I read it and I did a double take . . . and so, I read it again.  Unbelievable.  You wouldn’t have naturally thought it possible given the clear testimony of Scripture  . . . “there was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the LORD like Ahab.”  He was the worst of the worst.  So entangled in pagan worship . . . under the spell of his wicked wife . . . opposed to the things and ways of God.  And yet, he was shown mercy.  Just a reminder of the power of repentance.

In 1Kings 21, Elijah is sent to Ahab to pronounce God’s condemnation and judgment upon the wicked king.  The murder of Naboth and the extortion of his inheritance puts it over the top and God says, “Enough!” . . . “I will bring disaster upon you.  I will utterly burn you up, and will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel” (1Kings 21:21).  Yes!  About time!  He’s gonna get what he deserves.  And then, the unbelievable part . . .

And when Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his flesh and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went about dejectedly. And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,  ^“Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son’s days I will bring the disaster upon his house.”    (1Kings 21:27-29 ESV)

 Really?  Ahab humbles himself before the LORD . . . and God relents?  This wicked-beyond-wicked king now decides to take Elijah seriously and repents . . . and God shows mercy?  Pretty much.  Such is the power of repentance.

And the power isn’t the power of Ahab’s humility . . . it’s not in depths of his sorrow . . . though apart from godly sorrow and sincere repentance there could be no forgiveness.  But the true power is in the reality that we can not out-sin God’s grace.  By God’s very nature, He responds to the broken in spirit and the contrite in heart . . . no matter what they’ve done.  And on what basis can a holy and just God show mercy to a repentant sinner?  On the basis of the finished work of the Christ’s atoning sacrifice on the cross.  God could show Ahab mercy based on what He knew His Son would do “in the fullness of time” as the Lamb of God come for the sins of the world.

That is the power of repentance . . . it is the power of the cross.  That is the amazing of amazing grace.  The wonder is not that God would show mercy to an Ahab . . . it’s that He can justly show limitless grace to any of us . . . for “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” of whom we are all “the foremost” (1Tim. 1:15).

Yeah, its unbelievable, God’s mercy to Ahab . . . just as unbelievable as the grace He has shown me.

To Him be all glory and praise.  O’ what a Savior!