In 1 Kings 20, Ahab sees a field that abuts his royal property that belongs to Naboth. He wants the field and offers to buy it from him, but Naboth says it is not for sale. It has been in his family for ages, and he will not sell it.
Ahab pouts at home, and his wife Jezebel says that she will take care of things. They hold a banquet and invite Naboth. Then two guys accuse him of blasphemy, and the people stone Naboth. Then Jezebel takes his property. Elijah comes and tells him that Ahab will die and that when Jezebel dies, dogs will eat up her body and they won't be able to bury her. Then Ahab repents and Elijah says this will all happen in his son's time.
This account reminds me of the incident of David and Bathsheba. David saw another man's wife, used murder to obtain her, and then Nathan rebuked him, but he genuinely repented. He still suffered the consequences of his sins, but his repentance was genuine.
I can't judge Ahab. Sometimes I think he might have genuinely repented, and sometimes I think he only repented because he was caught. Even so, God honors repentance and knows the heart. Perhaps Ahab was reprobate through and through, and perhaps God had mercy on his soul. Only time will tell.
This account also reminds me of the incident of Jack the baker in Colorado. The LGBT crowd want him to bake a cake for a gay wedding. He says he won't do it but refers them to places that will be glad to bake one. However, these people want to destroy him and anybody else who will not give in to their libertine agenda. And even after the US Supreme Court exonerated him at least once if not twice, the people still won't leave him alone. They will not stop until we let them proceed in their wickedness and get us to help them in the process. They have time to repent. And this is not me being judgmental. You always have a choice in what you do with your feelings and never have to let them decide who you are. We have an amazing God who offered Jesus do die for our sins and gives us time to repent. He gives a Holy Spirit who will change you from your natural sins to be more like him, even the ones you love the most.
And also, is God judging the world through the COVID-19 shutdowns? I read one article that said that he was. I couldn't really agree with it. I read another article that said he does not send disasters to judge, and I couldn't agree with that one either. The fact is, he does send disasters as judgments, and also there is rampant sickness as a result of the fall of man. He sends rain and sunshine on the just and the unjust and in the end no one is truly just and good except God. We all deserve a lot worse than what he gives, but he still sent Jesus to die for our sins. We should never question his love and mercy because of that alone, but we should all repent lest something worse happen. I have no fear because my sins have been forgiven and if I should die, I will see his face. But if you do not know Jesus, then you need to do so before it's too late. And we should all work for justice and mercy until then!
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