Ahab
But Ahab son of Omri did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, even more than any of the kings before him. And as though it were not enough to follow the sinful example of Jeroboam, he married Jezebel, the daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians, and he began to bow down in worship of Baal*
1 Kings 16:30-31 NLT
The Bible is as honest about the lives of its heroes as it is about those who rejected God. Some in the Bible turned to God and discovered what He can do with failures. Many, however, neither turned to God nor admitted their failures.
God sent prophets to the kings of Israel and Judah, both good and evil to advise, confront, and aid them. David had a faithful friend in prophet Nathan; Ahab could have had an equally faithful friend in Elijah. But while David listened to Nathan and was willing to repent of his sins, Ahab saw Elijah as his enemy.
In all the stories of the Bible we can find no more repulsive characters than Ahab and Jezebel. In 1Kings 21:25 we are told, “But there was none like unto Ahab, who did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord”. Ahab thus became a reference for evil. There is a need to look at Ahab and those like him to see the kind of qualities we should not have as christians.
Ahab was trapped by his own choices and unwilling to take godly action. This was compounded by his wife Jezebel who drew him further into idolatry.
Weaknesses
•Ahab was covetous (an inordinate desire for something). He was a childish man who sulked for days if he didn’t get his own way.
• He only listened to “prophets” who gave good news, and surrounded himself with people who encouraged him to do whatever seemed good to him
Lessons from his life
•Ahab’s life portrays the bad consequences that results when we allow things or circumstances to control our thinking or happiness. To avoid the consequences of covetousness, we must adopt the same attitude adopted by Paul in Philippians 4:11, …”I have learned in whatever state I am, therewith to be content“.
This is not by wishful thinking, effort to learn is required. Proverbs 16:2 also says, ” He who rules his own heart is better than he who takes a city”
• We may enjoy having someone encourage us to do whatever we want, because advise that go against our wishes is difficult to accept. However, our decisions about whether to follow a certain advice must be based on the quality of the advice, not the attractiveness or the majority opinion of our peers. Advice that agrees with the principles in God’s Word is reliable.
JEZEBEL
Jezebel ranks as potentially the most evil woman in the Bible. She wielded so much power. She not only managed her husband but also had 850 assorted priests under her control. She was committed to her God’s and to getting whatever she wanted. She focused her royal power to a willful and wicked advantage as seen in today’s chapter. When Naboth refused to sell Ahab his vineyard, Jezebel ruthlessly had Naboth killed and took ownership of the land.
Jezebel was committed to herself and her false god’s. Her plan to wipe out the worship of God in Israel led to painful consequences.
Lessons From Her Life
•Jezebel personifies the principle of reaping what is sown (Galatians 6:7). Before she died, she suffered the loss of her husband in combat and her son in the hand of Jehu, who took the throne by force. She died in the defeat and scornful way she lived.
• She also demonstrates that the power and influence of evil, although allowed by God for a limited time in chastisement of His own people when they are disobedient, ultimately never triumphs.
