DAY 253 -BIG PICTURE IN A YEAR - THE UNITED MONARCHY
Reading: 1 Kings 20:1-43
Today’s devotion looks at Ahab King of Israel. The LORD showed extra patience with Ahab, which was rather strange, especially considering that he was such an evil king. There had been three and a half years of drought during which Ahab had been stubbornly rebelling against the word of the LORD. The LORD had demonstrated through Elijah on Mt. Carmel that He is God, not Baal. Elijah’s very name means ‘the LORD (Jah) is God (Eli)’.
In this chapter we read of how the LORD glorified his name through Israel, by causing Israel to defeat a more numerous army of Syria, led by Ben- Hadad. The LORD used Ahab as an instrument of victory over a rather cheeky Ben-Hadad who limited the LORD to a god of the hills and not a god of the plains.
The LORD had delivered this rather cheeky Ben-Hadad into Ahab’s hand to be destroyed. Unfortunately, Ahab had chosen to show him mercy and to make a treaty with him instead of putting him to death. By the end of chapter twenty of 1 Kings we see Ahab rebuked by the LORD and his future condemned. Ahab is sullen and displeased and unrepentant
Prayer
Dear Father, we see that You use all kinds of people to bring Yourself glory. It is amazing what You can do, even through an evil, unwilling king like King Ahab. Please use us for Your glory. Make us willing, thankful and humble instruments for Your glory.
For the family
Watch this video together about the showdown between the Baal worshippers and the worshippers of Yahweh