Tuesday, June 14, 2022
(click here to listen to or read today’s scriptures)
 In sackcloth, Ahab tries to sleep
Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me out, my enemy?” “Yes,” answered Elijah.
Ahab cowered before his wife Jezebel, who then had Naboth killed. Now Ahab cowers before Elijah, who isn’t going to kill anyone, but he does speak for Yahweh, who is in a killing mood after Ahab turned away and worshipped Baal, because his Phoenician wife told him he must.
Because you have given yourself up to doing evil in the Lord’s sight, I am bringing evil upon you. You have provoked me by leading Israel into sin.
So everyone will die, all the males in Ahab’s line. And Jezebel will be eaten by dogs.
The author of Kings didn’t think much of Ahab either:
No one gave himself up to the doing of evil in the sight of the Lord as did Ahab, urged on by his wife Jezebel. He became Completely Abominable by following idols, just as the Amorites had done.
But Ahab repented as best he could, tearing his clothes, wearing sackcloth over his soft kingly skin. Then he fasted, and slept in the sackcloth.
Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned. Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness. I acknowledge my offense, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.
Most importantly, Ahab “went about subdued.” And God relented. God’s heart was softer than Elijah’s. Elijah killed 450 prophets, but Yahweh listened to Ahab and did not kill him.
Not yet.
Since he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring evil in his time. I will bring the evil upon his house during the reign of his son.
There is no mention of where Jezebel was at that moment.
Jesus said, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good. He causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
Had Jezebel heard the words of Jesus, she might like David, have “trembled and ceased her sin. When she was on her bed, she might have searched her heart and been silent.” Could even Jezebel have “offered the sacrifices of the righteous and trusted in the Lord” (Psalm 4)? How would she have heard the words of Jesus?
Right now large flies are soaring around the room. They hover on the computer screen for a second and fly around some more. There are several of them. I think they are demons sent by the devil. I try to ignore them, but as you can see, it’s getting difficult.
I imagine the discomfort of wearing sackcloth to bed, scratching and scratching in the heat, fasting all day and night and again tomorrow, waiting for the sword of Yahweh to come crashing down across my neck. Ahab the Puny and Passive might not have had courage to confess his sin, but only to be ashamed of it. As he laid there, the flies swarmed around him. He could hear them whine like tiny aircraft. No way was he going to sleep. But he wept.
God didn’t need him to be a macho conqueror standing up to Jezebel. He did need Ahab to be still long enough for the Lord to touch his hand, for Jesus to love his enemy, for the Holy Spirit to reach down and, at last, let him sleep.
Could Jezebel have done the same thing? Of course.
But she did not.
(1 Kings 21, Psalm 51, John 13, Matthew 5)
(posted at www.davesandel.net)
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