Year One, November 23

Evildoers Shall Be Cut Off1

1 Kings 21:17-29

17Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, 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. (The wicked will not enjoy their victories for long. Before Ahab can enjoy the land he obtained, he is served with an order from the court of God that was terrible to hear.) 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.”’” (Let us applaud the fearless courage of Elijah. He does not hesitate to challenge the arrogant king in the very moment of his joy. Who would like to take the prey from between the lion’s jaws? Yet this heroic man approaches his task with bravery.)

20Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” (Ungodly people often consider faithful ministers to be their enemies, when they are actually their truest friends. We should consider the person who has the courage to tell us unpleasant truth to be our real friend.) He answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the LORD. (If Ahab had not committed a crime, Elijah would not have bothered him. Elijah offended the king, because the king offended the Lord. If people’s consciences are troubled, they should not blame the preacher, but their own sins. Elijah went on to declare the complete elimination of the race of Ahab.)

21“Behold, 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. (The same sins were to be followed by the same judgments. Disaster was brought on Naboth and now disaster will be brought on Ahab. Pay attention! It is written, “But unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”2) 23And of Jezebel the LORD also said, ‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel within the walls of Jezreel.’ (Here was a special word for the proud queen, from the prophet who once feared her and fled from her. God makes his servants brave when they are on his errands. Human nature may fail them, but grace will not.) 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.”

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. {Unconverted people will each have their price. Give them what they want and they will sin as Satan tells them to.} 26He acted very abominably in going after idols, as the Amorites had done, whom the LORD cast out before the people of Israel.)

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.” (Ahab’s doom was most terrible. Evidently, the threat of it had a great impact on the double-minded king. He had no grace. His sorrow was not the repentance3 of salvation. Yet even his natural fear had something about it that the Lord approved and therefore the doom was delayed for a little while. What power there is in humility and repentance! May God give us the grace to come to him through Jesus Christ in an even more acceptable way. If we add faith to our trembling, we may be quite certain that he who delayed Ahab’s judgment will save us from his judgment completely!)

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¹ Psalm 37:9

² Luke 13:5

³ repent, repentance - The act or feeling of remorse, regret, sorrow or shame that results in a change of heart or purpose.