A Reason There's Hope

A reason there’s hope.  Can you imagine being Elijah, the prophet, who lived during the time of one of the most, if not the most, wicked kings of Israel, King Ahab and his wife Jezebel?  Jezebel, Ahab’s wife, had written a letter, instructed evil men of a city to accuse an innocent man, Naboth, of cursing God and the king.  Jezebel did this because her husband, King Ahab, wanted Naboth’s vineyard for himself and Naboth refused (1 Kings 21:1-10).  The murder of this innocent man was the last straw.  God sends Elijah to pronounce judgment upon the wicked king of Israel, Ahab.  Because of this murder of an innocent man, God said, “I am about to bring disaster on you and will eradicate your descendant:  I will wipe out all of Ahab’s males, both slave and free, in Israel” (1 Kings 21:21).  The word goes on to describe just how evil Ahab was saying there was no one like him who had devoted himself to doing evil because his wife Jezebel incited him (v.25).  However, the next thin we read is that when Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put sackcloth over his body and fasted.  He laid down in sackcloth subdued.  (v.27).  Then another word from God came to Elijah saying, “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” (v.29).  The most evil and wicked king is humbled before Almighty God, and God shows mercy to him.  This is the reason why there is hope for us and the entire world.