Who is KING AHAB in the Bible? Who is King Ahab in the Bible? Submit questions - New Articles QUESTION: Who is King Ahab in the Bible? ANSWER: King Ahab, according to the Bible, was the son of King Omri. He was one of Israel's most powerful rulers . He was King of the Northern Ten Tribes of Israel from 874 to 853 B.C. Many consider him the WORST ruler that ancient Israel ever had. His wife Jezebel was so evil that she has come to symbolize revengeful, malicious, immoral and cruel women throughout history. When Ahab married Jezebel , he became the first Israelite king in the Bible who allied himself to heathenism through marriage. Jezebel was a pagan princess of a man from Tyre named Ethbaal, who was a priest of the god Astarte (also called by the name Eastre). Persuaded by his wife, Ahab built an altar in Samaria (capital city of the northern ten tribes of Israel) dedicated to the false god Baal. Needless to say, God was not happy with him (1Kings 16:30 - 33).

What Ahab wanted, he got, especially with the help of his evil wife Jezebel. One day he offered his neighbor, Naboth, a choice of either a better vineyard somewhere else or money for the land he owned. Naboth refused. When he could not buy Naboth's land from him he went home and pouted like a little child! When Jezebel found out what happened she "arranged" for her husband to own the land by having the land owner killed (1Kings 21:7 - 10, 15). This king of Israel was SO evil that Elijah the prophet prophesied the extermination of him and his entire family. When he repented, however, God let him live and postponed the punishment on his posterity (1Kings 21:17 - 29). Jezebel experienced no such repentance like her husband. The Eternal proclaimed that after her death the dogs would fight to eat her flesh by Jezreel's wall (1Kings 21:23). 7.

My Way— The Story of Ahab and Jezebel | Bible.org From the series: Living in Love: Secrets from Bible Marriages PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE 7. My Way— The Story of Ahab and Jezebel King David had been absent from the scene of Hebrew history for about 135 years when this story opens. His great kingdom, enlarged and more richly endowed by his son Solomon, had been fractured into two weakened fragments. The southern kingdom of Judah was being ruled by his descendants, while the northern kingdom of Israel suffered under a succession of wicked men at the helm. One of them was the husband in the next marital relationship we want to study. He is introduced to the pages of Scripture with these shocking words: “And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who were before him” (1 Kgs. 16:30). He had the dubious distinction of being the most wicked king who reigned over Israel up until his day.

We expect almost anything from a man that degenerate, and are not surprised to read, “And it came about, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went to serve Baal and worshiped him” (1 Kgs. 16:31). “Sidonians” was another name for the Phoenicians, that seafaring people on the Mediterranean coast who occupied the great cities of Tyre and Sidon. With the ever-present menace of Syria and the growing threat of Assyria, Ahab decided that he needed an alliance with this neighboring nation, so he made a treaty with the king of Phoenicia and sealed it by marrying his daughter. That is how Jezebel happened to move to Samaria, the capital of Israel, and there is only one way to describe it — a whirlwind hit Israel. The king of Phoenicia was not only the political leader of his people, he was also the high priest of their religion, as his name Ethbaal implies.

Jezebel had grown up steeped in the worship of Baal and his female consort, Astarte (or Ashtoreth). Baal was considered to be the god of the land. He owned it, they said, and he controlled its weather and the increase of its crops and cattle. Ashtoreth was considered to be the mother-goddess of fertility. So idols of both Baal and Ashtoreth stood side by side in their temples and were worshiped by priests and temple prostitutes with lewd dances and sacred orgies, with the hope that their god and goddess would follow their example and increase the productivity of their agriculture, their animals, and their children. In times of crisis such as famine, they slashed themselves and even sacrificed their children to appease the gods and implore their help. Jezebel was fanatical about her religion. The worship of Jehovah must have seemed dull and commonplace by comparison, and she was determined to change it. She was a headstrong, self-willed, domineering woman, and with a moral weakling for a husband, she had little trouble getting her way.

She got him to build a house for Baal beside the palace in Samaria, as well as an “Ashtoreth,” that is, an idol of the fertility goddess. Then she brought 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Ashtoreth from Phoenicia, housed them in the palace, and fed them in royal style. Their duties would have been to promote the worship of Baal and Ashtoreth throughout the land. Not satisfied to establish her religion in Israel, Jezebel sought to stamp out every remnant of Jehovah worship and to kill every true prophet of God. She had to have things completely her way, and she almost succeeded. Some prophets survived by compromising their convictions and turning into “yes” men for Ahab. Another group of 100 were hidden in a cave and fed secretly by a godly servant of Ahab named Obadiah. But Elijah was the only one courageous enough to stand up openly against Jezebel’s wickedness. God gave him a great victory when he called down fire from heaven upon Mount Carmel. The prophets of Baal were slain and it looked as though the nation would turn back to God.

But Jezebel was not finished with her sinister work. She swore in her rage that she would kill Elijah, and he ran for his life, collapsed in the wilderness under a juniper tree, and pleaded with God to let him die. It was the lowest point in the godly prophet’s great career. And Baal worship lived on, dragging the nation to new depths of degradation. This stubborn, headstrong, self-willed wife of Ahab brought disruption and distress to Israel for years to come. Marriages to stubborn, willful people can bring unhappiness to all concerned. Their indomitable self-will which has never been surrendered to God will seldom give in to those around them. With unyielding obstinacy they keep demanding their own way and looking for every possible means and method of doing or having what they want. They will not listen to reason; they will not consider the feelings of others; they will not face the potential consequences of their intended actions. They believe that they are right and others are wrong, and they are determined to have everything their way. They obviously know very little of God’s love which “does not seek its own” (1 Cor.

13:5), but have only self-love which insists on its own rights and demands its own way. Those who live with people like this eventually find themselves emotionally destroyed. For the survival of those around us, for the happiness of our mates and for harmony in our marriages, we must face up to every trace of stubborn self-will and claim God’s grace to deal with it. Of course, Ahab was just as self-willed as Jezebel, but with a different temperament. For one thing, he had willfully entered a marriage that was politically convenient, but contrary to every word from God. But Ahab’s self-will becomes even more evident in an incident involving the king and his vegetable garden. Shortly after his marriage to Jezebel, Ahab not only beautified the palace at Samaria so that it came to be called “the ivory house” (1 Kgs. 22:39), but he also built a second palace in Jezreel, twenty-five miles to the north, in an area of a more moderate climate in the wintertime.

“Now it came about after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria” (1 Kgs. 21:1). Ahab decided he wanted Naboth’s property, so he went to him and said, “Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden because it is close beside my house, and I will give you a better vineyard than it in its place; if you like, I will give you the price of it in money” (1 Kgs. 21:2). Naboth declined the offer, just as he should have done, for God had forbidden the Jews to sell their paternal inheritance (Lev. 25:23-34). Naboth was simply obeying the law of the Lord. “So Ahab came into his house sullen and vexed because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him .... And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and ate no food” (1 Kgs. 21:4). Can you believe that a grown man would act this childishly? Some do.

Weak, vacillating people like Ahab often want their own way just as much as headstrong, domineering people like Jezebel. But they react differently when they do not get it. While the forceful ones rant and rave, strike out at those who stand in their way, throw fits and destroy things, the weak ones sulk and pout and fret like spoiled children. They may refuse to get out of bed and even refuse to eat. They just want to feel sorry for themselves and let everybody know how bad things are for them. All they really succeed in doing is letting people know how self-centered and immature they are. Self-will of either variety, the violent kind or the peevish kind, can ruin a marriage. The trouble often starts when our mates infringe upon our inviolable rights. Maybe the husband will not let his wife buy something she thinks she has a right to have, or the wife prepares an absolutely terrible dinner on the very day hubby is expecting his favorite dish. Instead of letting the love and graciousness of Jesus Christ control us, our sinful natures take over and we go into our rage routine or sulk syndrome, whichever it is with us. And it slowly but surely eats away at our relationship.

And that inflexible self-will which has never been broken and yielded to God may ultimately lead to much greater problems. I have heard some say, “I don’t love her anymore. I don’t want her. I’m going to find some happiness for myself and I don’t care what the Bible says.” God wants to break our sinful, stubborn wills. He wants to conquer them with His love. The first step to victory is simply to admit that continually demanding our own way is disobedience to God’s Word, and therefore sin. Talk to the Lord about it. Be honest with Him. Tell Him frankly that you would rather have your own way than be unselfish and considerate of others, but acknowledge that it is contrary to His Word. Ask him to help you. Then by an act of your will, determine to do the loving thing. That step of faith will open the channel of God’s power. He will not only enable you to carry through with your decision to act in love, but He will give you genuine delight in doing His will. But go back to Ahab and his vegetable garden for a moment.

Jezebel found Ahab sulking in his bed and said to him, “How is it that your spirit is so sullen that you are not eating food?” (1 Kgs. 21:5). So he explained to her how Naboth refused to let him have his vegetable garden. She replied, “Do you now reign over Israel?” (1 Kgs. 21:7). In modern terms, that might sound more like, “What are you, a man or a mouse? Squeak up! Don’t you know that you are the king. You can take anything you want.” With her Phoenician background, Jezebel could not seem to understand that even the king in Israel was subject to the laws of God. We discover how thoroughly this weak and wicked man was dominated by his overbearing wife when she said, “Arise, eat bread, and let your heart be joyful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite” (1 Kgs. 21:7).

She planned to commit a hideous crime; she was going to pay two false witnesses to testify that they heard Naboth blaspheme God and the king, so that both he and his sons would be stoned to death and the king would be free to lay claim to his land (cf. 2 Kgs. 9:26). She was going to teach Ahab her philosophy of life: “Take what you want and destroy anyone who stands in your way.” And Ahab did not have the courage to stop her. A man will do strange things when he is taunted and ridiculed by his wife. “Why didn’t you stand up to him?” one wife jeered when she heard of her husband’s latest disagreement with the boss. “When are you going to start acting like a man?” So the next time he did, and he lost his job and everyone suffered. So the next round went like this: “You can’t even provide for your family. What kind of a man are you?” So he showed her by roughing her up a little, and then by turning to cheating and stealing to make ends meet. And again, everyone in the family suffered. A man needs respect from his wife, not ridicule.

Of this disgraceful incident in Ahab’s life, God said, “Surely there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the Lord, because Jezebel his wife incited him” (1 Kgs. 21:25). Some men need to be spurred on, to be sure, but not to do evil! A godly wife will challenge her husband to listen to God and live for Him, not encourage him to sin. But the story is not over. These two were self-willed to the end. Elijah met Ahab in Naboth’s vineyard and pronounced God’s judgment on both him and his wife for their wicked deed. It was several years later when that judgment came on Ahab, and it too is a story of self-will. The incident started over a city east of Jordan called Ramoth-Gilead, which Ahab said belonged to Israel but was still in the hands of Syria. When Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, came to visit Ahab, he asked him if he would go to battle with him for Ramoth-Gilead. Jehoshaphat agreed, but wanted to consult the Lord first.

Ahab called his “yes” men together and they assured him that the Lord would give Ramoth-Gilead into the hand of the king. But Jehoshaphat was still not satisfied. He wanted another opinion: “Is there not yet a prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of him?” (1 Kgs. 22:7). And Ahab replied, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. He is Micaiah son of Imlah” (1 Kgs. 22:8). So Micaiah was called, and although he knew his life was in danger, he spoke what God told him. Israel would be scattered on the mountains like sheep without a shepherd (1 Kgs. 22:17). As we might expect, Ahab rejected Micaiah’s prophecy and had him cast into prison. He was going to have what he wanted and do what he pleased, regardless of God’s will. But it didn’t work out quite like he planned. Ahab knew the Syrians would be after him personally, so he removed his royal garments and disguised himself as a regular soldier.

“Now a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel in a joint of the armor” (1 Kgs. 22:34). That soldier did not know he was shooting at the king, but his arrow penetrated the narrow slit between the pieces of Ahab’s armor. Very few bowmen would have been that accurate. It was obvious that God was guiding that arrow, and Ahab’s self-will ended in his untimely death. Jezebel outlived him by almost fourteen years. Jehu, the captain of Israel’s army, was to be the instrument of divine discipline in her case. After slaying King Jehoram, the son of Ahab, he rode to Jezreel. Scripture says, “When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it, and she painted her eyes and adorned her head, and looked out the window” (2 Kgs. 9:30). She knew what was about to happen, but she was going to die like a queen, arrogant, self-willed and unrepentant to the end.

She shouted abuses at Jehu from her upstairs window, but at Jehu’s command, several of her servants threw her down, “and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall and on the horses, and he trampled her under foot” (2 Kgs. 9:33). It was a violent death, but it illustrated again the seriousness of sinful self-will in opposition to God. Yet their influence lived on in their children. And this is often the saddest side effect of lives like Ahab’s and Jezebel’s. Two sons of Ahab and Jezebel later ruled in Israel. The first was Ahaziah. Of him God says, “And he did evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. So he served Baal and worshiped him and provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger according to all that his father had done” (1 Kgs. 22:52, 53). The second son to reign was Jehoram.

As Jehu rode to execute vengeance on the house of Ahab, Jehoram cried, “Is it peace, Jehu?” Jehu summed up Jehoram’s reign with his reply: “What peace, so long as the harlotries of your mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?” (2 Kgs. 9:22). Ahab and Jezebel also had a daughter, Athaliah, and she married another man named Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat, king of the southern kingdom of Judah. “And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab did (for Ahab’s daughter was his wife), and he did evil in the sight of the Lord” (2 Chron. 21:6). So it was that the evil influence moved south. At Jehoram’s death, his son by Athaliah became king of Judah. “Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Onui. He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor to do wickedly.

And he did evil in the sight of the Lord like the house of Ahab, for they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his destruction” (2 Chron. 22:2-4). And the evil influence lived on! God only knows how many generations will be affected by our sinful self-will, our insistence on having things our way instead of God’s. This shocking story ought to provide the incentive we need to put off every remnant of self-will and yield ourselves fully to do the will of God. Let’s talk it over 1. How do you think Ahab should have handled the situation when it became obvious to him that Jezebel wanted to eliminate Jehovah worship from Israel? 2. How can a wife increase her respect for her husband? How can a husband help her? 3. Do you feel that your mate is infringing on any of your “inviolable rights”? Discuss with each other how the situation can be handled. 4. Which way does your selfish nature exhibit itself—with rage or with sullenness? What clues help you recognize your rising self-will? What can you do to combat it? 5. Do you seem to be demanding your own way much of the time?

Ask your mate what he or she thinks, then prayerfully consider the answer. 6. Have you both yielded yourselves to Christ as Lord of your lives and are you willing to let Him make the changes necessary to improve your relationship with each other? (Your willingness to hear your mate out without getting irritable or defensive may be an accurate measure of that willingness.) Ahab, the most wicked King of Israel - Amazing Bible Timeline with World History Amazing Bible Timeline with World History Easily See 6017 Years of Biblical and World History Together! Menu March 28, 2016 Ahab, the most wicked King of Israel God stated that King Ahab did more evil in his eyes than any other king before him. When the Lord of heaven makes this kind of comment about a person’s life this clearly reveals that God was not pleased with Ahab’s rule. God said that Ahab didn’t think much was wrong with the evil things that he did while he ruled. He married a foreign woman named Jezebel who worshiped the god Baal and he built a temple to honor this god in Samaria. He also built altars and idols to another pagan deity named Asherah.

He allowed Jezebel to kill godly priests and a godly man named Naboth. He also created problems for the prophet Elijah while he was alive. He appears on the Biblical Timeline Chart starting in 932 BC. Ahab was the son of King Omri a former military commander who had taken over the throne after he assassinated another military leader named Zimri who was a self-proclaimed king. Omri was a wicked ruler and he taught his son his evil ways. After Omri had passed away Ahab took what he had learned from his father and put it into practice while he ruled Israel . Ahab name means ” father’s brother” or “uncle”. [This article continues after a message from the authors] These Articles are Written by the Publishers of The Amazing Bible Timeline Quickly See 6000 Years of Bible and World History Together Unique Circular Format – see more in less space. Learn facts that you can’t learn just from reading the bible Attractive design ideal for your home, office, church … Limited Time Offer! Find out more now! > Ahab, Obadiah, Elijah, and Jezebel At one point during Ahab’s rule, his wife Jezebel was killing God’s prophets.

King Ahab didn’t care about what she was doing because he was worshipping Baal. God sent a prophet named Elijah to resolve this situation. Before Elijah confronted the King Ahab, the king had one of his chief servants, named Obadiah, to find some grass or vegetation for the king’s animals. The land of Israel was experiencing a severe famine at the time. Obadiah did what the king had commanded him. King Ahab Obadiah began to search Israel for some green pastures and while he was out performing his duties, he met up with Elijah. Obadiah was a godly man who hid many prophets away from Jezebel. When Obadiah saw Elijah he bowed to him and they started to talk. Elijah told Obadiah to tell Ahab that he was going to pay him a visit. Obadiah was afraid to tell King Ahab because the king and Jezebel had wanted to capture Elijah since he was the leader of the prophets. Ultimately, Obadiah did as Elijah told him to and Ahab met up with him. So Elijah confronted Ahab and told him that him to summon the prophets of Baal. There was a showdown between the prophet of God and the false prophets.

Elijah won this confrontation. This was a major blow that was dealt to his kingdom since Elijah proved that God was stronger than Baal. Naboth Vineyards Naboth was a Jezreelite who lived in Israel during the reign of Ahab. King Ahab wanted his vineyard because it was beautiful and it was located near his royal palace. King Ahab wanted to pay Naboth for his vineyard or exchange it for another vineyard. Naboth refused to part with it because it was a family plot. King Ahab became upset and was depressed about the situation. His wife Jezebel told him that she would get Naboth’s land. She devised a scheme where two men bore a false witness against Naboth claiming that he cursed God and the king. The people stoned Naboth for these sins. Jezebel then told King Ahab to take his land because he was dead. God once again used Elijah to inform King Ahab that dogs will lick up his blood in the same spot where Naboth died. Elijah also tells Ahab about Jezebel’s fate as well. Ultimately, King Ahab lost his life at the battle of Ramoth-Gilead.

His blood that was washed off of his chariot was licked up by dogs in the city of Samaria in the same place where Naboth was unjustly killed. References: 1 Kings 16: 29 – 33 Ahab becomes king of Israel. 1 Kings 18 King Ahab and the prophets of Baal versus Elijah the Prophet on Mt. Carmel. 1 Kings 21 Jezebel kills Naboth and takes his lands for King Ahab. 1 Kings 22: 29 – 39 King Ahab dies and his blood is licked up by dogs. References: 1 and 2 Kings - Ahab, the most wicked of all Isreal's kings The Most Wicked of all Israelï¿½s Kings Introduction In light of the lessons so far we have been observing the leadership styles of the kings of Israel and Judah. The criteria for assessing the actions of each of the kings are based upon the book of Deut. Where God made it clear to Moses what type of king His people should follow. When the people asked Samuel for a king, it is significant that they asked for a king so that they could be like other nations and that the king fight their battles for them.

The effects of the peopleï¿½s choice of a king were to haunt them in a successive downward spiral of politics and apostasy as told in the book of Kings. It is most interesting to note that scholars believe that Jeremiah was the one that compiled the material for the book of Kings. Given his mission to call the people to real repentance before the Babylonians come and destroy Jerusalem and take the nation captive, it is intriguing that such a history would be written to expose the depths of the nationï¿½s rejection of Godï¿½s ways. The progressive nature of the rejection beginning with Solomon affords the reader the opportunity to see the real nature of how improper leadership can destroy a nation due to spiritual bankruptcy. Personally, I am fascinated with the ways in which the kings are characterized in the book of Kings. The ways the kings are described as being wicked or righteous are exposed in more subtle manners than one might expect. Instead of portraying the moral character of each king in simple black and white terms, the reader is presented with events that reveal the underlying character weaknesses that led otherwise strong military leaders and seemingly competent political strategists, to destroy the effectiveness of Godï¿½s people as the spiritual salt of the earth.

Ahab: The Extreme Example of a Wicked King The story of King Ahab has always been one that has been associated with wickedness and apostasy. With his marriage to Jezebel and his interaction with Elijah clearly he stands as a leader that exhibits traits that are opposed to Godï¿½s directives. Yet if the reader looks carefully at the Bibleï¿½s characterization of this king, he will find that Ahab is described as obeying the words of the prophet, of complying with Godï¿½s requests at times, much more than other kings before him who are considered less wicked than he. Why is this so? History shows that Ahab was quite a military leader and politician. He strengthened positions in his kingdom and doubled urban centers. His attention to the army gave him distinction among his peers. But this is not what God wished Israel to be known for. Notice the way in which Ahabï¿½s weakness of character is exposed.

Ahabï¿½s Character Weakness The "good" Ahab was hostile to Elijahï¿½s words but obeyed them Gathering together the people 1 Kings 18:19 Eating and drinking 1 Kings 18:41 Preparing his chariot 1 Kings 18:44 He complies with an unnamed prophet 1 Kings 20:13, 28 He rends his garment in a display of repentance. This is underscored by the Elijahï¿½s comments of Godï¿½s approval of Ahabï¿½s sincerity by stating a stay of execution till the next generation. 1 Kings 21:20-29 The "bad" Ahab is submissive to God and prophet but he is also submission to whoever confronts him regardless of politics or moral standards. Jezebelï¿½s persecution of Godï¿½s prophets; Ahab is silent 1 Kings 18:4 He fails to speak up at Jezebelï¿½s threat on Elijahï¿½s life 1 Kings 19:2 He accedes to an enemy for mercy against warning of a prophet.

1 Kings 20:35-43 The incident with Naboth is prime evidence of Ahabï¿½s inconsistency Ahab wants Nabothï¿½s land which is the latterï¿½s inheritance Sale of which is forbidden outside of the family Ahab shows his usual submissiveness but begins to reveal more He represents Nabothï¿½s rejection as a personal one and not based upon principle He substitutes "vineyard" (mere property) for the inheritance He replaces Nabothï¿½s "The Lord forbid it me" for "I will not give thee my vineyard" Thus Ahab conveys that he has been insulted. He portrays Naboth as saying, "Perhaps I would sell to someone else, but not to you." Ahab is not concerned about how Jezebel will give him the vineyard. He is not interested in how Naboth dies (Jezebel doesnï¿½t tell him Naboth was stoned) His repentance does not rehabilitate him. 1 Kings 21:27 Ahabï¿½s Weakness and greatest sin He is an opportunist who will follow whoever leads him, whether good or bad.

He finally is confronted with a clear decisive choice in the battle, to follow God or inclination. He chooses badly and dies for it. Conclusion The characterization of King Ahab reveals his lack of commitment to God and the truth given him. Too often we look at the actions of a person to determine a personï¿½s character. We tend to list the good and the bad in two columns and see which list is longer. But this manner of characterization in the Bible reveals a much deeper criteria. Just as God told Samuel when he was sent to anoint David to not look on the outward appearance only but also upon the heart, so we are to assess the character. What is so displeasing to God is not just sins as we describe them. David committed some horrific acts as king, still God was said he was a man after His Own heart. This was not just a cover up on Godï¿½s part. He could say that because David had allowed God to cleanse his life. (See Ps 119:9-) David believed in salvation from sin not in sin. Ahab was completely at the opposite end of the spectrum.

1 Kings 21:25 (There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, urged on by Jezebel his wife. Matthew Henry Commentary 21:17-29 Blessed Paul complains that he was sold under sin, Ro 7:14, as a poor captive against his will; but Ahab was willing, he sold himself to sin; of choice, and as his own act and deed, he loved the dominion of sin. Jezebel his wife stirred him up to do wickedly. Ahab is reproved, and his sin set before his eyes, by Elijah. That man's condition is very miserable, who has made the word of God his enemy; and very desperate, who reckons the ministers of that word his enemies, because they tell him the truth. Ahab put on the garb and guise of a penitent, yet his heart was unhumbled and unchanged. Ahab's repentance was only what might be seen of men; it was outward only.

Let this encourage all that truly repent, and unfeignedly believe the holy gospel, that if a pretending partial penitent shall go to his house reprieved, doubtless, a sincere believing penitent shall go to his house justified. Daily Bible Study - Ahab Questions? Search all 6,500+ Bible studies on this website. Just type in topic word(s) or a question. Due to extensive use of high-quality maps and illustrations, this educational website is best-viewed with a minimum screen-resolution width of 1280 pixels Ahab by Wayne Blank Ahab, from the Hebrew name (pronounced) awk-awb, meaning a brother of his father, or a friend of his father, was the seventh king of the northern Kingdom of Israel (see When Israel Became "Israel" and "Judah" ). The son and successor of King Omri (see Kings of Israel and Judah ), Ahab reigned a little over 20 years, approximately 875 to 855 BC.

Although Ahab was one of the strongest kings of Israel, militarily and politically, he was also one of the most religiously and morally corrupt (just as it has always been everywhere; those at the top of the political and/or military heap almost always get and stay there by Godless law-of-the-jungle ruthlessness - see also Who Still Rules The World Today? ), both from his own evil-mindedness and as a result of the influence of his infamously-wicked wife, Jezebel . To the Israelite Calf Worship introduced by Jeroboam (the first king of the ten tribes), Ahab added the worship of Jezebel's favorite idol Baal , both of which provoked a response from the prophet Elijah who was active at that time. Ahab and Jezebel Ahab became king upon the death of his father King Omri, at the time that Asa was king of Judah to the south. Ahab's reign was filled with religious corruption right from the start: "So Omri slept [see also What Happens When You Die? ] with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria : and Ahab his son reigned in his stead.

And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years." "And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of The Lord above all that were before him. And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him. And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.

And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke The Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him." (1 Kings 16:28-33 KJV) Elijah's first mention in the Bible was when he confronted the corrupt Ahab with a drought from The Lord: "And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As The Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years [see also The Spirit and Power of Elijah ], but according to my word." (1 Kings 17:1 KJV) Years later, the rain was turned on again, after Ahab's kingdom was devastated by famine caused by the drought: "And it came to pass after many days, that the word of The Lord came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, show thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth. And Elijah went to show himself unto Ahab.

And there was a sore famine in Samaria." (1 Kings 18:1-2 KJV) Ahab played the typical "blame game" with Elijah, accusing Elijah of causing trouble for Israel. Elijah responded with a judgment and a challenge: "And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?" "And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the Commandments of The Lord [see The Decalogue ], and thou hast followed Baalim. Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table." "So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel. And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if The Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.

And the people answered him not a word." (1 Kings 18:17-21 KJV) After her prophets of Baal were annihilated, Jezebel vowed to kill Elijah, a threat that resulted in Jezebel's own demise later (see the Fact Finder question below): "And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time." (1 Kings 19:1-2 KJV) Ahab and Jezebel's murder of a man, Naboth, for his property was the final straw; it became Ahab's own death sentence: "And the word of The Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it.

And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith The Lord, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith The Lord, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine." (1 Kings 21:17-19 KJV) The prophesied death of Ahab came about during a battle in which Israel and Judah were allied against Syria. An enemy archer fired a very "lucky" shot from a distance, aiming only at the body of troops. But what did he hit? King Ahab - the random shot not only hit the king himself, but also just "happened" to hit him between the sections of his armor where there was no protection. He bled through the day before dying at sunset. In a very ghastly spectacle, dogs licked up his blood from his chariot - just as The Lord had declared for his bloody wickedness. "So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead.

And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle; but put thou on thy robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle." "And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded. And the battle increased that day: and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot." "So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.

And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armour; according unto the word of The Lord which he spake." (1 Kings 22:29-30,34-35,37-38 KJV) Ahab was succeeded as king of Israel by his son Ahaziah "Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he made, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? So Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead." (1 Kings 22:29-40 KJV) Fact Finder: Did Ahab's wife Jezebel also die for her wickedness, according to the word of God through Elijah? 1 Kings 21:23, 2 Kings 9:30-37 Daily Bible Study Library 4. Ahab & Naboth's Vineyard (1 Kings 21) | Bible.org 4.

Ahab & Naboth's Vineyard (1 Kings 21) Main Point: God is perfectly loving and perfectly just. Key Verse: I am the Lord God. I am merciful and very patient with My people. I show great love, and I can be trusted. I keep My promises to My people forever, but I also punish anyone who sins. - Exodus 34:b-7a CEV Props: A large bunch of grapes Background/Review (1 Kings 20) Say: Last week we learned that God is a God of new beginnings. He seeks after us; He wants us to turn from our sin and follow Him. Even when the prophet Elijah gave up and ran away, God went after Him. God gently prodded Elijah to see that fearing the evil Jezebel and running away was sin. But Elijah did not repent. Once again, God displayed His power before Elijah’s eyes, but Elijah still would not repent. So God appointed a new prophet for Elijah to train up. Soon, Elisha would take Elijah’s place. The next chapter of the Bible, 1 Kings 20, centers around two wars.

King Ahab, King of Israel, was under attack by the King of Syria and 32 other kings combined! Though Ahab was an evil king, God was faithful to the promises He had made to His people, the Israelites (Deuteronomy 20:10-13). God sent a prophet to tell Ahab, "The Lord says, 'Do you see this huge army? I will hand it over to you today. Then you will know that I am the Lord.' " (1 Kings 20:13) Not once, but twice, God brought victory to Israel, even though the army they fought was almost twenty times larger than their own army. But even though God showed incredible grace and mercy to Ahab, Ahab did not follow God’s law. God’s law said that when the Israelites defeated an enemy at war, every man must be killed (Deuteronomy 20:13). Ahab did what was right in his own eyes. He made a treaty with the enemy King of Syria and let him go free because he promised to give Ahab many cities. God sent a prophet to speak to Ahab once again. This time, the news was not good for Ahab.

He told the king, "The Lord says, 'You have set a man free. But I had said he should be set apart to the Lord in a special way to be destroyed. So you must pay for his life with yours. You must pay for his people's lives with the lives of your people.' " The king of Israel was angry. He was in a bad mood. He went back to his palace in Samaria. - 1 Kings 20:42-43 King Ahab did not die right away, but his time was coming. Ahab & Naboth’s Vineyard (1 Kings 21:1-16) Now there was a man named Naboth, from Jezreel, who owned a vineyard in Jezreel beside the palace of King Ahab of Samaria. One day Ahab said to Naboth, “Since your vineyard is so convenient to my palace, I would like to buy it to use as a vegetable garden.

I will give you a better vineyard in exchange, or if you prefer, I will pay you for it.” But Naboth replied, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance that was passed down by my ancestors.” So Ahab went home angry and sullen because of Naboth’s answer. The king went to bed with his face to the wall and refused to eat! - 1 Kings 21:1-4 NLT Say: Let’s try to picture this scene. King Ahab wanted a piece of land to plant a garden. He chose a vineyard right next to His palace. Ask: Who knows what a vineyard is used for? Growing grapes. Teacher: Hold up a bunch of grapes. Say: A vineyard is land that is used to grow grapes. But Naboth, the owner of the land, said he could not sell it. Naboth wasn’t just being stubborn here. He had a really good reason for refusing the King. Naboth was following God’s orders. Back when God handed out the land to the twelve tribes of Israel, He forbid them to sell or give their part of the land to another tribe or family (Leviticus 25:23).

King Ahab offered Naboth a better piece of land. Using human logic, Naboth would have been better off taking the King’s offer. But Naboth was not doing what was right in his own eyes; he was obeying God. So King Ahab did not get what he wanted. We might imagine that a wealthy King might have shook the man’s hand, thanked him for his time, and rode off to find another piece of land. But instead, this grown man stormed off, pouting! He probably looked a lot like this. Teacher: Make a scowl face, sticking out your bottom lip with your arms crossed in a huff. Say: Okay - let’s see it. Everyone show me your best pouting face! Say: That’s it exactly! You all look like toddlers who didn’t get what you wanted! And that is exactly how King Ahab looked! He went home, crawled in bed and refused to eat! That was no way for a King to behave! Soon, his wife, Jezebel, came in. She asked what had made him so upset. Let’s listen very carefully to Ahab’s answer.

PPT VERSE “I asked Naboth to sell me his vineyard or trade it, but he refused!” Ahab told her. - 1 Kings 21:6 NLT Ask: What was wrong with Ahab’s answer? Listen for answers. Say: Look carefully at what Ahab said. Ask: Was his statement TRUE? Yes. Ask: Was it the WHOLE truth? No. Say: Ahab left out the most important part of the story. He didn’t tell his wife why Naboth refused to sell the land. We will see that this is going to cause a whole lot of trouble! Application: There are many times in our lives when we may be tempted not to tell the whole truth. If we have done something wrong, leaving out details might seem like a convenient way to stay out of trouble. For example, what if you were playing baseball in your yard? When it was your turn to bat, you closed your eyes and swung your hardest. Immediately you heard glass breaking. The ball went right through your neighbor’s window, but no one was home at your neighbor’s, so you hid the bat and didn’t say a word.

Later, your mom came and asked, “Honey, did you see what happened to the neighbor’s window?” Since your eyes were closed, you quickly reply, “No.” You may not have seen it, but you certainly knew what happened. Or, at times, we might want to give a certain impression by leaving details out of our story. Little Jacob might point to his sister and scream, “She hit me!” But the part that Jacob left out is that he actually hit his sister first. Jacob wants to leave the impression that his sister is all in the wrong, and he is completely blameless. This was the case with King Ahab. He gave the impression that Naboth was just being stubborn, when the whole truth was that Naboth was obeying God. We must understand that a half-truth is not the truth at all. Truth matters, and as believers in Jesus, who is “the Truth,” we should always tell the whole truth. Say: With the impression that Naboth was stubborn and selfish, Jezebel decided to take matters into her own hands. His wife Jezebel said, "Is this how the King of Israel acts? Get up! Eat something! Cheer up.

I'll get you the vineyard of Naboth from Jezreel." - 1 Kings 21:7 Jezebel came up with an evil plan. She wrote a letter to the leaders of the town where Naboth lived. She ordered that the leaders to call everyone in town together for a day of prayer. She said to give Naboth a special seat, and then call in two bad men who would lie about Naboth, saying that he had cursed God and cursed the King. She said that the townspeople must stone Naboth to death. Jezebel signed the King’s name to the orders. She even stamped it with the King’s seal to make it look official. Sadly, since the order had been sealed with the King’s seal, it had to be followed. The leaders did as they were told. The townspeople believed that Naboth had cursed God and the King. They stoned him to death. When Jezebel heard the news, she said to Ahab, “You know the vineyard Naboth wouldn’t sell you? Well, you can have it now! He’s dead!” So Ahab immediately went down to the vineyard of Naboth to claim it.

- 1 Kings 21:15-16 NLT Note to Teacher: Jezebel’s plan is both ironic and disturbing. The irony is that she would falsely accuse a man of cursing God when she had spent her entire life cursing God, and even murdering His prophets. It is very interesting that even though she was not an Israelite, she knew enough about Israelite law to use it against an Israelite. She knew that blasphemy bore the punishment of death by stoning (Leviticus 24:14-16). It is indeed disturbing that she knows so much about the God of Israel, she has seen His hand at work, and her gods had been proven to be false, yet, she continued in her ways, without fear of the one true God. Judgement On Ahab (1 Kings 21:17-26) Say: God sent Elijah to Naboth’s vineyard to give King Ahab a VERY serious message. The Lord was going to punish Ahab for being a part of Naboth’s murder. Ahab said to Elijah, "My enemy! You have found me!" "I have found you," he answered.

"That's because you gave yourself over to do evil things. You did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord says, 'I am going to bring horrible trouble on you. I will destroy your children after you. I will cut off every male in Israel who is related to you. It does not matter whether they are slaves or free... You have made me very angry. You have caused Israel to commit sin.' " - 1 Kings 21:20-22 Elijah told Ahab that Jezebel would also be killed. These are some very strong words, but Ahab had earned his punishment. God had blessed him with being made the earthly King of God’s own people, and Ahab turned his back on God and all this was right. The Bible says, “There was never anyone like Ahab. He gave himself over to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord. His wife Jezebel talked him into it. He acted in the most evil way. He worshiped statues of gods.” (1 Kings 21:25-26a) AHAB REPENTS (1 Kings 21:27-28) Say: Ahab took Elijah’s prophecy seriously.

He tore his clothes and put on black clothes. This was a sign of mourning, as if someone had died. Ahab stopped eating and began to act very humble. God sent another message to Elijah about Ahab. It said, "Have you seen how Ahab has made himself low in My sight? Because he has done that, I will not bring trouble on him while he lives. But I will bring it on his royal house when his son is king." - 1 Kings 21:29 God had already decreed a punishment - Ahab, Jezebel, and their sons would be destroyed. But because Ahab finally bowed down to the Lord, and acted with humility, God would not punish Ahab’s sons until after Ahab had died. In time, all that God had spoken came to pass. Ahab died in battle when the Lord decided it should happen (1 Kings 22:20, 37). Jezebel died in the exact way Elijah had prophesied (1 Kings 21:23, 2 Kings 9:33-37). And eventually, all of Ahab’s descendants were killed (2 Kings 10:11).

I want you to know that the Lord has spoken against Ahab's royal house. Not a word of what He has said will fail. The Lord has done exactly what He promised through His servant Elijah." - 2 Kings 10:10 Application: In today’s story, we see that God is just, and He is also loving. Another word for just is fair. Like a good judge, God must punish sin. It would not be fair for a judge to allow someone to break the law and not punish him. In the same way, God must punish sin. But this makes God very sad (Genesis 6:6) because God loves people very much (1 John 4:8). In the book of Exodus, God told Moses, “I am the Lord God. I am merciful and very patient with My people. I show great love, and I can be trusted. I keep My promises to My people forever, but I also punish anyone who sins.” (Exodus 34:b-7a CEV) As we saw, God was very patient with Ahab and Jezebel. He gave them many, many opportunities to repent and turn to Him. But Ahab insisted on having things his way.

He did not give a second thought to God’s command about the land. God’s way is always best, but Ahab and Jezebel thought that they knew better than God. Finally, the perfect and patient God had had enough. He decreed the punishment for this prideful, selfish, idol-worshipping couple. Notice that Ahab and Jezebel’s sin brought terrible consequences for their children. They lived wicked lives in front of their children. So their children followed their wicked behavior, and they too would be punished (1 Kings 22:52, 2 Kings 2-3). Our sin ALWAYS ruins things, and it almost always affects other people. Yet, even after all of the horrible things that Ahab had done, God showed mercy to him because he repented of his sin. God did not bring punishment to Ahab’s sons while Ahab was alive. Even though God is just, and must punish sin because He is holy, He is also completely loving, giving us every opportunity to turn from our sin, and turn to Him. There is no greater proof of this than the fact that God sent His Son, Jesus, to save us (John 3:16).

Just like Ahab, each one of us has done evil in God’s sight, and we deserve to be punished by our just God (Romans 3:23). But God loves us so much, that He sent Jesus to pay for our sin. There is nothing we can do to save ourselves. Only our faith in Jesus takes our sin away and brings us back to God. PPT KEY VERSE Key Verse: I am the Lord God. I am merciful and very patient with My people. I show great love, and I can be trusted. I keep My promises to My people forever, but I also punish anyone who sins. - Exodus 34:b-7a CEV PPT MAIN POINT Main Point: God is perfectly loving and perfectly just. © 2007 BibleLessons4Kidz.com All rights reserved worldwide. May be reproduced for personal, nonprofit, and non-commercial uses only. Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®) Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society / Used by permission of IBS-STL. All rights reserved worldwide.

Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.

Question: In the Bible, in the book of Kings, who was the evil wife of King Ahab?
Answer: Jezebel