Day 104. 1 Kings 21-22

The incident of Naboth's vineyard illustrates again, if that were still necessary, the despicable characters of Ahab and Jezebel. Ahab comes off as resentful and sulky, moping around because Naboth will not sell him his family property. In contrast Jezebel is decisive, but utterly unscrupulous and profoundly evil (21:8). She is the real power behind the throne. She writes letters in Ahab's name and seals them with his seal, ordering Naboth to be accused falsely of cursing God and the king (21:8-10).  The plot goes over without a hitch, Naboth is stoned to death, and Ahab goes off merrily to take possession of the vineyard. There is, however, a fly in the ointment.  In the vineyard he meets the prophet Elijah. "Have you found me, O my enemy," the king says (21:20), but it is not the prophet but the God he serves who is Ahab's real enemy. And it is in the name of the LORD the God of Israel that Elijah pronounces a terrible verdict upon Ahab and Jezebel for their idolatry and and cruelty. The dogs will lick the blood of Ahab, he says, and the dogs shall devour Jezebel in the city of Jezreel (21:19 and 23). For the writer of 1st Kings Ahab is the worst among villains, "who sold himself to do what is evil in the sight of the LORD, urged on by his wife Jezebel" (21:25). But when Ahab repents in sackcloth, God postpones the terrible judgment that will consume his house until after his death (21:29). In chapter 22 we see something very unusual happening. The two kingdoms—Israel in the north and Judah in the south—have been engaged in a low-temperature war ever since their separation following the death of Solomon.  Now Ahab of Israel and Jehoshaphat of Judah form an alliance to confront the growing menace of Aram. But before Jehoshaphat will go into battle he insists on consulting the LORD about the success of the campaign (22:5). So Ahab produces four hundred prophets, who unanimously endorse the war. But Jehoshaphat, perhaps suspecting that these prophets are "tame," wants to consult another.  Ahab suggests Micaiah, although he admits frankly—"I hate him, for he never prophesies anything favorable to me, but only disaster" (22:8). Micaiah is incorruptible in his integrity—he tells Ahab's messenger that "as the LORD lives, whatever the LORD says to me, that I will speak" (22:14).  But contrary to expectation, Micaiah prophesies success for the campaign—"Go up and triumph; the LORD will give it into the hand of the king" (22:15), he tells Ahab. But pressed further, Micaiah admits that all prophesies of victory are a deception, and that in fact the LORD has decreed disaster for the allies. The spirit of the prophets is determined to entice Ahab into defeat and death (22:21). Ahab imprisons Micaiah on short rations with the promise he will deal with him on his return. But the prophet replies, "If you return in peace, the LORD has not spoken to me." (22:28) As prophesied the campaign is a disaster. In the chaos of the battle, the Arameans pursue Jehoshaphat, mistaking him for Ahab. But Ahab, who is disguised, is shot by a stray arrow (22:34). He is propped up in his chariot so his troops will not be disheartened, his blood puddles in the bottom of his chariot. At sunset the battle ends in rout (22:36). The troops of Israel and Judah "are scattered on the mountains" as Micaiah had prophesied they would be. King Ahab dies, and when the chariot is washed out, the dogs lick his blood, as foretold (22:38). The 1st Book of Kings ends with a brief account of the reign of Jehoshaphat, who survives the defeat at Ramoth-gilead to rule for twenty-five years in Jerusalem. He is a good king, "doing what was right in the sight of the LORD" (22:43). But the compiler of 1st Kings faults him for not taking away "the high places," where the people continue to sacrifice and offer incense (22:43). The author views centralization of worship in Jerusalem as crucial to its purity. Jehoshaphat makes peace with Israel, but when he is offered a commercial treaty with Ahaziah, Ahab's son and successor, he declines (22:49). The two kingdoms will go their own ways. So in the north Ahaziah continues the melancholy tradition established by his predecessors, serving Baal and doing what is evil in the sight of the LORD.  "He provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger," we are told, "just as his father had done" (22:53).