Ahab

Ahab, the eighth king of Israel, took over the northern kingdom from his strong father, Omri (1 Kings 16:27–28). He ruled Israel from 874 to 853 BC. Ahab married Jezebel, the daughter of King Ethbaal of Sidon. Influenced by her, Ahab started worshiping Baal instead of the Lord (1 Kings 16:29–33).

Ahab won several battles. He defeated the Arameans (1 Kings 20:1–34). In 853 BC, he led a group of kings against the Assyrian king Shalmaneser III, winning the Battle of Qarqar. However, the Old Testament shares little good news about Ahab, who betrayed God. God sent the prophet Elijah to challenge Ahab, Jezebel, and their prophets and to reaffirm the true God's supremacy (1 Kings 17:1; 18:1–46).

Ahab not only betrayed the Lord, but he also treated his people badly, as shown in the story of Naboth and his vineyard (1 Kings 21:1–29). In Israel, people owned their land as a gift from God. When Ahab wanted to take Naboth's vineyard and Naboth refused, Ahab became frustrated. Jezebel, who knew a different kind of kingship where kings took what they wanted, helped Ahab by telling lies about Naboth to have him killed. Naboth was executed on false charges, and Ahab took the land. However, the Lord did not let Ahab escape punishment. He sent Elijah to announce a death sentence for Ahab and his family.

War began again with Aram, and Ahab asked Jehoshaphat, the southern king, to be his ally (1 Kings 22:2–4; 2 Chronicles 18:1–3). Jehoshaphat still believed in the Lord, so he convinced Ahab to consult God's prophet Micaiah. Micaiah predicted that this battle would end Ahab's life (1 Kings 22:5–28; 2 Chronicles 18:4–27). Ahab tried to avoid this by wearing ordinary armor and having Jehoshaphat wear royal battle clothes as a decoy, but he could not deceive God. An archer's arrow hit the joint of Ahab's armor, and he died, "according to the word that the LORD had spoken" (1 Kings 22:38).

Passages for Further Study

1 Kings 16:29–22:53; 2 Chronicles 18:1–34; Micah 6:16