- 43-
the formal alliance between them. Similarly we are not quite sure whether this
"enticement" had preceded or followed the appeal of Ahab to "his servants," recorded
in the Book of Kings (22:3).
But in all likelihood Ahab, who may have planned everything with a view to the
project he had at heart, may have availed himself of the presence of all his chieftains
to do honor to the king of Judah, to bring before them on some public occasion -
perhaps at a banquet - the great grievance which Israel had against Syria. If our
conjecture be correct, it would account both for Jehoshaphat's immediate and strange
consent, and then for his hesitation and desire to ascertain the will of God in the
matter.
The appeal which Ahab made, in the first place to his own officers, was about
Ramoth-Gilead. Situated on the eastern bank of the Jordan - perhaps represented by
the modern Es-Salt, and in that case pitched on a mountain-spur which far overlooks
the country - it was a threatening outpost for Syria to occupy, whence they might not
only watch Israel, but swoop across Jordan and up the valley to Jezreel, before even
certain information of their advance could be brought to Israelitish headquarters. This
city Ben-hadad had, under one or another pretext, not given up to Ahab, as by his
treaty he had bound himself to do (1 Kings 20:34). We cannot wonder that Ahab
should have desired to regain a place so important, and which, while in the
possession of Syria, was a constant menace to him. But he should have remembered
not only that the real blame rested with himself, but what the prophet had predicted
as the punishment of his guilty folly in allowing Ben-hadad to escape (1 Kings
20:42). Accordingly he should not have taken such an expedition in hand without
some express warrant from God. We are not told how the appeal to their patriotism
was received by the officers of Ahab, but it was responded to by Jehoshaphat, to
whom Ahab next addressed himself, in terms which sound terribly ominous, as we
recall the word of the LORD in regard to the fate of any expedition of Ahab against
Syria.
But, as already noted, other thoughts soon came to the king of Judah. He must have
felt that he himself would never have entered on such an undertaking without the
sanction of Jehovah. And in the present instance this seemed doubly needful. Yet,
except as the expression of Jehoshaphat's tardy repentance, the proposal which he
made to Ahab to "inquire at the word of Jehovah," seemed singularly inconsistent.
He had entered into an alliance as regarded this special campaign; perhaps his hearty
concurrence had decided the officers of Ahab; at any rate, it was - as the event
proved - too late now to withdraw, whatever the word of Jehovah might be. In truth,
it was only what may always be expected when those who serve and love the LORD
allow themselves to be entangled in alliances with ungodly men, where one step
leads to another, and one inconsistency involves the next, till at last we recoil when it
(^)