Have you ever wondered if someone you love has wandered too far from God?

In today's Bible study through 1 Kings 20–22 and 2 Chronicles 18, we continue following the life of Israel's wicked King Ahab. At first glance, these chapters can feel discouraging—but they reveal something far greater than Ahab's rebellion. They reveal the incredible patience, mercy, and faithfulness of God.

As Christian moms, many of us carry heavy burdens for children, spouses, family members, or friends who seem far from the Lord. Ahab's story reminds us that God continues to pursue sinners with warning after warning, invitation after invitation. Even after years of rebellion, when Ahab humbles himself, God responds with mercy.

We'll also explore:

• Why God repeatedly showed patience toward one of Israel's most wicked kings
• The heartbreaking story of Naboth's vineyard and God's passion for justice
• How God's sovereignty gives us confidence when life feels uncertain
• Why King Jehoshaphat sought God's wisdom before making decisions
• What Micaiah's bold faith teaches us about standing for truth
• Encouragement to keep praying for loved ones who haven't yet surrendered to Christ
• Why no one is beyond the reach of God's grace

This episode is filled with hope for every mom who has ever prayed through tears for someone she loves. God's timing is perfect, His mercy is astonishing, and His purposes cannot be thwarted.

Key Scriptures: 1 Kings 20–22; 2 Chronicles 18

If this podcast encourages your walk with Christ, would you consider following, leaving a review, and sharing it with another mom? Every review helps more women discover God's Word and the daily Bible reading journey through The Dwelling Place from Entrusted Ministries.

Resources

Entrusted Ministries exists to encourage moms to know God through His Word and faithfully pass biblical truth to the next generation. Join us as we read through Scripture, pray together, and discover that God Himself is our dwelling place.

Resources Mentioned

• Entrusted With a Child's Heart
• The Again Podcast
• David C. Cook's Journey Through the Bible

Commentaries Most Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary

This is The Dwelling Place from Entrusted Ministries.

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I'm Stephanie Hickox, and today as

we read 1 Kings 20 through 22 and

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2 Chronicles 18, we'll strive to be

patient with the wicked King Ahab

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of the northern kingdom of Israel.

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And as we do, we'll learn so

much about the heart of God,

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previously, we read about that famous

showdown between the prophet Elijah

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and the wicked prophets of Baal.

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Elijah responded by righteously

punishing the 450 prophets of Baal

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But there were remaining 400 prophets

of Asherah, so pay attention because

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most scholars think we'll see them

pop back up in today's reading

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We also read how God commanded Elijah

to anoint Elisha to be his successor.

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And let me share a

little bit from David C.

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Cook's Journey Through the Bible to help

us understand culturally what happened

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when Elijah spread his cloak over Elisha

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Cook explains that almost everyone owned

a cloak, but most people owned just one.

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Though they were similar to coats of

today, they were much more versatile.

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And would be taken everywhere.

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They were often made from animal hides

or from wool, and it took a long time to

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make them, meaning that they were very

valuable, and you wouldn't get rid of

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them until they were completely worn out.

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cloaks that had been repeatedly patched.

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Not only did they provide warmth in the

cold, but also protection against the sun.

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And on a warm summer night, it

could be rolled up into a pillow.

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When it was laid out before

a meal, it provided a special

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seat for an honored guest.

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And this is a fun one I hadn't

thought of, but after a visit to a

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market or trading station, it could

be bundled to provide a shopping bag

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A farmer may even use it to help him

create a pouch to spread his seeds.

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But this cloak wasn't just

practical, it was also symbolic.

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If a man spread his cloak over

a woman, he was declaring he

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was prepared to provide for her.

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And most importantly for our story

between Elijah and Elisha is that if

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you threw a cloak over someone else's

shoulders, it meant you were transferring

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your power and position to them

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as we move on to today's reading,

we'll need to summarize a lot of

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circumstances and have snippets

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Of God's Word throughout instead

of having a longer reading.

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After reading all of these chapters,

I thought, "Lord, this is a lot of

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words to devote to this wicked king."

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And I had to walk away praying because

there are so many areas of scripture

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where I wish we were given a little

bit more information or clarity

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but then when I came across these chapters

devoted to wicked King Ahab, who was more

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wicked than all of the kings before him

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I couldn't understand why God

was being so patient with him.

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But as I pressed in, I found

myself tearing up over the

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goodness and character of God

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In 1 Kings 20, Ben-Hadad, who is

the king of Syria, gets his army

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and 32 kings and chariots together

He comes to fight against Samaria.

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And at this point in history,

Samaria was just a city in the

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northern kingdom of Israel.

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Then there's some old school trash

talk between Ben-Hadad and King Ahab,

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and Ben-Hadad starts saying, "Give me

your money, your wives, and your kids.

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I'm coming for you."

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Shockingly, Ahab agrees.

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Even though he's wicked, he

also seems to be a pushover,

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which is a terrible combination.

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But his elders tell him,

"Don't give in to this.

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You can't just let him walk into your

palace and take everything you've got."

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So Ahab says, " I'll do some

of what you said, but not all."

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And Ben-Hadad says, "It's on."

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And brags about his victory to come.

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Ahab says, "Let's not boast about

the outcome before it begins."

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And then Ben-Hadad is comfortably

sitting back, drinking with his friends,

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when a prophet comes to Ahab and says,

" You see this multitude before you?

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I'll give you victory so that

everyone knows I'm the Lord."

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and God does give Israel

victory over a much outnumbered

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Syrian Army That prophet comes back

to Ahab and says, " They'll come

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back to you in the spring, so you

better figure out your game plan."

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Syria was assuming that Israel

had won this battle because

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it took place in the hills

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But little do they know that

God is the Lord of all creation.

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And he affirms this truth by reporting to

King Ahab, "Thus says the Lord, ' Because

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the Syrians have said, "The Lord is

God of the hills, but he is not God of

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the valleys," therefore I will give all

this great multitude into your hand,

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and you shall know that I am the Lord.'"

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God is so faithful to His name, sometimes

He even allows a wicked king to have a

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victory because it gives Him greater glory

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God's word proves true.

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But after the Israelite army defeats

this multitude of soldiers, and

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then any remaining soldiers are

defeated by the city wall falling

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down upon them, unfortunately,

Ben-Hadad, the king, escapes.

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He's working out a plan to manipulate

Ahab instead of rightly judging this

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enemy, Ahab shows him mercy, but we

aren't always called to be merciful.

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The Lord rebukes him for it.

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God sends a prophet to tell Ahab,

" Thus says the Lord, ' Because you

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have let go out of your hand the man

whom I had devoted to destruction,

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therefore your life shall be for his

life, and your people for his people.'

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And the king of Israel went to his house

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vexed and sullen Ahab is pouting

and having a little temper tantrum,

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and he decides what will make him

feel better is if he can have a nice

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garden right next to the palace.

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He sets his sight on a man

named Naboth's vineyard.

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But Naboth is righteously devoted to

his family's inheritance and says,

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"I can't sell this land to you.

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It's been in our family too long."

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Ahab continues in his temper tantrum.

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And though God did design wives

to help their husbands, That

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doesn't apply to using wickedness

to accomplish their purposes.

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Jezebel basically says,

"You're the king of Israel.

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Stop pouting.

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I'll get this done for you."

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She writes letters in her husband's name,

seals them with his seal, and it reminds

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me a little bit of David's sin with Uriah

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Because with this letter, she has two

men falsely accuse innocent Naboth

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They claim he has cursed the

Lord and the king, and the result

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is that he's stoned to death.

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Wicked Jezebel says, "I got it done.

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Go plant your garden, sweetie."

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The people may be fooled, but God

is not He has Elijah confront Ahab.

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For his sin and his wife's partnership

in this, promising, in the place where

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dogs licked up the blood of Naboth

shall dogs lick up your own blood.

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Behold, I will bring disaster upon you.

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I will utterly burn you up and will

cut off from Ahab every male, bond

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or free, in Israel, and I will make

your house like the house of Jeroboam,

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the son of Nebat, and like the house

of Baasha, the son of Ahijah, for the

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anger to which you have provoked me and

because you have made Israel to sin."

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He promised judgment would

also come to Jezebel and that

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she would be devoured by dogs

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And at this point in the story, we

get a reminder In verse 25, " There

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was none who sold himself to do what

was evil in the sight of the Lord like

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Ahab, whom Jezebel his wife incited.

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He acted very abominably in going

after idols as the Amorites had

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done, whom the Lord cast out

before the people of Israel."

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But don't miss what

happens two verses later

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after Ahab heard the words that Elisha

had just delivered to him, he tore

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his clothes and put sackcloth on his

flesh, and fasted and lay in sackcloth

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and went about dejectedly and the

word of the Lord came to Elijah the

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Tishbite, saying, " Have you seen how

Ahab has humbled himself before Me?

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Because he has humbled himself before

Me, I will not bring the disaster in

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his days; but in his son's days I will

bring the disaster upon his house."

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I'm astounded that although Ahab's

wickedness was unparalleled,

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at his first sign of repentance

and humility, the Lord relents

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ultimately, these chapters explain how

far the nation of Israel had strayed

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from the Lord's plans to bless them, and

it helps us understand why God ordained

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judgment to fall upon them But also, once

again, I see a God that consistently,

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graciously, and mercifully relents

when we humble ourselves before Him

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Is there someone you've been

praying for for years and years?

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They've walked in their own

path, and you've been grieved,

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pleading for their salvation.

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I think we consistently see that if there

is a circumstance and a way for this

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sinner to humble themselves before the

Lord, God will bring them to that end of

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themselves, and He will receive them in

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And although I was reading and thinking,

"All right, God, I'm about done with

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this guy," I'm sure you've thought

that about people in your life too.

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But our God is so patient, not

willing that any should perish,

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and no one is beyond hope.

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So I encourage you to continue to contend

for those you love, no matter how far

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they seem to be straying from the Lord

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In the final chapter of 1

Kings and in 2 Chronicles 18

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we'll learn whether Ahab stayed

in this repentant mindset and

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if he continued to follow God.

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It's surprising that at this point,

Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, the

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southern kingdom, which is God's chosen

line, is going to come to Ahab's rescue.

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Judah and Israel have a

surprising alliance against Syria.

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But Jehoshaphat says, "Can we inquire

first for the word of the Lord?"

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was a good king and followed

in the pattern of David, which

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means frequently inquiring of

the Lord about the next steps.

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Ahab gathers four hundred prophets

together, and it seems most likely

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that these are the prophets that

worshiped Asherah, not prophets

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who had called upon the Lord.

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They all claim that Ahab

will be successful, but

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Jehoshaphat seems unconvinced.

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He asks if there's another

prophet they could ask

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and I find it hilarious, but Ahab

says, "Yeah, there's one more guy,

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Micaiah, but he always gives me bad

news, so I don't like to ask him."

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Jehoshaphat says, "Let's

give him another chance."

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, And don't miss this.

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In chapter 22 verse 10, we read

that the king of Israel and the

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king of Judah were sitting on their

thrones arrayed in their robes.

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And after some interesting sarcastic

exchanges, Micaiah tells Ahab and

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Jehoshaphat, " Go up in triumph.

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The Lord will give this victory

into the hand of the king.

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Ahab's like, " You're

always giving me bad news.

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I'm not sure I believe you

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And Micaiah responds Therefore hear

the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord

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sitting on his throne, and all the

host of heaven standing beside him

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on his right hand and on his left.

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And the Lord said, ' Who will

entice Ahab, that he may go

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up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?'

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And one said one thing,

and another said another.

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Then a spirit came forth and stood before

the Lord, saying, ' I will entice him.'

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And the Lord said to him, 'By what means?'

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And he said, I will go out

and will be a lying spirit in

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the mouth of all the prophets.

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And he said, you are to entice

him, and you shall succeed.

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Go out and do so.

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Now therefore behold, the Lord

has put a lying spirit in the

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mouth of all these your prophets.

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The Lord has declared disaster for you.

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Micaiah says, " You may be sitting

on your thrones right now, but

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the Lord is enthroned in heaven.

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He is sovereign over all things,

including the spiritual realm."

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And just as we saw in Job, the enemy has

no authority unless God allows him to

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Even though God has patiently striven

with Ahab, his time is concluding.

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Ahab's pretty paranoid at this

point, so he decides not to go into

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battle with his royal garments.

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Somehow he convinces Jehoshaphat

to wear his royal robes, though.

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Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria, and

those 32 captains and their chariots

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have their eyes set on defeating Ahab,

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they see Jehoshaphat in his

robes and start pursuing him, but

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realize, oh, this isn't Ahab.

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Chronicles tells us that Jehoshaphat

cries out to the Lord, and God

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drew the men away from him.

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But no disguise and no attempt of man can

thwart the purposes of the Lord Second

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Chronicles 18:32 and 33 says, " But

a certain man drew his bow at random

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and struck the king of Israel between

the scale armor and the breastplate."

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Despite Ahab's attempts to preserve

himself, he is killed in this battle.

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His 22 years of leading Israel in

wickedness have come to an end.

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God has used him for His purposes.

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But now, in His sovereignty, what might

seem like a random act on this earth

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accomplishes exactly what God intends

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This is why you and I can trust this God

with all details and circumstances for

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ourselves and for our kids And it's this

unparalleled God that we have the honor

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Steph: of approaching now

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Heavenly Father, I am in awe of the

way you patiently strive with man As I

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read news articles and watch a culture

devoted to walking in wickedness

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We thank you that you are a

God that sees to the heart.

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You know every sinner has a story, and

if their hearts are capable of humility,

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you wait patiently for it We thank

you that your name will be glorified

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And that in your sovereignty,

you work all things for good.

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We ask that you would purify our

hearts, that we would want your reign

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and your rule, not our own names,

parenting reputations, or performance,

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but may all we do bring glory to

the one who is seated on the throne.

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You are worthy of our trust and worthy

of our children, and we pray that you

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would be working humility in their

hearts and in ours, that we could

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joyfully bow our knees to serve you.

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It is in your Son,

Jesus' name that we pray.

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Amen.