Lesson 12 – Humble Repentance
Read 1 Kings 21:25-29 https://www.bible.com/bible/59/1KI.21.ESV
From 1 Kings 21:29 - Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before Me?

King Ahab was encouraged by his wife Jezebel to openly defy God, making evil his business. He enjoyed very sinful, horrible idol worship, just as the heathen nation had whom God had earlier removed from Israelite territory.

When Ahab heard what God told Elijah to tell him, he ripped his clothes, put on rough burlap (even sleeping in burlap) and refused to eat. He walked around his palace home sad and quiet.

God spoke to Elijah: “Do you see Ahab’s humble, repentant submission to Me? Because of this, I will not carry out the destruction to him and his kingdom while he is alive, but I will bring doom to Ahab’s son.”

In the earlier event, King David confessed to the prophet Nathan: “I have sinned against God.” Nathan replied, “God forgives your sin; you will not die for it. But because of your sin against God, your newborn son born to your stolen wife will die.”


Later David wrote Psalm 51 as a psalm of repentance:
PSALM 51:1-17
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

*What was your response to Jesus when He showed you something in your life He said should not be there?