1 Kings 21:17-29, The Humility of Ahab?!

There are a couple of interesting, and perhaps significant occurrences in the time of the Kings.  One occurred in the Northern Kingdom with King Ahab, who did more evil than any kings before him (1 Ki. 16:30; 21:25), but who humbled himself (21:27), after the murder of Naboth, when his fate was sealed (21:20-23), a humbling acknowledged and rewarded by the LORD (21:29ab).  A similar situation happened with Manasseh, another extremely wicked king, king over Judah, whose evil was the reason God would no longer relent in the judgment by the Babylonians (Jer. 15:4), but who humbled himself (2 Chron. 33:12-13), a humbling acknowledged and rewarded by the LORD (33:13,19).  Perhaps the most wicked king in both kingdoms, north and south.  And the humbled themselves. 

So what are we to think about these men?  I’m not going to tell you what to think.  And I am long past making concrete statements about the hearts of men, apart from statements from the LORD Himself as to their eternal status.  To humble oneself before God is an act of faith that He recognizes.  That much I would like to show from a study of this word. 

The Hebrew for this "humbling," kana, used 36x in 32 verses, is half the time used of subduing enemies (e.g. Judges 3:30) or the wicked (e.g. 2 Chron. 28:19).  Here are the other uses which are relevant to understanding what these wicked kings did.

·       Lev. 26:41: The important first use is in the prophecy of blessings and curses in the Law. When Israel sins and is removed from the land, if their uncircumcised hearts are humbled, and they accept their guilt God will bring them back. In 2 Chron. 7:14 (If my people who are called by My name humble themselves) Solomon repeated this promise in the dedication of the temple.

·       2 Ki. 21:19; 2 Chr. 34:27ab: Josiah humbled himself upon hearing the book of the Law.

·       2 Chron. 12:6,7ab,12: Rehoboam, after first rebelling, then humbled himself, and God acknowledged and rewarded him.  Their humility was expressed in the affirmation that, the LORD is righteous. 

·       2 Chron. 32:26; 30:11: In the days of Hezekiah, the king humbled himself.  And while most in the northern kingdom declined the invitation, some from Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and came for the Passover.

·       2 Chron. 33:23; 36:12: While King Manasseh humbled himself, his son Amon did not! Nor did Zedekiah humble himself before Jeremiah.

What think ye?  Certainly, the grace of God is sufficient to take in such wicked men as Ahab and Manasseh.  The Leviticus passage is quoted by Solomon because Solomon knows it is significant to the purpose of the temple in facilitating a relationship between the LORD and His people Israel.  Of course, the issue is, have I humbled myself and am I living this before the Lord now?  I Peter 5:5: … be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”