1 Kings 18:17-18 Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and have followed the Baals.
Men hate being told “I told you so.” They don’t wanted to be reminded of their mistakes. It’s a pride thing. Where it usually goes wrong is when men start to blame others for their own failings. Finding a scapegoat to mask our own shortcomings has been happening for thousands of years. If your direct actions or decisions have led to failure then you need to own it and move on. Don’t let pride prevent you from learning life’s lessons.
This scene between Ahab and Elijah is almost comical because Elijah had declared there would be no rain in the land, and it had been dry for three years. It was a direct attack on Ahab’s god Baal, the god of rain, whom he worshipped over the one true God of Israel. Instead of owning it and repenting Ahab sent people out to find Elijah while Jezebel was killing the prophets. The funny thing is that God had Elijah hiding in Jezebel’s home country the whole time. Elijah returns, and Ahab accuses him of being the troubler of Israel. Ahab lacked the self-awareness necessary to realize he was the problem and wanted to blame other people.
Weak men see God’s Word as trouble. It gets in the way of what they want to do and constantly reminds them of the error of their ways. Since they can’t attack the Word except in pithy comments, they often go after the messenger, like Ahab went after Elijah. It is in a man’s nature to attack what gets in their way. For the most part, this is good because God designed man to take on challenges. Where it goes off the rails is when men are pursuing challenges contrary to God’s will and His Word.
David was a man’s man. He took on a giant as a young man, and it inspired a generation of men to confront challenges way beyond their abilities (See 2 Sam 23). Yet he was known as a man after God’s heart because he loved being in the presence of God and wanted to be directed by His Word. Psalm 119:105 says that “thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” He didn’t see God’s Word as trouble.
The real issue here isn’t God’s Word; it is whom you are worshipping. God’s Word gets in the way of the idols we set up in our lives. Israel didn’t have rain for three years because Ahab had set up a temple to Baal. An epic showdown is about to happen between 450 prophets of Baal and Elijah, and it goes really badly for Ahab. After that, Elijah brings the rain. All of this shows that God is mightier than the pitiful god that Ahab is worshipping. Yet Ahab wants to blame Elijah.
Pride can prevent a man from learning from his mistakes. Deflecting the blame onto someone else is a cowardly way to deal with glaring issues in our character. Real men assess the situation and take responsibility for their wrong choices and actions. They then work to correct it by removing the blindspots that prevented the correct choice in the first place and start to listen to those God sends to us to bring wisdom.
A Godly man is one who not only takes responsibility but also receives the Word of God. God’s word is able to cut to the heart of the issue and sometimes we aren’t ready to hear it. Strength in a man is determined by how he handles the difficulties and challenges that come his was and how he responds to them. Let God’s Word penetrate your pride and humble your heart.
