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Counting Your Chickens 1Kgs 20
Counting Your Chickens
When Ahab went to war with Ben-hadad (king of Syria), Ben-hadad threatened to 'wipe the floor with him'. Well, his actual statement in the ESV was: "The gods do so to me and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people who follow me" (1Kings 20:10). Most understand this as a threat to destroy Samaria so thoroughly that not enough dust would remain for his followers to take a handful each.
In most competitions and wars there is a lot of trash talking. We often talk of these as 'mental games'. It produces intimidation and fear. If it is successful it effectively wins the contest / war before it is fought. We have seen such talk with major sport playoff games. We devout 4 hours of such analysis and talk BEFORE the game even begins. There is a reason for the game being played! Upsets happen. Cinderella does get to the ball sometimes. It isn't over 'til it's over. The game isn't won until the last buzzer goes off. You all know that. So did Ahab.
Ahab's response is classic: "Tell him, ‘Let not him who straps on his armor boast himself as he who takes it off" (1 Kings 20:11). The Living Bible paraphrase put it: "Don't count your chickens before they hatch". That is not a good translation (you might even question the appropriateness of the paraphrase), yet it does express the point.
We face the same problem in our spiritual battle. Many people talk a good game but in the end are not up to the challenge. Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. When Jesus foretold Peter's denial, Peter denied the denial. "If all forsake you, I won't". He did. It is easy to boast when you are putting on your armor but you still must do the battle.
I have learned in this life that promises are just that. They often come from a good heart that means to accomplish it. Sometimes they are just wishful thinking. At other times they are known lies that are used to buy more time. In the end we either do or don't. Faithfulness is this way. When faced with difficult choices the faithful person is the one who chooses God.
Instead of boasting about what we WILL do, let us be busy doing what God told us to do.
