Ahab and the God of Mercy

For my third sermon, I began my practice of preaching on what I was studying at the time. Thankfully, this meant a return to narrative, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Unfortunately, the audio was lost, so you will have to content yourself with a manuscript.

Delivered at First Baptist Church, Mount Pleasant, MI. On October 12, 2014.

Introduction

Our passage this morning is found in the book of 1 Kings, chapter 21, so please turn with me there.

For the next two weeks, I want to examine with you the end of the life of King Ahab. He’s one of the most famous kings of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and if you know anything about him at all, you probably know he opposed the great prophet Elijah. And through Ahab’s life and death, we’re going to get a unique window into the heart of God, and get a picture of just what the LORD is doing with His covenant people at this time. Let’s ask Him to bless our time this morning.

Our Father, we thank You for our church family, and for the Scriptures You’ve given to us. They reveal who You are, who we are, and what You expect of us. And we pray that our time together would be fruitful, and that Your Word would grip each of us that we might become more like Your Son. We ask it in His name, Amen.

Part 1: Ahab Covets Naboth’s Vineyard

1 Kings 21, starting in verse 1:

¹Now Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel, beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. ²And after this Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near my house, and I will give you a better vineyard for it; or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its value in money.”

1 Kings 21:1, 2 (ESV)

This is the beginning of a familiar story in what may seem an odd corner of Scripture. Israel is divided, and sinking deeper and deeper in sin, much like we see in the book of Judges. The glory days of David and Solomon are long past; the desolation of exile is still far in the distance. And here Ahab has carved out one of the most powerful reigns in Israel’s divided history. He’s made allies through his marriage to a foreign princess named Jezebel; he’s recently defeated his greatest enemy, the king of Syria and his 32-king alliance; and he will go down in history as one of the greatest kings in the Near East at this time.

And this mighty king wants something.

He’s built a palace here in the strategic city of Jezreel—not his main palace. That’s back in Samaria. This is a second palace. And in those days every great palace included a garden. And it just so happens that Naboth has the perfect plot of land.

So Ahab makes Naboth an offer, a reasonable deal from a very powerful man. This is not a man you say “no” to. Verse 3:

³But Naboth said to Ahab, “The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.” ⁴And Ahab went into his house vexed and sullen because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had said 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.

1 Kings 21:3, 4 (ESV)

Naboth recognized his vineyard was a gift from God—this is his family’s share of the Promised Land. Once it became walled in as part of the palace, there would be no redeeming it, according to the Law; it would be gone forever. Naboth said no to his king out of reverence for his LORD, the God of his fathers.

Now at this point it would be really tempting to make fun of Ahab. Here’s this mighty king sulking in his room, pouting and refusing to eat. Maybe he’s hiding under his covers. No, I think something different is going on here. Look at how the biblical author describes King Ahab in verse 4: vexed and sullen. We don’t use these words a lot: “vexed” means angry, raging; and “sullen” is more depressed, despondent. But the interesting thing is the Bible doesn’t use them a lot either. In fact, the only other place we see them together is just a few verses up, at the end of chapter 20.

There Ahab disobeyed God by sparing the King of Syria when God had devoted him to destruction, and God said He would require Ahab’s life instead. So Ahab went home—vexed and sullen. It wasn’t the pouting of a weak-willed king. This was the conflicted heart of a man finally taking God seriously. God pronounced judgment on Ahab, and Ahab felt the sting. Now in his bedroom, King Ahab is vexed and sullen again—not simply because Naboth is in his way, but because he recognizes God is in his way.

Part 2: Jezebel Intervenes

And he might have stayed there in bed except for Jezebel. She goes to him in verse 5 and he explains the situation. We’ll pick it up in verse 7:

⁷And Jezebel his wife said to him, “Do you now govern Israel? Arise and eat bread and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
⁸So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal, and she sent the letters to the elders and the leaders who lived with Naboth in his city. ⁹And she wrote in the letters, “Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth at the head of the people. ¹⁰And set two worthless men opposite him, and let them bring a charge against him, saying, ‘You have cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”

1 Kings 21:7–10 (ESV)

Ahab is no fool. He knows how to get what he wants. But he’s afraid of God. Jezebel doesn’t have that problem. And she raises one of the fundamental issues of the whole book when she asks him “aren’t you the king?” You wear the crown, you lead the armies, you make the treaties—does Israel belong to King Ahab or not?

Jezebel is a great example of what the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche called the “will to power.” Nietzsche didn’t believe in God, he’s the one famously who declared that God is dead, and he’s the one who started asking the question “so now what?” If there is no God, we call the shots. We make our own meaning, we decide what’s right, we must learn to stare into the darkness without fear. According to Nietzsche, the only thing that matters is your ability to take what you want, to assert your power over the next guy.

As our country slowly becomes what’s considered “post-Christian,” we see more and more of this behavior for ourselves. Celebrities set the example by finding their own truth. “Making yourself” is a deeply American value, the self-made man. And in the headlines day after day are those who would enforce their own definitions of morality, asserting their will to be who they want to be and do what they want to do. And if we’re not careful, we start trying to fight fire with fire. Or perhaps worse, we simply say “to each his own” and go off and try to make ourselves as we see fit. But friends, what matters is not man’s will to power but God’s right to rule. His right as Creator, as Sustainer, and as the only One worthy.

But Jezebel doesn’t recognize God’s rule. If Ahab wants that field the only question is whether or not he has the will to take it—and she’s not afraid to take it for him. To Jezebel—and Nietzsche—“God” is just another way to manipulate gullible people.

And we see this clearly in the way she handles the situation. She goes to the elders—the local authorities—and has them declare a fast. Now that’s not a typo in your Bibles, this is a fast, not a feast: Jezebel is faking a time of solemn assembly. You see, every other time fasting is mentioned in Scripture it’s in the context of humbling yourself before God, of crying out for God’s intervention. Jezebel is using this sacred practice as a pretext for murder and theft.

She has Naboth put at the head of the table, elevating his position to set him up for a bigger fall. And she puts him between two worthless men—that’s the same term, by the way, used for Eli’s sons, the priests who used to help themselves to the women and food in the tabernacle; people with no character. And all you need is two witnesses to establish a matter legally, so this will be an open-and-shut case.

Lastly she has him accused of cursing God and the king—and this is brilliant, because cursing God is a capital crime, and the king is their next door neighbor. Everyone is here fasting, seeking the LORD’s help, and the one in the seat of honor has cursed God?!? How could God hear their prayers as long as Naboth lived?

Part 3: Naboth Murdered

So Jezebel uses God’s commandments, God’s character, and the people’s love for God against Naboth, the man who would dare to fear God more than King Ahab. And it works. The mob takes him out and starts beating an innocent man down, one rock at a time.

I can’t help but pause here and think of Jesus. He faced false accusers. He was tried hastily during the Passover. He, too, was an innocent man executed by an angry mob. With Naboth’s blood, Jezebel unknowingly paints a picture of things to come.

With Naboth’s death, the vineyard is ripe for the plucking. As soon as Ahab finds out, he goes to claim it—whatever hesitation he had before is gone. Maybe he thinks God won’t hold him responsible since Jezebel and the elders did all the dirty work. His role in all this seems pretty small, when you think about it. Sure, he may not have stopped her—but he didn’t ask her to do it either. Maybe everything would be ok.

Part 4: Elijah Summoned to Rebuke Ahab

Verse 17:

¹⁷Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, . . .

1 Kings 21:17 (ESV)

Uh oh.

. . . saying, ¹⁸“Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria; behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession. ¹⁹And you shall say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Have you killed and also taken possession?”‘ And you shall say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD: “In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your own blood.”‘”

1 Kings 21:18, 19 (ESV)

It’s interesting, this scenario seems awfully familiar. Wasn’t there another king who “killed and also took possession”? King David. The man after God’s own heart. Something to keep in mind next time you read about David and Bathsheba. Verse 20:

²⁰Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” He answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the LORD. ²¹Behold, I will bring disaster upon you. I will utterly burn you up, and will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel. ²²And I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the anger to which you have provoked me, and because you have made Israel to sin. ²³And of Jezebel the LORD also said, ‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel within the walls of Jezreel.’ ²⁴Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone of his who dies in the open country the birds of the heavens shall eat.”

1 Kings 21:20–24 (ESV)

In the previous chapter, God declared that He would take Ahab’s life in exchange for the King of Syria. But that was nothing compared to this. God is furious.

He’s not just going to take Ahab’s life but wipe out his entire family. There will be no one left. You’ll notice God mentions two kings: Jeroboam and Baasha. When God took some of the tribes away from David’s sons, He gave them to Jeroboam, the first house of the kings of Israel. Then when God took the kingdom from Jeroboam’s sons, Baasha took over. Then when God took the kingdom from Baasha’s sons, Ahab’s father Omri took over. Now God is taking the kingdom away from Ahab’s family, too.

The most chilling words are those at the end: “Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone of his who dies in the open country the birds of the heavens shall eat.” Now dogs and birds of prey are unclean animals—that’s important—but this goes deeper. Keep your finger here and take a look at 1 Kings 14:11. There the prophet Ahijah says:

“¹¹Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone who dies in the open country the birds of the heavens shall eat.”

1 Kings 14:11 (ESV)

Now turn a few pages over to 16:4. This time it’s the prophet Jehu speaking:

“⁴Anyone belonging to Baasha who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone of his who dies in the field the birds of the heavens shall eat.”

1 Kings 16:4 (ESV)

This is how it ends. These are the last words you hear before God takes you out.

And notice the reason here in verse 22: it wasn’t just because he killed someone or because he stole a field. It’s because he made Israel to sin. This is God’s covenant people, whom He loves, and Ahab has led them further and further astray. In verse 25 it says:

²⁵(There was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the LORD like Ahab, whom Jezebel his wife incited. ²⁶He acted very abominably in going after idols, as the Amorites had done, whom the LORD cast out before the people of Israel.)

1 Kings 21:25, 26 (ESV)

You see, Solomon set up altars on the high places. That was the first problem; that’s how the kingdom was divided. Jeroboam made it worse by setting up the golden calves at Dan and Bethel. But Ahab—Ahab tried to purge the land of YHWH worship, and made Baal the supreme god. He dragged Israel so low she was indistinguishable from the nations God drove out before her. Under Ahab, God’s beloved is rushing headlong into exile.

And perhaps the most amazing thing of all is that God has waited this long to condemn Ahab and his family. In fact, God has reached out time and again. Remember Elijah at Mt. Carmel? God demonstrated with power that Baal was no god at all and that He—YHWH—is the true God. He sent fire from the heaven to win back His people. He sent a three-year drought to prove that Baal—the supposed god of rain—was not worth their time and affection. God even rescued Ahab from a siege, and Ahab hadn’t even sought His help! God came to him uninvited as yet another demonstration of His power, His goodness, and His love for His people.

But now God has finally run out of patience. “Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone of his who dies in the open country the birds of the heavens shall eat.”

Part 5: Ahab Humbles Himself/Application: Walk in Humility

²⁷And when Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went about dejectedly.
²⁸And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ²⁹“Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son’s days I will bring the disaster upon his house.”

1 Kings 21:27–29 (ESV)

Who is this God!?

This is the most wicked king Israel has ever known! And yet even he—even this Baal-loving, God-hating, thieving and murderous man—even he can find grace. And the most unbelievable part of this to me is that he didn’t even turn to God! He doesn’t cast off Baal, he doesn’t believe that YHWH is the one true God. But he does believe that God is real and would do what He said. So he humbled himself. And God had mercy even on him.

Who is this God?

He is slow to anger. Abounding in loving kindness. He opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

If God can forgive Ahab, the most wicked king of Israel, if God can show him mercy, is there anything that God cannot forgive? Is there anyone here who can’t receive God’s mercy? Is there anyone you know beyond His reach?

You might say, “well Josh, you don’t know what I’ve done.” No, I don’t. But I’ll listen if it makes you feel better. And no matter what you say, I can tell you with confidence that God can forgive even that. And if you’ve accepted Christ as your savior, He already has.

God was merciful to wicked king Ahab because he humbled himself in response to God’s word. It’s that walk of humility that God honors, which is why He says He opposes the proud. But the man who walks in humility walks in grace.

Friends, is your pride keeping you from experiencing God’s grace this morning? Are you too full of yourself to be filled with the Spirit? Is there a certain sin in your heart that you keep trying to justify to God, not acknowledging His right rule? Or maybe you’re so stuck on your agenda that can’t see the needs of the people around you? Is this your story? Are the rest of us just extras? God opposes the proud—your pride is an abomination. And so is mine.

But God gives grace to the humble. When we humble ourselves before God, when we consider others better than ourselves as Paul wrote, when we learn to stop calculating our interests at every turn and concern ourselves with the interests of others—God takes note. He’s pleased to honor those who aren’t bent on honoring themselves.

But if you’re here this morning and you’ve never trusted in Christ as your savior, it doesn’t matter how humble you are. You will never be humble enough to earn eternal life. The man who walks in humility walks in grace, but saving grace comes only through faith. You see, Jesus was fully God, His glory above all creation. Yet He humbled Himself, emptied Himself, took on the form of a servant. He walked in perfect humility all His days, not because He was proud or in need of mercy. He took our place; He humbled Himself so that we could receive mercy. Jesus accepted the fullness of God’s justice so that we might receive the fullness of His mercy.

And Philippians 2 tells us this same Jesus “humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God highly exalted Him and bestowed upon Him the name that is above every name so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” And so while the world runs around trying to assert its will to power like Jezebel, we recognize Jesus’ right to rule as Lord of all. Let’s walk together in humble submission to our king. Would you pray with me?

Father, we thank You that we can come boldly before the throne because of Your Son Jesus Christ. We thank You that You hear us and take note of us. But God, we are far too proud. Teach us to walk in humility as Jesus did, that You would be glorified in our lives. We ask it in His name, Amen.