1 Kings 21:17-29
January 1st, 2007 by Nicholas Chorba
The LORD told Elijah the Tishbite: “Get up, go down and meet King Ahab of Israel who lives in Samaria. He is at the vineyard of Naboth; he has gone down there to take possession of it. Say to him, ‘This is what the LORD says: “Haven’t you committed murder and taken possession of the property of the deceased?”’ Then say to him, ‘This is what the LORD says: “In the spot where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood they will also lick up your blood – yes, yours!”’”
When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him, “So, you have found me, my enemy!” Elijah replied, “I have found you, because you are committed to doing evil in the sight of the LORD. The LORD says, ‘Look, I am ready to bring disaster on you. I will destroy you and cut off every last male belonging to Ahab in Israel, including even the weak and incapacitated. I will make your dynasty like those of Jeroboam son of Nebat and Baasha son of Ahijah because you angered me and made Israel sin.’ The LORD says this about Jezebel, ‘Dogs will devour Jezebel by the outer wall of Jezreel.’ As for Ahab’s family, dogs will eat the ones who die in the city, and the birds of the sky will eat the ones who die in the country.” (There had never been anyone like Ahab, who was firmly committed to doing evil in the sight of the LORD, urged on by his wife Jezebel. He was so wicked he worshiped the disgusting idols, just like the Amorites whom the LORD had driven out from before the Israelites.)
When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He slept in sackcloth and walked around dejected. The LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Have you noticed how Ahab shows remorse before me? Because he shows remorse before me, I will not bring disaster on his dynasty during his lifetime, but during the reign of his son.”
[…] B. OTHER FASTS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT… — People often fasted without specific commandment in time of distress; some were communal affairs while others were acts of the private individual 1. THEY FASTED IN WAR, OR AT THE THREAT OF IT a. Israel fasted at Bethel in the war against the Benjamites - Judges 20:26 b. Also at Mizpah in the Philistine war - 1 Samuel 7:6 2. THEY FASTED WHEN LOVED ONES WERE SICK a. David fasted and wept for his son while the boy was ill - 2 Samuel 12:16-23 b. The psalmist also mentions fasting for his enemies - Psalms 35:11-13 3. THEY FASTED WHEN LOVED ONES DIED a. The men of Jabesh-gilead fasted seven days for Saul – 1 Samuel 31:13; 1 Chronicles 10:12 b. David and the people fasted for Saul and Jonathan - 2 Samuel 1:12 4. THEY FASTED WHEN THEY SOUGHT GOD’S FORGIVENESS a. Moses fasted forty days because of the sin of Israel – Deuteronomy 9:15-18 b. Ahab fasted to be forgiven - 1 Kings 21:17-29 c. Nineveh fasted at the preaching of Jonah - Jonah 3:4-10 d. Daniel fasted as he confessed the sins of Israel - Daniel 9:3-5 e. The general fast at the communal reading of the Law by Ezra was an act of penitence - Nehemiah 9:1-3 5. THEY FASTED WHEN FACED WITH IMPENDING DANGER a. Jehoshaphat fasted when threatened by Edom - 2 Chronicles 20:3 b. Ezra led a fast when seeking the favor of God toward his return from exile (a journey fraught with danger) - Ezra 8:21 c. Nehemiah fasted when he heard of the state of Jerusalem - Nehemiah 1:4 d. The Jews fasted when they heard that Haman had obtained the king’s decree against them - Esther 4:3 e. Esther and Mordecai fasted before she went before the king - Esther 4:16 6. THEY SET UP FASTS TO COMMEMORATE CERTAIN CALAMITIES — During and after the Exile special fasts were observed on the days the calamities had befallen Jerusalem a. The tenth of the fifth month was the burning of the Temple - Jeremiah 52:12,13 b. The second day of the seventh month was the murder of Gedaliah - 2 Kings 25:23-25; Jeremiah 41:1ff c. On the tenth day of the tenth month was the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem - 2 Kings 25:1 d. On the ninth day of the fourth was its fall - 2 Kings 25:3,4 […]