Don't Make Deals with the Enemy

Is God only the God of the hills, or is He also God of the valleys? In this week’s study, we cover a sweeping narrative across 1 Kings 20 and 21, witnessing the contrast between God’s immense mercy toward Israel and the deep-seated corruption of King Ahab and Jezebel.

We begin in Chapter 20 with the defense of Israel against Ben-Hadad, where God proves His absolute sovereignty over every landscape and against overwhelming odds. Then, we turn to the sobering account of Naboth’s vineyard in Chapter 21—a tragic display of greed and injustice that reminds us that even after we are shown great mercy and grace, we can fail to show mercy and grace to others.

In This Teaching:

Making Deals with the Enemy: Ahab is passive and fails to defend his family from an enemy which leads to further strife and conflict.

The God of the Valleys: Why God defends His name even when His people are unfaithful.

The Danger of Compromise: Ahab’s failure to finish the task God commanded.

The Vineyard of Naboth: Exploring the irony of a man who God shows mercy to when his family and possessions were under siege then turn to his neighbor and attack him desiring his garden.

The Call to Repentance: Examining Ahab’s temporary humility and God’s response to a humble heart.