The Prophets and Kings of the Divided Kingdom: King Ahab

King Jeroboam set the tone for evil leadership in the northern kingdom of Israel. Yahweh’s rule was utterly rejected.

It was a dark nation under King Ahab’s rule too. Alliances were made with other neighbouring nations for when things were bad for them. This led Ahab to marry Jezebel. She brought many false prophets with her when she moved to Samaria. The killing of God’s people certainly happened at this time.

Elijah is a light shining in the bleak darkness and evil of the time. God cannot be overcome by evil. God is not in competition with evil. We can be overwhelmed by the thick darkness and negatives around us. It can’t stop us from being kind to others though. There is never an excuse to reaching out and reflecting the love of God – just like Elijah did. God is still good and is in control. The prophet Micaiah was also used by God at this time.

Two things can be applied to our lives.

1/ Spiritual Warfare. There is a spiritual realm that is happening in the world. Terrorism is partly inspired by evil spirits. The power of God through the Church can bring down terrorism – politics and military can’t.

2/ Persecution. We should expect to face opposition when we follow Jesus. Truth still exists – we are not a post-truth society. We should engage in spreading truth. Don’t allow your light to grow dark.