The Kings of Israel
The Kings of Israel was taught by Dr. James Modlish

Lesson Seventeen
Ahab
(I Kings. 17-21)

Introduction:
Jeroboam had been the standard for evil up to the time of Ahab. However, he surpasses the previous mark for provoking the Lord.

(I Kings 16:33) Ahab’s primary offense was embracing the pagan Baal worship of his wife Jezebel and building houses of “worship” for the satanic deity. This led to a general downgrade of morality and character throughout the nation.

I. Ahab’s detractor – I Kings 17:1; 18:1-19:3

Elijah, the prophet of God, announces to Ahab that rain will cease in the land until further notice. 3 ½ years later Elijah shows up (James 5:17) and is accused by Ahab of being the source of all the problems. (18:17) This is standard operating procedure. Ahab, like Hitler, was a type of the antichrist and found it necessary to blame someone else for their own sin.


To follow the story line through prophetically is interesting:

Ahab, a type of the antichrist
Elijah will return in the Tribulation (Rev. 11)
He will be sought after by the church of Jezebel. (Rev. 2:20; ch. 17 & 18)
Elijah and Moses will be human instruments of judgment upon the world. (Rev. 11:5,6)
Ultimately, the prophets of Baal will be destroyed. (Rev. 18:8-10)

Ahab’s defense – I Kings 20

The challenge (vs. 1-12)
The king of Syria brought his huge army with 32 other kings to conquer Samaria. His messengers asked for the king’s wealth and family, and Ahab agreed to obey. But when they asked for the privilege of looting his palaces, he refused. Baal was unable to deliver the king.

The conquest (vs. 13-30)
The Lord stepped in to save the king and his people, not because they deserved it, but because God had a cause against Syria, and judgment time had arrived.
The Syrians concluded that Israel’s God was only capable of helping them in the hills but not in the valleys, so they should return and stage a battle in the plain. They discovered that God was quite able to protect His people regardless of the geography.

The compromise (vs. 31-43)
What Satan could not accomplish with force, he did with guile; for he led Ahab right into a wicked compromise with the enemy. Ben-hadad and his servants pretended to repent and humble themselves before proud Ahab. The two made a covenant of peace, and Ahab sent Ben-hadad away alive in direct disobedience to the Word of God.

An anonymous prophet was able to get Ahab to confess his own guilt and pass his own sentence.



III. Ahab’s deception – I Kings 21

The sin (vs.1-16)
Ahab covets his neighbor’s vineyard and pouts because Naboth will not disobey the Word and let him have it. (Lev. 25:23; Num. 36:7) Jezebel solves the problem by bringing false witnesses against Naboth, forging letters in her husband’s name and disguising the whole affair under the name of religion. Naboth is unjustly executed just to satisfy the lust of Ahab. Again, we are reminded of
(Rev. 11).

The judgment (vs. 17-29)
Elijah is sent by God to announce doom to the household of Ahab. The king humbled himself before the Lord, so God postponed the punishment, but it came to pass soon enough. (II Kings 9:10)

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