This is a very strange chapter. Ahab is a thoroughly bad king, one of the worst, yet now we see God seeming to act favourably towards him. However, Ahab manages to make things turn out badly.
The king of Aram sent demands for silver, gold and wives from Ahab, and Ahab agreed. He asked for the best of Ahab's wives, pity Ahab didn't send him Jezebel! Ben-Hadad then makes further demands and this time Ahab refuses and firmly resists him.
Meanwhile a prophet comes to Ahab prophesying victory, and gives specific instructions on how it will be achieved. Ahab followed the instructions and duly won the victory. This was also partly due to the complacent attitude of the enemy.
The prophet warned Ahab to prepare for a counter-attack in the spring. Aram mistakenly thought that the Israelite "gods were gods of the hills". Pagan gods were thought to have specific spheres of influence. So they decided to fight the battle on the plain. This was a big mistake. The Lord is Lord of All and is about to demonstrate to Aram that He has no limitations.
Israel won again, and Ben-Hadad decides it is time to sue for peace. Ahab is lenient with him.
This was another of Ahab's mistakes. The victory was not Ahab's victory, but God's victory, and it was part of God's judgement upon Aram. Ahab should not have let Ben-Hadad go.
We live for God, not for ourselves.
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