May 20, 2026 - 1 Kings 21-22

Week 21

• 1 Kings 16:29-34, 17

• 1 Kings 18-19

• 1 Kings 21-22

• 2 Kings 2

• 2 Kings 5, 6:1-23

The Book of 1 Kings closes with a picture of the full extent of Ahab’s evil and the incomparable grace and mercy of God. Ahab desired the vineyard of a man named Naboth, but Naboth refused to sell it to him. As a result, Jezebel devised a plan to accuse Naboth falsely and have him stoned to death. After Naboth’s death, Elijah met Ahab and condemned him. The prophet said that the king’s family would come to a disastrous end and that he and Jezebel would die violent deaths. That news led Ahab to do something he had never done before—he repented of his sins and humbled himself before God. With that demonstration of repentance, God postponed the family’s destruction until after Ahab’s death—an action that shows no one is outside of the reach of God’s grace and mercy. A few years later, Ahab encouraged King Jehoshaphat of Judah to join him in a war, but Jehoshaphat insisted on first hearing from God’s prophets. While Jephoshaphat was well-intentioned, neither he nor Ahab listened to God’s prophet Micaiah, who warned of defeat, and Ahab died in battle. From this story, it is Micaiah alone who stands out as an example of godly character, despite the love and grace God had shown Ahab. Micaiah’s example reminds us that only by being transformed by faith in Christ are we able to understand God’s will and receive the strength to stand firm on God’s Word in the face of the world’s pressures.

God showed Ahab grace when he repented of his sins and humbled himself before God. Take some time to write out a prayer of repentance and humility to God, praying through it as you seek Him and listen for His voice.