Elijah Announces Ahab’s Doom 1 Kings 21 08/10/2008 Dr. Dane Boyles

Elijah Announces Ahab’s Doom Introduction Following the appointment of Elisha, five or six years passed before Elijah’s ministry was again public. He was not inactive during this period.

Elijah Announces Ahab’s Doom During this same time, great wars occurred between Israel and Syria. Then one day God again told Elijah to appear before Ahab to announce that monarch’s doom.

Elijah Announces Ahab’s Doom The Terrible Deed (1 Kings 21:1-16). 1 Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. (1 Kings 21:1)

Elijah Announces Ahab’s Doom 2 Ahab said to Naboth, “Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth.” (1 Kings 21:2)

Elijah Announces Ahab’s Doom 3 But Naboth replied, “The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.” 4 So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, "I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat. (1 Kings 21:3-4)

Elijah Announces Ahab’s Doom 5 His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, “Why are you so sullen? Why won't you eat?” 6 He answered her, “Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, ‘Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.' But he said, 'I will not give you my vineyard.’ ” (1 Kings 21:5-6)

Elijah Announces Ahab’s Doom 7 Jezebel his wife said, “Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I'll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” 8 So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city with him. (1 Kings 21:7-8)

Elijah Announces Ahab’s Doom 9 In those letters she wrote: “Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. 10 But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death.” (1 Kings 21:9-10)

Elijah Announces Ahab’s Doom 11 So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city did as Jezebel directed in the letters she had written to them. 12 They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth in a prominent place among the people. (1 Kings 21:11-12)

Elijah Announces Ahab’s Doom 13 Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death. (1 Kings 21:13)

Elijah Announces Ahab’s Doom 14 Then they sent word to Jezebel: “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.” 15 As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead.” (1 Kings 21:14-15)

Elijah Announces Ahab’s Doom 16 When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth’s vineyard. (1 Kings 21:16)

Elijah Announces Ahab’s Doom Apparently Naboth’s sons were also murdered at this time, though we are not given the details concerning their deaths.

Elijah Announces Ahab’s Doom 26 ‘Yesterday I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons, declares the LORD, and I will surely make you pay for it on this plot of ground, declares the LORD.’ Now then, pick him up and throw him on that plot, in accordance with the word of the LORD.” (2 Kings 9:26)

Elijah Announces Ahab’s Doom The Confrontation. (1 Kings 21:17-20) 20 Ahab said to Elijah, “So you have found me, my enemy!" “I have found you,” he answered, “because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD. (1 Kings 21:20)

Elijah Announces Ahab’s Doom Jezebel and Ahab may have thought they had covered up their crime quite well, but God had seen what they had done. Nothing was hidden from God’s eyes.

Elijah Announces Ahab’s Doom 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Heb 4:13)

Elijah Announces Ahab’s Doom God always denounces sin. 14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones (Jude 14)

Elijah Announces Ahab’s Doom 15 to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” (Jude 15)

Elijah Announces Ahab’s Doom The Judgments of God (1 Kings 21:21-29). Because Ahab had sold himself to do evil, God said through Elijah that He would bring evil upon him.

Elijah Announces Ahab’s Doom 29 “Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.” (1 Kings 21:29)

Elijah Announces Ahab’s Doom The prophecy was fulfilled. 37 So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried him there. (1 Kings 22:37)

Elijah Announces Ahab’s Doom 38 They washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria (where the prostitutes bathed), and the dogs licked up his blood, as the word of the LORD had declared. (1 Kings 22:38)

Elijah Announces Ahab’s Doom Jezebel did not escape God’s judgment either. 30 Then Jehu went to Jezreel. When Jezebel heard about it, she painted her eyes, arranged her hair and looked out of a window. (2 Kings 9:30)

Elijah Announces Ahab’s Doom 31 As Jehu entered the gate, she asked, “Have you come in peace, Zimri, you murderer of your master?” (2 Kings 9:31)

Elijah Announces Ahab’s Doom 32 He looked up at the window and called out, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three eunuchs looked down at him. 33 “Throw her down!” Jehu said. So they threw her down, and some of her blood spattered the wall and the horses as they trampled her underfoot. (2 Kings 9:32-33)

Elijah Announces Ahab’s Doom 34 Jehu went in and ate and drank. “Take care of that cursed woman,” he said, "and bury her, for she was a king’s daughter.” But when they went out to bury her, they found nothing except her skull, her feet and her hands. (2 Kings 9:34)

Elijah Announces Ahab’s Doom Ahab’s family was judged. 7 When the letter arrived, these men took the princes and slaughtered all seventy of them. They put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel. (2 Kings 10:7)

Elijah Announces Ahab’s Doom 10 Know then, that not a word the LORD has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail. The LORD has done what he promised through his servant Elijah.” 11 So Jehu killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his chief men, his close friends and his priests, leaving him no survivor. (2 Kings 10:10-11)

Elijah Announces Ahab’s Doom God’s judgments are sure. Ahab’s sin was threefold. He provoked the anger of God by sinning against Him. Then he made Israel sin. He sold himself to work wickedness.

Elijah Announces Ahab’s Doom Conclusion God’s future judgment will be severe against men such as Ahab.

Elijah Announces Ahab’s Doom 1 Kings 21 08/10/2008 Dr. Dane Boyles