I love all the old super hero shows. Clark Kent hears the cry with his super hearing, removes his glasses, and leaps out the window to fly into action as Superman. The Bat Signal goes up and the cry, “To the bat cave is heard!” and Bruce Wayne and Master Grayson slide down the secret pole and race into action as Batman and Robin. Even Larry Boy in Veggie tales responds when his mop signals that someone is in need by declaring, “I am that Hero!” and hops off to go the rescue. I often think of those heroes and wonder how I would respond if given the opportunity. One of my first jobs was as a cashier at the old People’s Drugs. I worked a lot of Sundays and there would most often be only two people in the store when we opened, the assistant manager, who was also the pharmacist, and myself. I remember one Sunday morning, I had a long line of customers waiting to check out and out of the corner of my eye I see a couple of people coming out of the liquor department. This was highly unusual because it was closed off on Sundays.
This was my moment. Time to leap into action. I had two known shoplifters right in front of me. As I looked the first one right in the eye, I prepared to “spring” into action. In the next moment, I cried out the loud and profound words, “Un-huh, not on my watch! Drop it and get out of here!” They were gone in a flash and I was left to explain to a line of stunned people wondering what had just happened. That was my moment. What a hero!?
This week Elijah will be put in a similar instance and he too will declare to Ahab, “Not on my watch!” I believe it is a far more dramatic scene than that which I was a part of twenty-five years ago. But, never the less, Elijah does play the role of God’s super hero in this week’s installment of the Life of Elijah:
I Kings 21:1-29
1 Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 Ahab said to Naboth, "Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth." 3 But Naboth replied, "The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers." 4 So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, "I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers." He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat. 5 His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, "Why are you so sullen? Why won't you eat?" 6 He answered her, "Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, 'Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.' But he said, 'I will not give you my vineyard.' " 7 Jezebel his wife said, "Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I'll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite." 8 So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth's city with him. 9 In those letters she wrote: "Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. 10 But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death." 11 So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth's city did as Jezebel directed in the letters she had written to them. 12 They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth in a prominent place among the people. 13 Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, "Naboth has cursed both God and the king." So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death. 14 Then they sent word to Jezebel: "Naboth has been stoned and is dead." 15 As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, "Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead." 16 When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth's vineyard. 17 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite: 18 "Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth's vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. 19 Say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?' Then say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth's blood, dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!' " 20 Ahab said to Elijah, "So you have found me, my enemy!" "I have found you," he answered, "because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD. 21 'I am going to bring disaster on you. I will consume your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel—slave or free. 22 I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked me to anger and have caused Israel to sin.' 23 "And also concerning Jezebel the LORD says: 'Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.' 24 "Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country." 25 (There was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, urged on by Jezebel his wife. 26 He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the LORD drove out before Israel.)
While Ahab is hearing the news of Naboth’s death and is preparing to go take possession of the vineyard, God calls out for His hero. I like imagining the Superhero type response of Elijah. Elijah springs into action. Ahab, the bad guy, and Elijah, God’s hero, arrive in the vineyard at the same time. Villain and Hero set to battle and just when you think that the bad guy is going to finally get what he deserves – BOOF! POW! KAZOWIE! – God’s grace steps in and the bad guy is let go!
27 When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly. 28 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite: 29 "Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son."
In all of this, Ahab has something to teach us. We learn that God's grace is available to everyone --- even the most evil acting king of all time! We also learn that God’s grace is available if we respond.
Our choices have consequences and consequences, if not immediate, will be inevitable. In the Old Testament covenant, the consequences of Ahab’s actions were to be brought on his sons. We live under a new covenant written in the blood and sacrifice of Christ. The new covenant states that we will be judged individually for our actions and this judgment will come at the end of our days. Our actions no longer carry a Godly judgment to our nation or even to our families. However, do not be mistaken, our actions will always have consequences and those consequences may very well come to bear on our nation and/or our family.
Therefore, we must learn to discipline our desires so that our actions do not stand in opposition to God’s standard for our actions. We must learn to put our desires under God’s submission. Perhaps you need to reorder some of your desires in the face of God’s standards for your life? If God’s grace is evident in the life of Ahab (did I mention Ahab was the most evil king to ever live?), how much more may God’s grace become evident in your life?
There is one last thing for us to learn from our Superhero - Elijah. We can discover this by looking at words written about Elijah in the New Testament - “Elijah was a man just like us.” James 5:17 NIV
Are you kidding me?
Elijah was anything but “just a man,” BUT that is the point. Elijah was no different than you or I. Our problem is that we find it easy to be like Elijah in part, but not the whole. We like be like Elijah when he is pronouncing judgment on the mistakes or sins that exist in Ahab’s life. We don’t mind being the judge and jury for God in people's lives (other than our own).
We might even find it easy to compare ourselves to the people around us. It is easy to say “At least I’m not as bad as Ahab” or “At least I’m not as bad as ________” or I’ll never be as good as _____” or “at least I’m better than _____.”
The problem with comparing is that it can also limit us …. “I’ll never have that kind of relationship with God” or “I wish I could do that (give, serve, pray) but I don’t have the _____”
It would be really easy for us to look at the life of Elijah and say I could never be like him. But then again ... “Elijah was just a man.”
You and I have the ability to have the same relationship with the same God that Elijah did. We even have one more trick up our sleeves that Elijah didn’t --- the Holy Spirit! Our problem is we don’t believe that we have the capability.
Can we learn to practice grace in our lives?
When we fail, we need to practice grace just like Ahab.
And when we seek to live our faith, we need grace to see beyond our own ordinariness and begin to see in ourselves and others what God sees … “Elijah was just a man.”
But then again...a life given over to serving God is anything but something ordinary.
Practice grace this week and begin to unleash the Superhero that is within you!
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