The House of Ahab (4)

The House of Ahab (4)

1 Kings 17

1And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.

With regard to ‘The House of Ahab’ we have viewed the Structure and have understood it to have been constructed after the Secularist design; in other words it was constructed in such a way as to remove God’s Word from the state. Next our attention was drawn to the Sin of ‘The House of Ahab’; with the removal of God’s Word from the state there was no barrier against sin and depravity; sinners waxed worse and worse; paganism and idolatry flourished while the power sharing executive functioned in Samaria.

Now we come to view the Sanction that God brought against ‘The House of Ahab’; God was highly displeased with this Secularist state and exercised His divine prerogative against the wickedness that prevailed in Israel.

1And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead; God sent His Messenger to ‘The House of Ahab’; Elijah was chosen by God from among the inhabitants of Gilead; he was the means that God was pleased to use to show Ahab that there was a penalty for breaking God’s Law. As Gilead means rocky and is a mountainous area, we can see that Elijah was identified with the ‘rock’ which speaks of Christ; he was also identified with the mountain, which speaks of Calvary; as a prophet of God, Elijah was of necessity reconciled to God on the grounds and merits of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Elijah was God’s messenger, a chosen vessel for the hour of need in his generation. Who will be willing in the day of God’s power today?

Elijah said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, this faithful messenger spake boldly for his Master. Elijah bore testimony to the indisputable fact that, the LORD was God of Israel; he told Ahab that the covenant keeping God of His redeemed people was God in Israel. The Almighty had not stood down to make way for Baal; the truth that Elijah affirmed, was that ‘the Lord omnipotent reigneth’; Almighty God was still on the throne; God was seated upon the circle of the earth and men were as grasshoppers in His sight. Secularism had made Ahab ignorant and foolish; he was laboring under a misapprehension; he had thought that mortal man was in charge, he foolishly imagined that pagan deities ruled in Israel and were worthy of worship. The message that Elijah brought to ‘The House of Ahab’ was a pagan shattering one; ‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me.’ (Ex20:3)

Elijah said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth; the message was loud and clear, not only was God on the throne, but that He was alive. No matter how The House of Ahab’ had tried to cast God’s Word out of society, no matter how the Secularist spin doctors declared that the concept of God was dead; their efforts had been in vain as Elijah declared that God was indeed alive and all powerful. What a message of hope and encouragement to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, their God was alive and that for evermore. That is the sort of message that God would have His servants proclaim in this day of Secularist delusion and error. ‘It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.’ (Heb10:31)

Elijah, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand; he would not be intimidated before an ungodly ruler; he was not ashamed of his Redeemer; Elijah was not bound by political correctness, nor by equality legislation,; he told Ahab the apostate, that he served the LORD. The Lord’s messenger testified of his standing in Christ; he knew that he had a solid and lasting foundation; he was standing on victory ground that is what gave him boldness. ‘Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.’ (Psalm24:3-4) This was a stinging rebuke to ‘The House of Ahab’ which was without moral foundation and had sunk deep in sin and wickedness.

Elijah told Ahab, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. The divine Sanction was implemented; ‘The House of Ahab’ had brought the nation of Israel into sin and rebellion against Almighty God; now God was exercising His prerogative and the nation of Israel was coming under the Sanctions of God. Famine and drought were on the horizon for Israel, no clever political trick; no Secularist initiative could prevent the certain judgment of Almighty God. Israel had chosen Secularism and rejected God; an action certain to provoke wrath and it did. ‘For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;’ (Rom1:18)


Our nation of Great Britain is a mirror image of ‘The House of Ahab’; Secularism has torn God’s people from their heritage, cast His Word out of society, introduced and sponsored every imaginable heresy and false religion and has set about destroying this once Christian country. Undoubtedly the judgment of God will fall upon our sinful Christ rejecting nation; the global economic crisis is but a wake up call that judgment is on the way. In Ulster, we had been so privileged to have such civil and religious liberty as we have enjoyed until a few years ago; Paisleyism signed up to the principles of Secularism at St Andrews and now the plague of ungodliness is flowing across our province; sadly, it is being followed by God’s wrath and judgment. ‘Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.’ (Psalm12:1)

Rev Mervyn Cotton (Heb13:6)