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1 Kings 16 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
As we see many other places in Scripture, the sins of Jeroboam had a lasting effect on his family line. It was a brutal time for Israel.
King Ahab would rise to capture the throne. Interestingly, one commentator mentions that the Ahab & Jezebel marriage probably was not a choice, but an arrangement on the part of Omri. According to the dates and ages, it was an alliance formed when Ahab was a youngster without much say in the kingdom affairs. However, he is most definitely responsible for handing off his authority and responsibilities to her.
Baal was the idol of choice at this time. It was definitely not the first time this false god had infiltrated Israel, however, it was blatantly encouraged by many of these wicked kings. Ahab gave Baal his stamp of approval (later) when he decided to build a temple.
All of this brings me to a point worth considering. All of us are shaped through our culture, our upbringing, and our hurts. We respond to this world by whatever has been deemed “normal” by our circumstances and experiences. Ahab grew up during a time when “normal” was a smorgasbord of idol worship. He allowed his wicked wife to run rampant against the prophets of God. He didn’t fear the Lord or care enough to change his ways even when confronted.
Ahab followed in the ways of Omri who followed in the ways of Zimri etc. There were prophets who spoke the Word of God but these kings filtered that information through their presuppositions which had been their “normal” experience for all of their life.
The reason this is important is because all of us come with presuppositions. We have ways that we think are right. We tend to go to Scripture with assumptions that it will validate the beliefs we already hold. If we read the Word of God and it always fits our presuppositions, something is terribly wrong. The Bible should continually shake us from our own thinking. It should reveal how God’s ways are so much different from our ways. It should bring a divine conviction and a divine purpose. In order to experience the extravagant life of God’s Kingdom, we must discard our own normal.