Ahab’s Rejection

Synopsis     1Kings 16:26-7:1     5/28/2019 

Omri became king after thwarting the conspiracy of King Zimri. His reign was marked by the same form of idol worship first instituted by Jeroboam. And this displeased God. 

Omri reigned for twelve years. Initially he reigned from Tirzah. But in the middle of his reign he purchased a mountain which he named Samaria. It was on this mountain that he built the new city of Samaria. Omri reigned from Samaria for six years before he died. 

After Omri’s death, his son Ahab became king. And he reigned for twenty-two years.  

Ahab had no regard for the God of Israel. For, he married a woman named Jezebel. And, she was the daughter of the king of Sidon. She worshipped the false-god Baal. And so, Ahab also took up the worship of Baal. What’s more, he encouraged the worship of Baal throughout the kingdom of Israel.  

Because of his outright betrayal of the God of Israel, Ahab was considered the most corrupt of all the kings of Israel. 

The Challenge Ahab’s Rejection 

Ahab knew God. At least, he knew about God. He knew his lineage. And he understood the basic precepts of the Law of Moses. He was a child of Abraham. And he was a part of the heritage of Israel. 

And yet, he rejected all of this. Instead, he chose to follow his wife in the worship and service of a false-god.  

If I Reject Jesus

Of course, worshipping and serving any false idea, belief, value or god – is always a bad thing.  

But knowing and overtly rejecting God in favor of some false thing is extra bad. And what makes it so bad isn’t just the sinfulness of my infidelity. The greater challenge for me once I’ve known the one, true God and then rejected Him, is the hardness that comes to my heart.   

It makes me hard hearted when I reject God. In embracing what’s false in order to please other people, I commit myself to rationally defending the untruth. As such, I will argue against any and every true precept in the most militant and forceful way rather than allowing the untruth I’ve embraced to become exposed for the nonsense it truly is. 

But eventually the truth will prevail – every falsehood will be exposed. And when it does, then I, the one who has embraced the lie, have no where left to go. And in that moment, if even a hint of pride remains within me, I’ll prefer death over admitting the truth. 

This is the way of Judas. It’s the way of Ahab. It’s a trap. 

So, cling to Jesus and trust in the sufficiency of His righteousness alone.  

“For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment handed down to them.” 2Peter 2:21