1 Kings 21, “Blind Crimes”
It has often been said: “There are none so blind as those who will not see.” Thoughts on the phrase’s origin vary, most attributing it to a variation of Jeremiah 5:21, “Hear this now, O foolish people, Without understanding, Who have eyes and see not, And who have ears and hear not:” Various translations and commentaries gave rise to the modern proverb, giving it the form we now know. Yet the original context is interesting, for God was declaring through Jeremiah of the judgment that would come upon Judah due to their vast sin, primarily idolatry. Although they had eyes and ears to both read and hear the word of God, they didn’t do it. They shut their eyes to the Lord and dove into sin.
How often do we do something similar? Far more often than we’d care to admit! We blind ourselves, shutting our eyes to our sin, giving it a more pleasant label/description, thereby dulling our repulsion at it. We can deal with things like “little white lies” and “minor indiscretions,” far more easily than “deception” and “adultery.” Our self-imposed blindness helps us pretend that it isn’t really sin at all.
What we need is a wake-up call! We need God to open our eyes, revealing to us the true sinfulness of our sin, that we might understand God’s righteous reaction against it. The more we see our sin as God sees it, the more desperate we will be to cling to Christ! (Which is exactly what we should do!)
But some people never get to this point. Some people remain in their self-imposed blindness. Ancient King Ahab was one.
The last several chapters of 1 Kings have focused on the years of King Ahab of Israel. He was first mentioned in Chapter 16 as succeeding his father Omri to the throne, then was seen in opposition to the prophet Elijah though much of his reign. Ahab was a carnal, sinful man, his wickedness most prominently seen in his idolatry and his relationship with his pagan queen Jezebel.
Despite his many sins against the Lord, God still graciously gave Ahab the opportunity to repent and come to faith. When faced with the daunting threat of the massive Syrian army led by Ben-Hadad, God gave prophecies to Ahab promising victorious deliverance. With each fulfilled prophecy, Ahab had yet another opportunity to trust the Lord. Sadly, each one was wasted. In the end, Ahab chose to form an alliance with Ben-Hadad, despite the fact that God had appointed Ben-Hadad to death in judgment.
To this, God sent one more prophet to King Ahab, this time with a word of condemnation. The judgment which once was designed for Ben-Hadad was now appointed to Ahab. The king had hardened his heart against the Lord and the opportunity for mercy had been discarded. Ahab was just as opposed to God as he had ever been.
Chapter 21 picks up from that point showing the sinful king acting in sinful ways. He and Jezebel committed heinous crimes, believing those things hidden from the Lord and exempt from God’s judgment. They were wrong. God saw all of these things and God declared judgment against them. What Ahab required was for his eyes and ears to be open to God’s word and revelation.
Are ours? We have the choice of how we respond to God’s revelation of our sin: we can either harden our own hearts, or humbly surrender ourselves anew as we see our sin as God sees them. Let us heed the warning of Ahab and ask God to open our eyes!
1 Kings 21
1 And it came to pass after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel, next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.
- After which things? After Ahab’s failure surrounding Ben-Hadad and Syria when Ahab let Ben-Hadad off the hook after God delivered him to Ahab for judgment. After an unnamed prophet declared to Ahab that he would now receive Ben-Hadad’s punishment of death (20:42). After those things, now this came about. How much time passed, we do not know, but the context does give us a preview of what is going to happen: these new events show what brings about Ahab’s death sentence.
- The bit of background we get tells us a few things. (1) The events took place in Jezreel, a town ~25 miles northeast of Samaria, about halfway between Samaria and the Sea of Galilee. IOW, it didn’t take place in the city of Samaria itself, but in a town further away. (2) Ahab plainly had more than one “palace,” considering that he had a home in the city of Samaria and another in Jezreel, 25 miles away. How many other homes were owned by Ahab, we don’t know. What we do know is that this was contrary to the principles governing kings, as the Bible forbid the kings of Israel from multiplying horses and wives for himself, i.e., the accumulation of much display of wealth (Dt 17:16-17). Having multiple homes was little different than having multiple horses in that regard. (3) Just as a point of interest, Ahab is described as “king of Samaria” rather than “king of Israel.” Later in the book, he’ll be referenced as “king of Israel” again, but this one reference demonstrates how the northern kingdom was going through an identity change. It was starting to become more associated with the idolatrous sinful kings residing in Samaria than by their historical roots as the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob/Israel. It was a sign of bad things to come.
- In Jezreel, we are introduced to a man named Naboth, who was a land-neighbor to Ahab. This land (upon which Naboth had a vineyard) was attractive to Ahab, and this becomes the catalyst for the events that follow. …
2 So Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near, next to my house; and for it I will give you a vineyard better than it. Or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its worth in money.” 3 But Naboth said to Ahab, “The LORD forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you!”
- At first glance, this seems to have been a reasonable offer for purchasing the real estate. Either Ahab would trade land with Naboth, vineyard-for-vineyard, or he would give him the established purchase price. Indeed, in any other culture than that of the Israelites, this was the normal course-of-business. Ahab wasn’t asking any special favors as king (supposedly), but was willing to buy the property outright. Yet the culture was the issue. Among the Hebrews, this wasn’t supposed to happen. This was why Naboth rightly refused the offer, declaring that the land was his family’s inheritance from the Lord in the Promised Land. If he sold what was given to his family from the Lord, he would be akin to ancient Esau who despised his birthright for a bowl of stew. Naboth had too much faith in God and love for his family to do such a thing, which was why he refused the king.
- Question: Why would Ahab want to displace a vineyard for a vegetable garden? Issues of property rights and multiple homes for kings aside, vineyards made for profitable business in ancient Israel. If the purchase was approved, why not just continue using the land as a vineyard? The term for “vegetable garden” might also be translated as “herb garden,” or “greens garden.” The term is not common in the Old Testament, the only previous time seen in Deuteronomy 11:10 referring to the herb/vegetable gardens that the Hebrews had during their Egyptian slavery. In Egypt, the gardens had to be watered by hand; this was contrasted with the Promised Land where God would provide all the needed water by abundant rain. Otherwise, when the term is used elsewhere in the Old Testament, it refers to herbs, generally in a sense of poverty or hardship. Some scholars suggest (ESVSB) that Ahab wanted to make Israel more like Egypt, wanting to plant Egyptian-style herb/vegetable gardens. Yet this seems unlikely, considering that Ahab wasn’t planting many gardens, but just the one. More likely, this was one more indication of Ahab’s selfishness. If he had vineyards elsewhere, why have one more? Why not grow the herbs he wanted on land he wanted? This was Ahab being Ahab, the selfish man he was.
4 So Ahab went into his house sullen and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no food. 5 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said to him, “Why is your spirit so sullen that you eat no food?” 6 He said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite, and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if it pleases you, I will give you another vineyard for it.’ And he answered, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’ ”
- The king of Israel/Samaria sounds more like a two-year-old than a king. He threw a fit, pouted, and basically did the equivalent of holding his breath till he got what he wanted. Even Jezebel noticed his resentful stubborn mood and asked about him. Responding, he basically whined about what happened. It was all about Ahab and what Ahab wanted. (Not unlike our self-entitled culture today!)
- Keep in mind that it was Naboth’s right to refuse to sell. There was nothing illegal or immoral about it. In fact, it was demonstration of Naboth’s faith (a faith which Ahab himself did not have!). As king in Israel, Naboth’s answer should have been sufficient. Still, Ahab complained. It shows that Ahab did not merely offer to purchase real estate from Naboth; Ahab coveted what was his neighbors. Before a legal crime ever took place, sin was already in his heart as Ahab broke the 10th
- Some might wonder why “Thou shalt not covet” is included among the 10 Commandments, thinking that coveting is in a far different category than murder or adultery. Not so! Covetousness is born out of pride, and this was the root of what went wrong in the Garden of Eden. When Eve was tempted by Satan to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil (which was forbidden by God), she saw that “the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise,” (Gen 3:6). She coveted that which God had not given her (as did Adam, considering he ate what she gave to him!), and that coveting led to death. Does “coveting” belong with “murder” in a list of heinous sins? Yes!
- And how subtle this sin is! How prevalent! This is one of those things that doesn’t seem so bad, so Christians aren’t very guarded against it. We might set up guardrails against temptations of sexual lust or violent outbursts; we don’t often pay too much heed to coveting. Beware, lest it sneak up on you and consume you!
7 Then Jezebel his wife said to him, “You now exercise authority over Israel! Arise, eat food, and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
- Don’t miss what she told him. Basically said: “Man up! You’re the king; act like it!” Other monarchs in the ancient near east acted like despots doing what they wanted. In Jezebel’s pagan opinion, Ahab should have acted the same way like every other pagan. (Considering Ahab’s lack of faith, he was pagan in all ways except his ancestry…he might as well drop the façade!)
- For the queen, she had enough with the whining. Jezebel decided she would take control and get the vineyard for her husband. There was only one problem: it wasn’t hers to give! (1) Naboth had already refused to sell it and the matter should have ended with that. (2) As queen, she had no legitimate authority to order anything in the land. She wasn’t the ruler of the nation; her husband was.
- This is the second time we have seen Jezebel take undue authority for herself. The first was when she declared death to Elijah, putting a contract out on his life. That was in addition to her personal financing of Baalist prophets in Israel. Now, we see her asserting a despotic right for Ahab as king and her manipulations to take control of Naboth’s vineyard. The evil of her actions aside, simply the assertion of her authority was wrong. What was her ‘authority’ as queen of Israel? Her only true duty as queen was to be the wife of the king and the mother of his children. Instead, she asserts herself into a co-regency, claiming authority to rule that was not hers.
- We see something similar take place on the political stage when American first ladies act like co-presidents rather than presidential spouses. Of more spiritual significance is when we see it take place within the church. There is zero Biblical justification for husbands and wives to ‘co-pastor’ local congregations. Situations as such are clear violations of Scripture. I am truly grateful for the role my wife place in my life and for the valuable service she gives to this church congregation in so many ways. But she is not the pastor, not a co-pastor, nor does she claim such a role. Wives who do (as well as the husbands that encourage them!) sin against God and the local church.
8 And she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who were dwelling in the city with Naboth. 9 She wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and seat Naboth with high honor among the people; 10 and seat two men, scoundrels, before him to bear witness against him, saying, You have blasphemed God and the king. Then take him out, and stone him, that he may die.
- The queen formed a city-wide conspiracy in Jezreel against Naboth. Notice to whom she wrote: to the elders and nobles. The very leaders in the city who ought to have stood against evil, who were entrusted with protecting the city residents from ungodly attacks…these were the ones who conspired with the queen against Naboth. The sin in Chapter 21 is not Ahab’s and Jezebel’s alone…it belongs to all the leadership of Jezreel!
- The idea was to set a trap. Make it seem like Naboth was to be honored, then hit him with a pair of false accusations of blasphemy, as if Naboth had cursed God or otherwise enticed people to follow false gods. (Ironic, considering Jezebel was herself a blasphemer!)
- This was total abuse of God’s ordained justice system. Whereas guilty blasphemers were to be stoned to death (Dt 13:10), Naboth wasn’t guilty. Although it might seem extreme to us to execute apostates and idolaters, for the ancient theocratic kingdom of Israel, it was right. After all, the Hebrews were to be ruled by Almighty God. Temptation to follow other gods was nothing less than treason. So yes, apostasy was a capital offense. It just wasn’t one Naboth committed. Ahab had, as had Jezebel; but not Naboth. Jezebel took the holy word of God and twisted its application for her own evil devices.
- God does care about justice. Not “social justice” as the term gets used today, but true Biblical justice in which wrongs are righted in an even and Biblically standardized manner. When His justice is abused, those who abuse it are themselves guilty.
- God cares even more about His word. The Bible says that God magnifies His word above His own name (Ps 138:2). When men and women twist and pervert the Scripture, there is no question that God holds them accountable.
11 So the men of his city, the elders and nobles who were inhabitants of his city, did as Jezebel had sent to them, as it was written in the letters which she had sent to them. 12 They proclaimed a fast, and seated Naboth with high honor among the people.
- Again, don’t miss the inclusion of the city leadership. Don’t miss that many men participated in Jezebel’s evil plan. Where were the righteous elders? Where were the men willing to stand fast for what is right? They were nowhere to be found. All that was recorded was the complicity of men who knew better, a betrayal of their public trust.
- Is God blind to evil politicians? Does He not see police officers who deny their duty? God sees it all. He will not only judge false teachers of the Bible in the last day; He will judge all men and all women for their sins against Him, including those who neglected or perverted their sword God-given responsibilities.
- Per Jezebel’s plan, the city brought Naboth to a public setting, entrapping him. They acted as if they were giving a feast in his honor, but they were only setting him up for a fall. “Honor,” when given to deceive, is dishonorable.
13 And two men, scoundrels, came in and sat before him; and the scoundrels witnessed against him, against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth has blasphemed God and the king!” Then they took him outside the city and stoned him with stones, so that he died. 14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.”
- The “scoundrels” were ‘worthless men.’ We’ve seen this word used elsewhere in the Scripture, literally “belial,” men who acted according to their sinful worthless pagan roots. Why did they have two such men? Because the witness of two men was required for a death sentence (Dt 17:6). The Biblical law was supposed to be a safeguard against false accusations and false conclusions, as contradicting testimony would demonstrate innocence of the accused. But when both scoundrels conspired to lie, then they were able to pervert/twist the Mosaic law in their own favor.
- With the accusation received, the death sentence was swift. Naboth was publicly executed with the air of legitimacy, although the entire act was evil.
15 And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.” 16 So it was, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
- Jezebel declared that the vineyard was now Ahab’s and it was his for the taking…so he took it. Question: What about Naboth’s family? Nothing is listed in the text about any potential family that he had, but it is reasonable to assume he was neither an orphan nor a confirmed bachelor, if he was able to care for a vineyard. Someone must have helped him, most likely his family. Even if he was alone, there would have been some kin among the tribe. The land should have gone to them; not Ahab. This was theft on the part of Ahab and Jezebel, plain and simple.
- Additionally, we wonder if Ahab felt any guilt or remorse over the murder? Although he did not concoct the murderous plot, it didn’t bother him. He took possession as if nothing happened. It was just a piece of real estate to him, him seemingly indifferent over the circumstances. Just because he didn’t write the letter nor throw a stone didn’t mean that his hands weren’t dirty. He was just as complicit as Jezebel and the city elders.
- Keep in mind, this was the king! The king of Israel was supposed to administer justice over evil crimes; not commit them. It was a dark day in the northern kingdom…something that God would not ignore.
- The condemnation (17-29).
17 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18 “Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who lives in Samaria. There he is, in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down to take possession of it.
- Notice a couple of things. First: Elijah again received a word from the Lord. This is the first we’ve seen in a while, although at one point it was the normal pattern for Elijah the prophet. Elijah’s story had gone quiet since his return from Mt. Horeb (Sinai) to which he fled out of despair and discouragement. But God plainly wasn’t done with the prophet. One “bump” in the road didn’t disqualify Elijah from ministry. He was still ready and available to be used as much as he ever was…and God certainly used him. (God can still use us, too, as long as we make ourselves available to Him! It might look different than it did in the past, but when it is of God and for the glory of God, then it is still a wonderful blessing and privilege!)
- Second: The ‘secret’ conspiracy of Jezebel and the men of Jezreel, along with the compliance of Ahab, was well known by God. God knew where Ahab was, and what Ahab had done to get there. God knew Naboth by name just as surely as God knew the name of the king that killed him. Jezebel and Ahab may have plotted in secret conspiracies, but no secret is hidden from the Lord. — No sin of any sort is hidden from Him! As David learned, what he did in secret was later done in open on the rooftops. Those things we believe we’ve hidden behind closed doors will later be revealed. Every sin is seen by God and every sin will be answered by Him.
- What can be done? Confess and repent through Jesus Christ! Sins will be answered by God, but they can either be answered by God the Son at the cross, or answered by God as the Judge on His great white throne. When Jesus answers our sins, they are removed from us as far as the east is from the west. When Jesus covers our sins, we are truly cleansed and forgiven. When Jesus deals with our sins, He deals with them in fullness. Truly, Christ is our only hope! But He is a glorious hope, freely available to any who would call upon Him!
19 You shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Have you murdered and also taken possession?” ’ And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD: “In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs shall lick your blood, even yours.” ’ ”
- Ahab hadn’t broken only the 10th Commandment (against coveting), but also the 6th and 8th Commandments (against murder and theft). Technically, through his willingness to receive the benefits of the conspiracy, he also broke the 9th Commandment (against bearing false witness). His idolatry wasn’t addressed at this time in this situation, but there was no doubt he frequently broke the 1st and 2nd Commandments (against worshipping God alone and not creating any false idols), and it was very likely as an irreligious man that he also broke the 3rd and 4th Commandments (against blasphemy and working on the Sabbath). Ahab had done it all! This was a man fully soaked in the guilt of sin!
- Ahab isn’t unique. Prior to pointing too many fingers at his wickedness, we need to honestly examine our own. Whenever we love something more than God, we worship something other than Him. Whenever we imagine God in our own image, we create an idol. Whenever we use His name carelessly without thought, we blaspheme. Whenever we trust in our efforts for heaven rather than Christ, we profane the Sabbath. And that isn’t to speak of all the times we dishonored/disgraced our parents through our actions or inaction, when we’ve committed murder or adultery in the heart, when we’ve lied, coveted, and the rest. We’ve done it all! We are just as guilty as Ahab, just as condemned by our sin. If we were to face God’s holiness in our sin, we would be lost!
- What is the difference between us and Ahab? Only Jesus! Those who have trusted Christ as Savior and Lord have the cleansing work of Jesus, the forgiveness of God. We’ve been washed, reborn, made God’s own children, being the temple of the Holy Spirit. There are massive differences between us and Ahab, but nothing due to ourselves; it is Christ and Christ alone who changes us. But those who without Christ are in exactly the same situation as ancient Ahab, being due the wrath of God for sin. Just as Ahab was judged, so they will be. (So turn to Christ!)
- Regarding the judgment of God for Ahab, some have raised questions based on Ahab’s mode of death seen in Chapter 22. Ahab was mortally wounded at Ramoth Gilead fighting against the Syrians, died that evening, and had his body returned to the city of Samaria. It was while his bloody chariot was being cleaned when dogs licked up his blood (22:35-38). Although Ahab certainly died per the judgment of God, how does it match with Naboth’s death? Naboth was stoned to death outside the city (v13); perhaps it referred to Ahab bleeding to death outside the city while the battle raged? Others suggest that this specific punishment did not apply directly to Ahab, but to Ahab’s son Joram (killed by Jehu in Jezreel ~ 2 Kings 9), fulfilling the delay in judgment that God later declares at the end of the chapter (v29). – Whatever the specific fulfillment (of which there are several explanations), there were indeed dogs that lapped up Ahab’s blood, exactly as the word of the Lord proclaimed. God’s word always comes true. We might not understand it in the moment, but hindsight shows it to be perfectly clear.
- This is both wonderful and sobering at the same time. Wonderful, in that whatever promises upon which we wait, we can anticipate with hope. What God said, God will fulfill! Sobering, for the same reason. Those who think that God will forget His word or forget about the judgment due their sin will one day be shocked and surprised to receive it in full.
20 So Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” And he answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD:
- It was a contentious meeting! Just like before, when Ahab called Elijah the “troubler” of Israel, the disturber of the peace (18:17). Ahab was none to happy to see the prophet again, describing him as his enemy. But it didn’t have to be that way. Elijah did not have to be Ahab’s enemy. That was Ahab’s choice. Likewise, the judgment Ahab would receive was his own doing. It was his choice to “do evil.” He sold himself into slavery.
- Again, Ahab isn’t unique in this. When we give ourselves over to sin, we sell ourselves into slavery. Christ offers freedom! We need to walk in that freedom and remain in it.
21 ‘Behold, I will bring calamity on you. I will take away your posterity, and will cut off from Ahab every male in Israel, both bond and free. 22 I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with which you have provoked Me to anger, and made Israel sin.’
- The word begins with a short, but sobering, summary statement: “Behold I will bring calamity on you.” Literally, the word used for “calamity” could be translated “evil” or “distress.” This is the Almighty God, YHWH Himself declaring that He would be against Ahab, bringing upon him what Ahab would consider ‘evil.’
- If God is for us, who can be against us? But woe to us if God be against us!
- Judgment #1: Ahab’s royal dynasty, his “posterity” would be removed. Judgment #2: The kingdom would be cut off from him, i.e., “every male in Israel, both bond and free.” Bottom line: everything that Ahab believed he had as king of Israel would be taken away from him. He would neither have a lasting dynasty nor the obedience of the people. Ahab would go down in disgrace (something proven in the Biblical record of his reign).
- In confirmation, God referred to the other two northern dynasties He destroyed (Jeroboam and Baasha). They likewise had provoked Him to anger, just like Ahab had done. Ahab could not continually provoke YHWH and get away with it. God had been amazingly merciful to him…he wasted it.
23 And concerning Jezebel the LORD also spoke, saying, ‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’
- Jezebel wasn’t present at the time, but God had a word of judgment just for her. She would also receive justice for her crimes, dying in a most disgraceful way. Although it wouldn’t come to pass for several more years, this is eventually fulfilled to the letter during the uprising of Jehu (2 Kings 9:30-37).
24 The dogs shall eat whoever belongs to Ahab and dies in the city, and the birds of the air shall eat whoever dies in the field.”
- Whether by battle or by other means, the house/family of Ahab would die, experiencing disgrace in death. Again, some of this is shown as literally fulfilled via Jehu’s later vengeance (2 Kings 9-10). Although Ahaziah (the first son of Ahab that succeeded him to the throne) died an early death due to injury, he died in just as much disgrace as did his brother Joram who later received the throne.
25 But there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the LORD, because Jezebel his wife stirred him up. 26 And he behaved very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites had done, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.
- Ahab was truly wicked, serving as an evil standard bearer for generations to come. Amazingly, as wicked as Ahab was, Jezebel made him worse. Some people influence us for the better; some for the worse. Jezebel was worse, by far! Ahab had no business marrying this Sidonian pagan but did it anyway. Her marriage to Ahab made him a more wicked king than he would have otherwise been.
- Ahab’s worst crime: idolatry. It’s notable, is it not, that in this chapter in which no idolatry from Ahab is described, but rather his wicked crimes against Naboth, that still the overriding sin described by the author of Kings was idolatry. Why was that? Because his coveting, murder, theft, etc., arose from an idolatrous heart. If Ahab had feared the Lord, the other sins would have been avoided. If Ahab had loved the Lord, worshipping YHWH alone as God, that one thing would have kept him from much other evil. Would he have been perfect? Of course not, no more than David was perfect. David had many failings, but he was still a man after God’s own heart and became the standard by which every other king in Israel and Judah was judged. Ahab had zero love for God, but rather gave his heart to the Baals and other pagan idols. And his actions plainly reflected his faith.
- Our actions are revealing, are they not? When we find ourselves falling more and more often into sin, it is a sign that our hearts are far from the Lord. It is a plain demonstration that we are not walking in the Spirit. Paul made it clear: Galatians 5:16, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” If we walk in the filling of the Spirit, seeking after Christ by the Spirit’s power, then we “shall not” walk in the lusts of sin. But if we’re walking according to sin, it shows we are not walking in the Spirit. – That doesn’t necessarily mean that we are walking in outright idolatry. It does mean that our hearts are not fully devoted to the Lord as God. It means that we have started to value things other than God as 1st That is the road of idolatry. We need to be careful to recognize the signs of it and repent as soon as possible!
27 So it was, when Ahab heard those words, that he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his body, and fasted and lay in sackcloth, and went about mourning.
- For all we know of Ahab, this is quite the surprise! By all appearances, the king seems to have humbled himself and engaged in visible repentance. He did what other people in the past have done when seeking mercy from God: rending his clothes, wearing sackcloth (itchy, uncomfortable burlap-style fabric), abstaining from food, and adopting an attitude of sorrow. The later king of Nineveh did this, also putting ashes on his head, giving a command for all the city to do likewise, and God stayed His hand of wrath (much to the disappointment of Jonah!). Apparently, Ahab did the same.
- Was his repentance real? God knows. For as much as what Ahab did visibly, it might have been superficial/temporary. As will be seen, God’s judgment was not fully lifted; it was only delayed. With this in mind, it seems that Ahab’s repentance was born of worldly sorrow; not godly sorrow. True godly sorrow leads to sincere repentance (2 Cor 7:9-11), resulting in true faith in Jesus Christ. The sorrow of the world is sorrow over consequences, but not sorrow over offending God. The sorrow of the world doesn’t lead to everlasting life; it results still in death.
28 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 29 “See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his days. In the days of his son I will bring the calamity on his house.”
- Amazingly, God gave mercy! He delayed judgment specifically because of Ahab’s repentance. Even though Ahab’s repentance did not result in faith (as will be seen in Chapter 22), God gave mercy. Why? Because God is a merciful God! He needs no excuse for His goodness. He is good beyond anything we deserve, for we do not deserve That is just how good He is.
- Question: For as much as we rejoice in God’s mercy shown even to a sinner like Ahab, was it right for God to bring Ahab’s judgment upon Ahab’s son? Does this contradict with the Scripture that says that children are not held responsible for the sins of their fathers? Deuteronomy 24:16, “Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their fathers; a person shall be put to death for his own sin.” No, it is not a contradiction, and yes, it was right for God to do this. God did not hold either Ahaziah nor Joram (two of Ahab’s sons) responsible for Ahab’s crimes, but they certainly had sins and crimes of their own. In a sense, the iniquity of their father was visited upon them (Exo 20:5b) in that they learned to sin from their father, walking in his footsteps, sinning in the same ways. They followed in his wicked habits, thus carrying on his legacy of iniquity. But though they had the example of Ahab, they could have made different choices. No one forced them to sin. They were entirely responsible for the choices they made. All their sin was their own, thus it was sin for which they were due God’s judgment.
- Just as, apart from Christ, we are each responsible for our own sins. Our parents may have sinned against us, or started us down a path of sin, but we cannot blame them for the things we have done. We are fully responsible before God for our own choices. (The good news is that freedom and forgiveness is available to us in Jesus! He frees us from the cycle of familial sin!)
Conclusion:
The account ends with a bit of a cliffhanger. Judgment has been proclaimed, yet not administered. That will come in Chapter 22. Chapter 21 shows the sin of Ahab and Jezebel, their terrible crime against Naboth, and indeed, against God. Remember what David realized about his own sin when he committed crimes against Uriah the Hittite and Bathsheba in his act of lust, adultery, murder, and cover-up lies: Psalm 51:4, “Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge.” Without question, David committed great sin against many men (and at least one woman), but David’s greatest sin (the sin which dwarfed all his other sins) was against God. David’s sin was vertical before it was horizontal.
So it was with Ahab. When Ahab and Jezebel broke the slew of commandments in murder, lies, coveting, theft, etc., it all stemmed from the fact that they did not worship the Lord as God. They had no fear of God, thus no love for God. It was no wonder that acted in ways totally opposed to God. Their sins were against the Lord, and it was with the Lord that they required reconciliation.
They never got it. Ahab appeared to repent for a time, but he mourned the punishment for his crime far more than the crime itself. He didn’t regret the things that led him to that moment; he regretted the fact that he got caught and would be punished for it. True repentance would have resulted in humble faith, fearing and worshipping God as the only God. Sadly for Ahab, that moment never came.
Nor does it come for many people. They might feel regret for a moment, even promising to go to church for a time to “get right with God,” but then go right back to their old ways with no fear of God. Why? Because like Ahab and Jezebel, they have hearts hardened against Him, desiring always to rule themselves and never truly surrender themselves to the Lord as God. And like Ahab and Jezebel of old, they too will find that God knows each and every one of their sins, and judgment will come as a result of them, not a one being forgotten. What is not judged today will be judged in the presence of God at His great white throne, where every deed and thought will be laid bare before the all-knowing and ever-righteous God.
We need our eyes opened to this reality! We need God to awaken us to the sinfulness of our sin and the righteous judgment that awaits, if we are to turn to Jesus in true repentance and faith.
Even as born-again Christians, we need God’s help to see our sin for what it is. Not that we desire to sin; we hope to stay far from it! But we are who we are, and though our spirits may be willing, our flesh is weak. We need God’s help to see these things as God sees them. It isn’t just a fleeting moment of lust; it is engagement with idolatry and embracing of adultery in our hearts. It isn’t a little lie; it is abandonment of the truth, misrepresenting God and ourselves as the people who believe the truth.
There is good news here: the more we recognize the sinfulness of our sin, the closer we will cling to our Savior! The more we see our need for Christ, the tighter we hold to Him – the more we pray – the more we study His word, etc. Having our eyes opened to the reality of our sin and even the reality of our judgment (even when it is “only” the judgment for reward at Christ’s Bema Seat) is exactly what we need to follow more fervently after Jesus.
May God open our eyes!