Search

In the article "You are the Devil in Disguise: The Theme of Disguise in 1 Samuel and 1 Kings," Timothy Yap examines the motif of disguise in the books of Samuel and Kings. He notes that three royal figures wear disguises in the final days of their reign. These stories place special emphasis on the word of God and end with punishments proclaimed by the respective prophets. Yap explores the purpose and function of disguise, as well as its relationship to the word of God and the judgments faced by the kings. He answers questions such as why these royal figures disguise themselves and what symbolic meaning this holds. Disguise allows the kings to conceal their true identity while simultaneously revealing their true attitude towards the word of God. Instead of embarking on the journey themselves, Jeroboam recruits his wife to disguise herself and go to Shiloh incognito. Jeroboam wants to prevent the people of Israel from learning about her visit, fearing that their loyalty may return to Rehoboam. However, despite the disguise, Ahijah immediately recognizes who she is and condemns the house of Jeroboam. In the story of Ahab, the motif of disguise is used to reveal Ahab's true nature. After defeating the king of Damascus, Ahab makes a treaty with him and lets him go, demonstrating his greed and desire for territorial gains and trade concessions. Thus, the motif of disguise serves to uncover the true intentions and character traits of the protagonists. The text addresses the theme of disguise in the stories of Ahab, Saul, and Jeroboam. Disguise serves to reveal the true nature of the characters and their attitude towards the prophetic word of God. Despite their attempts to manipulate the prophetic word, they have no control over their fate and are ultimately judged by God's word. Clothing plays an important symbolic role in the stories of Saul and Jeroboam, marking their loss of kingship. All the stories end with a judgment on the characters. The article examines the theme of disguise in the books of Samuel and Kings, focusing on three royal figures: Saul, Jeroboam, and Ahab. The disguises serve to conceal the characters' origins and bypass God's word. At the same time, the disguises reveal the characters' attitudes and intentions towards the prophetic word. Despite their attempts to manipulate the prophetic word, the disguises are ultimately useless, as God's word has the final say. The article also emphasizes how the motif of disguise helps explain the nature of the concluding judgments in the narratives. [Extracted from the article]

The portrayal of Yhwh that emerges from 1 Kings 22,1-40 is at first sight that of a malicious and immoral god who uses a lie to involve the king of Israel in a war that costs him his life. Deception, betrayal, dishonesty, etc., are terms used by some commentators to describe Yhwh's behavior in this story. How can one understand such an act from a god often presented as faithful (Deut 7,9; 32,4), and whose word is truth (2 Sam 7,28)? In addition, how can we understand the death of Ahab whereas Yhwh just declared at the end of chap. 21 that the punishment of the ruler is postponed to the next generation? Some commentators attempt to justify the "deceit" of Yhwh by minimizing his responsibility in the matter or by citing extenuating circumstances of socio-historical order. Through a narrative analysis of the story, this article asserts that the god in the story of Ahab's death and in the previous episodes of his life is rather a patient and benevolent god, who gives the son of Omri opportunities to turn away from his sins and live. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]