Lessons from Ahab

In all the stories of the Bible we can find no more repulsive characters than Ahab and Jezebel. In 1 Kings 21:25 we are told, "But there was none like unto Ahab, who did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord." Not only do we need to look at Jesus, Paul and others to see the kind of qualities we should have. We need to look at Ahab and those like him to see the kind of qualities we should not have. We know there are persons who think that kind of negative preaching and teaching is wrong, but the Bible teaches otherwise.

One of the most apparent faults he had was covetousness. This is one of the most dangerous and insidious sins known to man. Men have confessed to murder, lying, adultery, and almost every sin known. I have never heard one confess to covetousness. One of the reasons is found in its definition. It is an inordinate desire for something.

The word is sometimes used to signify a strong desire without the implications of evil. Paul says, "Covet earnestly the best gifts" (1 Corinthians 12:31). This word is "zeloo," not "epithumeo," the usual word for covet. But in both Greek and English the word "covet" (epithumeo) is used in a neutral or good sense as when Jesus said, "I have desired (epithumeo) to eat this passover with you" (Luke 22:15). The context will usually show whether the desire is improper or not. Paul says in Colossians 3:5 that covetousness is idolatry. That word is "pleonexia" and means "the desire to have more." It is always used in a bad sense, and was that which characterized Ahab.

This improper desire for money, power, or anything else is the root of all kinds of evil. There are some ways to tell for sure whether or not you are covetous. If the prosperity of another pains you, the chances are that you are not only envious, but also covetous. If you desire for yourself what another has even if it means that your getting it deprives him of it, you are covetous. If we are never satisfied, no matter how much or what we have, it is probable that we are covetous.

However, as important as the lesson on covetous may be, there is a broader lesson here. This shows what can happen when a person is a slave to his circumstances. That is, when a person allows things and circumstances to control his thinking and happiness, many bad consequences come. This is one reason Paul's attitude in Philippians 4:11 is so valuable, "I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." When a person has not learned that, he is almost invariably discontented in whatever state he is. He may assume that money, power, possessions, fame, good looks, success will give him contentment, but they will not. Alexander the Great had the whole Babylonian Empire. He had conquered the world, but because he could not get ivy to grow in his garden, could not rest. This is why the statement of Solomon in Proverbs 16:2 is so valuable. "He who rules his own heart is better than he who taketh a city." If one gets the idea that his present car is not big or glamorous enough, he will discover all sorts of things that are wrong with it that he never thought of before. It will ride rough on the smoothest places, rattle all over, and be a general headache.

We should learn to live in such a way that our happiness is not controlled by external circumstances. How does one do that? First, be aware of the truth about it. Know of God's warnings and examples in the Bible and your own experience that show the importance of finding happiness in spite of adverse circumstances. Second, let your mind and soul be so controlled, motivated and directed by spiritual values that the things that really matter are so important that the external circumstances are insignificant. For example, if you are going to get married, and you must have a big house to be happy, you will discover that when you get the big house you will not be happy. You can make up your mind that happiness in marriage does not depend on the size of the house you will have. These things are a result of a choice of will. You can set your mind on certain things (Colossians 3:1-2). Paul gives a list of things to think on in Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." The result of thinking on these will bring happiness and serenity, for if you think on these things, you can not think on the things that cause frustration and anxiety.

One result of living for self is that one gets tired of himself. When a man gets full of himself, he may become allergic to himself. He is self- centered, wrapped up in himself, but he has no place to go to get away. That is, he would have no place if God had not provided the solution. This is why Paul says in Galatians 5:24, "They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." In Romans 6:6 he says, "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed."

The dangers of these undisciplined desires are universal. They are not confined to the rich. They apply to any kind of desire, whether or not we call it coveting. The natural desires are God-given and right. Undisciplined and undirected by the Lord, they always lead to sin. Eve's desire for food was God- given. Her desire to have things that delight the eye was not wrong. Her wish to be wise was not a sin. When they became undisciplined and undirected by the word of God, they led to sin.

We can see from this that happiness is not in having material things, but in being certain kinds of persons. When God promises "The God of peace shall be with you" (Philippians 4:9), and "The peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ" He made those promises contingent upon being a Christian.

There is value in our knowing how to deal with temptations, whether it be toward covetousness, or any other. First, do not be like Balaam. He kept playing around with the idea, though he already knew what God's will was. Temptations seem to have a hypnotic power if we keep looking. Second, "Flee these things" (1 Timothy 6:11). Whether the temptation is fornication (1 Corinthians 6:18), idolatry in any form (1 Corinthians 10:14), or the desire for possessions (1 Timothy 6:10) that advice is important.

Each of us has our own weaknesses. We should find out what they are, and be especially on guard to muzzle, curb, or kill them. "If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out" (Matthew 5:29). Hebrews 12:1 adds one more dimension to it. After saying, "Lay aside every sin" he adds, "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith." Keeping Him foremost in your mind will help in every situation.

The tenderness and longsuffering of God in Ahab's case and in ours is amazing. He sent Elijah to warn him, and gave him chance after chance to repent. In Noah's case, in Israel's case, in our case we are impressed with how gentle God is. Sometimes we stress that it hard to get to heaven. Considered from another standpoint, we might say that God has tried to make it hard to go to hell. We have to fight against our conscience. We have to try to eradicate precious memories of mothers and fathers, and the others who have tried to lead us aright. We have to deliberately close our eyes to the ruin sin makes of other's lives and deliberately refuse to accept the warnings we know are right. We have to deliberately shut out the picture we see of Christ loving us enough to die for us. We have to break through these and many other barriers God has put in the way of us being lost.

Perhaps the most impressive lesson we get from this story is that there will be pay day some day. Ahab and Jezebel may have relaxed in the thought that they had covered their tracks, but they had not. Some wages of sin may be paid in this life. Venereal diseases, broken homes, deaths from drunken driving, and all sorts of other things that produce bad results may and do come now. Some wages may not be paid until eternity. All will be paid. If we accept the payment Jesus made on the cross, we will not have to make that payment. His whole life and death were the opposite of covetousness. He loved and gave. As we look at Ahab and Jesus, we can deliberately choose the one that appeals to us the most. It is hard to imagine that one has read this far and would choose the way of Ahab, but my experience and observation leads me to the sad conclusion that some will. I hope you are not one of them.

T. Pierce Brown

Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)