November 10, 2012 God Wins

God Wins 1 Kings 21:17-19 & 25 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: 18 “Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth's vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. 19 Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?’ Then say to him, 'This is what the Lord says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth's blood, dogs will lick up your blood — yes, yours!'“ …25 There was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. 26 He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the Lord drove out before Israel. IN 1 Kings 21, you read the story of how Jezebel, wife of King Ahab of Israel, plotted against Naboth. Naboth owned a vineyard Ahab desired, and Naboth refused to sell it to him. In response, Jezebel hired two men to falsely accuse Naboth of blasphemy and lying, and Naboth was stoned to death. Ahab then possessed Naboth’s vineyard. As verse 25 says, “he sold himself to do evil in the sight of the Lord”. In response, God brings Elijah back into Ahab’s life to pronounce God’s judgment over Ahab. Although Ahab at times seems to seek the Lord in his life, he does so at his own gain. And he often turns from the Lord for his own desires. Our lesson here is to understand as Jesus says in Luke 16:13-14 “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” As God commanded Ahab to follow in God’s way, Ahab followed his own way. Ahab’s sin brought God’s judgment on Ahab’s family. Ahab’s gain was his family’s fatal loss. It’s True! You cannot oppose God.