Topical Bible: God: Preserver: Ahab

◄ God: Preserver: Ahab ►

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In the biblical narrative, Ahab, the son of Omri, is depicted as the seventh king of Israel, reigning in the northern kingdom during the 9th century BC. His account is primarily found in the books of 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles. Ahab's reign is marked by significant religious and political challenges, and despite his notorious reputation for idolatry and wickedness, the theme of God as Preserver is evident in his life and reign.

Ahab's Reign and Idolatry

Ahab is often remembered for his marriage to Jezebel, a Phoenician princess, which led to the introduction and promotion of Baal worship in Israel. This idolatry provoked the anger of the Lord, as recorded in 1 Kings 16:30-33: "Ahab son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him. And as if it were a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he married Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and proceeded to serve and worship Baal."

Despite Ahab's apostasy, God demonstrated His preserving power through various means, including the ministry of the prophet Elijah. Elijah's confrontation with Ahab and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18) served as a powerful reminder of God's sovereignty and His ability to preserve His people and His truth, even amidst widespread idolatry.

Divine Preservation in Battle

God's role as Preserver is further illustrated in Ahab's military encounters. In 1 Kings 20, Ahab faced the threat of Ben-Hadad, king of Aram. Despite Ahab's unfaithfulness, God delivered the Arameans into his hands, demonstrating His power and mercy. The prophet conveyed God's message to Ahab: "This is what the LORD says: ‘Have you seen this vast army? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand today, and you will know that I am the LORD’" (1 Kings 20:13).

This victory was not due to Ahab's righteousness but rather to God's desire to reveal Himself as the true God of Israel. The preservation of Israel in battle, despite Ahab's failings, underscores God's commitment to His covenant people and His overarching plan for their redemption.

Ahab's Repentance and God's Mercy

Ahab's account also includes a moment of repentance, which highlights God's willingness to preserve even those who have strayed far from Him. After Elijah's pronouncement of judgment against Ahab for the murder of Naboth and the seizure of his vineyard, Ahab humbled himself before the Lord. In response, God showed mercy: "Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the disaster in his days, but in the days of his son I will bring the disaster upon his house" (1 Kings 21:29).

This episode reveals God's readiness to preserve and extend grace to those who turn back to Him, even when they have previously acted in defiance of His commands.

Conclusion

Ahab's life and reign, while fraught with idolatry and moral failure, serve as a testament to God's preserving nature. Through divine intervention in battles, prophetic encounters, and moments of mercy, God demonstrated His sovereignty and faithfulness to His covenant, preserving His people and His purposes amidst the challenges of Ahab's rule.

Nave's Topical Index

1 Kings 20:1
And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together: and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses, and chariots; and he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

The Kingdom Op Judah.
... slain with him in Jehu's massacre of the House of Ahab. ... he even slew the son of his
preserver, Jehoiada, for ... Son should be born, and should be God present with ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson vii the kingdom op.htm

The Heresies Attacked by the Apostles.
... by Christ, the same their Preserver and Legislator ... me as enemies." [3250] And God
reproaches Jehoshaphat with his friendship towards Ahab, and his ...
/.../various/constitutions of the holy apostles/sec iii the heresies attacked by.htm

CHAP. I. -II. 3 (II. 1).
... of Gilboa), and so likewise was the battle between Ahab and the ... the special love,
then the general relation to God as the Creator and Preserver must also ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/chap i -ii 3 ii 1.htm

Comparison Between the False Church and the True.
... in their opinion, the only guardian and preserver of the ... and the priesthood, and
the rites which God had instituted ... which, up to the time of Ahab, had certainly ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 2 comparison between the.htm

The Hope of the Universe.
... too have taken it for granted that the Preserver of man ... new earth in which dwell
the sons of God, are to ... one day be in Naboth's place, with an Ahab getting up ...
/.../macdonald/hope of the gospel/the hope of the universe.htm

Tiglath-Pileser iii. And the Organisation of the Assyrian Empire ...
... ceased to be merely the god of a nation"He became the God of the ... before this, we
find Elisha secretly conspiring against the successors of Ahab, and taking a ...
/.../chapter iitiglath-pileser iii and the.htm

The Work of Jesus Christ as an Advocate,
... Oh, how many doth he accuse, and soon get out from God, against them, a
license to destroy them! as he served Ahab, and many more. ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the work of jesus christ.htm

Seasonable Counsel: Or, Advice to Sufferers.
... in God a sufficiency of power to keep them that have laid their soul at his foot
to be preserved. And hence he is called the soul-keeper, the soul-preserver, ( ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/seasonable counsel or advice to.htm