Ahab's Character

God held a plumbline against the house of Ahab and it failed the test. The house was not upright.

The Bible teaches quite a bit about Ahab’s character. They provide important lessons for church leaders. These vulnerabilities leave church leader vulnerable to the Ahab spirit, which opens the way for the Jezebel spirit.

1) Populism
Ahab walked in the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat (1 Kings 16:31)

Jeroboam = the people increase, multiply
Nebat = look.

Ahab and Jeroboam looked to the people. They were populist leaders.
Vulnerability: Insecure leaders find populism hard to resist.

2) Presumption
Ahab thought to himself, he devised schemes in his heart
1 Kings 12:28,29, 22:8, 12:33.
Vulnerability: Many Christian leaders copy the ideas of other men.

3)Compromise
Ahab was enticed into compromise when he should have stood firm.
1 Kings 12:28,29; 16:31,33: 20:32,34; 11:40 II Kings 17:21; 8:18; 2 Chron 21:13 (prostitute themselves)

Ahab = Brother is father

Everyone was Ahab’s brother
Hiel rebuilt Jericho in Ahab’s time 1( Kings 16:34).
Vulnerability: Just as harshness is always a temptation to prophets,
compromise is always a temptation to peace lovers.

4) Tolerate
Ahab tolerated evil.
Rev 2:20, 1 Kings 16:31, 20:4; 20:33.
Vulnerability: This is risk for pastors in church without prophets. The problem is not Jezebel, but leaders who tolerate evil for the sake of peace.

5) Comfort
Ahab enjoyed the comforts of the flesh
1 Kings 16:9; 18:41; 21:1,2; 22:34; 21:16
Vulnerability: Enough said

6) Jealous
He was troubled by covetousness and jealousy
1 Kings 21:2; 11:26,27
Vulnerability: what if some of your sheep go to another church. Will you be threatened

7) Money
He used money to achieve results, bribery
1 Kings 13:7; 20:3,4; 21:2.
Vulnerability: Money problems are common in churches.

8) Anger
Ahab was sullen and angry (vexed NASB)
1 Kings 20:43; 21,2
Vulnerability: sulleness and sulking are a slippery slope.

9) Threats and Control
Ahab used threats and intimidation to control people.
1 Kings 18:10,11.
Vulnerability: Controlling guilty or vulnerable people is easy for pastors/leaders.

10) Up and Down
Sometimes Ahab was hard hearted. Other times he was humble – aconvenient humility
1 Kings 20:25-29.
Vulnerability: inconsistency is risky

11) Rebellion
Ahab ended in rebellion
1 Kings 11:26; 12:19; 16:20; 21:25;
He set up idols
1 Kings 12:31; 21:26;
Vulnerability: Some church programmes can become idols

12) Resisted the Kingdom of God
2 Chron 13:8,12
Rev 2:26,27.
Those who persevered in Thyatira were promised the Kingdom of God
They would have the Morning Star,
ie they will defeat Satan Is 14:12
Vulnerability: there is not much interest in the kingdom among church leaders.