Today’s Reading: 1 Kings 21, Psalm 138
King Ben-hadad of Aram had challenged the Israelites to a battle, but they were losing. 100,000 Aramean soldiers had died in battle, and another 27,000 had died when a wall randomly fell on them. Ben-hadad ran from the Israelites and hid in a secret room.
Ben-hadad’s officers said to him, “Sir, we have heard that the kings of Israel are merciful. So let’s humble ourselves by wearing burlap around our waists and putting ropes on our heads, and surrender to the king of Israel. Then perhaps he will let you live.” – 1 Kings 20:31
HUMBLED AND SURRENDERED
And that is exactly what happened. Ben-hadad put on burlap and ropes to show that he was grieving. He apologized for his aggressive behavior against the Israelites, and promised to make restitution. King Ahab had mercy on Ben-hadad, forgiving him for his many indiscretions.
In the Bible, to wear a sackcloth or burlap garment was a sign of grieving. In self-humiliation, the individual would put on sackcloth to show that they were submitting to another person or to God. Ben-hadad draped himself in sackcloth, and King Ahab forgave him. A new treaty was made between the two kings, and Ahab gave the King of Aram his freedom, even though God had instructed otherwise. For his disobedience, God let Ahab know he would soon die, and Ahab returned home angry and sullen.
ANGRY AND SULLEN
Now there was a man named Naboth, from Jezreel, who owned a vineyard in Jezreel beside the palace of King Ahab of Samaria. One day Ahab said to Naboth, “Since your vineyard is so convenient to my palace, I would like to buy it to use as a vegetable garden. I will give you a better vineyard in exchange, or if you prefer, I will pay you for it.” – 1 Kings 21:1-2
But the vineyard was Naboth’s inheritance, and it represented the hard work of those who had gone before him, so he declined the king’s offer. And once more the king returned home angry and sullen. He laid in bed with his face to the wall, refusing to eat. His wife, Jezebel, created a scheme to have Naboth killed so that Ahab could get what he wanted — the vineyard that did not belong to him.
The prophet Elijah was sent by God to let Ahab know how angry He was: “I have come because you have sold yourself to what is evil in the Lord’s sight. So now the Lord says, ‘I will bring disaster on you and consume you. I will destroy every one of your male descendants, slave and free alike, anywhere in Israel! I am going to destroy your family as I did the family of Jeroboam son of Nebat and the family of Baasha son of Ahijah, for you have made me very angry and have led Israel into sin’” (1 Kings 21: 20b-22).
Ahab had sold himself to evil more than anyone else had, and there would be a price to pay for his idolatry and disobedience. Instead of becoming angry and sullen, this time Ahab dressed in burlap and mourned the life he had lived and the death that was imminent. And God was pleased with Ahab’s genuine show of regret and humility.
HUMBLED AND SURRENDERED
If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. – James 3:13-16
It is our heart to please you today, Lord. Thank you for the reminder that you are calling us to live an honorable life, bearing fruit with a heart of humility. Reveal in us any seeds of jealousy and self-ambition. When what we want means someone else cannot have what is rightfully theirs, may we submit to your authority and be grateful for what you have given us. May we be less worried about our own rights and the rights of our children than we are concerned about the needs of others. Show us what we have made an idol in our lives, and give us a heart that mirrors the desires of your heart. Amen.
Though the Lord is great, he cares for the humble,
but he keeps his distance from the proud. – Psalm 138:6