“So it was, when Ahab heard those words, that he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his body, and fasted and lay in sackcloth, and went about mourning. And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, “See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his days. In the days of his son I will bring the calamity on his house.”” I Kings 21:27-29 NKJV
a. When Ahab heard those words, that he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his body: For all his wickedness, Ahab received this prophecy of judgment exactly as he should have. He understood that the prophecy of judgment was in fact an invitation to repent, humble one’s self, and to seek God for mercy.
i. “But this humiliation or repentance of Ahab’s was only external and superficial, arising from the terror of God’s judgments; and not sincere and serious, proceeding from the love of God, or a true sense of his sin, or a solemn purpose of amendment of his life, as appears, because all the particulars of his repentance here, are external and ritual only; nor is there the least intimation of any one sign or fruit of his true repentance, as that he restored Naboth’s land, or reproved his infamous wife; but in the very next chapter you find him returning to his former vomit.” (Poole)
ii. Three years later, Ahab was dead under God’s judgment. “I will recompense his temporary repentance with a temporary deliverance.” (Trapp)
b. Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his days: God honored Ahab’s initiative. This shows the power of both prayer and humble repentance. If Ahab did not humble himself in this way, then the judgment would have come in his own day. This shows that God gave the prophecy of judgment as an invitation to repentance, and God opened the door of mercy when Ahab properly responded to that invitation.
i. There is no record of Jezebel’s humility or repentance; therefore, we can expect that God’s judgment will come upon her exactly as He first announced.
ii. “The penitent heart ever meets the merciful eye of God; repentance is highly esteemed by the Father of compassion, even where it is comparatively shallow and short-lived.” (Clarke)
iii. This shows us the character of God’s mercy: it is given to the undeserving. By nature, the innocent does not need mercy. Ahab was a great sinner, but he won great mercy (in this life) through humble repentance. The worst sinner should not disqualify himself from receiving God’s mercy, if that sinner should only approach God in humble repentance. (Guzik)
Humble Repentance!
Don’t miss this! “The worst sinner should not disqualify himself from receiving God’s mercy, if that sinner should only approach God in humble repentance.” (Guzik)
When the devil whispers in your ear that God won’t forgive you because of this or that remember this quote from Guzik!
We have a God of mercy! All we need is a humble heart and to confess our sin to Him and strive to be better!
“The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.” Psalms 103:8 NKJV
“not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,” Titus 3:5 NKJV
Have you asked for His mercy?
Blessings
No comments:
Post a Comment