1 Kings 21 (Part 2) Bible Study (The Lord Condemns Ahab/Ahab's Repentance) | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

Turn with me to the book of first Kings in chapter 21. We are the near completion of this book. We have one more chapter after this before we move forward into second Kings, which will be the natural sequence to this bible study. And as you're turning there, I want you to hear what a well known preacher said concerning sin. He wrote quite insightfully, when sin is tempting us, it is loved.

But when sin is done, it is loathed. I'll say that one more time. When sin is tempting us, it is loved. But when sin is done, it is loathed. How true that is.

And that is one of the many lessons that you and I are going to glean from in the rest of this chapter together. And I want you to turn your attention to verse 17 of first Kings 21. Let us read a few verses before we do what we always do, and that's take our time to comb through the scriptures and to pluck out these grains of gold for our hearts. We read here, then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite saying, arise. Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel who is in Samaria.

Behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession. And you shall say to him, thus says the Lord, have you killed and also taken possession? And you shall say to him, thus says the lord, in the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your own blood. Ahab said to Elijah, have you found me, oh my enemy? He answered, I found you because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the Lord.

Behold, I will bring disaster upon you. I will utterly burn you up and will cut off from Ahab every male bond or free in Israel. And I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha, the son of Ahijah, for the anger to which you have provoked me and because you have made Israel to sin. And of Jezebel, the lord also said, the dog shall eat Jezebel within the walls of Jezreel. Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city, the dogs shall eat, and anyone of his who dies in the open country, the birds of the heavens shall eat.

Pray with me. Lord, we believe that this is your word, and we ask that we would be able to, by your grace, bind it around our necks and tie it around our hearts that it would, in the days to come, talk to us, guide us, warn us, comfort us, convict us. So, Lord, we open ourselves to you, and we pray that you fill us with your truth. In the precious name of the living word, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

We haven't heard from Elijah in quite a bit. The last time that you and I have encountered Elijah in our study was back in first Kings chapter 19, where Elijah was instructed to go find a man by the name of Elisha and to invite him to be his apprentice. And there has been an undisclosed amount of time that has passed. Before now, we see the word of the Lord coming to Elijah yet again and commissioning him to go back to Ahab in Samaria. Now why this command is so intriguing is because we remember what happened to Elijah when he found himself in a similar setting.

We recall, do we not, when Elijah was in close proximity to the king and the queen after the triumph on Mount Carmel, and the same Elijah who was able to see a nation come to their knees, all of a sudden now flees into the wilderness because of the threats of Jezebel. I'm thinking to myself, if that's what happened to Elijah the last time he came near the king and the queen, namely the queen, why is the lord sending him there again? Why put him in that vulnerable position once more? Especially since you and I studied in the previous chapter that many other prophets were sent to deal with Ahab. You remember that?

Those unnamed sons of the prophets. Lord just send another one of those guys to Ahab? Why Elijah? I think that one of the reasons for this is so that you and I can see the fruit, the fullness of God's restorative mercies that he worked patiently in Elijah when he was at his lowest point. This cowering, scared, anxiety crippled man is now back to a wholeness and a usefulness because of how the Lord ministered to him.

And as we absorb that truth, as we see the outcome of what God can do to a broken soul, you and I, listen, are supposed to feel the expectation and believe with all of our hearts that the same god is able to address our fears and weaknesses and replace them with the necessary grace that makes us effective and efficient and energized in the will of God once more. So that's what we're seeing here. You know, for Elijah to comply to these commands faithfully demonstrates that there is a power at work in him that is outside of him. That there is this special touch that cannot be boasted about in his own strength or wisdom or might, but is a power that other prophets testified of and experienced surely. Let me give you another cross reference of another prophet who declared the truth that I am giving to you.

It's in Micah. And if you can't find it quickly, I'll read the reference to you, and you can look look it up for yourself at another time. But it's in Micah chapter three in verse eight. Listen to what another prophet. Another prophet who was faithful like Elijah was and who experienced the grace of God like Elijah did.

In Micah three eight, this man of God declares, but as for me, I am filled with power. I am filled with power, with the spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might. And what does this power do? To declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin. It takes power from the holy spirit to serve the Lord.

In any capacity, especially if the ministry that you are you are in confronts people with their sin, confronts people with the truth. You can't just use brainpower. You can't just use emotive power. You can't just use intellectual power. You need power from on high.

And so this is a man of God, Elijah, who is animated by the same power, this power that the prophets tapped into that was able to make them bold and faithful even when their message was resisted with adversity. And what's so encouraging about this power that we see manifested in Elijah's life, the same power that Micah writes about is a power that is not exclusive to ancient men of God. What did Paul tell Timothy in second Timothy one seven? You know it very well, that God has given us a spirit, not of fear, but of what? But of power, love, and what?

A sound mind or self control. So whenever my heart is being sabotaged by fear, I can know one thing that this is not from God. It's not from God. There is a fear of God that's a whole different subject. But a fear that, causes us to be hesitant to obey God or to overcome temptation or to be courageous.

That's not from God. So right there, you can dismiss whatever is overcoming you. But but it's more than that. You have Paul telling Timothy, who was a pastor, who was a pastor in the new covenant, and he had these tendencies of being timid. If you read the writings that Paul wrote to Timothy, you get that impression.

And Paul is not even telling just Timothy that he has access to this grace, this power that's able to, what, help him serve the Lord and be faithful in character. He says, but God has given to us, To us. So this is not just limited to prophets in the Old Testament or pastors in the New, but to us, to believers. This is all of our inheritance. We all have access to this grace that helps us be powerful, loving, and self controlled.

Christ purchased that for us. And you have to understand that inheritance and walk in faith and constantly asking the Lord, be operating under that kind of grace. So we see here that the Lord is ready to supply vitality to achieve those realities, and it's no different for Elijah. Right? So come back to our main text.

We read here, the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite saying, arise, go down to me, Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria. Behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth where he has gone to take possession. And we read here what he's supposed to do once he arrived there. So he got the location of the king, but now he's given the script, so to speak. And what is that script?

Verse 19 gives us an idea. And you shall say to him, thus says the lord, have you killed and also taken possession? And you shall say to him, thus says the lord, in the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your own blood. Here's the overarching lesson of of Elijah's message, that whatever pleasures sinners enjoy, it will all one day be intercepted by the judgment of God. So we have here this king, Ahab, who in our previous study schemed with his wife and the elders of the city where Naboth resided, and thought that they got away with murder.

And the last scene of our previous study was Ahab getting out of his bed, re you know, removing his sniffles, and nonchalantly hearing about Naboth's death, waltzes into his vineyard and seizes something and enjoys something that doesn't belong to him. And perhaps what has disturbed you in the first 16 verses of this chapter is that God or the mention of God is nowhere to be found in the whole ordeal. I mean, you only had a small remnant in Israel who were faithful to the true and living God, and now one of them who stood up for the truth is taken out. And you would think that the Lord at some point would have would have stood up and defended him. But here's what you're supposed to get out of this part of the chapter, that though God was silent with all of that, doesn't mean he wasn't watching.

He was watching. In fact, when we read verse 19 again, we realize that he was taking note of everything Ahab was doing. We learn here that he know who he killed. We learn here what he took possession of. We know exactly God knew exactly where this man would be found, and he knew exactly how long he would be there for Elijah to find him.

And so this is just yet another example of how the eye of the Lord is upon each of us. What you plan in secret, what you do to or with others, where your feet may travel never escapes the knowledge of God. And that truth is comforting for the righteous, but it should strike terror in the heart of the wicked. Why why should it cause sinners to tremble? Because this is a strong example of a king and a queen who thought that they were above the law, who thought that they can manipulate justice, who thought that they could get away with their sin because they held the highest position, humanly speaking.

And though they could have perverted the law of the land, evidently, they could not evade the justice of God. So you you and I hear I mean, the the corruption in modern day politics is not even subtle anymore. It's blatant. It's right in your face. And there's an outcry.

Right? Where's justice? What do you do when the judges, what do you do when congressmen, what do you do when lawmakers, so to speak, are unrighteous? Who's gonna hold them accountable? I'll tell you.

God. God will hold them accountable. So you just sit tight and wait. He has the ability to to strike and to invade in their lives at this very moment, but there is a day coming where it will come to these people standing before their maker and giving an account for everything that they have done. And I look at this man who does obey God, and I'm refreshed because this is the Elijah that we're used to, complying with the marching orders of heaven without hesitation.

But before Elijah even says a word when he gets to Naboth's vineyard, we get the reaction of the king. And what is his reaction? It's found here in verse 20. Ahab said to Elijah, have you found me, oh my enemy? Why would you say that unless you're trying to hide something?

Have you found me, oh my enemy? Now this not only confirms what we knew already about how Ahab felt about Elijah. It actually shows us how Ahab grew in his hatred for Elijah. Do you remember the last time there was an intermission between Ahab and Elijah meeting and what Ahab said to Elijah before Mount Carmel. What did what did Ahab say to the prophet?

Let me remind you in chapter 18 verse 17. Look at it with your own eyes. When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, is it you, you troubler of Israel? And now he says, have you found me, oh, my enemy? So Ahab's loathing grew from Elijah being a public nuisance to a personal foe.

You're not just a trouble of Israel. You're a problem to me. You're an issue for me. You're a thorn to my side. And what makes this fascinating is the events that transpired between these two statements.

Between the Lord telling Elijah, or excuse me, Ahab telling Elijah, you're a troubler of Israel, and him saying, you're my enemy, so much has happened, including this very special incident that we studied in-depth. What happened when Ahab was told to race back to Jezreel? We're told there at the end of chapter 18 that that Elijah ran before the chariot. Do you remember that? Can anybody in a very brief statement summarize the significance of Elijah running before the chariot of Ahab?

Exactly. Many have reduced that moment to, the miracle of the hand of the Lord being upon Elijah so that he can outrun the chariot, but it's not that. That's not the main point. Because in the scriptures, we see that when men or a man ran before someone's chariot, it was a public symbol and display of loyalty and respect to that king. And so for Elijah to make that conscious decision and for the Lord to actually enable him to do it would have made any onlooker understand that this bold confrontational prophet doesn't have a personal dislike for Ahab, but that even in his strong stance against him, he's doing it because he loves this man and he is seeking his ultimate salvation.

That's what that's what Elijah running before the chariot would have communicated to Ahab and to others. So here's this man of God who humbles himself to a position of servanthood, in a way, to showcase publicly, I respect this man positionally as a king. I'm not here to overthrow him or dishonor him. I'm a prophet. My duty is ultimately to the Lord, but I am for this man.

I am not against this man. That's what that is all about. And so the miracle of the hand of the Lord coming upon him is less about him having the legs to run and more about a heart being humbled. And despite all of that humility, despite all of that submission, all the efforts to try to tell Ahab that he is for him, Ahab chooses to view him as an enemy. Here's where this hits home, and what we take from this applies to real life.

You know, sometimes in your efforts to redirect or to reconcile with another, you you might be ignored, or worse, you might even be despised. There's nothing blameworthy on Elijah's side. There's nothing that he did sinfully or ignorantly that would have caused Ahab to dislike him. All Elijah has done was good to Ahab, and yet Ahab chose to identify and label him as an enemy. That might happen to you.

That's so important when you serve the Lord in any capacity of ministry, especially as you deal with people. All ministry is dealing with people. There there there are some precious saints who are so bothered because no matter what they do for one person never mind the different people who love you and cherish you and appreciate you, but one person that they they can never see come to terms with the truth or willing to come alongside them or love them in return. It's gonna happen. Don't think that you're gonna win absolutely everybody on a personal level, even when you're trying to win them to the Lord.

But if you're gonna be hated for anything, be hated for the reason why Elijah was hated. Elijah was despised because he served God. Elijah was seen as an enemy to Ahab because Elijah was an ally to God. So the real reason why, Ahab saw Elijah as an enemy is because Ahab ultimately saw God as his enemy. And if you're a friend with God, if you're a servant of God, you will be hated even by those that you have hoped would love you in return.

Be prepared for that. Be prepared for that. And in moments where you're irked by that or disturbed by that or losing sleep over that, remember that it's not about you as much as it is about the doctrine that you adorn. As much as it's about your light shining on darkness, even though you're not intending for that light to shine because you walk with him, that light is there. Especially in moments where you're encouraged to compromise or you're standing out from the sinners in your midst.

People who love their sin don't want light to shine upon it, and here you are shining light. Here you are governed by the law of Christ when others are governed by the law of the flesh. And so for some, you're gonna be a fragrance from life unto life. To others, you're gonna be a fragrance from death to death. And that's just the package.

That's the package that you and I have as we follow the Lord. But I can't help but also think how in Ahab's idea of Elijah being an enemy is the fruit of how sin distorts everything. Sin warps everything. It it warps your relationship with God. It warps your relationship in every capacity.

It warps your view of money, sin, the world, everything, everything. When you're dominated by sin, everything is altered, even the way you view people. You know what you should think to yourself? In this whole story of Ahab, Jezebel, and Elijah, who should have been Ahab's real enemy? Unfortunately, his wife, who should have married in the first place.

If there was anybody who was an enemy of Elijah, it was Jezebel. Jezebel, in the same text we're gonna read, incited Ahab to sin. And if there is anybody who should have been Ahab's best friend, it was the very man who said, he's my enemy. Sin does that. I've seen it.

I've seen sin cause people to push away the people they're supposed to draw in and cherish and protect, and those same people bringing in the people that they're supposed to shun. So sin messes everything up, your perspective, your priorities, the people in your life. And you can't help it, can you? You can't help being drawn to the righteous. Why?

Because your heart is riddled with the sins. The sins that you have tolerated and justified now has created a filter for you to see the righteous as somebody that you dislike and the unrighteous as somebody that you can find good company with. Sin distorts. Sin will make things that are supposed to be your friend be your enemy. There are people who look at the bible and say, this is an evil book.

Why? Because their judgment is impaired by sin. I've seen people in different context, when a true pastor walks in the room, they squirm. Why? Because that pastor in their view is an enemy and an enemy to their sin and their convictions and their worldview.

I've seen biblical churches not growing, whereas the other church down the street that's carnal and is waving rainbow flags or whatever the case may be, gaining more. Why? Because that church stands for the truth. And so they're an enemy to the culture. So Ahab is an unfortunate example of what sin can do to your perspectives, and your discernment, and your standards.

But here's why I love Elijah. Elijah's here not to make friends. Elijah's here to function as a prophet. His duty is ultimately to the friend of friends. And so, he comes up to the man of sin and he says, yeah, I have found you.

I like that answer. Have you found me? He said, yeah, actually I did. Why? Because your sin will find you out.

That's the lesson there. Here you are thrilled and adrenaline rush because you thought that you gained Naboth's vineyard without consequence. And as one person put it, Ahab gained Naboth's vineyard, but he got Elijah with it. And so, Ahab now is confronted by the man of God, and he says something quite interesting in his statement. He says here, I have found you because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the Lord.

You have sold yourself. That that's a very intentional way of conveying somebody who is bound by sin. You have sold yourself, and it's not foreign to the New Testament. I encourage you to go to the other side of your bible in the book of Romans chapter seven and look at how Paul borrows this language, but intentionally provides variation to it, and you're gonna see why. Romans seven verse 14.

For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh sold under sin. So Paul here is speaking personally, but it applies to the universal condition of man. He says here that in his flesh, he's sold under sin. Sold under sin. And what he's trying to communicate is that inherit in his nature, there is something that makes him subject to the influence of the mastery of sin.

As though he was given up to this kind of ownership, which is perfectly explained by something that took place in Genesis. The fall. Because of the the sins of our first parents, humanity was given over to the bondage of sin. And that's a condition, that's a default that you and I are born into. And this is what Paul is trying to convey.

In the flesh, we are sold. We are given over to. We are handed over to the flesh and dominance of inequity. And although that is something that you and I inherit, that's something that, is just a part of being human. We've also been given hope that you in that place can still make a decision to be liberated from such slavery.

And that's what Paul says in Romans six, that's what he conveys at the end of Romans seven, and that's the exclamation mark in Romans eight. Yes. He describes the hopeless condition, so to speak, the helpless condition of being sold under sin, but then he tells us how we can escape it, and it's a choice on our part. But go back to first Kings 17 or 19. Wait, 21.

First Kings 21. And I want you to see how Elijah frames the idea of being sold under sin. He says, I have found you, in verse 20 of first Kings 21, I have found you because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the Lord. What's the difference between Paul's language and Elijah's? Sold yourself.

So in Romans seven, he speaks about how in the flesh, we are sold under sin as a result of what happened at the fall, but then Elijah now conveys you making a willful choice to being sold under sin. And what's the idea about that? The idea is, like as I as I said earlier, we all have been given a choice. Yes, all sold under sin, but also given the opportunity to be free through Christ. And yet there are others who make the decision to remain in their sin.

And that is exactly the the crime of Ahab. That, yeah, in his nature, like all of us, sold under sin, but denying freedom in righteousness, in a sense he is selling himself into sin. You know, there are some people who come up with clever ideas of wiggling out of conviction. And I've heard this before. Well, if it's our sin nature to sin, then how can God hold us truly and justly accountable?

And it's not about that. It's not about that as much as it is about this that yes, though you have been given this default, you still have a decision to make. To be free in Christ or to, like Ahab, sell yourself further into sin. That's what you're gonna be held accountable for ultimately. It's what you've done with the gospel.

It's what you've done with God's provision. What you've got done with the golden key from Calvary that unlocks that cage and gives you liberty. So there's a sold under sin that's inherited and there's a selling yourself to do what is evil that is willful and intentional. And that's Ahab's fault. And so now we get a description of the verdict.

The verdict of Ahab's prolonged disobedience. Behold, I will bring disaster upon you in verse 21. I will utterly burn you up and will cut off from every from Ahab, rather, every male bond or free in Israel. And I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nebath, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the anger to which you have provoked me and because you have made Israel to sin. What's the ultimate punishment that Ahab is going to face?

Absolute annihilation of his dynasty. This is indicated by the comparative fate of two other kings Jeroboam and Baasha who lost any chance of seeing their children succeed the throne. And now that's been granted to Ahab. And this would have been absolutely crushing for any king in their right mind because any king in their right mind would have had the dream and the hope that their children would have a bright future in following them and occupying that dignified position. And because of this man's sin that was taken from him, such as the case of sin, it dashes, it destroys, it takes from you.

So Ahab wins a vineyard at the cost of what? The bright hope of his children. You think that's just unique to Ahab? You don't think that people's sins affect their children? They do.

I don't believe in general generational curses neither should you. But there are generational consequences and patterns to sins. And this is what this man is unfortunately going to experience. And notice that the explanation of such devastation is provided in greater detail when he says, for the anger to which you have provoked me and because you have made Israel to sin. God listen to this, please.

God doesn't just take into account of our sin, but he also registers when we encourage others to entertain and embrace sin. So that's further confirmed by what he says about Jezebel. Like, this is about Ahab, but he doesn't forget about his wife. So in verse 23, we read, and of Jezebel, the Lord also said, the dog shall eat Jezebel within the walls of Jezreel. That's that's just a horrific picture, for the obvious reasons.

But in this culture, it's even worse because Jezebel would not be given a honorable burial. Her limbs would be in the belly of wild dogs. Yeah. She would be judged for evil, but one of the greatest parts of her evil is what you read in verse 25. Just peek at it very quickly.

There was none who sold himself to do what was evil in sight of the Lord like Ahab, whom Jezebel his wife incited. So God highlights Ahab's sin as being the example and the model for Israel to sin. And now God holds Jezebel accountable, yes, for her own sin, but also for inciting her husband to sin. What a sobering alarm for making sure you marry the right person. Right?

Jezebel incited her husband to sin. But please, I don't want you to make this tragic mistake. Being influenced by somebody to sin does not does not soften or justify our guilt in the matter. Some try to again, we're very clever in trying to escape God's holy standard. He seduced me.

She pressured me. Well, yeah, I knew initially it was wrong, but what was I supposed to do? They were my leaders and they're supposed to set the example and I'm supposed to give them my trust, so I went in the same way that they did. Do you remember what God pronounced against the very first sin of all of human history? He said many things, but I don't think people remember this one as much.

What he told Adam in Genesis three seventeen, he said this, and to Adam he said, because you have listened to the voice of your wife. He could have removed that completely. He could have just said, because you have eaten of the the fruit that I told you not to eat of. No. No.

No. He included your your problem, Adam, is that you listened to the voice of your wife. And the principle is that the Lord doesn't just hold those accountable who influence others to sin. He will also consider those who allow themselves to be influenced. Remember that.

So he's your best friend. Who cares? God's supposed to be your best friend. Well, she's my boss. Who cares?

God's your boss. Well, he's my husband. Yes, submit to your husband, but if your husband tells you to do something that God tells you not to, God's your bridegroom. So that level of loyalty and allegiance, for some reason, is weakening in our culture. Live before God.

And if any voice speaks into your life that contradicts his voice, you have every divine authority and right to ignore it and to reject it and at times to even rebuke it. I listened to him above everything, above all. And so, Israel listened to Ahab, Ahab listened to Jezebel, and they would all be held accountable by a holy God. Now look at verse 25. This is remarkable.

There was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord like Ahab, whom Jezebel his wife incited. He acted very abominably and going after idols, as the Amorites had done, whom the Lord cast out before the people of Israel. Pause. Why do you think this commentary is provided to this to us at this point of this text? Any idea?

I'm actually asking. I'll give you a few more seconds. A few more. Well, anyway, let me ask this. Is it worth considering and meditating on why this is mentioned to us?

Like, we already know this. So why is this brought to our attention yet again? I think one reason is because we're forgetful. So one might say the reason why the spirit of God includes this is so that we can be reminded that as severe as this judgment is, it's warranted. It's as though we're being told, hey, do you remember who Ahab is and what he's done?

Do you remember the reputation he has? Do you remember all the evil that he has done? But I don't even believe that's the main reason. I don't believe it's to try to help us understand that what Elijah just proclaimed is justified. I believe it's mentioned to prepare us for the mercy he's about to experience.

Say, how does that make sense? Because when you understand the depths of depravity in Ahab's case, it will declare the great depths of the mercy that God has for sinners. Because notice what's about to happen. Verse 27. And when Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his flesh, and fasted and lay in sackcloth, and went about dejectedly.

Wow. Who is this man? After everything that this man saw, after all the chances, finally, A hint, just a small hint of humility and contrition. And notice why he responded this way in verse 27, and eight when Ahab heard those words. What words?

Words like, because you've sinned, dogs are gonna lick up your blood. Oh, and your wife? Dogs are actually gonna eat her. Not something you hear on Sunday mornings these days. And there are some who are advocates of trying to tell preachers not to preach heavy messages.

Who are very vocal ensuring that nothing about God's wrath is mentioned, nothing about his justice, nothing about his holiness, nothing about hell. And they think that they're doing they're doing the right thing by by trying to persuade others that that's not how you're really gonna get a hold of people. And yet, I find a man whose heart was crystalized and it was cracked because of those words. So who's smarter? You or God?

Who knows the human condition better? You or God. Who knows how to bring somebody out of their sin? You or God. Yes, I'm an advocate for telling people God is love, God is merciful, God is forgiving.

If we don't have that message, we're not Christians. But what about the other side of the issue? I I'm I'm afraid these Christians, these churchgoers are gonna be absolutely shocked when the book of Revelation happens. Like, where did this come from? The end of the book that you forgot to read.

And so those words, it's a reminder that the profound potential of God's truth, especially the truths that are not easy to share or hear, have the capacity to awaken the stubborn and the rebellious. But we might we might have to consider if Ahab's repentance is complete. Because this looks hopeful, this looks encouraging, but this is not the end of the book of first Kings. There's still another chapter. And what we're going to discover, perhaps to your disappointment, is that the same Ahab in the following text, he he doesn't make any effort to confront his wife.

He doesn't campaign for the cleansing of the land of Israel from Baal worship. In fact, you're gonna actually find him inquiring of the self proclaimed prophets of Baal for guidance instead of the true prophets of God. So what you see here is is real, is authentic, but it's momentary. And the reason why I can say that there's something here that is genuine is because God is gonna commend it, but you also have to recognize that it's short lived. It's short lived.

And that's just the disappointing reality of the human condition. I I want to say this, I wasn't planning to but let's do it anyway. Just to give you another reason why you should read your bible from cover to cover. Based on the scene that we have described and studied up to this point, you have Naboth's Vineyard and who are the characters involved? Please, somebody answer.

Who are the characters involved? Ahab. Ahab and? Elijah. Elijah.

Good. Well, turn to second Kings nine, please. This is a man by the name of Nahu. Nahu is gonna be raised up by God to actually fulfill the prophecy of the house of Ahab being eradicated. But I want you to notice what Jehu says in verse 25.

Jehu said to Bidkar, his aide, take him up and throw him on the plot of the ground belonging to Nabath the Jezreelite. For remember, when you and I rode side by side behind Ahab, his father, how the Lord made this pronouncement against him, as surely as I saw yesterday, the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons declares the Lord, I will repay you on this plot of ground. Now therefore, take him up and throw him on the plot of ground in accordance with the word of the Lord. So it wasn't just Ahab and and Elijah. Apparently we had Jehu and his aide, Bidkar, who were on the site and who word heard Elijah's prophetic pronouncement against Ahab and realized in this moment that this was a fulfillment of just that.

So he heard these words for himself, and you would hope that this would have sobered him up. Though he wasn't the direct object of that pronouncement, he would realize how holy God is, and how terrifying it is to fall into the hands of the living God. And Jehu faithfully observed what God tells him to do as a as a man who was called to cleanse the land from such filth. But you're gonna realize this when we study second Kings that Jehu, we're told of him that he did not carefully walk in the ways of the Lord. So God's word has the capacity to to crush the confidence of the sinner.

But the sinner's heart can be so wicked and evil that even after being sober for a moment, they can return to their vomit. That doesn't mean that we should stop preaching the truth though. First King 17. Let's go back to chapter 21 verse 27. Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his flesh and fasted and laid sackcloth, and went about dejectedly.

So now the same lord who silently watched Ahab plot and approve the murder of an innocent man and would punish him for it, is the same lord who watched the man break down, mourn over his sin, and would provide relief because of it. What does he do? Look at verse 28. And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite saying, have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days, but in his son's days I will bring the disaster upon his house.

If that doesn't move you, I don't know what will. Here you have a man who has fresh blood on his hands. Here you have a man who has neglected and ignored and defied and blasphemed God over and over in ways that are just unfathomable. And the moment he shows even what you and I would deem, check this out, shallow repentance, it still moves God. Fleeting sorrow and shame, fleeting.

And it still stirred God's heart. And some would be disturbed perhaps by this. It it didn't cancel the verdict but it did suspend it. God did suspend it and prolong it in a way. He delayed it.

But even in that some would say, look, how is this how is this fair? Didn't God know that this man would only go back to his ways in in in a brief moment? Yes, he does. But instead of trying to decipher and settling to decipher Ahab's motives, let this text convince you of the absolute incredible mercy of God. Because again, if God is willing to be moved in this way, for something like this, what do you think he's willing to do for the heart who is ready to totally surrender to the lordship of Jesus Christ?

Have you thought about that? If this man could do something external, yes, it's from the heart, but superficial. And yet God says, did you see how he humbled himself before me? I'm gonna do something about that. What would God do for the one who says, Lord Jesus, I repent and I fully trust in your saving work for my life.

Be the Lord of my life. What would God do for a man or woman like that? You would think, okay, maybe that's for Ahab, but definitely not for Jezebel. Well, Jezebel never repents, unfortunately, so we would never know. But can I remind you what the Lord was willing to do for another Jezebel?

This is not the only time Jezebel is mentioned. She's mentioned as you know where, tell me where. Revelation. Good. Revelation two twenty.

I want you to see these words again. And perhaps what the Lord was willing to do for this Jezebel in a church, he was willing to do for the original Jezebel in the kingdom of Israel. So there is a woman in a church who was trying to take over that church with the same spirit of this woman that we've been studying the past few weeks. And the Lord says this, but I have this against you, speaking to the church, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual morality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. And look at the next verse, I gave her time to repent.

I gave her, Jezebel. Can you imagine somebody operating in the same spirit as Jezebel in the church of Jesus Christ? And yet, Christ, the head of the church, says, I gave her time. I even give this woman who is influenced by that spirit, who's operating with that same frame of mind, time to change. But notice, but she refuses to repent.

Who's held accountable for not coming to Christ? The person who refuses to repent. But she refuses to repent of her sexual morality. Why don't we read the next verse anyway? So here it is.

Instead of repentance being granted, instead of joy and life being experienced, behold, I will throw her onto a sick bed. And those who commit adultery with her, I will throw into great tribulation unless they repent of her works. So he's even still now through this final ammunition, this final appeal, giving time for her and her children, her spiritual children to repent. It's very difficult to communicate just how merciful God is. It's very difficult.

And I want you in the most, perhaps helpful way to understand God's mercy, whether you're a Christian or not, in the words of Nehemiah. And this is my final verse for tonight. And it's so good that I would want you to turn there to see it for yourself. And if you're somebody who highlights in your bible, to highlight it in your bible. Nehemiah chapter nine, and I want you to look at verse 17, please.

Nehemiah nine seventeen. Consider these words that the Holy Spirit gives to us. They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. Pause. You know what's so wonderful about that commentary that Nehemiah gives?

It sheds new light on the exodus journey. There came a point that the nation of Israel, in more than one occasion, they wanted to go back to Egypt. Do you remember that? And they complained against Moses' leadership and Aaron's leadership. Do you remember that?

But you know what? Nehemiah tells us that they went beyond what just we read in those stories. They went beyond just complaining and murmuring. They actually appointed a leader. That's silent in the narratives of the Exodus.

But Nehemiah tells us they went they went as far to say, we found somebody, we chose him, this is the guy that's gonna lead us now. Again, just to show you, read the whole bible. You're gonna get you're gonna get gems in it if you do it. They appointed a leader to return to the slave in Egypt, but that's not the main point. But you are a god can we read those three words together?

Ready to forgive. Gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and did not forsake him. Ready to forgive. Not just willing to forgive, ready to forgive. When somebody's ready to do something, that means that that's their disposition, that's their posture, that at the appropriate time, they are prepared to do a thing.

They're prepared to go somewhere. They're prepared to perform a task. You know what God's posture is? It has been and always be? Ready to forgive.

Ready to forgive. The the moment a sinner knocks on the door, God will swing wide that door. He will swing it wide open and he will embrace that sinner. This is God's heart ready. You know, in Ezekiel, we're told that he does not delight in the death of the wicked.

And later another prophet tells us that he delights in showing steadfast love. And that's why we're told that he's slow to anger. Why is he slow to anger? Because he's ready to forgive. That's where he leans.

That's what he desires. That's what he longs and yearns for more than anything else. So he is holy. He's brilliant. He's pure.

He's majestic. But he is ready to forgive. Do you believe that, child of God, when you have fallen short? When you've genuinely messed up? My God is ready to forgive.

Is that your confidence? Yeah, you're bruised. You're broken. Maybe you're even embarrassed. But how do you come to him?

Do you see him like how Nehemiah describes him? And I wanna tell you, if you're a person visiting at this bible study tonight and you don't know God, and you're in sin, and maybe throughout this whole time, you've been considering me as your enemy. Reconsider how you view, not me, what you think about me is irrelevant, but what I'm saying and what I represent with this truth that I conclude on. God, the God that I serve, the God that this church serves is ready to forgive you. But will you like Jezebel in Revelation refuse to repent?

You can. God is a God of love. True love demands a a choice, a willingness to love back. And so the Lord, he he makes himself ready. The question is, are you?

The thing is, I wouldn't wait to respond to that. I would make a choice and not waste one more second of a life apart from him. You think you're autonomous, I know. You you think you're ruling your life, I know. But let me tell you what the Bible says.

The Bible says you're a slave of one or two things. You're either a slave to sin or you're a slave to righteousness. You have a master and it's not you. Your master is either your sin, your flesh that's already been sold under sin, or that can change. The ownership of your life can change if you acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord and as savior.

And the moment you make that shift of allegiance, this master known as Jesus Christ, oh, he's good. His burden is light. His yoke is easy. Says come to me. Come to me.

We read in the opening of this bible study of Psalm 81 where where the lord tells and reminds the people, I've lifted the burden off your shoulder. And that's what Christ does. The heaviness of sin, the heaviness of a life void of purpose, the heaviness of your conscience that always rises up against you, the heaviness of a heart that has been created with eternity in it, not knowing the answers for it or the absolute assurance that you'll experience it. All of that is dealt with the moment that you make Christ Jesus your Lord. What's what do I have to do?

Acknowledge it. What's required of me? Open your hands and receive the gift. That's what's required of you. Humble yourself and realize that you have been wrong.

That you're not the master of your fate. That you will stand before him one day? That this all came from him? That one day he did enter into this world in the person of Jesus Christ and he didn't die a martyr's death merely? He wasn't a victim, but he planned to pay for your sin.

And he laid his life down for you to have your life raised up with him. This is Christ. And so we don't come to this bible study to get some morals to give us a better social life and financial life and No. This this book all points to one person, that's Jesus. And I point you to him tonight.

He is ready to forgive you. Believer, he's ready to forgive you. Before we we go into singing, I don't mean to put you on the spot, brother Brian, but the praise team can come up, but if you can play just softly, and I wanna give us a chance to meditate on the things that we heard tonight at bible study, and then we'll sing, and then we'll close, and then we'll go on our way. But now with the with the the thought of his readiness to pardon and restore us, ask the Lord to make the revelation of his goodness real to you. Ask the Lord to do that.

Don't don't disturb your partner, your friend beside you. Just just sit in his presence. Let the truth of God continue to wash over you, and then we'll we'll respond to him as a church with one voice. But in your own voice, sit here. I wouldn't encourage you checking Instagram at this time, it would be a wasted opportunity.

Just let your heart reflect in in his truth and speak to your god. Let's do that.