due to the enemy as a pattern.

Next what we are meditating upon is that 1 Kings 20: 29 - 34 And they encamped opposite each other for seven days. So it was that on the seventh day the battle was joined; and the children of Israel killed one hundred-thousand-foot soldiers of the Syrians in one day. 

But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; then a wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the men who were left. And Ben-Hadad fled and went into the city, into an inner chamber.

Then his servants said to him, “Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Please, let us put sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads, and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will spare your life.” 

So they wore sackcloth around their waists and put ropes around their heads, and came to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-Hadad says, ‘Please let me live.’” And he said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”

Now the men were watching closely to see whether any sign of mercy would come from him; and they quickly grasped at this word and said, “Your brother Ben-Hadad.” So he said, “Go, bring him.” Then Ben-Hadad came out to him; and he had him come up into the chariot.

So Ben-Hadad said to him, “The cities which my father took from your father I will restore; and you may set up marketplaces for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” Then Ahab said, “I will send you away with this treaty.” So he made a treaty with him and sent him away.

In the above-mentioned verses, before the Lord says that I have delivered before he could deliver the Syrians in the hands of the Israelites, so we know that the Lord saving the Israelites is definite. And both the sides encamped opposite each other for seven days. So it was that on the seventh day the battle was joined; and the children of Israel killed one hundred-thousand-foot soldiers of the Syrians in one day. But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; then a wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the men who were left. And Ben-Hadad fled and went into the city, into an inner chamber. Then his servants said to him, “Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Please, let us put sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads, and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will spare your life.” So they wore sackcloth around their waists and put ropes around their heads, and came to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-Hadad says, ‘Please let me live.’” And he said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.” Now the men were watching closely to see whether any sign of mercy would come from him; and they quickly grasped at this word and said, “Your brother Ben-Hadad.” So he said, “Go, bring him.” Then Ben-Hadad came out to him; and he had him come up into the chariot. So Ben-Hadad said to him, “The cities which my father took from your father I will restore; and you may set up marketplaces for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” Then Ahab said, “I will send you away with this treaty.” So he made a treaty with him and sent him away.

My dear people, in the previous verses when we meditate upon them the Israelites and Syrians camped opposite each other for seven days this means the seventh day is a day of deliverance for the Israelites. That is, if we will be in the church of the Lord for seven days in fasting then we can safeguard soul from evil thoughts deceiving it. But in the life of Ahab because he was without a proper repentance, he quickly becomes captured in the thoughts of the world, and we can read this. Also because the called the king of Syria as his brother by the words of his mouth itself the men of Ben-Hadad grasped it and they made Ahab and Ben-Hadad to make a treaty and keep him in bondage. The reason for this is that because Ahab had the deeds of Baal, he did not have salvation within him. Also, what we must think is that our brothers mean only those who do the will of the Father. Others are strangers and we must have a realization regarding this. We must not make any treaty with them and be careful regarding this. In this manner, let us submit ourselves to obey the true word of God and live according to it.

Let us pray. May the Lord bless you all abundantly. 

       - To be continued