1 Kings 16:29-33
29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years. 30 Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him. 31 He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. 32 He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. 33 Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him.
1 Kings 17:1
Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.”
2 Chronicles 7:13-16
13 “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. 16 I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.
Related Text:
Deuteronomy 11:16-17
Mark 6:14-15
Luke 1:11-17
Luke 9:7-8
James 5:17-18
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The Low Down
Remember way back in 1 Samuel Chapter 8 where the people of Israel ask for a king instead of all of the judges and religious leaders they had at that time? Remember how Samuel warned them, and God said that asking for a king is really a rejection of Him? Remember how the people said we don’t care, we want a king like everyone around us? . . . oops!
God was slow to give the Israelites a king because He wanted to be their only King, their One True God, their God Almighty. Only God could be a totally wise and just King. But the Israelites wanted a human ruler, a king on earth like all the surrounding kingdoms. So fast forward from 1 Samuel 8, and we get lists and stories of kings and their many screw ups. Sure, a small percentage of them are great, but none are without their sins. Most seem to make decisions that end up steering their people (the Israelites!) away from God.
Then we get this story of Ahab, who was so terrible, we are told that he has done the most evil than any other king before him. These kings just keep getting worse; it’s like they’re trying to win an award for best villain or something. They purposefully import false gods for their people to worship. Remember, their people are the ISRAELITES, God’s chosen people. It just doesn’t make sense. Why are they directing them away from God? It’s so evil, that God sends the prophet Elijah to tell Ahab that the rain will be turned off until He decides otherwise.
You only need to spend like 5 minutes outside of your house to realize that it’s not uncommon today to find people who want to be like others. Some want to be like other so much, they are willing to reject God without thinking twice. Some don’t even think once about it! After a couple of generations go by of rejecting God, He doesn’t even appear on people’s radar.
So here it comes, self application time. You knew it was coming. Is it hitting hard? Have you ever rejected God to fit in? Have you ever been disobedient to anything God says in the Bible, just to make friends, or keep friends, or just to not stick out? Have you ever decided it wasn’t a good time to talk about Jesus, just to avoid an awkward situation? What about the consequences of disobedience? Ever had any of those? Ever experienced some sort of drought? If you’re rejecting God, trying to fit in and be like everyone else, there is no way you are leading people to Christ. You’re actually doing the exact opposite of what Jesus has been telling us to do (*see New Testament).
But praise God that He is merciful and gracious. When Solomon built the temple, God told him that He would hear His people when they call on Him. Go back up there and read 2 Chronicles 7:13-16 and feel the goodbumps rise. We don’t even need to go to the temple in Jerusalem anymore! When we go before God in the name of Jesus, He hears us! The blood of Jesus covers our sins. We are forgiven and have salvation when we believe in Him. Because of Jesus, we can approach God’s throne of grace confident that He hears us. Praise God!
Whether we are a “king” or the guy who has to polish the crown, as Christians, we are to live our life following Jesus. We are always influencing people, whether we notice or not, whether we want to believe it or not. Our lives should encourage others (no matter how big or little our influence is) to seek God and to seek His son.
