Jump Start # 3911
1 Kings 21:20 “Ahab said to Elijah, ‘Have you found me, O my enemy?’ And he answered, ‘I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the Lord.’”
The prophet and the king. They should have had a great relationship. They didn’t. They should have been on the same side. They weren’t. They should have worked like a team. They didn’t. Ahab, the king, in our verse calls Elijah, the prophet, “O my enemy.” A couple of pages before, Ahab referred to Elijah as a “troubler of Israel.”
You couldn’t even call this a ‘love/hate’ relationship, because there was no love coming from Ahab. Both of God’s nation. Both of God’s people. Instead of working together, it was like a civil war between them. And, within our verse today is a very clear picture of what the problem was. The king had sold himself to do evil. The king had sold out. The king was an enemy to the prophet because the king was no longer walking with the Lord. Led by his wicked wife, Jezebel, Ahab had embraced idolatry and allowed her to run the country. God’s prophets were rounded up and executed. Jezebel was signing papers and giving orders. This all began with Ahab selling himself out to the devil.
There are some great lessons here:
First, as in their marriage, we see similar things today in marriages. One compromises, caves in, surrenders his values and beliefs just to make the other person happy. A weak Christian marrying a non Christian and before long, both are non Christians, at least in practice.
If your mate pressures you to do what you feel is wrong, don’t. Stand up. The Lord comes before all other things in your life. “Let’s not go to church today,” one says. “You can stay here, but I’m going,” is the answer that needs to be said. More so, “What’s more important than the Lord?”
Second, men are to lead their families to the Lord. This is what being a head means. It’s not about getting to pick where we go out to eat, or getting to watch a show that you want. Head means direction, leadership, vision and purpose. You are leading your family. Ahab never got that. He turned the keys over to Jezebel. Afraid of her, intimidated by her, not wanting to upset her, having no backbone, whatever the cause, he became weak because he allowed himself to be weak. He’s not the only one. Adam was that way. He was with Eve when the serpent twisted and confused her. Adam was silent. Adam didn’t say anything.
We need men today who have a spiritual backbone and who will walk diligently with the Lord.
Third, Ahab should have realized that some things are not for sale, no matter what the price is. Many years ago, I had an insurance guy in my house talking to me about insurance. He kept looking at a picture on my wall and commenting how much he liked it. He’d talk business and then look at that picture and talk about it. This went on for a while until I finally said, “Everything in this house is for sale if the price is right.” However, there are some things that no price would make right. Eve sold her home in the garden for some forbidden fruit. Esau sold his birthright for a common meal. Judas sold his soul for thirty pieces of silver.
How about you? Do you have a price? Our families, our soul, our congregations are never for sale. We will die on the hill defending, protecting and guarding these things. When it is said that every person has a price, we reply with, “some things are not for sale.” PERIOD.
Sold out to be popular. Sold out to make some money. Sold out to get to the top. Sold out to keep a crowd. Sold out to save a reputation. Sold out to avoid the difficult. Sold out to find the easy way. Sold out…
Ahab sold himself to the enemy. And, because of Ahab’s position, he also sold out the nation. When we sell out, it often includes selling out family out. Selling our influence out.
Ahab called the prophet names. Ahab was weak spiritually. Ahab didn’t have a backbone. Ahab didn’t have faith.
He sold out…have you?
Roger