When Darkness Reigns

Bible Text: I Kings 16:29-34 | Preacher: Alan Conner | Series: 1 Kings, 2006

Northwest Bible Church – May 28, 2006 – Worship Service – 1 & 2 Kings Series – Alan Conner

1 Kings 16:29-34

When Darkness Reigns

 

Overview:

Kings of Judah                                                                                                Kings of Israel

Rehoboam (930-913) – 17 yrs.                                                                  Jeroboam (930-909) – 22 yrs.

Abijam (913-910) – 3 yrs                                                                           Nadab (909-908) – 2 yrs.

Asa (910-869) – 41 yrs.                                                                              Baasha (908-886) – 24 yrs.

Elah (886-885) – 2 yrs.

Zimri (885) – 7 days

Omri/Tibni (885-880) – 5 yrs.

Omri (880-874) – 12 yrs.

Ahab (874-853) – 22 yrs.

 

 

AHAB’S PROSPEROUS REIGN.

 

AHAB’S WICKED REIGN (vv. 30-33).

 

1) A new standard is set (vv. 30, 33).

This was his spiritual report card.   A big fat “F”.

Does this sound familiar? Same description for Omri (v. 25).

 

2) A new kind of bride is taken (v. 31).

The HS mentions this is the greatest sin of Ahab that he married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians (Phoenicians). According to Josephus, Ethbaal was a priest of Astarte and at the age of 36 murdered his brother, King Phelles, and took over the kingdom of Tyre and Sidon. His name means with Baal.

 

Jezebel hates Yahweh and is tirelessly promotes the religion of Baal.

 

 

3) A new kind of god is worshipped (vv. 31-33).

Ahab, for all practical purposes, completely defects from the faith though he still gives lip service to Yahweh. This is a new low. Davis, “Jeroboam’s state cult is like drinking polluted water; Ahab’s imported paganism is like sucking raw sewage. Neither is good, but one is worse than the other” (p. 199).

 

a) Baal (vv. 31-32). Baal is a fertility god of paganism. Baal was believed to be responsible for their prosperity, brought rain, brought harvest.

 

b) Asherah (v. 33). A wooden idol representing a female goddess.

 

 

 

AHAB’S WICKED INFLUENCE (v. 34).

 

1) Ahab’s reign is described by intentional neglect of God’s word (v. 34). Hiel the Bethelite was commissioned to rebuild the city of Jericho is opposition to the word of God.

 

This is the blueprint behind all of Satan’s schemes – to attack God’s word and convince us there are no consequence to disobedience – “Surely you will not die.”

 

 

2) The curse came to pass exactly as prophesied.

Josh. 6:26 Then Joshua made them take an oath at that time, saying, “Cursed before the LORD is the man who rises up and builds this city Jericho; with the loss of his first-born he shall lay its foundation, and with the loss of his youngest son he shall set up its gates.”

 

 

 

INFERENCE: THE NEED FOR GOD’S GRACE TO OVERCOME EVIL.

 

 

Yet, why did God include this in the Bible?

 

 

WHEN DARKNESS REIGNS, GOD’S LIGHT WILL SOON APPEAR (17:1).

 

 

“Now Elijah the Tishbite . . .”     Elijah whose name means, MY GOD IS YAHWEH.   His very name confronts the apostasy head on.

 

What an encouragement this is. That whenever darkness begins to reign, the light of God’s grace and intervention is waiting in the wings, ready to jump out upon the stage of history at His command.

 

 

 

Conclusion