1 Kings 21:17-29
Ahab’s “Repentance”

The LORD spoke words of judgment to Ahab through Elijah, and in response, Ahab tore his clothes, donned sackcloth, and fasted. Pastor Dave took issue with the heading added by the editors of the ESV: Ahab’s Repentance. Dave argued that Ahab’s repentance was not real. He certainly felt grief over the consequences pronounced for his sin; he may have humbled himself as a strategy to win mercy from the Lord. But, Dave said, Ahab had not surrendered his life to the Lord.

Ahab was one of the most evil kings of Israel. His sackcloth and fasting got him a stay of execution, though not a pardon. We might be disappointed at that! “Sic the devouring dogs on him, now!” we say. Dave reminded us that the Lord hates evil more than we do and will deal with it in His time and in His way. Don’t waste time, Dave said, trying to tell Him what to do. Ask the Lord to help all of us acknowledge that He alone is Judge and fully trust Him to destroy evil.

My small group is in Psalm 78 this week, a recitation of the grumblings and rebellions among the people of Israel during their wilderness wandering. It includes an instructive description of fake repentance: Whenever God slew them [in judgment], they would seek Him; they eagerly turned to Him again. … But then they would flatter Him with their mouths, lying to Him with their tongues; their hearts were not loyal to Him, they were not faithful to His covenant. (Psalm 78:34-37) Take time to consider before the Lord the crucial importance of repentance and what true repentance looks like.

Perhaps the most important thing each of us can do in response to Dave’s sermon is to have a personal conversation with the Lord about our own repentance. Is it real? Have I had a change of heart and mind, given up running my own life? Or is my repentance fake, maybe fooling even myself? Have I cried crocodile tears, said the words I’m expected to say, made promises I go through the motions of fulfilling … but stubbornly cling to the throne of my life? With fear and trembling, ask God to tell you the truth about yourself.

In Christ,
Carol Gilbert

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