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keep it off social media for a few days until I can contact Arvika please give me that courtesy and then next Sunday morning we'll have a general announcement for both members and regular attenders in our church so just to make sure everybody knows we're singing off the same page so look for an email tonight sometime after the service for the members and with that please turn in your Bibles to Psalm twenty six for our call to worship Psalm 26 I'll begin reading in verse 1 a psalm of David vindicate me O Lord for I have walked in my integrity I have also trusted in the Lord I shall not slip examine me O Lord and prove me try my mind in my heart for your loving-kindness is before my eyes and I have walked in your truth I have not sat with idolatrous mortals nor will I go in with hypocrites I have hated the Assembly of evildoers and will not sit with the wicked I will wash my hands in innocence so I will go about your altar Oh Lord that I may proclaim with the voice of Thanksgiving and tell of all your wondrous works Lord I have loved the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells do not gather my soul with sinners nor my life with bloodthirsty men in whose hands is a sinister scheme and whose right hand is full of bribes but as for me I will walk in my integrity redeem me and be merciful to me my foot stands in an even place in the congregation's I will bless the Lord amen well please turn in your Trinity hymnal to him number 77 hymn number 77 will use the first tune and will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] [Music] Oh [Music] well let us pray a blessed God and holy father it's a privilege to gather again on the Sabbath evening to worship you you are the God of heaven and earth the God who has had such gracious dealings with us we know father were not accepted in your sight because of our good works or our law keeping we're accepted in the beloved and how we praise you for that precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that has cleansed us from all sin how we praise you for that life of obedience rendered up as the last atom and the one in whom all shall live we give praise to you for this graciousness and for this mercy revealed to us in the gospel of our salvation and we would pray tonight that you would be exalted that you would be enthroned upon the praises of your people here she would grant us help and strength and grace and the power of the Holy Spirit so that we may approach you with that reverence and with that joy that are so consistent when it comes to the worship of the triune God we ask our Father that you would be pleased to look with favor upon your sheep in this congregation she would build us up and our most holy faith that you had strengthen us with might in the inner man so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith that we would know that great love that Jesus Christ has for us and that we would be filled with all the fullness of God as the Apostle prayed for the Ephesians in Ephesians 3 we ask God in heaven that these things would be true of us and as we gather tonight we pray that your name would be hallowed and glorified we pray that your kingdom of grace would come through the preaching of your word and we pray that your will would be done among this the people of this congregation help us to be faithful and help us to pursue those things that are pleasing the sight of a holy God we ask that you would look with favor upon us in a temporal way she would provide those things necessary for life and health and God please provide those spiritual blessings that are absolutely crucial for our well-being namely the forgiveness of sins and protection from the evil one bless in this regard and may you confer these blessings upon us through our covenant head aren't mediator even the Lord Jesus Christ we ask tonight that you would bless and forgive us now for our sins that you would wash us afresh in that precious fount that is open for sin and uncleanness she would give us ears to hear and hearts to receive the word of the Living God and that it would find its mark in our hearts that you would encourage us and that you would strengthen us and that you would continually conform us under the image of your beloved son we ask for your blessing upon other churches in our community thanking you that we're not alone here in this city we would pray father that you would bless those that do preach the gospel that you would prosper them that you would give them increase she would give them safety security stability all those things that that a gracious God affords to his churches we also pray for the work in Surrey thanking you for pastor Kirkpatrick praying that tonight he would know the presence and the power of the Spirit and that father you would bless this this brother as he preaches the word blessed those brethren as they received the word and may they shine as a light in that part of the world and may they hold forth your word of truth be with the Saints in Vernon we thank you for that and God we know they're in a vulnerable state and we pray that you would provide for them a man that will take up Labor's regular Labor's on their behalf we know that Jesus said that the harvest is plentiful but laborers are few so we do pray to the Lord of the harvest that you would raise man up she would send them forth and in particular we pray that one would be able to go there and proclaim the Word of God and be a blessing in that community and our Father again we pray that you'd be with those who have physical trials and challenges and our mitts we know God that in this world there are many trials many difficulties and tribulations and we know that nevertheless you are our God you don't abandon us when we find ourselves in such places you don't leave us nor forsake us and God you always show yourself faithful you always show yourself merciful to those who love you to those who are the called according to your purpose again we pray for Linda tonight we pray for Jimmy we pray for others that are unable to attend worship today we just commit them to you into the word of your grace asking that you would look with favor upon them that you would heal their bodies that you would just strengthen them and and bless them ever so richly be with those ladies that have babies in their wombs we rejoice in this good gift and we pray that both mother and child would be safe and would be blessed by God Most High we ask that you would continue with us now and we pray that you would fill each one of us with your Holy Spirit and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well please turn with me again in your Trinity hymnals to number 42 hymn number 42 will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] we can turn to the Prophet Zechariah we're in our consecutive scripture reading Zechariah an Old Covenant prophet one of the post-exilic prophets were in Zechariah chapter 5 one of the visions one of the night visions several that Zechariah received eight of them to be specific and some suggest the particular date that this occurred that it happened in 516 consistent with need to exhort the people as they were building the temple so I'll begin reading Zechariah chapter 5 beginning in verse 1 then I turned and raised my eyes and saw there a flying scroll and he said to me what do you see so I answered I see a flying scroll it's length is 20 cubits in its width 10 cubits then he said to me this is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole earth every thief shall be expelled according to this side of the scroll and every perjurer shall be expelled according to that side of it I will send out the curse as the Lord of hosts it shall enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by my name it shall remain in the midst of his house and consume it with its timber and stones and the angel who talked with me came out and said to me lift your eyes now and see what this is that goes forth so I asked what is it and he said it is a basket that is going forth he also said this is their resemblance throughout the earth here is a lead disc lifted up and this is a woman sitting inside the basket then he said this is wickedness and he thrust her down into the basket and threw the lead cover over its mouth then I raised my eyes and looked and there were two women coming with the wind in their wings for they had wings like the wings of a stork and they lifted up the basket between Earth and heaven so I said to the angel who talked with me where are they carrying the basket and he said to me to build a house for it in the land of Shinar when it is ready the basket will be set thereon bass amen well let us pray our Father we thank you for the reading of God's Word we know that there is profit in it as the book of Revelation tells us blessed is he who hears and we understand the words of this prophecy mean you help us to be attentive to the Word of God not only in the public place but in our own private worship as families God may we be governed by Holy Scripture we thank you that you've not left us alone in the world that you have provided this bright light this perfect light the word of the Living God and we pray that it would shine upon our path that it would indeed inform us in terms of all matters of faith and practice and that you would just cause us to grow in the Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and we pray in his most blessed name Amen well for our final him before the preaching you can turn to number 400 hymn number 400 again will stand as we sing [Music] [Music] [Music] well you can turn with me in your Bibles to first Kings chapter 21 first Kings chapter 21 this morning I noted in our study in the book of Acts Acts chapter 6 8 to 15 the arrest of Stephen some have seen a parallel between what occurs with Stephen and what occurs with nay both here in first Kings chapter 21 so will expound this section of Scripture and then try and draw out some practical some practical applications but I'll begin reading in first Kings chapter 21 at verse 1 and it came to pass after these things that nay both the jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel next to the palace of Ahab king of samaria so Ahab spoke to Namath 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 it's worth and money but they both said to Ahab the Lord forbid that I should give the inheritance of my father's to you so Ahab went into his house sullen and displeased because of the word which day bought the jezreelite had spoken to him for he had said I will not give you the inheritance of my father's and he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and would eat no food but 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 Namath 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 and 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 Namath she wrote in the letter saying proclaim a fast and seat knave off with high honor among the people and see two men scoundrels before him to bear witness against him saying you have blaspheme 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 inhabited 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 fast and seated nabe off with high honor among the people and two men scoundrels came in and sat before him and the scoundrels witnessed against him against nebith in the presence of God and the King I'm sorry in the presence of the people saying nebith has blaspheme god in the king then they took him outside the city and stone and with stones so that he died then they sent to Jezebel saying nay boss has been stoned and his dad and it came to pass when Jezebel heard that namath 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 renee boss is not alive but dead so it was when ahab heard that name both was dead that they have 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 licked the blood of nebith dogs shall lick your blood even yours so Ahab said to Elisha if you found me o my enemy and he said 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 baisha the son of a high jaw 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 dog 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 a hab 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 amorite 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 let us ask God's blessing our Father we thank you for the written word we thank you for all that scripture instructs us we thank you for the history of Israel and these prophets that show us the word of the Living God we ask now for the Ministry of the Holy Spirit to help us to understand the passage and help us to make some application of it and see our see to it that it affects our life for good god we ask this for the name and for the glory of of your son the Lord Jesus Christ amen well a hub is introduced in first Kings chapter 16 he technically reigned or he assumed the throne in the northern kingdom from 874 to 853 BC and right away in chapter 16 we see that he's committed to doing evil he's a wicked man he's a wicked King it's not enough for him to walk in the sins of the son are and the sins of jeroboam the son of nebat he has to take it to the next level if you will and he marries this woman Jezebel now Jezebel comes from Sidon Jezebel father is f Bale the king of the sidonians and so bale worship is engaged in by a abbe outside of Israel but then a have builds a monument or an altar rather to bail within Samaria itself and then of course in first Kings chapter 17 and 18 we see Elijah take him to task and then in first Kings 20 we see the beginning of the end for a fact you're there you can look up just a little bit in your Bibles notice in first Kings chapter 20 at verse 20 42 then he said to him thus says the Lord because you have let slip out of your hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction therefore your life shall go for his life and your people for his people so that was the beginning of the end mayhap should have killed Ben Hadad the king of the Syrians but rather a have spared his life and let him go and now God the Lord says you're going to die a happy eye and he will die in first Kings chapter 22 but before we get there what Ahab does is he adds murder he adds theft he adds a whole host of other crimes and sins to his already very well padded resume of wickedness and evil in the sight of Yahweh so I want to look at two things as we consider this particular chapter first the murder of namath in verses 1 to 16 and then secondly the condemnation of Ahab in verses 17 to 29 but in the first place note this desire nay a hab wants this man on a boss vineyard because it'll make a good vegetable garden I mean this is this man's inheritance from Yahweh it's something given it's something passed on within the particular tribe or family or clan and so Ahab is musing and Ahab says wouldn't wouldn't this man Namath's a vineyard make a wonderful vegetable garden and so he gives him this offer in verse 2 a hub spoke to neighbor 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 it's worth and money now you need to understand something about Namath's reply he's not being harsh he is being biblical he is not being on kind he is being covenantal notice in verse three neighbor said to a app the Lord forbid that I should give the inheritance of my father's to you he invokes the name of Yahweh as he says no to Ahab these inheritances came from God the inheritance of the land came from God the the allotment of specific portions of that land came as a gift from God there were strict inheritance laws and there were certain instances where persons could sell for a time their particular parcel of land but Namath wasn't facing one of those extremities nebith wasn't facing anything like that and so he invokes the name of God and he refuses to have dealings with a hab with reference to this sale of the land Davis says that he treasures Yahweh's land gift passed down via his ancestors more than making bucks or placating Kings neighbor auth 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 Namath identifies himself as a man subject to God and caring for his law so that's the basis upon which Namath refuses the Kings offer now notice the Kings response and his conversation with Jezebel I think Matthew Henry is right when he says nothing but mischief is to be expected when Jezebel enters the story I mean we can't say enough bad stuff about her I mean she is just the epitome of evil and wickedness certainly Ahab was no sterling character or virtuous person but the fact that he took on as his wife this woman Jezebel I mean the story will demonstrate an evidence to you just how nasty a piece of work she really is but notice in verse 4 so Ahab went into his house Solon and displeased go back to chapter 20 after that announcement by God through the Prophet that his life was going to end engaged in the same sort of a response verse 43 of chapter 20 so the king of Israel went to his house sullen and displeased and came to Samaria to get the distinct impression that when Ahab doesn't get what they have once he gets all sullen and displeased he's a he's a powder he's a whiner he's a he's a grumbler and that is precisely what happens after Namath refuses his offer and he tells Jezebel what's happening and then Jezebel says in verse 5 she came to him and said to him why is your spirit or rather he is this way she sees this and says why is your spirit so swollen that you eat no food intriguingly a hab responds that Namath said no he doesn't say that Namath said no in the name of Yahweh probably because he knew that she didn't care one bit about the name of Yahweh she didn't care one bit about the inheritance laws of Israel she didn't care one bit as to why Namath said no all he told her was that she as that neighbor said no and now let's look at Jezza Jezebel's plan notice specifically what she says verse 7 then Jezebel his wife said to him you now exercise authority over Israel arise eat food that your heart beat cheerful I will give you the vineyard of naboth the jezreelite now you have to understand something about Jezebel who was her father f Bale king of the site audience well f al king of the site onehans didn't sort of try to barter with persons in his kingdom for their land if F they all wanted something F Bale took it so Jezebel just cannot perceive or conceive of the reality that Ahab is a king ahab wants a particular vineyard so that he can make it into a vegetable garden and ahab is going to go away frustrated she will not have any truck with a weak spineless sort of a man like that she tells him you go ahead and eat mama is going to take care of everything I will make sure you get this parcel of land I will make sure a hab that you're not frustrated I will make sure that heads roll specifically neighbor and his sons now the text here in 1st Kings 21 does not stipulate that his sons died but second Kings not highlights that his sons died and that needed to happen because if that the man the husband the father died the land would naturally pass to his error if the error is gone then it will pass to the crown ultimately this is a case of eminent domain gone very very wrongly that this is what Jezebel does she tells him that she is going to take take care of the situation one man said she has been trained in the absolutist ik traditions of the Phoenician city-states to her a hub seems a weakling now brethren a hab is a weakling in this passage demonstrates that it tells us later the narrator a narrator makes an observation about his increasingly or exceeding wickedness and it tells us that Jezebel incited him to do evil now the narrator is not telling us that to relieve him of his responsibilities but rather it exacerbates his responsibility he's not only wicked but he's weak he's not only somebody that is evil in the sight of Yahweh he's somebody that can be bossed around by his own wife and the narrator says to us that this man is in fact wicked now no with reference to her particular plan it's out lied there in verses 8 to 10 the plan has royal authority notice what she says verse 8 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 maybethe notice as well there's a religious guys in which she quotes this particular plan notice proclaim a fast and seat namath with high honor among the people it was commonplace in these days if there was a religious problem or there was some sort of an issue in society you would proclaim a religious fast in order to deal with that so she's got the Kings backing she's got the religious cloaking she's got all that in place notice as well it's got a judicial appeal or at least it has the sense of being legitimate when it comes to the judicial process and see two men scoundrels literally sons of Belial worthless ones but there are two because the biblical stipulation for a capital crime demands two or three witnesses you couldn't just have one witness you had to have at least two witnesses according to Deuteronomy 17 and Deuteronomy 19 so she is dotting her eyes crossing her T's and then notice the seriousness of this particular claim Plan C two men verse 10 scoundrels before him to bear witness against him saying you have blaspheme God and the King strike we saw this morning this is a capital offense Leviticus 24 tells us specifically that blasphemy was punishable by death Jezebel knows precisely what she is doing Jezebel knows that the only way to get Namath's vineyard is to liquidate nebith to get rid of his signs to destroy all the heirs so that a hap can now have a bigger vegetable garden this woman is in fact ruthless this woman is in fact wicked and Ahab is just as ruthless and just as wicked and then notice the very end of verse 10 this plan ultimately rejects due process summary execution is never allowed can't just say he's a blasphemer and then take him out and execute him that's what they do to Stephen that's what they will do to Stephen when we get to that sachet in Acts chapter 7 53 54 and following it's a summary execution they just hear them they're incensed and outraged and they go and prevail upon him with stones and the same thing is outlined here in Jezebel's plan now note with reference to the execution of her plan in verses 11 to 16 now this is where the story gets a little sad not that it isn't sad that Ahab is the way a hab is and the the Jezebel is the way Jezebel is but you know once in a while you get a royal couple if it's a one-off they're just exceedingly wicked and exceedingly horrible and exceedingly bad the verse 11 tells us that Jezreel is no better now of course they're cow towing perhaps too royal pressure but that there's not one man that's going to resist this plan that there's not one person it's gonna stand up and say this is wrong look at verse 11 so the man 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 he had sent to them again I realize the royal pressure is probably heavier than stuff that we know but the idea is is that persons ought to do the right thing because it's the right thing and I think that this particular story this narrative this this account rather of a boss highlights that John Gill makes this observation on the text he says that Jezebel should contrive so X could execute role X occur bowl a scheme that means something really bad and that there should be such sons of Belial among the common people to swear to such falsehoods need not seem strange but that the elders and nobles of the city the chief magistrates thereof should be so sadly and universally depraved as to execute such a piece of villainy is really surprising idolatry when it prevails takes away all sense of humanity and justice it's one of the lessons that I want to make at the very end of our study tonight but I'll go ahead and introduce it so you can think through it when idolatry is adopted societally when idolatry is the norm the rest of God's law goes the way of all flesh in other words if we reject the first four Commandments we reject having no other gods before me not making idols not blasphemy not breaking the Sabbath when we reject the first table of the law the second table is rejected in other words the problem with Jezreel is not necessarily weak-willed leaders the problem with Ahab is not necessarily spinelessness the problem where they have is idolatry when men worship that which is not God they have no reason for treating others with respect and dignity and in this particular instance these elders are toeing the line Davis says the text is telling us that injustice flourishes not only by wickedness but by weakness not merely from a lack of good yes but by a lack of guts I'm sure you've all seen the quote from Cicero Cicero was a Roman politician and lawyer who lived in 106 243 BC and he said there are two kinds of injustice the first is found in those who do in injury we all agree with that 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 there's a wonderful illustration not wonderful in the sense that it's good wonderful in the sense and that it's powerful in judges chapter 15 in judges chapter 15 the Philistines want to take Samson the Philistines want to destroy Samson because Samson had already destroyed some Philistines they want to exact their pound of flesh and so they come after Samson but they meet the men of Judah first and the Philistines tell the men of Judah that we want Samson because he's done the send us to us so the Judah Heights take 3,000 men to go to Samson think about that not three men not six men but 3,000 men why because they know what Samson's capable of they are afraid of him but when the Judah Heights go to Samson they side with the Philistines they say don't you know Samson that what you're doing affects me us Judah they side they put themselves in line with the Philistines and then they tell Samson we're only going to capture you we're not going to kill you we're just going to capture you and turn you over to the Philistines and of course they're gonna they're gonna kill you to be sure it shows the spinelessness and the godlessness of those men of Judah which is all the more exacerbated by the very first two chapters of the book of Judges who's the first tribe that goes out conquering and to conquer juda by the time we get to chapter 15 they have so assimilated Philistine culture they have so identified with their captors that now a man who poses resistance to these masters is the the danger and the menace to society so that's when they turn Samson over to the Philistines but lo and behold the Philistines don't kill Samson Samson rather picks up the jawbone of an ass and he dispatches a thousand Philistines in that particular exchange so all of their gutless nough sand all of their spinelessness turning this man over to their enemies nevertheless results in him killing Philistines like it's his job that is a big problem brethren when good men don't do what they're supposed to do there are two kinds of injustice the first is found in those who do an injury the second and those who fail to protect another from an injury when they can and then notice the execution of her plan it goes just according to the way she wanted to go the proclamation of the fast the seeding of name off the presence of the sons of Belial you've got the false witnesses you've got the assertion that he has committed blasphemy notice verse 13 - men scoundrels came in and sat before him and the scoundrels witnessed against him set against a boss in the presence of the people saying nay both is blaspheming God and the King then they took him outside the city and stone him with stones so that he died then they sent to Jezebel saying nay both has been stoned and is dead again Davis says the appropriate penalty followed that motionless form that penalty of execution by stoning on the conviction a blasphemy again it was carried out in summary execution fashion but that is the consistent punishment he says the appropriate penalty followed that motionless form that pulverized mass of flesh and bone is mute testimony to what happens to those who won't play ball with the government and again I think we need to contemplate this you know the state works with coercion so obviously Jesu fells a happy camper and she goes back now and tells me a hob look at verse 15 it came to pass when Jezebel heard that Namath had been stoned and was dead the Jezebel said to Ahab arise take possession of the vineyard of naboth the jezreelite which he refused to give you for money for Namath is not alive but dead so it was when Ahab heard that name off was dead that Ahab got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of naboth the jezreelite I've already mentioned it's the sons of Namath that died as well now the inheritance laws are pretty tricky no not tricky but detailed in the Old Testament and at some point the land would eventually pass to the crown but it's not lawful in this instance because when the Tishbite comes he not only indict a ham for murder but for taking the land he did not have the right of eminent domain at this particular juncture he is engaged in governmental overreach this was a gross abuse of his power and I just want to say before we move on the apparent success for a hub I mean if we stopped and only preached half the message tonight it would be pretty bleak wouldn't it be pretty depressing I mean we get to verse 16 there and they have got what he wanted everybody did what Jezebel said it's kind of like that that story or that account with reference to King David after David engages in adultery with Bathsheba and then he covers up by having Uriah put to death there's no mention of God at all until the very last verse in that chapter it says but the thing that David did displeased Yahweh so there might have been a time at least in the mind of David that he had committed the perfect crime there might have been in the thought of Ahab at this particular juncture that he had accomplished the perfect crime nobody should cross me I'm the king of Israel I'm married to this little pistol of a woman here boy she's able to get stuff done this will be published and nobody will ever make the mistake of not giving me their vineyard he probably thought that everything was a done deal it was a slam dunk everything was going according to plan you see this is what sinners never reckon with the thing that y'all David did displeased Yahweh the thing that Ahab did displeased Yahweh there's a lesson and encouragement an exhortation for the people of God we oftentimes think that when we face injustice nobody really knows or nobody really understands nobody's able to appreciate well the Lord God most high sees the Lord God most high knows and the Lord God most high will vindicate his people and punish the guilty you must be convinced of that this is a sin sick twisted world where a whole host of bad things happen to a whole host of good people and I mean redeemed people and this is an encouragement that the Lord God does not close his eyes to the suffering and the travail and the trial and the affliction of his people but will rather vindicate their holy names and will rather vindicate his holy name by vindicating them and will bring punished punishment to bear upon evildoers so let's look now at the condemnation of Ahab verses 17 to 29 notice God's response to this ordeal nobody told God the elders didn't have a you know a session of fasting and prayer communicate to Yahweh tragic things have happened we were complicit this poor name bought and all of his sons are now dead and bloodied and buried they didn't say that as I said God knows what's happening God sees God observes then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite verse 17 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 Yahweh have you murdered and also and also taken possession and you shall speak to him saying thus says the Lord in the place where dogs licked the blood of neighbor dogs shall lick your blood even yours the instruction to reprove a hab and the instruction for Elijah to announce the impending death a hat so you see that chapter 20 verse 42 1/2 you're gonna die we see it here in chapter 21 and yet 1/2 still marches into battle in chapter 22 I mean I guess some people just never get the message they just continually hardened themselves when God tells you you're going to die it's probably best that you just pull the covers up and wait for it to happen don't go into battle that's just a you know insanity but that's precisely what Ahab ultimately does in chapter 22 but notice Elijah comes to Ahab verse 20 so Ahab said to Elijah have you found me o my enemy you've really got to appreciate this because in first Kings chapter 18 when a have finally meets up with Elijah a hab has the gall to call Elisha the trouble of Israel the implication is we are experiencing drought now Elisha because of you you tishbite you're the problem you're the trouble you're the calamity elijah does not stand for that at all Elisha says you're the idolaters you have brought this judgment upon yourself and the same thing is here have you found me o my enemy isn't it just like the wicked to look at the Prophet as if the Prophet is the enemy that person who tells you the truth is not your enemy that person who tells you the truth even if it's truth you don't want to hear is your friend the enemy will lie the enemy will pad the enemy will soothe the enemy will tell you things that you want to hear the true prophet of God tells you the things that God has commanded you'll see it with my care the Prophet with reference to Ahab when Georgia Hacha fat says isn't there anymore prophets a hub says yeah there's one more but I don't like him because he never tells me what I want to hear for all of his faults at least Ahab gives us an honest moment there I don't like michaiah because he tells me the things that I don't want to hear and so when my Kia comes on the scene he tells him go into battle you're gonna win he's saying that sarcastically he is saying it facetiously never think that the prophets of God lacked a sense of humor that is precisely what my can't does and then a hub says how many times have I told you to tell me the truth really and then he tells him that you're gonna die in battle you see your friend is those who tell you the truth your friend is the one who speaks the Word of God to you they're not enemies now certainly people can be obnoxious when they can communicate the truth they can be unkind they can be a whole lot of things the bottom line is when persons convey to you the truth you have a friend but not in the world of Elijah fact Matthew Henry says that man's condition is very miserable that has made the Word of God his enemy and his condition is very desperate that reckons the ministers of that word his enemies because they tell him the truth so Elijah reproves R'lyeh rebukes in 20 B I have found you because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the Lord and now he highlights the specifics that are going to come to a app verse 21 behold I will bring calamity on you Susanna ye judge not the private word of the Prophet this is God the Lord through Elijah the Tishbite behold I will bring calamity on you I will take away your posterity and will cut off from a hab 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 baisha the son of the Hodja because of the provocation with which you have provoked me to anger and made Israel sin there are two other Kings that God decimated not only those men but all of their heirs it was the end of a dynasty it would be the end of a Habs dynasty this will ultimately be realized by Jay who as he goes about on that particular path to eliminate all the sons of Ahab from ever taking the throne in Israel gods were proves to be sure and then notice with reference to the comment or well just continue here what we're it what he says concerning Jezebel verse 23 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 now I would imagine you know people that are new to the Bible read such things and they say well how barbaric I mean you know this this poor woman is gonna actually be dead and her Bloods gonna be on the ground and these poor dogs or these vicious dogs are gonna lick up the blood dogs not to eat - and this woman is a terrible specimen of a human being and she met the end ordained for her by God Almighty brethren this is justice this is righteousness this is the execution of God's holy will and you can read about it with Jay hood what happens after he dispatches or he goes and he he eats I mean just just a great picture of a man you know I just picture and making a bologna sandwich after this is all done putting his feet up after a done day you know hard day at work but God the Lord tells him not only Ahab's gonna meet his demise but also Jezebel and then as I mentioned 25 and 26 highlight or give us the narrator's sort of a bird's-eye view verse 25 but there was no one like a hob who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the Lord because Jezebel his wife stirred him up she enticed him she incited him and he behaved very abominably in following idols according to all that the amorite had done whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel again the reference to Jezebel stirring him up or inciting him to do evil does not mitigate but rather it exacerbates his evil his viciousness Davis says that Jezebel incited Ahab to evil does not lessen but aggravates Ahab's guilt for it shows that he was not only wicked but weak not simply sinful but spineless man ought to stand up to their wives if the wives are commanding them to do vicious things like kill poor neighbor now what is most surprising about this chapter is verses 27 to 29 what is most surprising about this chapter is verses 27 to 29 now notice at 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 he really doesn't strike one as the kind of guy who would do such thing under the preaching of the word of God he doesn't really strike one as the sort of fellow that would actually at least outwardly humble himself and show some degree of remorse this isn't repentance because in repentance he would confess his crime he would try to make good on the crime that he had committed he would return the land or you know make sure that that the appropriate parties got the land so this isn't repentance and I I don't want us to be deluded or faked into thinking that it actually is but there is some sort of outward paying of conscience there's some sort of a turmoil in the man's soul there there's some sort of humbling of himself going on in this particular sack shed so the King humbles himself at God's Word the indictment made an impression upon him that's what verse 27 tells us when they have heard those words the words from the prophet Elijah the Tishbite that he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his body and fast and lay in sackcloth and went about mourning I mean in some sense he does more in terms of an outward show of repentance than many of God's people actually engage in with genuine and true repentance so this repentance again probably more like remorse is sincere but but it's not lasting it's not that this carries him on to his grave but for the moment it is pretty amazing that this kind of a fellow who we've just been told sort of up the ante in terms of wickedness in the Northern Kingdom I mean Jeroboam the son of Nebat was the benchmark of evil but a how about out Jeroboam Jeroboam the son of Nebat he takes wickedness to a new level you know you hear that sometimes we want we want to take our business to the next level it's almost as if Ahab said I want to I want to take wickedness and corruption to the next level and he does that very thing now so that's surprising but but God's response I think is is what's most surprising in the entirety of the chapter and that's verse 28 and the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite saying see how a hab 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 so God says I'm gonna suspend judgment it's not going to directly fall upon Ahab he's gonna die in battle but it's not the case that all of his sons are gonna die right away we will stay that for a coming son so in one sense God sees this outward remorse of this man and he says to Elijah did you see that not that God is surprised not that God moves from one state to another but remember the Bible is in a document that accommodates itself to us it it speaks in the manner of man so that we can appreciate something of the heart of God and I would suggest to you that if God looks upon this kind of outward remorse is not repentance he looks upon this kind of an overture of humbling oneself before God if he says to the prophet Elijah see how a hub has humbled himself before me and then God actually staged the execution at least for Jonah or at least for a few years I would suggest that those who come to God through Christ with repentance he is never going to cast out if he says to Elijah hey did you see a.m. what's he going to do with one in our men's they can't even lift up his head eyes to heaven but beats his breast and says God be merciful to me is he not going to receive is he not gonna forgive is he not gonna pour out grace of course he is if he is surprised by again in the manner of man and he's impressed by again in the manner of man this repentance of Ahab what is it when one of us by grace comes to him repentant he's going to receive us he's going to forgive us he is going to confer blessings upon us he is going to convey that forgiveness of sins that is his handy work truly it is an amazing picture see how see how a hub 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 well in conclusion I want to highlight just a few things by way of application first the fact that God's people face injustice in this world the fact that God's people face injustice in this world nebith faced it justice nebith was executed so that somebody could steal his vineyard and turn it into a vegetable garden not just somebody not some villain not some thug wasn't home invasion it was the very crown they come and they purge and they take from him there is injustice in this world brethren and you need to be able to see that this is not uncommon we see it with the Lord Jesus in Matthew chapter 26 what did the Sanhedrin do they sought out false testimony they sought out perjurers they sought out liars and false witnesses so they could build a case against the Messiah we saw it this morning in Acts chapter 6 they couldn't best Stephen in disputatious they couldn't best even in rational exchange they couldn't win Stephen when it came to the interchange of ideas and doctrines so what do they do they subtly induce men to say that he was a blasphemer they stir up the crowds so that everybody will have this anti Stephen sentiment they then arrest Stephen they then take Stephen to the Sanhedrin and then they set up false witnesses it was a rigged trial everything was calculated for a guilty verdict and ultimately execution again that's not uncommon in the world it's certainly not uncommon for people in Pakistan it's certainly not uncommon for people in China it's not uncommon for people in North Korea it's not uncommon brethren and we need to face the reality that God's people oftentimes face injustice in this world the health wealth prosperity idea I won't call it a gospel because it's not is more lies that you'll never have any trouble you'll never have any affliction everything will only ever go your way is completely contrary to what we find with reference to nabe off with what we find with reference to the Savior with what we find with reference to Steve and godly steven christ martyr it is completely contrary to paul's words all the desire to live godly in this in christ jesus will suffer persecution it's contrary to those people that heard Paul's preaching in acts 14 when he said we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God notice that there was no interchange from the crowds well what do you mean by that Paul had just been stoned he probably went to the pulpit he was probably helped to the pulpit we know that bit in Galatians 6 where he says for from now on let nobody trouble me for I bear in my body the brand marks of Jesus what's he mean he means that God's people face injustice in this world Peter tells us when these things happen don't flip out don't think at a strange thing your living as a godly man or woman in an ungodly world there's a Habs and there's Jezebel's they liquidate people simply to make vegetable gardens that's the kind of corruption that's the kind of wickedness that's the kind of evil that's in this world as I said look through it and realize that ultimately God vindicates his people secondly the that governments may administer injustice the fact that government I know I know it's a bizarre thing to even contemplate but just ask people under Mao just ask people under Pol Pot just ask people under Hitler just ask people under Joseph Stalin I mean in many ways Stalin made the rest of them look like pikers made them look like amateurs Stalin was vicious and violent and wretched what 20 million people executed in those purchase that is inconceivable brethren but your government may at times administer injustice there is unlawful confiscation of property eminent domain that's my property you shouldn't take it that's just not right private property is is protected by the eighth commandment I've said it before I'll say it again it always amazes me when people say you know it's all about economics that's not morality economics is morality when men steal from you that is immoral and governments are not allowed to confiscate private property as well the unlawful rejection of due process I'd like to think our lives have a bit more protection than some terrible woman writing a letter and sending it to the elders of our city proclaiming a fast and calling us blasphemous and then taking us out and stoning us and the unlawful use of lethal force again the government has been given the sword it has been given that capacity or that capability by God the Lord but they have to wield it responsibly they can't wield it however they want they can't wield it capriciously or arbitrarily it must be governed by the word the law of God Almighty Davis again makes this beautiful pithy comment he says ordinarily we are to submit to government always we should beware of it ordinarily we are to submit to government always we are to be aware of it and that doesn't mean you know march in there and and and see for them and all that sort of thing but realize that the government may administer injustice thirdly the fact that God intervenes in the affairs of men the Lord takes notice of what his people endure and the Lord renders justice those dogs licking up the blood of Jezebel are God's agents of judgment that's why we should never be offended or say oh that's unsavory the thought of dogs licking up the blood of Jezebel if you know anything about Jezebel you'll praise God from whom all dogs flow that lick up the blood of such terrible people and we might ask the question why didn't God intervene earlier why didn't God send the Tishbite before name off medicine I don't know God has his ways God has his purposes God has his will and it will be done forth the fact that idolatry leads to manifold social ills I think this is the emphasis in Romans chapter 1 we look at Romans chapter 1 and it's a typical vais list so list of vices that sinners commit but we need to see the connection in Romans chapter 1 the Weisse list follows the religious comment in fact verse 18 says the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all what ungodliness and unrighteousness of men some say oh you're not supposed to take that as a priority statement John Murray argues that it is a priority statement and I think he's right ungodliness precedes unrighteousness in other words what we think concerning God affects that we lit way we live in society and then the Apostle highlights that he says they knew that God is because God made it manifest do that but they suppress the truth and unrighteousness he says that they were not thankful to God and they did not honor God as God professing themselves to be wise they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for for creeping things and four-footed animals in other words they exchanged the glory of the creator' and they start to bow down to the creature it's on the heels of that religious commitment that all the vices then flow all of the social ills that we currently witnessed today it's a result of idolatry what does a homosexual need to hear he needs to hear the gospel what does a murderer need to hear he needs to hear the gospel what does a thief need to hear he needs to hear the gospel in other words when he moves from baile ism to Yahweh he'll stop murdering he'll stop perverting himself in sexual immorality he'll stop being a thief we need to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to sinners everywhere again that doesn't mean we don't say you shouldn't do that you shouldn't do that the answer for societal ills is ultimately the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord because when men turned from their useless idols to the true and living God when they embrace the first table then they'll embrace the second table of the law when men reject the first table they'll always reject the second table you see a society de botched you see a society godless you see a society wicked what's at the core the core is lack of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ John Gill says idolatry when it prevails takes away all sense of humanity and justice see when you worship bail it doesn't matter if you murdered a moth when you worship bail it doesn't matter if you euthanize old people when you worship bail it doesn't matter if you murder babies in their mothers wombs if you worship bail it doesn't matter because met bail doesn't come down on you and judge you for your having done those particular evils but when you worship Yahweh you have respect for the first table you embrace the second table and you treat man with dignity and with respect Provins says abandonment of God inevitably leads to abandonment of righteousness we see the reality of this in first Kings 21 in this society given over to idol worship covetousness leads on to false testimony murder and theft and then the last point is that found in verse 28 the factor verse 29 the fact that God is indeed a merciful God the worst King verses 25 and 26 highlights the merciful God snow accident the author is writing under the inspiration of the holy spirit he knows that when he puts in 25 and 26 to tell us just how bad a hab really is and then he comes to verse 27 to tell us even this man who's as bad as I just described he gives this outward show of remorse or or if a humbling of himself but notice the great mercy and the goodness of God Almighty John Gill says this was not a pardon only a reprieve the sentence pronounced on him and his family was not taken off nork countermanded only the execution of it prolonged in its prom 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 Oh its brethren I think what Gill is saying in a quote I'm gonna read from matthew henry in just a moment is willing preach the gospel from first Kings chapter 21 we can show sinners how merciful our God is we can show sinners how good our God is because that's the rub isn't it we go out we tell sinners you're a sinner you're lawless you've transgressed God's law you have lacked informative on to God's law you are justly liable to the wrath and fury and judgment and punishment of God but lo and behold the good news is is that Christ is the mediator the good news is is that Christ is the one in whom if sinners look they will find forgiveness and they'll receive the righteousness of God this God is good he not only says that he does these sorts of things but he also demonstrates that he does see these sorts of things because even when this a had this most wicked of the gangs actually gave himself some humble himself and some outward sort of way God says to Elijah hey did you see that did you see what he did he he actually humbled himself and God deals mercifully what they have will not God deal mercifully with you Matthew Henry says this encourages all those that truly repent and unfaded Lee believed the holy gospel if a pretending partial penitent shall go to his house reprieved doubtless a sincere penitent shall go to his house justified and I think that's a great take-home message if you have not come to Israel's God through the Lord Jesus Christ and may I say please do so because God the Lord says to Elijah did you see that this outward show of remorse is nevertheless blessed by God again not salvation not the lifting of the curse but a staying at least of the execution that was going to come so go to the Lord Jesus Christ and you will as Henry says as Jesus says this one went to his house justified well let us pray our Father we thank you for your word we thank you Father than in the midst of a world where there is such injustice we have a God of justice a God of righteousness a God who does take note of the the sufferings of his people I ask her I pray that you would help us to see the lessons in this particular chapter give us grace to persevere by grace in this in this world and to bring glory to you and do bless the persecuted church be with those who are presently suffering under godless regimes and grant them help and strength to persevere in the midst of these things and we pray this through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well why don't we stand and sing the doxology in praise to our God [Music] where's God from [Music] bless you and keep you the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace amen father go with us now may these things be true in each of our hearts and lives may you grant us the grace to glorify you in this coming week when you watch over your people may you protect us and may it cause us to to bring honor and praise to your great name and we ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord amen you