““See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his days. In the days of his son I will bring the calamity on his house.”” I Kings 21:29
When you read this verse, have you felt the joy of God?
Here, God was speaking to Elijah after the prophet had faithfully delivered His judgment over Ahab’s life. What happened next was completely unexpected, Ahab, the same king known throughout Scripture for his great wickedness, tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, fasted, and went about mourning. In that moment, Ahab humbled himself before God.
Before we study this verse deeply, let us first take a closer look at who Ahab was, and how the Scriptures describe his life and ways.
“But there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the Lord, because Jezebel his wife stirred him up. And he behaved very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites had done, whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.” — 1 Kings 21:25–26
Here we get a glimpse of Ahab’s life. He was not a weak or careless king. If you study his reign, you’ll see that he ruled over a wealthy kingdom and commanded great armies. By worldly standards, Ahab was successful. Yet despite all his accomplishments, he gave himself completely to evil because of his wife’s influence. Jezebel was deeply devoted to Baal worship, and through her, Ahab’s heart turned away from the Lord. This reminds us that a woman holds great power because of her influence in relationships. That’s why a man must be careful about the kind of woman he becomes interested in and he should also be aware of whom she follows or admires, even on social media. The people she looks up to will eventually shape her and she will begin to look like them, think like them, and act like them.
Yet interestingly, we also see glimpses of kindness in Ahab’s character. When he asked Naboth for his vineyard, he did it respectfully:
So Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, ‘Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near, next to my house; and for it I will give you a vineyard better than it. Or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its worth in money.’” — 1 Kings 21:2
Here we see that Ahab was not entirely heartless. He knew how to ask permission and showed a measure of civility. Yet his downfall came from choosing a wife whose heart was not set on the God of Israel. Jezebel’s heart was given over to Baal, and through her influence, Ahab’s own heart was turned away from the Lord.
The same tragedy was seen in the life of King Solomon. Though Solomon began with wisdom and favor from God, he too allowed ungodly influence to draw his heart away. The Scripture says:
“But King Solomon loved many foreign women… from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, ‘You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.’ Solomon clung to these in love.” — 1 Kings 11:1–2
For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David.” — 1 Kings 11:4
Both Ahab and Solomon were kings blessed with power, wisdom, and prosperity, yet both were led astray through women who did not walk in the fear of the Lord. Their stories remind us of the importance of spiritual discernment in relationships. God’s warning is clear for men today, let God choose your future spouse.
Ahab’s marriage to Jezebel led him into idolatry, murder, and rebellion against God. Jezebel’s influence brought not honor but destruction. She silenced the prophets, killed the servants of the Lord, and turned Israel away from the truth.
Consider the story of Jacob. Though he was deceived into marrying Leah, God used what was meant for evil for good. Leah was a woman of faith, unlike her sister Rachel, who stole her father’s household idols (Genesis 31:19). This act revealed where her heart truly was. Leah, though less favored by Jacob, turned her heart toward God. Through Leah, God established the lineage of the Messiah, the priesthood, and the kingship of Israel.
When we let God choose, He gives us someone who brings honor, not judgment.
Ahab knew how to provide, but he did not know how to lead. He had authority, but he didn’t know how to exercise it. Ahab failed to lead his house and the people of Israel. Jezebel even had to remind him of his own position, saying, “You now exercise authority over Israel!” (1 Kings 21:7). That statement alone reveals his weakness as a leader, he had authority, but he was not walking in it.
Why are there so many “Jezebels” today? Because many men have become like Ahab. They are so focused on themselves, their work, and their ability to provide and protect that they have no time for God. They can put food on the table and defend their homes, but they miss the greatest calling of their lives, to be a leaders.
When King David was about to die, he gave a final charge to his son Solomon, teaching him what it truly means to be a man:
“I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn.” — 1 Kings 2:2–3
True manhood is not measured by strength, wealth, or success, but by obedience and faithfulness to the LORD.
Ahab’s Humility Touched the Heart of God
Ahab’s kindness did not save him. His good deeds did not please God. But his humility did. But when Ahab tore his clothes and fasted. God proudly said to Elijah with joy and delight in His voice, See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me?
Can you feel the delight of God here? The Almighty, who had just pronounced judgment, was now rejoicing because a sinful man had humbled himself.
God does not take pleasure in the destruction of the wicked, but in their repentance.
Here are the Scriptures that show this truth throughout God’s Word:
Ezekiel 18:23 “Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Lord God, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live?”
Ezekiel 18:32 “For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!”
Ezekiel 33:11 “Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’”
Luke 15:7 “I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
1 Timothy 2:3-4 “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
God’s mercy on Ahab shows us that He is not looking for perfection, but humility. Our “goodness” can never save us; our repentance and faith in Jesus can.
Our humility moves the heart of God. Repentance opens the door for mercy. And this truth still stands today, no one is beyond God’s reach when they humble themselves before Him.
Jesus has already given His life for you so that you may have life. God never desires to destroy you but to restore you, to bring you back into fellowship with Him and give you a place in His Kingdom. His heart is not for your ruin, but for your redemption. “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”( John 3:17)
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