1 Kings 20:40

2 And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, Thus saith Benhadad, 3 Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine.

quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:97%@v2-3

THE parable which the Prophet acted before Ahab was simple and natural. A soldier in the heat of the fight was charged by an officer to take care of an important prisoner. "Keep this man," he said, "and if you allow him to escape, your life shall answer for it, or you shall pay a talent of silver." The soldier's one business from that moment was to look after his captive. He had received command to do so from his superior officer and his first and last work was to see that the prisoner was safely kept.

THE parable which the Prophet acted before Ahab was simple and natural. A soldier in the heat of the fight was charged by an officer to take care of an important prisoner. "Keep this man," he said, "and if you allow him to escape, your life shall answer for it, or you shall pay a talent of silver." The soldier's one business from that moment was to look after his captive. He had received command to do so from his superior officer and his first and last work was to see that the prisoner was safely kept. However, he had other things to do belonging to himself—his family and the like—and turning his thoughts in that direction, he forgot his charge, and the prisoner very naturally seized the opportunity to escape. And so the soldier exclaims, "While I was busy here and there, he was gone." The neglectful guard had no cause to be surprised that such was the case, but he was not prepared to bear the penalty and, therefore, he came before the king to ask that he might be pardoned for his neglect. The king replied at once, "You have stated your case and decided it. Your own carelessness has lost us the captive and you know the penalty." This story was originally told in order to touch the conscience of King Ahab, who had allowed Benhadad, king of Syria, to escape when Providence had put the cruel monarch into his hands on purpose that he might receive his doom. Ahab is no more, but this Scripture is not, therefore, like a spent shell, there is truth and power in it! Its teaching is applicable to us, also. Ahab is gone to his account and the dogs have licked his blood. We may forget the guilty monarch and incline our own ears and hearts to hear what the parable may have to do with us. We, too, have received a charge—have we neglected it? We have had time and opportunity within our keeping—have they gone? Let us search and see whether it is so or not.