Mercy on Ahab. in ten minutes...

I have ten minutes before it's time to get in the car and go to work, so this is going to be short.

Ahab, the nasty king of Israel, wanted to buy a vineyard from Naboth. Naboth wouldn't sell it to him, so Ahab went home and sulked. Jezebel, the wicked queen, asked him what he was sulking about. "Mama will fix it," she effectively said, and she had Naboth killed. Then Ahab went down to take possession of the vineyard.

Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: "Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth's vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. Say to him, 'This is what the Lord says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?' Then say to him, 'This is what the Lord says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth's blood, dogs will lick up your blood--yes, yours!' "

2 Kings 21.17-19

When Ahab heard the rebuke from the Lord, he humbled himself. Now here's the part I don't quite get:

Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: "Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son."

2 Kings 21.28-29

What good does it do to bring about destruction in the days of Ahab's son? Ahab won't learn anything from that -- he'll be dead at the time!

When I figure it out, I'll let you know.