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 returning 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 Nabeth, 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 Nabeth, shall dogs.

Lick your own blood. Ahab said to Elijah, Have you

found me all 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 we'll 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

the Bat, and like the House of Basha 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

1 Kings 19 · chapter mention

chapter 19, where Elijah was instructed to go find a man by

the name of. Elijah 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? Why doesn't the 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's

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 3 in

Micah 3 · chapter mention

verse 8. Listen to what another prophet,

another prophet who was faithful like Elijah was, and who

experienced the grace of God like Elijah did, and Micah 3/8

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 brain power. 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 17? You know very well that God has

given us a spirit, not a 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

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 is a pastor, who is 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's not even telling just

Timothy that he has access to this grace, this power that's

able to 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

to 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 Nabeth, 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 Nabeth, shall dogs lick your

own blood? Here's the overarching lesson of

Elijah's message that whatever pleasures sinners in joy, it

will all one day be intercepted by the judgement 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 Nabeth

resided and thought that they got away with murder.

And the last scene of our previous study was Ahab getting

out of his bed, you know, removing his sniffles and

nonchalantly hearing about Nabeth'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 1st 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 are

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 you 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 here, 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 in congressman?

What do you do in lawmakers, so to speak, are unrighteous?

Who's going to 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'd 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 Nabit'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 O 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 the 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 a pawn, 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 duties

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. 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 ministries 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 going to happen.

Don't think that you're going to win absolutely everybody on a

personal level, even when you're trying to win them to the Lord.

But if you're going to 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've 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 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 going to be a fragrance from life unto

life. To others you're going to 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, the idea of

Elijah being an enemy is the fruit of how sin distorts

everything. Sin warps everything.

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 1st place.

If there was anybody who was an enemy of Elijah, it was Jezebel.

Jezebel, in the same text we're going to read, incited Ahab to

sin. And if there is anybody who

should have been Ahab's best friend, it was the very man.

He said he's my enemy. His 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 ardent righteous 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 judgement is

impaired by sin. I've seen people in different

contexts when a true pastor walks in the room, they squirm.

Why? Because that pastor and 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. 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 duties 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's like, yeah, actually, I did.

Why? Because your sin will find you

out. That's the lesson there.

Here you are, thrilled. An adrenaline rush because you

thought that you gained Nabis Vineyard without consequence.

And as one person put it, but Ahab gained Nabit'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 7, and look at how Paul borrows this

Romans 7 · chapter mention

language but intentionally provides variation to it, and

you're going to see why. Romans 7 verse 14

Romans 7:14

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 is 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 iniquity.

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 6.

That's what he conveys at the end of Romans 7.

And that's the exclamation mark. And Romans 8, yes, he describes

the hopeless conditions, 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 King 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 twenty of First Kings 21.

I have found you because you have sold yourself to do what is

evil in the side of the Lord. What's the difference between

Paul's language and Elijah's sold yourself?

So in Romans 7 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 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's 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 going to be held accountable for.

Ultimately. It's what you've done with the

gospel, that'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 is a sold under sin

that's inherited, and there is 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 we'll 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

Nabat, and like the House of Asha 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 Bahasha, 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 the 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 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's 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 is 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 on the side. 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 and 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.

Now 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

317, 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 listen to Him above everything, above all.

And so Israel, listen to Ahab. Ahab, listen 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 commentaries provide 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, 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 judgement

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?

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, saying, 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 going to lick up your blood.

Oh, and your wife dogs are actually going to 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 going to get a

hold of people. And yet I find a man whose heart

was crystallized and it was cracked because of those words.

So who's smarter? You are God.

Who knows the human condition better.

You are God who knows how to bring somebody out of their sin.

You are 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'm, I'm, I'm afraid these Christians, these churchgoers

are going to 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

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 going to

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

going to 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 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 study up to this point.

You have Nebith Vineyard and who are the characters involved?

Please somebody answer. Who are the characters?

Involved Ahab and Elijah Goodwin turn to 2nd Kings 9 please.

This is a man by the name of Nehu.

Nehu is going to 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 bid Car his aid. 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 Nabeth 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

Elijah. Apparently we had Jehu and his

aide Bit Car who were on the site and who were heard Elijah's

prophetic pronouncement against Ahab and realizing 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 going to 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 sobered 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 laying 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 him, is the same Lord who watched the man breakdown

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 is 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 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 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 he had God says, did you see how he humbled himself before

me? I'm going to do something about

that. What would God do for the one

who says, Lord Jesus, I repent and I fully trust and you're

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, OK, maybe that's for a, 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's mentioned. She's mentioned as you know

where. Tell me where.

Revelation, good. Revelation 220.

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 unto 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 9.

Nehemiah 9 · chapter mention

And I want you to look at verse 17, please.

Nehemiah 9/17. Consider these words that the

Holy Spirit gives to us. They refused to obey, and we're

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 and more than one occasion they wanted to go

back to Egypt. You remember that.

And they complain against Moses leadership and Aaron's

leadership. 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 going to

lead us now again, just to show you read the whole Bible.

You're going to get you're going to 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 3 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 the 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. In an 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 want to 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 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 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. He says, come to me, come to me,

we read in the opening of this Bible study, 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 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 now 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

priest team can come up. But if you can play just softly

and I want to 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.