As the summer comes to an end, we'll be returning to our exposition of Galatians. I wanted to look at First Kings 21 tonight. On Wednesday evening, we considered a section in Hebrews where the author calls his readers, his hearers, to recall their former days in which after they were illuminated, probably a reference to their conversion to Christ, it says, you endured a great struggle with sufferings, partly while you were made a spectacle, both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated. He says, for you had compassion on me in my chains and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.
We observed there that when they had first come into a saving relationship with Christ, they suffered persecution. I toyed with bringing that message tonight, but I realized there were many here tonight that were here on Wednesday and I didn't want to be repetitious. So I thought we'd carry on with that theme and see that oftentimes God's people suffer injustice in this world. And First Kings chapter 21 is a textbook example of that.
The murder of Naboth by Ahab. Since we looked at Ahab and Elijah more specifically last Sunday night, thought to maintain some continuity, we'd skip ahead just a few chapters in 1 Kings and pick up at 1 Kings chapter 21. I'll begin reading in verse 1. And it came to pass after these things that Naboth, the Jezreelite, had a vineyard which was in Jezreel next to the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria.
So Ahab spoke to Naboth saying, Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near, next to my house. And for it I will give you a vineyard better than it. Or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its worth in money. But Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you.
So Ahab went into his house sullen and displeased because of the word which Naboth, the Jezreelite, had spoken to him. For he had said, I will not give you the inheritance of my father's. And he laid out on his bed and turned away his face and would eat no food. Jezebel, his wife, came to him and said to him, Why is your spirit so sullen that you eat no food?
He said to her, Because I spoke to Naboth, the Jezreelite, and said to him, Give me your vineyard for money, or else, if it pleases you, I will give you another vineyard for it. And he answered, I will not give you my vineyard. Then Jezebel, his wife, said to him, you now exercise authority over Israel. Arise, eat food, and let your heart be cheerful.
I will give you the vineyard of Naboth, the Jezreelite. And she wrote letters in Ahab's name, sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who were dwelling in the city with Naboth. She wrote in the letters saying, proclaim a fast and seat Naboth with high honor among the people. and seat two men scoundrels before him to bear witness against him, saying, You have blasphemed God and the king. Then take him out and stone him that he may die.
So the men of his city, the elders and nobles who were inhabitants of his city, did as Jezebel had said to them, had sent to them, as it was written in the letters which she had sent to them. They proclaimed the fast and seated Naboth with high honor among the people. And two men, scoundrels, came in and sat before him. And the scoundrels witnessed against him, against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth has blasphemed God and the king.
Then they took him outside the city and stoned him with stones, so that he died. Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth has been stoned and is dead. And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money, for Naboth is not alive but dead. So it was, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Arise, go down to meet Ahab, king of Israel, who lives in Samaria. There he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down to take possession of it. You shall speak to him, saying, Thus says the Lord. Have you murdered and also taken possession?
And you shall speak to him, saying, Thus says the Lord. In the place where dogs lick the blood of Naboth, Dogs shall lick your blood, even yours. So Ahab said to Elijah, Have you found me, O my enemy? And he answered, I have found you because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the Lord.
Behold, I will bring calamity on you. I will take away your posterity and will cut off from Ahab every male in Israel, both bond and free. I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, and like the house of Basha, the son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with which you have provoked me to anger and made Israel sin. And concerning Jezebel, the Lord also spoke, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.
The dogs shall eat whoever belongs to Ahab and dies in the city, and the birds of the air shall eat whoever dies in the field. But there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the Lord, because Jezebel, his wife, stirred him up. And he behaved very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites had done, whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. So it was when Ahab heard those words that he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his body and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went about mourning.
And the word of the Lord came to Elijah, the Tishbite, saying, See how Ahab has humbled himself before me because he has humbled himself before me. I will not bring the calamity in his days, in the days of his son. I will bring the calamity on his house. Amen.
Father, we just thank you that you here and are concerned with the affairs of your people. We just pray now that you would encourage our hearts. We pray, Father, that you would cause us to reflect on passages like these, to see your faithfulness and your commitment to justice. And God, as well, help us to see that it is common for your people to suffer in a world that is opposed to the Lord Jesus Christ.
We just ask now that you would fill us with your spirit, and we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Introduction
Well, in the space between First Kings chapter 18 and First Kings or toward the end, basically describes the failure of Ahab and how God's word stands against him. He spared Ben Hadad of Syria. according to chapter 20. Therefore, Ahab and Israel stand under doom because of his heartless murder and oppression of Naboth. His whole household will be exterminated.
And because of his refusal to hear God's prophet, Ahab is destroyed on the field of battle. And what was spoken here by Elijah comes to pass. The dogs licked up his blood. Later in 2 Kings 9, we see the account of Jehu, who was the one who took out Jezebel.
And then the dogs ate her dead body. But as we look at this particular passage, it's obvious what's going on here. Government oppression. state control, confiscation of property. And we see that God is actually concerned about these things.
In our studies in the book of Proverbs, we've seen that God is about justice. He looks at the scales to make sure they are weighted properly. Certainly, when He sees our brothers and sisters in other lands having their goods plundered and their things taken from them, He is aware of that. He will render justice ultimately to those offenders of his holy law.
And so tonight I want to just draw out four lessons from this particular account. Four lessons that I hope is instructive for us as Christians in a world that is opposed to Jesus Christ.
Lesson One: God's People Suffer Injustice
And the first is simply this. God's people often suffer injustice in this world. God's people often suffer injustice in this world. Now, I know that's a bit of a difficult proposition for those of us living in Canada.
But it is very often that we receive prayer letters or updates from voice of the martyrs where they are all too familiar with this proposition that God's people often suffer injustice in this world. We saw it in the book of Hebrews chapter 10 the initial first primary enemy of the Church of God. was the unbelieving Jews. They targeted the people of God. They persecuted them.
They chased them down. They did all manner of evil against them. And so God's people often suffer injustice in this world. Notice the text very specifically.
The desire of Ahab. Ahab kept another palace in Jezreel and he wanted Naboth's vineyard. It would make a good annex. It would make a good piece of property to grow his vegetables in.
Never mind that this was Naboth's livelihood, that this had been bequeathed to him, that there was property laws within Israel, that he had a title to this. Ahab wanted a bigger vegetable garden, and so he makes this generous offer to Naboth. He says, give me your vineyard, that I may have it for your vegetable garden, because it is near, next to my house, and for it I will give you a vineyard better than it. Or if it seems good to you, I will give you its worth in money.
Now notice the response of Naboth. Naboth says to Ahab, the Lord forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you. Now, it might sound like that's a bit of a harsh statement. I mean, after all, it was quite generous what Ahab said.
I'll give you one in like value or I'll give you money even exceeding it. But Nabal says, Lord forbid it. Again, there were property rights. Tribes got certain things.
When you read the book of Joshua, it is very specific when they went into the land that God apportioned the land and He gave certain portions to various tribes. It was a right. It was ingrained. It was something given to them.
Now, under certain emergencies, an Israelite might sell the land, but these conditions did not apply in Naboth's case. He wanted his property. That's OK. Ralph Davis comments here, he says, he treasures Yahweh's land gift passed down via his ancestors more than making bucks or placating kings.
Naboth is not nasty, but definite. His refusal is couched in strong language, but one cannot say he is obnoxious. He had a perfect right to refuse Ahab's offer. He did so because his thinking was covenantal rather than pragmatic.
Note that in his reply, Naboth identifies himself as a man subject to Yahweh and caring for his law. So that's what's at stake here. It's not that Naboth just being a bit of a stubborn fellow. No, he has a right to this.
It has been bequeathed to him. It is a tribal inheritance and he insists on keeping it. And then what happens? Jezebel comes in.
Actually, even before Jezebel comes in, what's Ahab do? He goes home and he pouts. That's what he does. He's a whining, crying baby.
You wouldn't think that this would be legitimate activity for a king. I don't think it's legitimate activity for a five-year-old, let alone a man in a position of authority as king over Israel. Look at what it says in verse four. Ahab went into his house sullen and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him.
He is so set on having this land for his vegetable garden that when he is met with opposition, he's going to go home and pout. He's going to go home and whine. He's going to go home and grumble and complain. And then enters Jezebel.
Jezebel is a real piece of work. She asks him, what are you doing? Why are you whining? Why are you sullen?
Why are you complaining? What's the deal? So Ahab rehearses what had happened. And she's just flabbergasted.
That's a word we don't hear often, is it? She's just rocked out of her little world. You've got to remember something about Jezebel. Her daddy was the king of Phoenicia.
That included both Tyre and Sidon. He became the king of Phoenicia by having his predecessor murdered. So Jezebel was reared in the context of, if you want something, you get it. If you want something, you seize it.
It doesn't matter if we have to crack a few eggs in order to make the omelet. Jezebel is comforting Ahab here. She says, you are the king or you now exercise authority over Israel. Arise, eat food and let your heart be cheerful.
I will give you the vineyard of Naboth, the Jezreelite. Ahab tells her what went on and then she responds. You can hear the wheels clicking. Daddy didn't let things roll this way.
If daddy wanted something, daddy took it. So Ahab, you just eat, take care of yourself and let Jezebel make everything right. That does not excuse Ahab. We might think, well, the real culprit, the real wicked one in this is Jezebel.
I like what Ralph Davis says, the fact that Jezebel incited Ahab to evil does not lessen, but aggravates Ahab's guilt for it shows he was not only wicked, but weak, not only not simply sinful, but spineless. He's going to let his wife do his bidding no matter what the cause. But we need to see this, and we need to understand this. In this particular instance, you have the king and the queen conspiring against one man who owns one parcel of land in all of Palestine.
It is a very unjust thing that is taking place. It was unjust what occurred to those first Hebrew Christians when they joyfully accepted the plundering of their goods. It is never right for men to confiscate your goods. It is never right for men to punish you and to inflict those sorts of things upon you.
But realize, in a world filled with opposition to Jesus, because they can't get to God, because they can't strip him off his throne and kill him, they will seek to inflict pain, punishment, and persecution upon his people. If men could, they would run right up into heaven and throw God off of His throne and destroy Him. Since they cannot do that, they go after His people. The book of Revelation highlights this fact very vividly, very specifically in Revelation chapter 12.
When the dragon could not kill the sun, when he ascended on high, when he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, the dragon then turns its wicked attention against the people of God. That is a common theme beginning in Genesis all the way to the book of Revelation. And we need to understand that. It may not always be the case that in Canada we have freedom, we have liberty, we have all these blessings and benefits.
You know, quite frankly, this liberty and these benefits and this freedom isn't really inculcating us a great, zealous, fervent service to the Lord God Almighty. Very often when you see countries that are being persecuted, you see believers that are seeing persecution. The people of God get fired up. They start getting more zealous.
Paul rehearses something of that in Philippians chapter one. He says the things have actually turned up for the progress of the gospel. He says, now that I'm in chains, the whole praetorium guard is hearing about Jesus. And he also says the church, having heard about my chains and suffering, has become emboldened.
A whiff of persecution at times is a great blessing or boon to the church to get us to get serious about the Lord God most high. So the Lord uses even those injustices for his glory and for the good of his people.
Lesson Two: Stand for What Is Right
Notice the second lesson that comes from verses 8 to 14. God's people should stand for what is right. God's people should stand for what is right. Notice the plan of Jezebel.
She sends a letter to the elders and nobles of Jezreel in Ahab's name with very explicit instructions. Have Naboth become the center of attraction. Have him exalted. Have him paraded.
Have him celebrated as a great and godly man. But I want you to hire a couple of scoundrels to give false testimony that he is a blasphemer. Notice, it's not just one scoundrel, it's two scoundrels. This is injustice, but it's going to be politically correct injustice.
They're going to have the two or three witnesses necessary to execute a capital crime. Notice as well that she says to proclaim a fast. This is injustice, but it's going to be a religious injustice. She's got everything taken care of.
Get the two or three witnesses to satisfy the law of God. Proclaim a fast to satisfy the cult, to satisfy worship, to be religious, to go under the guise of religion. It would be baptized with enough religion. It would be baptized with enough justice to satisfy the requirements of the law and to make it acceptable.
And then notice after they had stated, you have blasphemed God and the king, then take him out and stone him that he may die. The leaders of Jezreel don't even question this. Do they? This is the most heinous thing in this passage.
I mean, it's horrible that Ahab is being led around by his wife. It's horrible that Jezebel is this ungodly. It's horrible that the men of Jezreel, the nobles of Jezreel, didn't say why, didn't say what's going on. Why do you want us to execute a just man?
You want us to hire two scoundrels? I just have this picture of guys hanging out on the road with a sign that says, scoundrel will work for deceit. Come on with us if we've got a job for you. There's this man named Naboth, and the king really wants his property, and so his wife has cooked up a plan in order to get rid of him.
Good men should stand for what is right. Remember we saw that in Hebrews 10. Not only were they made a spectacle, but you became companions of those who were so treated. You participated in it with them.
If there is a believer who is under fire for religious, biblical convictions, it is just as wicked for good men to say nothing. And that's precisely what happened here. Verse 11. So the men of his city, the elders and nobles who were inhabitants of his city, did as Jezebel had sent to them, as it was written in the letters which she had sent to them.
They proclaimed the fast, seated Naboth with high honor among the people, and two men, scoundrels, came in and sat before him. And the scoundrels witnessed against him, against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth is blasphemed, God and the king. Then they took him outside the city and stoned him with stones so that he died. Then they sent to Jezebel saying, Naboth has been stoned and is dead.
When you look at Second Kings, chapter nine, they didn't just take out Naboth. They took out his sons as well. In order for Ahab to confiscate his land, there could be no other heir. There could be no other with entitlement to that piece of property.
So it wasn't just Naboth, it was his sons with him that were executed based on wicked testimony of two scoundrels. Davis again says the appropriate penalty followed, Leviticus 24, a man who blasphemed was to be executed. He says that motionless form, speaking of Naboth, that pulverized mass of flesh and bone is mute testimony to what happens to those who won't play ball with the government. You resist them, you reject them, and that's precisely what's going to happen.
And these men of Jezreel sat by, stood by, and were complicit in the wickedness itself. The elders and nobles of Jezreel should have opposed this wicked plan, even if it was mandated by the state. Good men stand for what is right. Albert Barnes says, the ready submission of the elders and nobles implies a deep moral degradation among the Israelites, the fruit of their lapse into idolatry.
Davis says, the text is telling us that injustice flourishes not only by wickedness, but by weakness, not merely from a lack of goodness, but by a lack of guts. There's an instance similar to this in Judges 15. The Philistines want Samson. They track him down.
He's with the men of Judah. The early chapters of Judah record the men or the early chapters of Judges record the men of Judah going into battle. They wade into battle after battle, fighting for their land, fighting for their rights, fighting, fighting, fighting. When the Philistines come and ask for Samson, you know what the Judahites do?
They give him right up. Hand him right over. It's wicked. Cicero, Cicero, not even a Christian man.
Cicero said there are two kinds of injustice. The first is found in those who do an injury. The second in those who fail to protect another from injury when they can. We, as Christians, need to show camaraderie.
We, as Christians, need to show solidarity. We, as Christians, when a brother or a sister is being persecuted, we need to come to their aid. either by prayer, with giving, or however tangibly we may be able to show that solidarity. These men of Jezreel said an example of just that kind of wickedness. Those who fail to protect another from injury when they can.
So the first, God's people often suffer injustice in this world. Second, God's people should stand for what is right.
Lesson Three: God Will Intervene for Justice
Thirdly, verses 17 to 26, God will intervene to bring justice to his wronged people. God will intervene to bring justice to his wronged people. If you read through verses 8 to 14, it's pretty heartless. It's pretty grim.
It's pretty sad. You're reading and you're understanding, you're thinking, man, that's just not right. That's horrible. Why do such bad things happen to good people in this world?
I mean, that is just wretched. Then the Word of God comes and disturbs the peace, as Davis says. Notice verse 15. It says, It came to pass when Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money.
For Naboth is not alive, but dead. You see her with a twinkle in her eye, can't you? As Davis says, her Maybelline blushed eyes, you know, winking at him for what she's accomplished. It's all done.
You wanted a new vegetable garden, Daddy? You got it. He's probably thinking, this is great. Glad I married such a deceitful, conniving, wicked, wretch of a woman.
Notice in verse 16, So it was, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. The perfect crime, right? If the text stopped there, it would be the perfect crime. He got what he wanted.
He was sullen, he whined, he complained, his wife heard him and delivered up Naboth, hired scoundrels, his whole plan went on without a hitch. Isn't that how we sometimes interpret things? We think it's the perfect crime. We think that these people are getting away with a wholesale execution of Christians and they're getting away with it.
We see gross injustice and we think they're getting away with it. We see imbalanced scales and we think they're getting away with it. We see Hindus and Muslims and Buddhists. We start to freak out.
We begin to think that Islam is so rapidly growing. It's so big. It's so massive. It's going to win the day.
Nothing escapes the eye of God. You need to understand that God will intervene to bring justice to his wrong people. Verse 17. Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah, the Tishbite saying.
It almost appears as if the perfect crime has been pulled off, but God takes notice and sends Elijah to Ahab. And don't you love Ahab's statement? In chapter 18, he calls him the troubler of Israel. Now he says, have you found me, O my enemy?
Elijah had thick skin. He didn't cry. He didn't say, oh, that's too bad that the king would treat me thus. No, God sends Elijah to make things right.
He dispatches him and Elijah takes to it. And then notice Elijah announces the judgment that God would bring upon Ahab's whole household. Verse 21. Behold, I will bring calamity on you.
I will take away your posterity and will cut off from Ahab every male in Israel, both bond and free. I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, and like the house of Basha, the son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with which you have provoked me to anger and made Israel sin. Concerning Jezebel, the Lord also spoke, saying, The dog shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. The dog shall eat whoever belongs to Ahab and dies in the city, and the birds of the air shall eat whoever dies in the field.
While it may appear that injustice flourishes, While it may appear that the Ahabs and the Jezebels win, while it may appear that the sons of Jezreel or the men of Jezreel make it in this life, God sees, God knows, and God will bring justice. We need to be encouraged about that. We need to be strengthened by that, not in some vindictive, ungodly, unholy, and unhealthy way. But we are not to take vengeance into our own hands, but as Paul tells us, we are to give place to wrath.
Why? Because God will repay. And in this particular instance, he dispatches Elijah, Elijah brings the heat, and Ahab hears the word of the Lord. So the lesson here is that God will intervene to bring justice to his wronged people.
It may not be in this life. He didn't raise Naboth from the dead, did he? He didn't give him that piece of land back, did he? He didn't restore his sons to full health and life, did he?
God did not do it in this life, but we can rest assured, even as those Hebrew Christians joyfully accepted the plundering of their goods because they considered the lasting reward that was stored up for them in heaven. Christians, God has promised us great things. We read of it at the end of chapter 21 and beginning of chapter 22 in the book of Revelation. You think there's any accident as to the fact that God's name is written on their foreheads?
The counterfeit, the beast himself in Revelation 13, you bear the mark of the beast. It's not some physical number. You don't have to search your head with a mirror. You don't have to be afraid if 666 comes up at the grocery store.
The idea is spiritual, not physical. The idea is that Satan, or the beast, possesses his people. By the same token, God possesses his people. And though they suffer, and though they're tried, and though there's travail, They will one day sit, or stand rather, before the presence of God Most High and the Lamb who sits on the throne.
We can't forget that. That's what Hebrews 10, the latter part, 11 and 12 are filled with. Why did Moses refuse all the riches in Egypt, or the passing pleasures of sin, and choose rather to be suffering affliction with the people of God? Just because he knew suffering was a virtue?
We talked about this on Wednesday night. Suffering in and of itself is not a virtue. He considered the reward of heaven to be greater. He looked beyond the cross to the crown and he saw that it was great.
Jesus does the same thing according to chapter 12. Who for the joy set beforehand despised the shame endured the cross and is sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. Never forget that the Lord God most high has great things in store for his people.
Lesson Four: God Delights in Mercy
And the fourth and final lesson in this section is the most surprising of all. You shouldn't be surprised that God's people suffer injustice. You shouldn't be surprised that God's people should stand for what is right. You should stand for what is right.
You shouldn't be surprised that God will intervene to bring justice to his wrong people. What is most surprising in this passage is what goes on in verses 27 to 29. Well, verse 25 provides a bit of background. There was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the Lord.
This guy was a wretch. There's a lot of bad guys that served as kings in Israel and in Judah. You just read about it and almost turn your stomach to see how wicked some of these guys were. So when a man under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit says, there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the Lord.
You better understand this is a bad guy. He's horrible. He's wretched. He's the benchmark for evil in Israel.
Right? You think of a bad guy in our generation, you think of Hitler, he's the benchmark for bad guys. You think of Stalin, benchmark for bad guys. Mussolini, benchmark, bad guy.
Pol Pot, benchmark, bad guy. Charles Manson, if you think about serial killers, bad guy. Ahab in Israel, bad guy. Kids today in Sabbath school, we're going to learn about bad guys.
Oh, it's Ahab, right? Look at what the author is doing. He wants us to appreciate how bad Ahab is. He says, but there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the Lord, because Jezebel, his wife, stirred him up.
Again, that doesn't alleviate the wickedness of Ahab. It just shows his spinelessness. It shows that he's a wimp. It shows that he's not only godless, he is gutless.
And it says in verse 26, he behaved very abominably in following idols according to all that the Amorites had done, whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. Go back up to verse 22 for just a moment. I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. Another bad guy.
What did Jeroboam do? The division of the kingdom. He's operating in the north. He knows that if his people go down to the city of David, if they go to Bethlehem, they might remember Jehovah.
So what does he do? He makes two calves and he says, this is your God. This is who led you out of Egypt. Bad guy.
But he says Ahab is even worse than Jeroboam. Now notice verse 27. So it was when Ahab heard those words that he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his body and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went about mourning. It's amazing.
The benchmark bad guy. This is like saying Hitler tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and humbled himself. And the word of Jehovah came to Elijah the Tishbite, verse 28, saying, See how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the calamity in his days.
In the days of his son, I will bring the calamity on his house. Ahab humbles himself under Jehovah. This indictment through the prophet Elijah made an impression upon him. His repentance is sincere at the moment, but it's not lasting.
But nevertheless, look at God's response. This is the most mind-blowing lesson in all of this. God delights to exercise mercy in the midst of displaying his justice. You see what God says to Elijah.
Do you see Ahab? Do you see how he humbled himself? That's amazing. I don't think it was a humble repentance unto everlasting life.
He ultimately dies in battle in chapter 23. And all of these bad things do come upon his family, as God had promised. But he at least gets a state of execution for a time. John Gill comments.
He says this was not a pardon, only a reprieve. The sentence pronounced on him and his family was not taken off nor countermanded. Only the execution of it prolonged. It is promised that the destruction of his family should not be in his lifetime, but after his death in his son's days.
Otherwise, he himself died a violent death and the dogs licked his blood as were foretold. However, This may be an encouragement to those who are truly humbled for their sins and really repent of them, that they shall receive forgiveness at the hand of God, since he showed so much regard to an outward humiliation and repentance. You hear what Gil's saying. If God sees Ahab and says to Elijah, see how Ahab has humbled himself before me, because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the calamity in his days.
In the days of his son, I will bring the calamity on his house. How much more when a sinner, when someone in this room believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, When you hear of Christ and Him crucified and resurrected, when you believe what the Bible says concerning Him, will God not say, see, look at that? God is ready to show mercy. God is ready to show grace.
God is ready to show kindness. Again, those first three lessons are not that mind blowing. But this fourth one is absolutely mind blowing that he would say of Ahab, see, see how Ahab has humbled himself before me. God does delight in mercy.
Application and Gospel Appeal
If you don't know Christ tonight, believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved. The God who stayed execution from Ahab over this at least outward humbling of Himself will bless and receive you completely for coming to the Lord Jesus Christ, believing in the Gospel, believing in the truth, believing that Jesus is who He says He is, and that He's done what the Bible says He's done. He's lived for us, He's died for us, and He's rose again. You believe in him and you will see that God delights to exercise mercy.
God delights in pouring out his grace. God delights in the salvation of sinners. I think sometimes we think God sort of saves grudgingly. All right, I'm going to save you.
All right, I'll forgive you. That's not God. That's not the father of the prodigal. The father of the prodigal didn't get his bullhorn and yell out to the son, just stay out there, you smell like pig.
Once you get cleaned up, then you can come and approach me. That's not what the father of the prodigal does. The father of the prodigal delights to show mercy. He runs while the son is a long way off.
He falls on the son. He kisses the son. He puts a ring on the son's finger. He says to slay the fatted calf.
He calls for rejoicing. He calls for feasting. He calls for celebration. Who is the God that we preach?
Are we preaching just a little mercy, just a little grace? Are we preaching just a little bit of salvation? Or are we preaching that glorious truth that salvation is of the Lord, that Christ is both author and finisher, that the God who begins this work will complete it under the day of Christ? We have this idea that we remain justified insofar as our performance meets God's requirements.
That is absolutely not the case. We are saved first to last by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. He is not a miser. He is not Ebenezer Scrooge.
He delights to pour out mercy. He delights to give grace. This is what God is about. The church must preach that Jesus saves to the uttermost all who draw nigh unto God through Him.
Not that He's a miser. Not that he is a grudge, not that he is just a little bit involved in this whole idea. Brethren, let us learn, even from this account with Ahab, that God delights to exercise mercy. Let us pray.
Closing Prayer
Father, we thank you for the Holy Scriptures, and Father, we thank you for your mercy. God, even in this instance, displayed with such a wretch like Ahab. And God, we can all testify it's been displayed in such wretches like us. How we thank you that you have not dealt with us according to our sin.
How we thank you that you have not counted our iniquity against us, but you have removed it. You have placed it upon your own dearly beloved son. It has been punished in him. And we thank you that he was raised up for our justification.
And I pray that we would focus on these things, that we would focus as well on these other lessons, that we as your people would indeed be able to joyfully accept the plundering of our goods, that we would be companions of those who are ill-treated, and that in this we would bring glory to you. And we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen.