Ahab Was Just Like Us (As Well)

1 Kings 21

In this sermon, we focus on how God relates with King Ahab. Although Ahab is one of the most evil kings in Israel's history, God nevertheless is patient toward him, giving him ample opportunities to repent. Because of God's mercy, Ahab experiences God's power in ending the drought and also a military victory against Syria that would not have been humanly possible. Toward the end of his life, we even see Ahab repent.

On the other hand, Ahab is portrayed as someone who continually fails to place his trust in God. Ahab not only places his trust in everything other than God, he even defies God's word. Under Ahab's reign, the wall of Jericho is rebuilt (which is forbidden according to God's word), and Ahab even hunts down Elijah and the other prophets of the Lord. Repeatedly, Ahab seeks after the counsel of the prophets of idols and his wife, Jezebel, who murders Naboth so that Ahab can take possession of his vineyard.

As much as Elijah was like us, we can also find similarities with Ahab. God has also been merciful and patient toward us. He stages breakthroughs and miracles in our lives. Similar to Ahab, we enjoy walking through these opened doors, but we fail to trust God. Instead, we place our hope in other things, and are influenced more by other voices than God's. At Uptown, we are so thankful for what God has been doing in our lives. For instance, his provision of weather and location over the past months have been miraculous. At an individual level, many of us have been experiencing answered prayers. There are countless other examples of how he has been so faithful in our lives. Yet, in the midst of these victories, we must ask ourselves if we are merely walking through these opened doors while we still place our trust in other things, or if these answered prayers are deepening our trust in God.

The way God interacts with Ahab is therefore a warning for all of us. Let us rejoice and celebrate all that God has been doing! But let us also pray that these blessings will deepen our trust in God so that we may become more like Christ rather than Ahab.

Questions:

1. In what ways can you identify with King Ahab?

2. Does it surprise you that God has been so patient in the passages of this sermon series? Not only has he been so patient with Elijah, but also with Ahab and Israel.

3. We often live our lives without reflecting too much on God's faithfulness toward us and if our trust in him is deepening. Take a moment to reflect and to write a short journal entry where you:

• recognize and praise God for his faithfulness over the past few months;

• repent for the ways that your faith has not been rooted in Christ;

• pray that the Spirit will continue to make you more like Christ so that your trust in him will deepen and mature.

4. Share with one another a summary of your journal entry and close your time in prayer.