The Verdict

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

THE VERDICT

1 Kings 21:15-29

15 As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, "Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead." 16 When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth's vineyard. 17 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite: 18 "Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth's vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. 19 Say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?' Then say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth's blood, dogs will lick up your blood — yes, yours!'" 20 Ahab said to Elijah, "So you have found me, my enemy!" "I have found you," he answered, "because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD. 21'I am going to bring disaster on you. I will consume your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel — slave or free. 22 I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked me to anger and have caused Israel to sin.' 3 "And also concerning Jezebel the LORD says: 'Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.' 24 "Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country." 25(There was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, urged on by Jezebel his wife. 26 He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the LORD drove out before Israel.) 27 When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly. 28 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite: 29 "Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son."

NIV

Under the covenant God made with Israel, men still did evil in the eyes of the LORD. They had such a great promise from the LORD, but they needed to obey his word. Ahab’s lust for Naboth’s vineyard was at the heart of this murderous plot of Jezebel. The problem is that she could not act without the LORD seeing what was done, and Jezebel and Ahab provoked the LORD to anger. Elijah was sent to pronounce the verdict for their crime against the LORD. Dogs and birds would eat their blood as death was the verdict for their crimes against the LORD. Ahab did tear his clothes, put on sackcloth, fasted, and went around merely or humbly. The LORD was compassionate toward Ahab and allowed him to live, but the kingdom would be torn from him and his household. Just as it was with Solomon and Rehoboam, it will be with Ahab and his sons. Who can escape the verdict of the LORD? Today we live under another kind of verdict: light came into the world, but men loved darkness instead of the light because their deeds were evil. We know their fate, but this verdict also applies to whoever lives by the truth comes into the light. When we live in the light, our deeds may be seen plainly, and all that is done has been done through God. We live within the Light, who is Jesus, for He is the Light of the world. Because of Jesus, we can live. Because of Jesus, God sees us through His blood. We can never say it is because we did, or how good we think we are. It is never about how much we do, how good we try to be, or how obedient we try to be. It is just that simple. It is not because of us; it is always because of Jesus. That does not mean we can live anyway we want. Jesus told us to learn from Him. He is gentle and humble of heart. If we learn that lesson, we will find rest for our souls. We can learn many truths from the word of God, such as not to be prideful, boastful, arrogant, unforgiving, and not to be rude and self-centered. But we can learn to be gentle and humble. There is no other way to find rest for our souls. Ahab had no rest for his soul because he was not gentle or humble. He was self-centered, wanting what belonged to another. When we learn this truth from Jesus, we will be at peace with God and at peace with each other. Because of the love of God through Jesus, his love covers a multitude of our sins, and that translates into our being gentle and humble of heart, so our love covers a multitude of offenses against us. God’s verdict was upon Ahab and Jezebel, and it was a verdict of guilty. God’s verdict on those who are in Christ is that He declares us innocent, holy, and pleasing in his sight. We live by God’s verdict.