Day 102: 1 Kings 19, 20, 21 and 22

One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off (1 Kings 20:11).

Yesterday I told you how despicable a person was King Ahab. Today I confess that one of my favorite quotes in the Bible must be attributed to Ahab himself.

In this passage, the King of Aram, along with 32 of his vassal kings and their forces, come out to attack Ahab’s Israel. It isn’t looking good for Ahab, and Ben-Hadad of Aram is boasting of how he is going to destroy Samaria (Israel’s capital city). When I get done with you there won’t even be enough dust remaining in Israel to give each of my men a handful! (Author’s Paraphrase, 20:10) Wow! That’s a good taunt. But then comes Ahab’s priceless response: One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off.

This is the kind of attitude one might expect from John Wayne defending the stage coach’s women and children against masked highway bandits! “An hombre getting into a gunfight oughtn’t to brag about the outcome before the lead starts a’flyin’.”

Henry Ford said, “You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do” [2]. Ben-Hadad’s taunts were brave talk for a man who hadn’t yet drawn first blood from his enemy. Somehow, Ahab’s axiom sounds tougher (and cooler) than Ben Franklin’s “Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched,” but it’s the same sentiment.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5).

TODAY’S MEDITATION

Is your ego writing checks your body can’t cash? In whom are you putting your trust?