About the Author of the Blogsite, Not the Author of the Bible::

About the Author of the Blogsite, Not the Author of the Bible: I was uncertain of how to accomplish this, mindful of Revelation 22:18-19, which says that nobody is to add to, or to take away from what was written in the Bible. After lots of prayerful contemplation, the Lord had it on my heart that I’m not to change the meaning of what is written in the Bible. He has also shown ways to add to people’s understating of that meaning, without altering the meaning, by putting that info within [brackets]. This is primarily accomplished with the KJV Bible and lots of prayers, but at times, BibleGateway.com, Biblehub.com, NIV Bible, Webster Dictionary, and other internet resources, as needed. Debra Seiling

About Understanding the Bible:

Understanding the Bible: After reading Isaiah 28:10 many times over the years and not totally understanding it, it recently became apparent to me that the Lord God has this passage as the means for understanding the Bible. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little. Isaiah 28:10 KJV. Being prayerful about this passage, and looking up 'precept' in the Webster's Dictionary, it gave this passage a whole new meaning, once 'commandment' is substituted for 'precept'. Within brackets are additional words the Lord had on my heart to aid in understanding the meaning. For commandment must be [built up] upon commandment; commandment upon commandment; line upon line, line upon line; [developing understanding] here a little, and there a little.

The Table Format:

The Table Format: I was overwhelmed with how to explain the process for determining if someone had leprosy in Leviticus 13, which seemed very complicated. After praying, "Lord, if this is difficult for me to understand after reading it many times, how can this be explained to others?" The thought the Lord God had on my heart was for me to put it into a vertical chart to visually see the process. This made it much easier for me to follow the progression. After doing so, I prayed, "Lord, how can this be conveyed to readers, so that they can understand this process?" The thought the Lord God had on my heart was to put it within the lines of a table. Being a stiff-necked, stubborn person, as it's often called in the Bible, I prayed, asking the Lord God if He's sure that's really what He wanted me to do? I reluctantly put Leviticus 13 into a table format. When I read this difficult leprosy process within a table format, it suddenly became easier for me to understand. That's because it builds line upon line, as explained in the Understanding the Bible section. Shortly after that, the Lord God had it on my heart, to put all of The Books of the Bible in Smaller Chunks within a table format, to aid in understanding, line upon line.

9/22/2023

1 Kings 20:1-43 Ahab & Ben Hadad Battle

 

Ahab & Ben Hadad Battle

1 Kings 20:1-43                               1 Kings [in Smaller Chunks]

Ben Hadad, [Syria's] king, gathered all his [army] together, [along] with: 32 kings, horses & chariots & [attacked] Samaria & [battled] against it. 

[Ben Hadad] sent messengers into the city to Ahab, [Israel's] king & [Ben Hadad's messengers said on his behalf:] Your silver & gold [are] mine & even your wife, your children & [everything of value] are mine.

King [Ahab] of Israel answered & said, My lord, O king, according to what [you say,] I am yours & all I have. [Ben Hadad's] messengers [returned] to [Ahab] & said, Ben Hadad [says,] Although I have sent to you saying, You shall deliver [to] me your silver, gold, wives & children; 

I will [still] send my servants to you tomorrow about this time & they shall search your house & the houses of your servants & will take away [whatever is pleasing]. 

Then, [Ahab] called all the elders of the land & said, I pray that you see how this man [looks for trouble] for he has sent to me for my wives, children, silver & my gold & I didn't [say, No, to him].

All the elders & all the people said to [Ahab,] Don't [listen] to him [or agree to this]. [Therefore, Ahab] said to the messengers of Ben Hadad, Tell my lord, the king, All that you first sent for, I will do, but I may not do this thing. 

The messengers [left] & brought [Ben Hadad his reply]. Ben Hadad sent to [Ahab] & said, The gods do [the same] to me & also more, if [enough] dust [remains in] Samaria, for all the people [who] follow me to have a handful. 

[Ahab,] king of Israel, answered & said, Don't let [the person who straps] on [his armor], boast [like someone taking] it off. It [happened] when Ben Hadad heard this message [while] he was drinking [with] the kings in the pavilions.

[Ben Hadad] said to his servants, [Get ready to attack] & they [got themselves ready] in [rows] against the city. A prophet came to Ahab, [Israel's] king, saying, The Lord says [this,] Have you seen all this [large] multitude?

[Look,] I [the Lord God] will deliver it into your hand this day, [so] you shall know that I am the Lord. Ahab said, By whom? The [prophet] said, The Lord says [this,] By the young [officers] of the provinces. 

Then [Ahab] said, Who shall [lead] them to battle? And [the prophet] said, You. Then, [Ahab counted] the young [officers] & there were 232. After them, he [counted] all the children [people] of Israel & [there were] 7,0000. 

They went out at noon [while] Ben Hadad was [getting] drunk in the pavilions [with the] 32 kings [who] helped him. The young [officers] went out 1st. Ben Haddad sent out [scouts] & they told him, There are men [coming] out of Samaria. 

[Ben Hadad] said, Whether they come out for peace or for war, take them alive. The young [officers] came out of the city [followed by] the army & every one [struck down] his [opponent] & the Syrians fled & Israel pursued them. 

Ben Hadad, [Syria's] king, escaped on a horse with the horsemen. [Ahab] went out & [attacked] the horses, chariots & [killed] the Syrians with a [large] slaughter. 

The prophet came to [Ahab] & said  to him, Go & strengthen yourself & be ready & watch what you do; for [after the beginning] of the year, the king of Syria will come against you.

[Ben Hadad's] servants said to him, Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than [us;] but let us fight against them in the plain & we shall surely be stronger than [them].

Do this, Take the kings away & put captains in their [place]. [Muster] an army like the army you have lost, horse for horse, chariot for chariot & we will fight against them in the plain & we shall surely be stronger than [them].

[Ben Hadad listened to them] & did so. It [happened after the beginning] of the year, Ben Hadad [mustered] the Syrians & went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.

The [people] of Israel were [mustered] & were all present & went against them. The [people] of Israel pitched [tents in front of them,] like 2 little flocks of [kid goats,] but the Syrians filled the country.

A man of God came & spoke to [Ahab, Israel's] king & said, The Lord [God] says [this;] Because the Syrians have said, The Lord is God of the hills, but He isn't the God of the valleys, I [the Lord God] therefore, will deliver all this [large] multitude into your hand & you shall know I am the Lord.

They [camped opposite each other for] 7 days. [On] the 7th day, they joined into battle & the [people] of Israel killed 100,000 Syrian footmen in 1 day. But the rest fled to Apphek, into the city & a wall there fell upon 27,000 men [who] were left. 

Ben Hadad fled & came into his inner [room] in the city. His servants said to him, We have heard the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. I pray that you let us put on sackcloth on our [waists] & ropes upon our heads [signs of mourning] & go out to the king of Israel.

So, they [strapped] on sackcloths on their [waists,] & put ropes on their heads & came to king [Ahab of] Israel & said, Your servant, Ben Hadad, says, I pray that you, let me live. [Ahab] said, Is he [still] alive? He is my brother.

Now, the men [watched] diligently, to [see] whether anything would come from him & they [quickly caught] it. They said, Your brother, Ben Hadad. Then [Ahab] said, Go & bring him & [Ahab let them go] in a chariot.

Ben Hadad said to him, I will restore these cities [that] my father took from your father & you shall make streets for [yourself] in Damascus, [like] my father made in Samaria. 

Then, Ahab said, I will send you away with this covenant [contract]. So [Ahab] made a covenant with [Ben Hadad,] and sent him away. [By the word of the Lord, [one] of the [prophet's] sons said to his neighbor, I pray that you [hit] me. The man refused to [hit] him. 

Then, the [prophet] said to him, Because you haven't obeyed the voice of the Lord, as soon as you [have left] from me, a lion shall [kill] you. And as soon as he departed from him, a lion found him & [killed] him.

Then, the [prophet] found another man & said, I pray that you [hit] me & the man [did] & wounded [the prophet]. So, the prophet [left] & waited for the king by the [road] & disguised himself with ashes upon his face.

As the king passed by, [the prophet] cried out to the king & said, Your servant went out into the midst of the battle & [someone] came to me & brought a man I said, Kiip this man. If he [ends] up missing, then I will take your life for his life, or you shall pay a talent of silver.

While [I,] your servant was busy here & there & he was gone. [Ahab,] the king of Israel said to [the disguised prophet,] Your judgment shall be so, because [you,] yourself have decided it. 

[The disguised prophet hurried]& took the ashes away from his face & [Ahab, Israel's] king [realized] he was one of the prophets. 

[The prophet] said to the king, The Lord [God] says [this, Because you have let a man go [free] whom I appointed to [total] destruction, out of your hand, therefore, your life, shall [be] for his life, and your people, shall [be] for his people. 

[Ahab,] the king of Israel went to his house [saddened] & displeased & came to Samaria.