Tag Archives: Ahab (House of)

God’s grace to the wicked: the case of Ahab

Grace and Judgment Posted on by

God is good -- God's grace to AhabWhen people lack thorough knowledge of the Bible, they’ll make some sweeping generalizations that are completely wrong. For example, they’ll say that the Old Testament is all about law and judgment, and that grace comes only in the New Testament. In fact, every book of the Bible proclaims both grace and judgment. Often, both occur in the same passage.

Some people also get the idea that God gives grace to “good” people and judgment to “bad” people. In fact God offers grace to the worst of people: King Ahab of Israel for example.

“Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those who came before him” (1 Kings 16:30).… Read the rest

Murderous Queen Athaliah: the self-destructive power of hatred

Grace and Judgment Posted on by

“When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal offspring” (2 Kings 11:1 — NASB).

Ancient Judah had only one ruling queen, Athaliah. Consumed with hatred for the God of her husband’s people, she ordered the murder of her own grandchildren. (How can anyone think the Old Testament is boring? Its stories are as powerful as anything in modern fiction or drama, and more convincingly true!) Athaliah lived out what all too many continue to live out to this day: they hang on to hatred because they think those they hate deserve it.… Read the rest