Chapter 178. 1 Kings 21:15-2915And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead. 16And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it. 17And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it. 19And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine. 20And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord. 21Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, 22And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin. 23And of Jezebel also spake the Lord, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. 24Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat. 25But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. 26And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel. 27And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly. 28And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 29Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house. (1 Kings 21:15‑29). Ahab’s Sentence.
GOD’S eyes had been on Ahab and Jezebel all the while in the matter of Naboth, the Jezreelite. When Ahab went down to the vineyard and there, apparently without any sorrow for the past, he was planning to lay off that garden, God said to Elijah, “Arise, go down to meet Ahab, king of Israel; behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it. And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, hast thou killed and also taken possession? In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.”
King Ahab saw Elijah coming and must have felt very much frightened, for he knew Elijah was sent by God. All his possessions could not make Ahab feel safe and happy now. “Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?” he said when he saw the prophet. “1 have found thee,” was the answer, “because thou hast sold thyself to do evil in the sight of the Lord. All thy family shall be destroyed like the families of Jeroboam and Baasha. In the place where Naboth was killed, the dogs shall lick thy blood and eat the flesh of Jezebel. For none of the kings before thee have ever done as wickedly as Ahab, whom Jezebel, his wife, stirred up. He has done worse than the Amorites and the idolaters which were in the land and were cast off for Israel.”
Ahab heard this solemn message with dread in his heart. At last he realized in a measure how guilty he was before God. He rent his clothes in sign of sorrow, put sackcloth on himself and ate nothing.
But the king’s repentance was not to last very long. He was not really sorry for his sin and did not confess it to God, who would have forgiven him, for He says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” But God, who is merciful, said, when he saw Ahab humble himself, “I will spare him a little longer that he may prove whether he will turn from his own way to follow Me.”
How kind and longsuffering God is! He is willing to save all—not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to Him through the Lord Jesus Christ. He always gives the wicked time for repentance, but if they refuse to turn to Him and still go on in sin, He must punish at last, as He did Ahab.
ML 04/29/1917