God Speaks
Actions of Ahab, King of Israel, in Both War and Peace
Verse of the Day: (There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, urged on by Jezebel his wife. He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the LORD drove out before Israel.) [parentheses in original] (1 Kings 21:25-26 NIV 2011)
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Watch TBR Day 179
We Respond
Reflection
Consider the following questions regarding 1 Kings 20-21
> 1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
> 2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1 Kings 20
1. God will bless even evil people, like Ahab, with victory, if they will submit to His direction. He will bring disaster on them if they don’t. All this is to demonstrate that YHWH is the LORD, and He is sovereign over the affairs of men.
2. People will benefit if they follow the commands of God and suffer if they don’t.
1 Kings 21
1. God sees the wicked deeds of people like Ahab and Jezebel and will bring disaster upon them unless they repent.
2. People, like Jezebel, take deceitful ways to get what they want.
Prayer
How might I pray regarding I Kings 20-21?
Dear LORD God, You are a Father who loves His willful and wayward children too much to spoil and not discipline them. When Ben-Hadad was bullying Ahab the King of Israel, You, LORD God, first sent him counsellors to tell him to stand up to the bully. Then You sent him a prophet who told him Your plan to defeat this invading army. After the army of Israel had routed the troops of Ben-Hadad, Your prophet warned Ahab to prepare for a future battle in the spring, which he did. When spring came and Ben-Hadad thought that he had You figured out, You allowed Israel’s troops to capture Ben-Hadad. Instead of executing him as You had instructed, Ahab formed a treaty with him and let him live. You called Ahab out on this disobedience, and he sulked. Holy Spirit of God, help me not to be weak, equivocating and disobedient to You. Help me to see situations from Your perspective and courageously follow Your plans as directed. Jezebel and Ahab made You very angry by how she arranged for Naboth’s murder just so that her husband Ahab could acquire Naboth’s vineyard. You sent Elijah the prophet to deliver the death sentence and the removal of their dynasty’s rulership over Israel. But when Ahab humbled himself, You delayed this judgment until after his death. Jezebel never repented. Holy Spirit, please keep me (and my nation’s rulers) so close and humble before the LORD that You never have to send this kind of extreme judgment upon us. Help us to humble ourselves, repent and return to You so that we bring You glory, LORD. AMEN
Action
With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will determine to live each day according to God’s plans not my own.
- I will determine not to sulk as Ahab did when God corrected him.
- I will thank God for His mercy when He turns His wrath away (even partially) as He did when Ahab repented.
- I will listen to wise counsel from the LORD and prepare for spiritual battles ahead by reading the Bible and interacting with God in prayer.
Share
I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.