The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 512

Vers. 25-29.-Ahab's Repentance. After the terrible sentence pronounced by Elijah upon Ahab for his enormities follows this account of his repentance. The record teaches- !. THAT THERE 1s REPENTANCE FOR THE VILEST. 1. Ahab answered this descrip- tion. (1) He "wrought wickedness." So have we all. But his was evil of no co=on order. "He did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel." (See Gen. xv. 16; 2 Kings xxi. 11.) (2) He wrought this wickedness "in the sight of the Lord," as the Amo rites did not, for they had not the religious privileges of an Israelite. Ahab in particular had signal proofs of the presence of God. The shutting and opening of the heavens, to wit, together with the miracle on Co.rmeL Where much is given much is required. (3) He had "sold himself" to work this wickedness. (See Rom. vii. 14.) He was slave to Jezebel-slave to Satan. He drudged hard in his serfdom. (4) None of his predecessors had gone so far wrong. "There was none like unto Ahab'' (see eh. xvi. 33). Jeroboam had "made Israel to sin," and Omri, at the instigation of Ahab, made "statutes '' to confirm that sin. (See Micah vi. 16.) Ahab went further, and estn.blished the worship of Ban.I, with its attendant abominations of Ashere. (See eh. xvi. 29-33.) (6) He was in the worst company. He had married a "cursed woman," and submitted to be led by her into the extremes of wickedness. "Whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.'' Under her instigation he consented to a wholesale massacre of the sons of the prophets; and now Ehe makes him her accomplice in the murder of Naboth, with its attendant atrocities. 2. Yet Ahab took God's message to heart. (1) He believed the terrible sentence, as he had good reason to do, for it came by the hand of Elijali. In all his former experience he bad found that the word of the Lord in Elijah's mouth wn.s truth. (2) Now, with his death vividly before him, and the fearful doom of his ho11Be-all the fruit of his crimes-these crimes live up again, and pass in formidable order before his eyes. (See Psa. L 21.) Conspicuous amongst the spectres that would move before him would be those of the newly mmdered Naboth with his children. (3) This ghastly phantasmagoria would be to him a premonition of the solemnities of the final judgment in which the thousands injured, whether in body or soul, by his bad conduct and influence, would cry to God's justice for vengeance upon the royal culprit. 8. He humbled himself accordingly. (1) Before Jehovah. He "rent his clothes" in token of deep grief. (See Gen. xxxvii. 34; Job i. 20 ; Ezra ix. 3.) "He put sackcloth upon his :6esh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly." Here were all the signs of deep contrition before God. They were symbols of the prayer of the hen.rt for mercy. (2) Before men. To put on sackcloth be laid aside those robes of state in which he had prided himself. Insten.d of moving with his former kingly tramp he now "went softly." (Compare Isa. xxxviii. 16.) He moved with tho timid step of a culprit. (3) W110 will say his repentance was not genuine? God did not say so. He afterwards, indeed, professed to "hate" a faithful servant of God (eh. x.xii. 8). But what does this prove 'l Simply that he afterwards relapsed, CJD, XXI. 1-29.] THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. '525