Ahab's
great wickedness: the longsuffering of God ready to
accept humiliation
At Jezebel's instigation,
Ahab adds sin to sin, and a piece of flagrant injustice
fills up the apostasy of the king of Israel. He enjoys
the fruit of a crime which he had not courage to commit
himself. His enjoyment was short-lived. Sent by God to
meet the king, Elijah goes before him into the vineyard,
which Ahab went down to possess. The king's heart bows
before the word of Jehovah, and the fulfilment of the
judgment is put off until the days of his son: a new
proof of the longsuffering of a God ever ready to accept
and respond to any movement of man's heart towards
Himself.
Outward prosperity:
apostasy and iniquity
The reign of Ahab, looked
at historically, was in general prosperous and glorious.
Moab was tributary. Syria subject and quiet. The king had
an ivory palace, and built fresh cities: a new motive to
own Jehovah, a snare to one who worshipped Baal. God did
not regard all this prosperity. In a moral point of view,
this reign stamps its character upon the kingdom of
Israel. It is apostasy and iniquity, but at the same time
the testimony of a faithful and patient God.
1 Kings 21 Bible Commentary
John Darby’s Synopsis
At Jezebel's instigation, Ahab adds sin to sin, and a piece of flagrant injustice fills up the apostasy of the king of Israel. He enjoys the fruit of a crime which he had not courage to commit himself. His enjoyment was short-lived. Sent by God to meet the king, Elijah goes before him into the vineyard, which Ahab went down to possess. The king's heart bows before the word of Jehovah, and the fulfilment of the judgment is put off until the days of his son: a new proof of the longsuffering of a God ever ready to accept and respond to any movement of man's heart towards Himself.
Outward prosperity: apostasy and iniquity
The reign of Ahab, looked at historically, was in general prosperous and glorious. Moab was tributary. Syria subject and quiet. The king had an ivory palace, and built fresh cities: a new motive to own Jehovah, a snare to one who worshipped Baal. God did not regard all this prosperity. In a moral point of view, this reign stamps its character upon the kingdom of Israel. It is apostasy and iniquity, but at the same time the testimony of a faithful and patient God.