I Kings 21 - Time for a Hero (The Bible’s Answer for Justice, Part 2)

By Ben Quine
**This article is part of a series helping us navigate this issue of justice in our world from a Biblical perspective. To read all of Ben’s articles on this subject - click on his name above by the date published and it will sort all of this articles in one place.

Do you have a favorite movie or TV show from your childhood? Mine was The Lone Ranger. It was incredible how he could sense someone’s need for help, out-shoot, out-think, out-ride, and out-fight everyone, restore order, put the bad guys behind bars, and wrap up every detail in just 30 minutes, while still managing to sneak away in the last scene, so the people he had helped would be left saying “I never even got to thank him!” and “Who was that masked man?” To me as a nine-year-old, that formula never got old!

Even if serial western TV shows weren’t your thing, that formula doesn’t just appeal to children. It is the basis for almost all of literature, music, and film. Why do you think that is? Take a few minutes and read I Kings 21.

Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,“Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria; behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession. (I Kings 21:17-18)

To anyone watching the terrible events of 1 Kings 21 unfold, it probably looked like Jezebel and Ahab had gotten away with it. They and their wickedness had won. Some of the people in this story allowed Ahab and Jezebel to commit their crimes because they personally stood to gain by it (like the town elders and the two ruffians); others permitted Ahab and Jezebel’s injustice because they felt too weak to do anything about it. They probably felt like they could not stop the King and Queen. But the Lord knew what they had done.

This is the first key in understanding Biblical justice: God’s justice does not favor the rich or the poor, the powerful or the powerless.

And you shall say to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Have you killed and also taken possession?’” And you shall say to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your own blood.’”(I Kings 21:19)

How would Ahab’s end compare to Naboth’s? How did the severity of Ahab’s punishment relate to his crime?

This is the second key in understanding Biblical justice: Ahab’s punishment was equal to his offense.

Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” He answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the Lord. (I Kings 21:20)

      Ahab had made himself the enemy of God and the enemy of God’s people. God called Ahab’s actions what they were: evil. And so Elijah was offensive to Ahab because Elijah dared to speak God’s truth to the king. (In the same way the world will likely hate you, if you tell it the truth! – John 15:18-20; James 4:4). But Ahab’s judgement was not limited to his treatment of Naboth:

Behold, I will bring disaster upon you. I will utterly burn you up, and will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel. And I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the anger to which you have provoked me, and because you have made Israel to sin…  (There was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord like Ahab, whom Jezebel his wife incited. He acted very abominably in going after idols, as the Amorites had done, whom the Lord cast out before the people of Israel.) (I Kings 21:21-22, 25-26)

      Why was Ahab’s punishment so severe? The story told in this chapter is only one example of Ahab’s evil. Ahab’s punishment was reminiscent of Jeroboam and Baasha, two of Israel’s worst leaders. But Ahab’s wickedness also recalled God’s judgement on the greater sin of the Amorites, which had caused God to overthrow them and give their land to Israel. How did Ahab respond to God’s judgement? (verse 27)

And when Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his flesh and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went about dejectedly. And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, “Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son’s days I will bring the disaster upon his house.” (I Kings 21:27-29)

For his sin of murdering Naboth, Ahab was sentenced to death, a punishment equal to his offense. His greater sin of causing the whole nation to worship idols was also given an appropriate punishment: the removal of the kingdom from his line, and the complete destruction of his family.

This story also demonstrates God’s compassion since, in light of Ahab’s repentance, God was quick to show mercy, even to one of Israel’s most wicked kings, by delaying the fulfillment of his sentence.

How does the conclusion of this story make you feel?

Isaiah 30:18 says, “For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!”

God is the one who defines justice, because justice is an essential part of His character. In the same way, God’s righteousness defines what is right and wrong, good and evil. God is the supreme ruler of all kingdoms and people, and His justice will come – even when it seems like it is taking forever. Blessed are all who wait for Him.

Every human has a built-in desire to see the Lone Ranger (or Elijah, or another hero) come in to stop the evil villain and save the day, because every human has a deep longing for justice; we are created with an innate longing for God’s own character. Think about that the next time you watch a Western, Mission Impossible, Super Hero film, Police or Crime drama, old TV rerun, Star Wars, or any other show where good triumphs over evil.

In the story of Ahab, Naboth, and Elijah, God takes upon Himself the appropriate role of judge in a court of law, sentencing King Ahab to true justice, as defined by Himself. But He also responds to Ahab’s repentance with mercy.

How can a just God permit mercy without becoming unjust? This is the next key to understanding Biblical justice, and we will talk about that in our next article.

Or check out our Christians Engaged Store to purchase all 4 of the books - Answers for Difficult Days. (4-Book Bundle $40 , shipping not included).

ABOUT BEN

Connect with him at Cornerstone Curriculum

Ben Quine, the second son of David and Shirley Quine, was blessed to grow up with a Charlotte Mason/Dr. Schaeffer/Biblical Worldview education -- a tremendous gift! Through the years, Ben has served as a Cornerstone consultant, assistant, and co-author. He has written several Bible studies for the Answers for Difficult Days series, which equips churches to address the issues our culture is wrestling with today, from the foundation of Scripture. Ben is also the editor of The Worldview Library, editions of classical literature with student helps that afford the reader a deeper understanding of the concepts presented in each work.

Trained as a classical pianist and instructor, Ben is committed to inspiring his students with the love of great music and equipping them with the tools to perform at the highest level. This training has resulted in his students' successful performances from local festivals and competitions to Carnegie Hall.

Ben loves Shakespeare, Dickens, photography, listening to recordings of "the great pianists", running, biking, and spending time with his wife Julie and their three sons.