Ahab – Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

I. Ahab’s pride. 1 Kings 20:1-43

A. Ben-Hadad’s threat and the prophet’s word. 1 Kings 20:1-21

1. The appeasement of the aggressors. 20:1-4
2. The anger at the arrogant demand. 20:5-11
3. The assistance of God delivering Israel from danger. 20:12-22

a. The prophet – from persecution to power.

The submissive man of God. We would think he would have acted the same way as Jonah and refuse to deliver the message to his former enemy. His presence brought forth a powerful message from God – MERCY!

Isaiah would proclaim at a later time that which Ahab must have felt then –

Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

b. The promise. 20:13,14 Required trust of those that had turned their backs on God.
c. The power – 20:15-21 The defeat of the enemy was begun by 232 soldiers.
The victory was the Lord’s!
d. The preparation. 20:22
Ahab is not left to relax and revel in this victory – The enemy will return. God gave warning to Ahab.

B. Ben-Hadad’s boast and the prophet’s word. 1 Kings 20:23-30
The servants of Ben-Hadad realized that they were not defeated by the power of Israel’s army, but by the power of Israel’s God. They were right about His power but they were wrong about the extent of His power!

Psalm 102:25 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.

1. The pride of Ben-Hadad set him up for defeat. 20:23-27
2. The power of God gave Ahab the victory. 20:28-30

C. Ben-Hadad befriended and Ahab condemned. 1 Kings 20:31-43

II. Ahab’s greed. 1 Kings 21:1-29

A. Ahab’s desire – to obtain Naboth’s vineyard. 1 Kings 21:1-4

B. Jezebel’s plot – to have Naboth killed and his vineyard confiscated. 1 Kings 21:5-16

1. The chagrin of Jezebel. 1 Kings 21:5-7 She was upset at Ahab’s response.
2. The charge against Naboth. 1 Kings 21:8-10

3. The complicity of the leaders at Jezreel. 1 Kings 21:11-14

The witnesses may have given false witness by misrepresenting the words that Naboth spoke – “And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.”

Leviticus 24:15-16 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin. And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall be put to death.

Exodus 22:28 Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.

Naboth would not have been able to deny that he had spoken of God and refused to honour the king.

4. The complete destruction of Naboth’s family 1 Kings 21:15,16

To insure no claim remained on the land by his heirs –

2 Kings 9:26 Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, saith the LORD; and I will requite thee in this plat, saith the LORD. Now therefore take and cast him into the plat of ground, according to the word of the LORD.

C. Ahab rebuked – Elijah confronted Ahab with his sin. 1 Kings 21:17-24
D. Ahab repented – God postponed judgment on his house. 1 Kings 21:25-29
He did not repent in faith, he repented in fear! Refer to –

Micah 6:16 For the statutes of Omri are kept, and all the works of the house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels; that I should make thee a desolation, and the inhabitants thereof an hissing: therefore ye shall bear the reproach of my people.

III.. Ahab’s downfall. 1 Kings 22:1-40

A. Allied with Judah to attack Syria. 1 Kings 22:1-14
B. Warned of defeat. 1 Kings 22:15-28
C. Wounded and died in battle. 1 Kings 22:29-40

The Word of Prophecy fulfilled –

1 Kings 21:19 And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.

James 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.