Ahab’s Legacy of Death

Synopsis     1Kings 21:21-22:03     7/4/2019 

Elijah prophesied against Ahab and his family. Ahab and his wife Jezebel had made a conspiracy with the elders of Jezreel to kill the owner of a property adjacent next to their palace. After the killing, Ahab took possession of the vineyard property.  

God revealed to Elijah what Ahab and Jezebel had done. And so, Elijah went to the vineyard property. And he found Ahab there. So, he prophesied doom against Ahab and his entire family.  

Ahab was struck by the prophets’ words. For that reason, he repented by tearing his garments and putting on ashes and sackcloth.  

Now because Ahab had humbled himself, Elijah received another word from God. God forgave Ahab and deferred the prophesied punishment to his sons. 

Ahab’s Legacy of Death 

Ahab ruined Naboth’s legacy. He not only participated in Naboth’s murder, but he stole the assets of his estate. He stole from Naboth’s future generations.  

Yet, God spared Ahab’s life. Because he repented with great humility, he avoided the just punishment that was due to him. Instead, according to the prophet, the punishment would come upon his son.  

This was Ahab’s legacy. His children were sure to inherit.  

Living For Legacy 

How will my actions affect the generations who follow me? 

Almost nothing challenges decision-making like this one, simple question. The aggregate of goodwill or ill-will invariably impacts the lives of my children and my children’s children. If follows, that nothing exposes shortsightedness and selfishness in the same way as an honest response to this one question.  

I am not living for myself.  

And this is more than a decision I will overtly make. It is the condition of a life lived in freedom.  

“The just walk in integrity; happy are their children after them!” Prov 20:7 

Ahab’s Secret

Synopsis     1Kings 21:11-20     7/3/2019 

Because Naboth refused to sell his vineyard, Jezebel directed the elders of Jezreel to frame him. So, the elders made an assembly and falsely accused him. And for his supposed crimes, he was stoned to death. 

After she had received word of Naboth’s death, Jezebel encouraged Ahab to take possession of the vineyard. And so, he did.  

But Elijah received a word from God concerning Jezebel’s grave sin. So, he met Ahab while he was in the vineyard. And they spoke together. Elijah exposed Ahab’s sin, letting him know that Jezebel’s conspiracy was no longer secret. And, he conveyed God’s great displeasure. Accordingly, he prophesied doom over Ahab’s house.  

Ahab’s Secret 

Elijah came into vineyard. There he found Ahab enjoying his newly acquired possession. And then Elijah declared Ahab’s sin. 

Until that moment, the whole episode had been in the dark. The conspiracy to kill and dispossess Naboth was a dark agreement between men and women who thought their secret was safe. They believed they could hide their evil deeds and still enjoy the fruits of their misguided efforts.  

And so, Ahab responded to Elijah, “Have you found me out?” Not surprisingly, he considered Elijah his enemy. He considered the light of truth to be an adversary.  

 

God Knows 

Walking in the light of the sun is a special joy. Similarly, following in the way of Christ is a lighthearted burden – a delight. And so, I generally find that reading God’s Word is pure blessing. It is an invitation and opportunity to participate in the very mind of Christ.  

One of the things that I have noticed about the Word is its power to make the circumstances of life clearer. Of course, part of that clarity is experienced in its capacity to convict and correct.  

So, something remarkable happens when I sin. I find that in my own dark moments of selfishness, I avoid the Word. And, I don’t want clarity. In fact, I actually prefer things to be an indistinct muddle. And in those moments, I want nothing to challenge the excuses I have used to justify my Ahab-like behavior. I want only distance. I want to hide in the cool of the day. Afraid.  

It’s only God’s mercy that ever saves me from this collapse into darkness. It’s only the unrequested prophet-voice that intrudes into my life that brings me the hope of mercy and the grace for repentance.    

“For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed.” John 3:20 

Naboth’s Righteousness

Synopsis     1Kings 21:1-10    7/1/2019 

During the reign of King Ahab, there was a man named Naboth. And Naboth owned a vineyard in Jezreel next to Ahab’s palace.  

Now Ahab desired to own Naboth’s vineyard. So, he offered to purchase the vineyard. But Naboth refused because the garden had been inherited from his ancestors.  

Because his offer had been rebuffed, Ahab returned to his palace and sulked. Finally, Ahab’s wife Jezebel intervened on his behalf. So, she instructed the leaders of Jezreel to frame Naboth by falsely accusing him of a crime. And she did this in King Ahab’s name.  

Naboth’s Righteousness 

Naboth was right not to sell or trade his vineyard. Under the law of Moses, the land was supposed to remain with families through the process of inheritance. And while Naboth also had the right to sell the land if his circumstances required, the sale was never intended to be permanent. 

Even so, Jezebel acted in Ahab’s name to illegally take Naboth’s property. In the end, Naboth was persecuted for doing what was right.  

Righteousness and Persecution 

Persecution comes from the abuse of power. It couldn’t come from anywhere else.

But your commitment to righteousness is safe. And in the end, it is peace.

“I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.” John 16:33 

Ahab & Simple Obedience

Synopsis     1Kings 20:35-43     6/25/2019 

Israel had won a resounding victory over Aram. Despite this, King Ahab let go Ben-hadad. And because God had targeted Ben-hadad for destruction, He was displeased. 

As a result, a prophet received a word from the Lord. In it, he was to give a prophetic word to Ahab. But in order to convey the word as God desired, he needed to sustain an injury. So, he asked another prophet to strike him. But the second prophet refused to harm the first. And so, the second prophet was cursed with a lion attack. And almost immediately, a lion attacked and killed the second prophet.  

For the second time, the prophet asked an ordinary man to strike him. And this man struck the prophet and injured his head. So, the injured prophet waited until Ahab came by. And when he did, the injured prophet prophesied against Ahab for releasing Ben-hadad.  

The prophecy disturbed Ahab. And, it made him angry. 

Ahab’s Disobedience 

God gave Ahab victory over Aram in the first battle as evidence of His sovereignty. And so, when Ben-hadad’s advisors claimed that the God of Israel was only a God of the mountains, God had further opportunity to demonstrate His absolute sovereignty in the affairs of men.  

By releasing Ben-hadad, Ahab gave away the fruit of the victory. And so, the prophet came to inform him of his error. And this vexed him.  

Simple Obedience 

In Proverbs 10, it is written, ”Where words are many, sin is not wanting; but those who restrain their lips do well”.  

When my heart wants to justify itself, I use words. Sometimes I talk to myself. And when I do, I use words that clearly demonstrate my superior understanding of my situation.  

Of course, sometimes I talk with others. And then I use words to persuade most anyone who will listen that I am right – and implicitly that everyone else is wrong.

But it’s not really the words that are the problem. The problem is found in a heart that wants to avoid simple obedience.  

But Samuel said: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to the LORD’s command? Obedience is better than sacrifice, to listen, better than the fat of rams” (1Sam 15:22) 

Ben-hadad’s Relief

Synopsis     1Kings 20:29-34     6/24/2019 

Ben-hadad’s army camped near Aphek, east of the Jordan. And so, King Ahab positioned his forces opposite. The forces remained stationary for seven days before the battle began.  

Once again, the Israelites inflicted an overwhelming defeat. So, the Aramite soldiers, including King Beh-hadad, retreated into the town of Aphek. There, they experienced a second defeat in the city as the wall collapsed. However, Ben-hadad hid in an inner room inside the city with the help of his servants.  

Eventually, his servants changed into clothes made from sackcloth. Then, they came out from hiding and approached King Ahab. When they found him, they begged for Ben-hadad’s life to be spared.  

Ahab had mercy on Ben-hadad. He allowed him to ride in his chariot. In the end, Ben-hadad returned some cities previously taken from Israel. And he gave Ahab the opportunity to conduct commerce in Damascus. In exchange, Ahab restored Ben-hadad and set him free.  

Ben-hadad’s Relief 

King Ben-hadad was a deeply evil man. Hundreds of thousands of people died miserable deaths because of the decisions that he made. And in defeat, he realized that as the leader of a vanquished army, the best he could justly hope for was a mercifully quick death.  

Despite this, Ahab offered him mercy. In response, Ben-hadad gladly offered restitution.  

Relief and Restitution 

There is something about the experience of being saved that usually provokes a response of generosity. 

When I’ve done something that I know is wrong, even if I can rationally justify my behavior, the weight of my sin remains with me. Of course, it’s sometimes possible for me to suppress my feelings of guilt and shame. Even so, I remain affected. These feelings lurk around in my mind. And then they unexpectedly show up in the strangest moments. Sometimes they arise in a dream. Or sometimes in an unusual encounter that reminds me of the circumstances of my own guilt. And then I suddenly become, once again aware of my shame.  

As human beings, we’re constantly making comparisons. And regardless of the objects that we’re encountering in a particular moment, the fundamental comparison is always a question of “What Is” compared to “What Should Be”. And the consequence of this comparing is that I move  towards obtaining “What Should Be”.  

But when I’ve done something unjust, the psychology doesn’t change. The “What Should Be”, is me getting my just deserts. So, a tension forms because I really don’t want “What Should Be”. When I’m the offender, I don’t really want justice.  

This is why the experience of salvation is so unique. In the moment when I feel saved, something changes. I experience a rapid reversal. And here, I’m not just talking about eternal salvation. But even the experience of being saved from embarrassment or from physical injury. Any experience of salvation brings an extraordinary sense of relief. 

And the reason for relief is in the comparison. In that moment, the difference between what is and what should be is extinguished. The “what is” of salvation is so much better than the “what should be” of just punishment or exposure, that I feel more than satisfied. For, I have received more than I deserve – more than I could expect. 

And in this moment of satisfaction, I no longer feel the need to cling to the thing that caused me to act unjustly in the first place. And so, I can let it go. Suddenly, I experience the freedom to stop clinging. And then, I am free to give it back. Like Beh-hadad; I am free to gladly offer restitution.  

So then, this freedom to generously give is an evidence of salvation. And not just the salvation offered, but the salvation actually entered into.  

This is the freedom made actual through Christ crucified and risen.  

“But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.” Luke 19:8 

Ben-hadad Labeled God

Synopsis     1Kings 20:22-28     6/21/2019 

After Israel defeated Ben-hadad’s army, the prophet returned to King Ahab. He told Ahab to expect another attack from Ben-hadad.  

For his part, Ben-hadad’s advisors encouraged him to change the political system of Aram and rebuild his army. They told him that the reason for his loss was that the God of Israel was a “mountain god”. And so, it was important to fight King Ahab on level ground. So, the great king, Ben-hadad, replaced the local kings with prefects and rebuilt his army.  

Once again, Ben-hadad invaded Israel. And King Ahab brought his forces out to oppose the Aramites. And once again, a prophet approached Ahab to inform him of God’s intentions through the battle.  

Ben-hadad Labeled God 

Ben-hadad’s advisors told their king that his first loss was due to the fact that the God of Israel was a God of the mountains. But, they advised, He was not a God of the plains. And so, the king of Aram adjusted his strategy accordingly.  

Of course, the God of Israel is the God of all Creation. He is not limited in any way. And labeling God in a way that seems to limit or constrain Him only assures error. 

And so, Ben-hadad’s strategic adjustments made no real difference with respect to God.  

Labeling God 

I tend to label things. This isn’t some unnatural propensity. It’s the way we’re built. And we have lots of words that describe this phenomenon. We label, name, tag, stereotype, classify, nickname…it goes on and on. But what’s important to understand is that we label things so that we have a reference to them. And in our human thinking processes, words serve as the medium by which we reference things that aren’t actually present. 

However, a pretty smart philosopher once observed that we name things according to what they do. In other words, we think about things according to the action that they make. And then we label them according to this understanding. So, the unintended consequence is that we naturally build into the labels we use, our beliefs about the limitations of the things we label.   

It’s part of the extraordinary challenge of knowing God. To label is to limit. That’s why, to label God is always a mistake. It couldn’t be anything else.  

So then, I resolve to let God simply be God. I will meet Him there, without preconception. 

“Of course not! God must be true, though every human being is a liar, as it is written: “That you may be justified in your words, and conquer when you are judged.” Rom 3:4 

Ben-hadad’s Overconfidence

Synopsis     1Kings 20:13-21     6/20/2019 

Ben-hadad was king over the Aramites. He had led them to besiege Samaria, which was the capital of Israel. As the two armies prepared for the coming battle, a prophet from God came to Ahab. The prophet declared that Ahab would have victory. And Ahab asked the prophet how the victory would come – what was the order of battle. And the prophet gave this information too. 

It seems the speed of Israel’s preparations and the order of attack came as a surprise to Ben-hadad. Israel’s army began its march out of the city in the afternoon. This was unexpected because most pitched battles began in the morning. And, as Israel sent out its forces, it led with a small contingent of younger men.  

This also came as a surprise. For, Ben-hadad was not expecting to fight that day. Because of this, he had gone to a pavilion where he was already drinking heavily. As the reports came that Israel had sent forces out, he misinterpreted the battlefield condition. Accordingly, he ordered what he thought to be a small contingent to be captured instead of positioning his troops for a full battle.  

Of course, the result was that the Aramites were defeated and fled before the Israelite army.  

Ben-hadad’s Overconfidence 

Ben-hadad had an enormous battlefield superiority. He couldn’t imagine a scenario where Israel’s much smaller army could defeat him. So, he acted accordingly. He bullied Ahab until the king of Israel had no option but to fight. And he spent his time in drunken revelry rather than sober reflection and vigilance.  

Though in a way he seemed courageous, Ben-hadad was the opposite. He was cavalier. As a result, he didn’t take seriously the risks of war to either himself or his army.  

Cavalier Versus Courage 

I think of the common expression, “Talk is cheap”.  

When I was young, I remember feeling the pressure to show that I was grown. Of course, it’s not all bad for a young person to feel the social pressure to mature and take their place in society.  

But for me, this often led to taking ill-considered risks. I wanted to seem courageous. I wanted to be fearless. So, I worked hard to simply ignore my fears. 

And this is one key difference between authentic courage and a dare-devil’s naïve ignorance of risk. To be cavalier is a decision to not consider the risks of my decisions to either to myself or to the people around me. It’s a deliberate ignorance that circumvents the felt intuition that suggests my behavior is dangerous.  

And in the long-term, if things don’t end badly, then a fortunate dare-devil might become a famous hero. The problem is, such stories usually end badly.  

“The astute see an evil and hide, while the naive continue on and pay the penalty” Prov 22:3 

Smack Talk & God’s World

Synopsis     1Kings 20:3-12     6/18/2019 

Ben-hadad was the King of Aram. At one point during the reign of King Ahab, he brought his army into Israel to besiege  the city of Samaria. As the siege went on, Ben-hadad sent messengers to Ahab. 

Basically, the Aramite king demanded that King Ahab give up everything he owned. And Ahab agreed. But even after this, Ben-hadad made more and greater demands.

This made Ahab realize that appeasement would not work. So, he conferred with the tribal elders. And they all agreed that a fight was unavoidable even though the city was greatly outnumbered. 

So, Ahab sent word to Ben-hadad rejecting his demands. Accordingly, both sides prepared for battle.  

Putting On The Armor 

Beh-hadad had forced a fight by making untenable demands on Ahab. And then, in a final exchange of messages, he vowed that he would destroy Samaria. In fact, he spoke of annihilating the city so thoroughly that there would be nothing left for his men to take as loot.  

For his part, Ahab responded by making his famous quip, “Let not one who puts on the armor, boast as one who takes it off”. Though this reads like a desperately clever dig at an overwhelming enemy, it also revealed a deeper truth. No matter how great an army might be, no force is invulnerable. And no human purpose can succeed against God.  

Talking Smack in God’s World 

It’s funny. On the playground my childhood friends and I use to call this kind of boastful banter “talking smack”. It didn’t really matter what the sport. We boasted about who was going to beat who in any and every sports competition. We were  boys. So, before the game we talked smack. And during the game we talked smack. Even after the game, we talked about future smack – how it was going to be the “next time”.  

It’s interesting. Though it was all just child’s play, there’s still something unfortunate about the habit of making a promise without the certain ability to follow through. My words begin to mean less – they have less worth. In such moments, I feel less bound to the things I say. There’s a certain danger to forming this habit.

Better to let my yes be yes and my no, be no. Better to take constructive action than to fill the air with words.

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we shall go into such and such a town, spend a year there doing business, and make a profit”— you have no idea what your life will be like tomorrow. You are a puff of smoke that appears briefly and then disappears. Instead you should say, “If the Lord wills it, we shall live to do this or that.” James 4:13-15 

Elisha Was All In

Synopsis     1Kings 19:14-20:2     6/17/2019 

Elijah climbed high on Mount Horeb. He had gone to meet God face-to-face. And God met him there.

He asked Elijah why he had come. So, Elijah explained that he was the only faithful man remaining in Israel. And he mentioned that the other Israelites were trying to kill him.  

God responded by telling Elijah to return to Israel. And, upon his return, God directed him to anoint a new king for Aram and also for Israel. Additionally, he was also instructed by God to anoint Elisha as his successor.  

Upon returning, Elijah met Elisha. Now, Elisha was a successful man. But in the end, he left all he had in order to follow Elijah. 

Elisha Was All In 

When Elijah approached Elisha, he threw his cloak on him. Of course, this was a call to follow. And Elisha responded by bidding his parents farewell. What’s more, he also took his extensive holdings and destroyed them. He slaughtered his oxen and burned his implements. In other words, he burned his bridges.  

In destroying the equipment and slaughtering the oxen, he eliminated the possibility of returning to his former way of life. Clearly, Elisha was all in. For him, there was no possibility of turning back. 

All In For Jesus 

Sometimes I say I’m “All In”. But the truth is when things aren’t going the way I’d like them to go, I’m tempted to wonder if I’ve made a mistake. And almost unavoidably I find myself wondering if there is some way back to the potential I had before I committed – before I was “All In”.  

Looking back and longing for days past is a habit that wrecks all my present moments. It hijacks my attention away from the obvious thing that’s right in front of me. And it condemns my future to a sullen, regretful lament – a pillar of salt. 

So, may I break the habit. And, may I burn the plow and think no more of what I imagined my life to be before I met Jesus. Accordingly, may I commit to doing the next good thing and leave the rest to God.  

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.” Matt 10:7-38 

The God of Me Alone

Synopsis     1Kings 19:5-13     6/14/2019 

Elijah was hiding. Queen Jezebel had threatened to kill him in retaliation for killing the prophets of Baal. And, although God had performed many miracles through Elijah, he remained afraid that Jezebel might be successful. This made him feel exhausted and downhearted.  

So he ran away to the tribal lands of Judah, where Jezebel could not reach him. And there he went into the wilderness. After a little while, he laid down under a broom tree and fell asleep. But he was woken by an angel who twice gave him food and water. And afterward, Elijah began the forty-day pilgrimage back to God’s mountain.  

Mount Horeb was the original place where the children of Israel met God. It was the place where Moses saw God in the form of a burning bush. And it seems that Elijah sought that kind of experience.  

God asked Elijah why he had come. And Elijah replied that he alone, in all of Israel, had been faithful. And because of his faithfulness, his life was in danger.  Then, as he remained on the mountain, Elijah experienced a terrifying wind, and then a fearful earthquake, and finally a raging fire. But he realized that God was in none of these.  

Then he heard a light, silent, sound. So, he covered his face. And God spoke to him.   

The God of Abraham 

Elijah was looking for God. Somehow, he concluded that he needed to travel to Mount Horeb to find Him.  

As a prophet, Elijah was exhausted.  He had done everything asked of him – everything imaginable. But still, he had failed. The Israelites remained faithless. Even in the face of overwhelming miracles, King Ahab remained unchanged. And so, Elijah became hopeless and despondent. He gave up on the idea that the people might ever truly repent.  

But Elijah’s running away is interesting. All the more because he sought refuge in the tribal lands of Judah in order to escape Jezebel. But he did not go to find God at the temple in Jerusalem. For, he did not perceive the priesthood of the southern kingdom, or the house of David, to be any better than the corrupted leadership of the north.  

And so, he sought something entirely different – something original. Elijah went in search of the relationship of the patriarchs. He wanted to know God without mediation. He wanted to know God the way Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses had known God. And he wanted to speak with God face-to-face.  

The God of Me Alone 

It’s tempting to want to go somewhere to find God in some special way. I have dreamed of a mountain where it’s only me and God – no one else to get in the way – no one else to muddle the relationship – and no faithlessness to distract or disappoint.  

It’s odd how easy it is to convince myself that I’d somehow be closer to God if I could only escape the people around me.  

“The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth.” Psa 145:18