Confusion reigns. Who is good, who is bad, and for how long and why? I find today’s chapters quite hard to get my head round.
Syrians again defeated
1 Kings 20:22-30
Ahab makes peace with Ben-Hadad
2 Kings 20:31-34
Ahab’s sentence
1 Kings 20:35-43
Three years of peace
1 Kings 22:1
Ahab & Naboth
1 Kings 21:1-16
Elijah announces doom
1 Kings 21:17-24
Ahab’s repentance
1 Kings 21:27-29
Jehoshaphat joins Ahab
1 Kings 22:2-4, 2 Chronicles 18:2-3
Prophets lie to Ahab
1 Kings 22:5-6,10-12 2 Chronicles 18:4-5, 9-11
Ahab is a strange mixture. He does very well against Ben-Hadad, he displays bravery on the battlefield, and he makes an astute treaty with him. Then he gives in to a display of petulance when Naboth won’t sell him a vineyard. Jezebel says, “Aren’t you the king? Just go and take it!” and she has Naboth killed.
But God is watching, and through Elijah tells him so.
Amazingly, Ahab repents. God has mercy on him . The man is not beyond hope.
But such is the confusion, that no one is sure what us the right thing to do. There follows a very strange scene where God’s prophets start telling lies, and Jehoshaphat, who has been a really good king, doesn’t know what to do. It reminds me of Saul, who tried to do the right thing, but just guessed wrong. It’s frustrating and sorrowing, that these people, even when they want to do right, just seem to miss the point.
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