1 Kings 20

At the end of my last post, I had said that Elijah had anointed Elisha, Hazael, and Jehu and that Hazael would end up killing Ahab.  I got that wrong.

Elijah anointed only Elisha who, decades later, anointed Hazael to be king of Syria and to judge Israel, and Jehu who would annihilate Ahab's descendants.  However, the latter two were not friends to Elijah or even God.  They would not be a good small group to encourage our weary prophet.  But Elisha would succeed him as prophet and be a prototype of Jesus.  He even has the same name. 

But the current king of Syria, in chapter 20 of 1 Kings, Ben-Hadad gathers his army to attack Israel.  They are heavy drinkers, and they taunt Ahab.  However, a prophet comes to Ahab and tells him that he will defeat the army, that God wants him to kill Ben-Hadad.  At some point, however, Ben-Hadad tells his army to surrender in sackcloth and ashes.  Ahab spares the king and his army.

Another nameless prophet tells a man to strike him.  The man refuses, so the prophet says that a lion will eat him for not striking him.  That happens.  Another man listens to the prophet and wounds him.  Ahab notices him, and when the prophet removes his headband, he recognizes him.  The prophet says that Ahab will die because he spared the Syrian king that God wanted to die. 

Because God's prophets anoint kings of Israel and Syria, it shows that God rules over all nations, whether the nations know it or not.  Both northern Israel and Syria worshiped false gods, but Israel was God's chosen people, so he gave them as many chances to repent, even sending Elijah and Elisha before he finally sends them into exile to Assyria later on.  God is patient, not wanting anybody to perish in their sins.  And he wants all nations to know their proper God.  In the end, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess him as Lord.

The account of the man who would not strike the prophet is another grim example of God judging people immediately when people are used to him giving mercy.  It is a grave thing to disobey our Lord, but we do it daily in his face like he will never hold us to account.  And sometimes, God holds people to account right away, like the man who did not strike the prophet.  God sent a lion to eat him.  God keeps his word, even when we don't like it.  And God used the wounded prophet to show Ahab that he still did not obey God even when he said he would defeat Syria.  He nearly won, but then spared the king and his army.  Soon, Ahab will die.  But not before the next chapter which recounts his most wicked deed.

God gives us a long time to repent of our sins and turn to Jesus.  The reason Ahab lived so long in his wickedness is that God was ready to replace him with Jesus.  Jesus could die for his sins and Ahab could live a new life of devotion to God.  He proved himself real over and over in the fire called down from heaven and in the lion eating the man who would not strike the prophet.  And he still hasn't sent Jesus back even the the world grows more depraved and bloodthirsty.  He wants us all to repent of our sins and turn to Jesus.  He will not wait forever.