Articles
God Helps Ahab - 1 Kings 20
Ahab was wicked, and his wife even more so. They had almost obliterated the worship of the LORD. Yet, here in chapter 20, God helps Ahab. When confronted by the army of Aram, God intervenes to deliver victory to Ahab. WHY?
Now behold, a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver them into your hand today, and you shall know that I am the Lord.’ ” (1 Kings 20:13).
The fact that God helped Ahab was not an indication of Ahab's faithfulness, his godliness, nor of God's approval of him! God's purposes and plans are often greater and more far-reaching than one man. The fact that God told him ahead of time and then produced the foretold results should have convinced Ahab that God is the LORD, not Baal. Along with that, it would show that the LORD was not just 'a god of the mountains' (vs. 23, 28), nor a god of the plains! He is God overall.
Also in this episode, we see that God often combined several purposes: He not only showed he was LORD of all, but he was using Ahab (and Israel) to bring a judgment of destruction upon the king of Aram (vs. 42). Later He would use the Babylonians to bring judgment upon Judah. God often used a nation in this way without indicating His approval of that nation. God rules in the kingdoms of men, God raises up kings, and God removes kings. He is Lord of all.
We also need to keep God's overall purpose in mind: He was using Israel to bring the Messiah into the world. He made them a nation, He gave them a separate law, He put them in a separate land, and he watched over them and provided for them. While this 'chapter' of the story reveals God's interaction with Ahab, it, more importantly, is just a chapter in a much larger and more important story.
In seeing this larger picture, I realize that Ahab was not the center of the universe, although he probably thought that the world revolved around him and his happiness. Even so, we struggle with the same introverted view. God doesn't orchestrate the affairs of this world just for my ease and pleasure. He may be using me to accomplish another purpose. My choice is still the same: I can serve Him and be blessed, or I can rebel against Him and be condemned. He can use us either way, even as He did Ahab. What is your choice in this?
Hugh DeLong
