King Ahab the Accuser

1. The background of the accusation

1) Israel, at the prayer of Elijah, had experienced three years of famine (1 Kings 17:1).

2) During this time God miraculously provided for Elijah.

3) The three years had ended and now was the time for it to return.

4) God tells Elijah to go and present himself to King Ahab and the rain would return.

5) Obadiah arranged the meeting and Elijah and Ahab met.

6) It was at this meeting that King Ahab uttered these words.

2. Ahab’s accusation.

1) In 1 Kings 18:17 Ahab states, “And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Is it thou, thou troubler of Israel?”

2) The famine had gotten to the point that Ahab and Obadiah were searching for green pastureland for the animals (1 Kings 18:3-6).

3) King Ahab knew that Elijah was responsible because Elijah told Ahab point blank in 1 Kings 17:1 that there would be no rain.

4) So Ahab had concluded that Elijah was the troubler.

3. Elijah’s Response

1) In the verse next verse, Elijah replies, “And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of Jehovah, and thou hast followed the Baalim.”

2) There was a reason behind Elijah’s prayer that there be no rain.

3) It was because the land was polluted with idolatry.

4) God had promised that this would happen in Leviticus 18:26-28 if they polluted themselves with idolatry.

5) It was Ahab and Jezebel that were the REAL troubler’s of Israel.

4. Who is the REAL troubler?

1) Consider Acts 16:18-24.

2) We often encounter such situations today.

a. Someone that we know will practice immorality or false religion.

b. We will tell them that they are wrong and that they need to repent.

c. Then, they will turn on us and accuse us of causing them trouble.

3) Who is the REAL troubler?

a. Is the troubler the one who points out the sinful actions of another or is the troubler the one who commits the sin?

b. It is, in fact, the latter.

1. The background of the accusation.

1) King Ahab had desired Naboth’s vineyard because it was close to his house (1 Kings 21:2).

2) He offered to buy it, but Naboth refused because the land was part of his inheritance (1 Kings 21:3).

3) Ahab was upset with this, but Jezebel devised a plan to take the land by treachery.

4) Two false witnesses accused Naboth of blaspheming God and Naboth was stoned.

5) After Naboth was dead, Ahab took possession of the land.

6) Elijah, once again, is sent to Ahab to confront him regarding his sin.

7) He confronts him IN the very vineyard that he has stolen by murder.

2. King Ahab’s accusation.

1) In 1 Kings 21:20a Ahab states, “And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?”

2) Again, Ahab accuses Elijah of being something that he is not.

3) Elijah had consistently opposed Ahab’s evil deeds.

4) Elijah was Ahab’s enemy in that he opposed him.

5) But Elijah was actually Ahab’s best friend for telling him the truth regarding his situations.

6) But Ahab couldn’t see beyond his own selfishness.

3. Elijah’s response.

1) In 1 Kings 21:20b, Elijah says, “I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.”

2) The truth was that Ahab was his own worst enemy.

3) He was his own enemy because he had sold himself to do evil.

4) He had killed and taken possession; even though Jezebel did his dirty work, he was still held responsible for it.

4. Who is the REAL enemy?

1) Like Ahab, we can be our own worst enemy.

2) Consider Judas.

a. Judas was covetous (John 12:6).

b. He betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver (Matthew 27:3).

c. He regretted that decision (Matthew 27:4).

d. He ended up killing himself (Matthew 27:5).

e. Judas really had no one to blame but himself for his own greed and the consequences that followed.

3) When we make choices that are opposed to God and His word, we become our own worst enemy.

a. Consider Galatians 6:7-8 ” Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth unto his own flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth unto the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap eternal life.”

b. We will reap what we sow.

c. What are we sowing?

4) Are we our own worst enemy?

1. The background of the accusation.

1) The city of Ramoth-Gilead had fallen into the hands of the king of Syria (1 Kings 22:3).

2) King Ahab wanted to take the city back and asked Jehoshaphat to help him (1 Kings 22:4).

3) Jehoshaphat was willing to help Ahab but asked Ahab to inquire of Yahweh regarding what will happen in this circumstance.

4) So Ahab trotted out all of his false prophets and they all told him to go and prosper (1 Kings 22:6).

5) Jehoshaphat evidently suspected something wasn’t right because he asks for a prophet of Yahweh, not Ahab’s prophets, to inquire of him.

6) This is where Ahab’s statement occurs.

2. King Ahab’s accusation.

1) In 1 Kings 22:8, Ahab states, “…there is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Jehovah, Micaiah the son of Imlah: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil.”

2) Obviously all that Ahab wanted was a “yes man.”

3) He didn’t want someone to prophesy truthfully to him, but to simply tell him what he wanted to hear.

4) So he said that he “hated” Micaiah because he only prophesied bad things about Ahab.

5) The problem was, of course, that there was no reason for Ahab to receive good things due to his own evil choices and decisions.

6) The problem was of Ahab’s own making, not Micaiah’s.

3. Michaiah’s response.

1) Michaiah was summoned to the king and told to speak good things about him.

2) In 1 Kings 22:14 we read Michaiah’s response. He said, “As Jehovah liveth, what Jehovah saith unto me, that will I speak.”

3) He prophesied that all Israel would be scattered because it would be leaderless (1 Kings 22:17).

4) Ahab in essence said, “See I told you he would say bad things about me.”

5) But Michaiah had spoken God’s word in truth.

6) Ahab lost his life in the battle (1 Kings 22:37).

4. Who was REALLY hated?

1) Ahab, in refusing to listen to God’s prophet really proved that he only hated himself.

2) Isaiah had such a problem in his day. We read in Isaiah 30:9-10 “For it is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of Jehovah; that say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits.”

3) How many of us today want to hear “good” things from the preacher or teacher?

4) Paul warned of this desire in 2 Timothy 4:2-4 “preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables.”

5) When we don’t like the message that the preacher preaches, do we take it out on the preacher? Or do we examine ourselves to see if we need to make correction?

6) Let’s not be guilty of hating ourselves by rejecting God’s word.