The vanity of Ahab and Jezebel is evident in the importance they place on owning a vineyard to plant vegetables. The man Naboth was only seeking to follow God’s command forbidding him from giving the inheritance of his father to Ahab. The scheming of Jezebel leads to the stoning of Naboth all for a plot of land to plant a garden. It is sad when people claim that they have the right to do whatever they choose without concern for the people they hurt in the process. How would you feel if Ahab were in control of your country? Do people in leadership have absolute power or absolute responsibility? When people become so infatuated by the sinful lives they lead the bondage becomes so strong that the door to freedom can only be opened by God.
Can our actions ever be truly secret? The sin in our lives will easily convince us that we are always the only stakeholder in our actions and that no one will ever know what we do. When Ahab and Jezebel brought about the stoning and death of Naboth did they feel free to live on because of their status as king and queen? Would life be worth living without justice? If wicked people were able to live on in their wickedness taking advantage of people what hope would there be? Thankfully God is the one who holds all of creation together and He brings us hope and justice. God was not unaware of the evil done by Ahab and Jezebel because Elijah is sent to Ahab telling of God’s anger against him and of the future downfall of Israel and his family.
How would you have acted towards Ahab after Elijah spoke to him? I would have most likely written him off thinking that justice would be quickly carried out. “It came about when Ahab heard these words, that he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and fasted, and he lay in sackcloth and went about despondently.” 1 Kings 21:27 Serves him right, doesn’t it? The beauty of God’s faithfulness is evident in His response to Ahab’s humility. God looked upon Ahab as he humbled himself and withheld the calamity from happening in his lifetime.
How often do we need a second chance from God? God looked upon the humbled heart of Ahab after the life he led and still had compassion. What a marvelous God we can cling to and find encouragement in His compassion? Does this compassion God had for Ahab mean that life can be lived how ever we choose to be able to get off without consequences? Can I choose to live a life of sin and still get into Heaven? Ahab was killed in a way that could only be attributed to God and His ordaining the death because it was no random arrow, fired from a random man, randomly striking a joint in the armor. God, in His sovereignty, allowed Ahab to be killed according to His word spoken through Elijah displaying His is faithfulness.
The choices made throughout our life will always need to be accounted for because wether good or bad the choices were ours alone. We can strive to hide from the justice of God as Ahab’s did but his death is proof that we cannot avoid God. Our true hope can only be found in Jesus Christ where the total insurmountable sufficiency of His sacrifice on the cross takes the burden of our sins from us. Has Jesus Christ taken the burden of your sins from you?
