I KINGS 21-22 COMMENTS

CHAPTER 21

Naboth is Murdered by Ahab in His Vineyard

• Ahab wanted his neighbor’s vineyard
• Naboth (his neighbor) wouldn’t give away his “father’s inheritance”
• Ahab became sullen
• Jezebel saw this and concocted a plan (note the evil plan: elevate then falsely accuse):
• Invite Naboth to a big banquet
• Arrange for a couple low life scoundrels to sit near him and accuse him of conspiring rebellion against the king
• Take him out and stone him
• Jezebel directed the plan take effect.
• Nabal was murdered
• Ahab then took his property.

Word of Lord through Elijah Condemns Ahab & Jezebel

• Prophet Elijah got word from Lord
• Ahab & Jezebel…because you have murdered and taken property not belonging to you, you will die, dogs will lick up your blood.
• Why: because you Ahab have
• Sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the Lord
• I (Lord) will:
• Bring calamity
• Take away your posterity
• Cut off from Ahab all males in Israel
• Make your house like Jeroboam and Baasha
• Why? Because you provoked me to anger and made Israel sin.
• RE Jezebel, I (Lord) will cause:
• Dogs to eat her and all Ahab has
• Comment: Ahab
• did evil like no one else
• was stirred up by his wife to do this (instead of leading her as God had designed)
• followed idols of other nations the Lord had cast out
• Ahab then humbled himself
• Fasted
• Sackcloth
• Mourned
• Elijah (from the Lord)
• Because you humbled yourself
• God will not bring calamity on you in your days, but in the days of your son.
• OBSERVATION: God wants and responds to true humility…but consequences may still remain to be dealt with…(but also remember God is a God of mercy as well).

CHAPTER 22

Micaiah Warns Ahab

• 3 years pass with no war between Israel and Syria
• King Jehoshaphat (Judah) visited Ahab
• Ahab: I want to get the land God gave us in Ramoth Gilead away from Syria. Will you help me?
• Jehoshaphat: Yes
• Ahab sought counsel of his 400 prophets who all said “yes, you’ll win” … but for some reason, Ahab didn’t believe them…he seemed to know they were not telling the truth…and he asked if there was not yet a prophet of the Lord.
• His servants said, “Yes, Micaiah”
• Ahab hated him thought, because he does not prophesy “good” concerning Ahab (even though he did prophesy “truth”—Ahab didn’t want to hear that)
• Yet Ahab calls Micaiah and listens to him sarcastically tell Ahab that he will win.
• Ahab knows he’s being sarcastic and causes him to tell the truth, which Micaiah eventually does….telling him he will loose.
• Ahab then turns to Jehoshaphat and tells him, See I told you he never prophesys good about me.

Ahab and Jehoshaphat go to War and Ahab Dies

• Ahab and Jehoshaphat decide to go to war anyway, and Ahab disguises himself
• Yet a stray “random” arrow finds it’s ay to a weak link in his armor and he died
• His body was taken back to Samaria and the blood washed out and the dogs licked it just as Elijah has said.

Jehoshaphat Reigns in Judah

• Jehoshaphat = son of Asa
• Became king in 4^th year of Ahab
• 35 years old
• Reigned 25 years
• Followed in Asa’s footsteps (Good)
• Banished the perverted people
• But he did not tear down the high places

Ahaziah Reigns in Israel

• Son of Ahab
• Reigns 2 years
• Did evil and
• walked in ways of Ahab and Jezebel
• Followed the ways of Jeroboam (bad)
• Served Baal
• Provoked the Lord to anger