1 Kings 21:25
But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.
There was none like Ahab in wickedness, for he gave himself over to work evil in the sight of the Lord as his wife Jezebel stirred him up to it. Her evil influence over him began at the first and continued through his later years, and his weak moral character and lack of firm principle made him readily shaped by her determined spirit. Naturally covetous and sustained in wrongdoing by Jezebel, he followed his selfish heart until he felt that what he desired should by right be his, as when he set his heart on Naboth's vineyard near his house and then took it after she arranged Naboth's unjust death. Joined with the heathen Jezebel, he upheld the idolatry that seduced Israel, following idols as the Amorites had done whom the Lord had driven out. Through Jezebel Satan swayed the king and through the king led all Israel into sin, bringing disaster on the kingdom, and for seizing the vineyard the Lord rebuked Ahab by Elijah and foretold the doom of him and all his house.
Ahab's Wickedness and Influence
There was none like unto Ahab, who sold himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. Jezebel exercised evil influence over him from the first, and this influence continued during the later years of his life, stirring him to this course. His weak moral character and lack of a firm standard of right made him readily shaped by her determined spirit.
He was naturally covetous and, strengthened and sustained in wrongdoing by Jezebel, followed the dictates of his evil heart until he was fully controlled by the spirit of selfishness. He could brook no refusal of his wishes and felt that the things he desired should by right be his. That selfishness kept him from valuing God's mercy to Israel and his duty as its leader, while her influence led him to turn from God and lose the fear of God. This dominant selfish trait appeared while Elijah was still prophet in Israel, when Ahab set his heart on possessing the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite hard by the palace for a garden of herbs because it was near his house, offering in return a better vineyard or its worth in money. His selfish desire for the vineyard and his taking it after Jezebel arranged Naboth's unjust death illustrate the deeds of shame and violence meant by the verse, such as have seldom been equaled in sacred history. Joined with the heathen Jezebel, he supported the idolatry that seduced Israel, following idols as the Amorites had done, the people whom the Lord had driven out before Israel.
Consequences and Divine Judgment
Satan worked through Jezebel to bend the king to evil, and through the king to draw all Israel into sin. That same ruling selfishness in Ahab brought disaster upon the kingdom under his successors, and it was laid bare while Elijah was still prophet in Israel when Ahab fixed his heart on getting the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite lying hard by the palace. Because it was near his house he wanted it for a garden of herbs, and he proposed to buy it by giving in exchange a better vineyard or paying its worth in money.
His seizing of Naboth’s vineyard after Naboth was put to death was an instance of giving himself over to do evil in the sight of the Lord at Jezebel’s urging. For that flagrant evil the Lord rebuked Ahab and pronounced judgment upon his house. Joined with the heathen Jezebel in upholding the idolatry that seduced Israel, wicked Ahab heard the voice of Elijah as God’s instrument foretelling his own doom and the doom of all his house.
Warnings for Later Life
As Jezebel stirred Ahab to wickedness, so a wife with a bitter, excitable spirit can stir her husband by false reports to oppose God's servants and their pointed testimony. The case of R's wife shows this pattern, where her spirit and reports moved her husband into opposition to the pointed testimony borne to correct wrong.
To sell oneself to work wickedness is to give oneself over to sensual pleasure and to violate God's law while professing to keep it. Such a course may be concealed for a time behind a ministerial role, yet it brings God's indignation and wrath and brings ruin upon those entrusted to such a one's care. Though Ahab held very great authority, no amount of authority lifts anyone above God. Therefore those given position and responsibility over the publishing work must not gather control into their own hands nor drive measures through by human wisdom and stubborn will, for God is above them and His sovereignty is supreme. In the same way, giving oneself over to wickedness as Ahab did marks one whose speech and spirit have been given over to the world, urged on in evil as Ahab was urged on by Jezebel.