1 Kings 21

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1 Kings 21 Commentary

by Brad Boyles

When Elijah finished speaking, Ahab tore his clothes, took them off, and put on sackcloth. He refused food, slept in the sackcloth, and went about gloomy and depressed.

1 Kings 21:27

The tearing of one’s clothes signified public humiliation. It was the expression of grief, terror, or repentance. In this case, Ahab actually did show some humility after he received the word from Elijah. This is what it took for him to begin to bow his knee. For so long, he was attracted to the selfish pursuit of comfort and pleasure. He built his life around it. But in this one moment of confrontation, he realizes that his world is about to come crashing down.

What is it that causes us to go back to sin, time and time again? Why do we wait until consequences come to truly change our path? If we are honest, we can see a little Ahab in all of us. The king was someone who grew up with truth. He knew God was over all things. He knew God would judge the unrighteous. He experienced God’s grace. He even witnessed God’s miracles and faithfulness on the battlefield.

I’ve said it before, but it’s worth saying again. Ahab continually chose his sin over God. He continued to go back to his chains. He went back to Jezebel. He went back to Baal. Even in all this, God honors his repentance! God withholds his judgment because of Ahab’s choice to change his direction!

When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put sackcloth over his body, and fasted. He lay down in sackcloth and walked around subdued.  28  Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite:  29  “Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? I will not bring the disaster during his lifetime, because he has humbled himself before Me. I will bring the disaster on his house during his son’s lifetime.”

1 Kings 21:27-29 HCSB

Look at what it took for Ahab to be brought to this point. It took grace + consequences. Unfortunately for Ahab, his repentance would not last. It would prove, once again, to be a self-serving act.

“But this humiliation or repentance of Ahab’s was only external and superficial, arising from the terror of God’s judgments; and not sincere and serious, proceeding from the love of God, or a true sense of his sin, or a solemn purpose of amendment of his life, as appears, because all the particulars of his repentance here, are external and ritual only; nor is there the least intimation of any one sign or fruit of his true repentance, as that he restored Naboth’s land, or reproved his infamous wife; but in the very next chapter you find him returning to his former vomit.”

Matthew Poole