‘…BECAUSE HE MARRIED THE DAUGHTER OF AHAB…’ (Ladies Only)

Sisters, you are powerful.

And I am not saying it in that bra-burning, fist-clenched, arm-raised, wild-haired, hardened-feminist kind of way.

No.
I’m saying it with much fear and trembling.

Sisters, you are powerful.

There are certain topics you write about gladly and freely. Then there are others you write fully-armoured – and only under compulsion – because you know it can be misconstrued a thousand different ways.

This is one of them.

Years ago, I was led to study the kings of Israel and Judah, and one thing that kept jumping out at me was how much influence women had on their sons and husbands…
…Men who were kings.

But, recently, one in particular struck me in a different light.
Just follow me, okay?

David was obsessed and in love with God – a man after God’s heart. While it wasn’t automatic for his son and successor to love God, the probability was very high – and that was what happened.

Solomon loved and followed God – until his wives turned his heart away. But that was to be expected. After all, they were strange women of other nations that God had warned His people not to marry from.
But he still had a heart for God.

Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, was a foolish boy who bowed to peer pressure and lost 11 of the 12 tribes of Israel. (It was all in the Divine Plan though.) He did evil by worshipping other gods, but there was still a regard and respect for God. (1 Chronicles 11&12)

Stay with me.

Abijah succeeded Rehoboam, and worshipped other gods (which was to be sort of expected since his father did that) but even then, there was a reliance and regard for God – so much so that God fought for him and gave Judah dominion over Israel while he reigned. (1 Chronicles 13)

Then, Asa reigned – and he pleased God. He returned Israel back to the God of his fathers – and God fought for him. He later derailed, but he still had a record of service and a heart for God.

After he died, Jehoshaphat became king.
Jehoshaphat was one of the most wonderful kings of Judah. God is a God of generations and – just like He desires it – Jehoshaphat’s reign and service to God was even better than his father’s. Even when he made an error in going to battle with Ahab, God had mercy on him because of his heart (2Chronicles 19:1-3)

God prospered Jehoshaphat mightily so that, even though he gave the kingdom to the firstborn, Jehoram, he still gave huge gifts of precious stones and great cities to his six remaining sons.

After his father died, Jehoram took over…
…and killed all his brothers.

…
…

I had been progressively reading Chronicles – and when I got to that part, my brain screeched to a halt.
I couldn’t understand it.

Yes, every man is responsible for his choices – but that level of detour from his predecessors was too drastic, too evil and too unexpected. It didn’t make sense to me…until I read further.

“He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel…like the house of Ahab…because he married Ahab’s daughter…(paraphrase)” 2Chronicles 21:6.

So, basically, a man who had the massive potential to be better than his godly predecessors – due to his lineage – became a ‘devil’ because of the woman he married.

Let me tell you why this struck me.

I had always pictured Ahab as a heathen king because of his wickedness. Like the Philistines. Or the Egyptians.

It just dawned on me that he was the king of Israel.
The people of God. The chosen nation of God.
He was an Israelite.

So, his daughter also was part of the ‘Body’. An Israelite.

In today’s world, she would be a ‘Christian’. Part of the tribe.

But because of his relationship with this woman, a king killed his brothers who were better than he, started serving idols, and turned a nation to evil.
This king, who descended from a glorious lineage, died a horrible, horrible death (his intestines fell out); he was not given a befitting, kingly burial – and when he died, no one desired or sorrowed for him. (2 Kings 21)

Unlike Solomon whose heart was turned away by women from other nationalities, Jehoram was destroyed by someone who was part of ‘the Tribe’.

Now, how do I say this as delicately as possible?

You can be a ‘Christian’ – and still be a daughter of Ahab.

-If you cause the men in your life – husband, son, brother – to compromise their integrity;
-If their God-walk or God-focus reduces;
-If their love-walk towards divine, healthy relationships is shut down; or
-If their purity level decreases because of you…

…you are (being) a daughter of Ahab.

-You don’t encourage your brother to join others to embezzle or cut corners in the office because “you are not being paid properly.”
-You don’t tell your son to lie on the phone that you are not at home.
-You don’t encourage porn in your home as a wife – or deliberately seduce your fiancé as a single lady.
-You don’t encourage them to visit one baba, prophet or prayer-merchant because their ‘issues’ are many.
-You don’t subtly poison their minds, or estrange them from divine relationships – including family – simply because you want to be their number one. Or you just don’t like those people.
-You don’t discourage them from fulfilling their calling or ministry because it inconveniences you or makes you uncomfortable…
…especially when you claim to be part of the ‘Tribe.’

Anything you do that negatively influences their God-walk, God-focus, integrity, love-walk, purity or purpose…positions you as a daughter of Ahab.

While you may gain temporary satisfaction, you destroy them and truncate their destinies in the long run – making them less than what God planned them to be.

Sisters, you are powerful.

Use that power God’s way.