1 Kings 20:28 NKJV
Then a man of God came and spoke to the king of Israel, and said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Because the Syrians have said, “The LORD is God of the hills, but He is not God of the valleys,” therefore I will deliver all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD.'”
History is filled with accounts of God defending His name. From the earliest judgment of human wickedness in the flood (Gen. 6) to the final day when He will silence the devil forever (Rev. 20), all creation continues to testify to the greatness of the LORD. The wonderful thing about what God does is that those who believe in Him partake of the firsthand blessing of His great deeds. For instance, the Syrians once ganged up with over ten kings against Israel (1 Kin 20). What the enemies didn’t know was that by waging war against Israel, they were touching God’s anointed (Psa 105:15) and the apple of His eye (Deu 32:10). Definitely, the LORD had to weigh in!
Upon inquiring of the LORD and receiving His guidance, Israel beat the combined army terribly. However, someone misadvised the king of Syria thereafter, saying, “Their gods are gods of the hills. Therefore they were stronger than we; but if we fight against them in the plain, surely we will be stronger than they” (1 Kin 20:23 NKJV). Oh, how sadly mistaken they were! Unsurprisingly, the LORD Himself heard that and immediately sent an unnamed “man of God” to the king of Israel with the message, as in our text. Through His servant, the LORD made it very clear that He is the God of the hills, and also the God of the valleys!
When Israel went to war a second time, the Syrians once again fled and fell in great numbers before them. Just as the LORD stood with His people in the literal hills and valleys, He is also the God who is present in the figurative ‘mountaintop’ experiences of blessing and in the ‘valley’ experiences of hardship. Yes, David bore witness to that and said to the LORD, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me…” (Psa 23:4 NIV). Physical or figurative, the LORD is the God of the mountains, the plains, and the valleys—and even the “…lower parts of the earth” (Eph 4:9 NKJV). Hallelujah!
Pst. Emmanuel