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1 Kings 22:51-52. "Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned two years over Israel. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin."

 

A few days ago my post was about God granting Ahab victory in battle even though Ahab was a very wicked king. When Ahab showed signs of repentance later in life, God promised not to bring the evil on Ahab's house that he had earned in his lifetime, saying He would instead bring it in Ahab's son's time. (1Kings 21:27-29). Now, Ahab's son Ahaziah has become king and he will continue the sinful ways of his father, his mother Jezebel, and Jeroboam, the first king of the northern kingdom.

 

Ahaziah would only reign for two years. He was injured in a fall and called upon Baalzebub, the false god of Ekron, for help. Because of this, God did not come to Ahaziah's assistance and he died from his injury. (2 Kings 1:16). Ahaziah's brother, Jehoram, then became king, and he also did what is evil in the sight of the Lord. (2 Kings 3:1-2). Jehoram's reign lasted twelve years. (2 Kings 3:1). While Ahaziah's death was certainly a punishment for calling on foreign gods, it does not seem like the punishment God was promising for Ahab and Jezebel's wickedness. It seems that Ahab's house, and Israel itself,  was not punished as quickly as one might have thought. Ultimately, after a series of bad kings, Israel fell to Assyria. The Assyrian conquest does seem like the kind of punishment God was talking about, but it came many years after Ahab and his sons.  

 

It is good to be reminded that God's time is not our time, and to use the time we have wisely. God's promises, both for blessings and for chastisements, will always be kept, but very often not in the way or in the time we are expecting. We can hear God's Word, His promises, and think He means now, or "soon", but only He knows exactly when is the right time for His promises' fulfillment.

 

If God has told us chastisements are coming, they will come. But rather than sitting around waiting for them, either in expectation of what will come after, or in dread as to how they will affect us, we should use the time we have before they arrive to repent and to help bring others to repentance. Look what that did for the wicked Ahab! The punishment that was due him was put off many more years after he showed a small sign of repentance and humility.

 

God's justice is timed perfectly, and it is always meted out in accordance with His mercy. While we have time, if we give Him reason to show us mercy, He will gladly do so.