Character Studies - ElectronicGospel

the damage is being done secretly through surrender (Second Timothy 4:1-5)C. Limited Brotherhood1. today, Ahab would be called a great uniter and a man of unparalleled compassion for sparingBen-Hadad, even calling him his brother!2. God does not want us to execute his enemies today, but to convert them; things were differentunder that covenant and in that environment where Israel was literally fighting for its physical existence3. Ben-Hadad should not have been spared and certainly was no brother4. brotherhood is limited to God’s definition of the arrangement and while it is a relationship wemust love, it is not one that we can expand beyond his borders (First Peter 2:17 and 5:6-9)a. spiritual brotherhood requires a shared faith (see Second Peter 1:1) and mutual entranceinto the family of God through confession and baptism (Galatians 3:26-27)b. it is tempting to extend the concept of brotherhood to those who believe but worship indenominations and reject the present kingdom and refuse to be baptized for the remission of sins, but wehave no right to revise God’s definition of brotherhoodD. Tardy Reformation1. Ahab seems to reform late in life, but it was too late to change very much2. some of us think that we are going to go along in sin or in some habit until we get older and thefun wears off or maybe we save ourselves with a deathbed repentance, but either way, by then, so muchdamage will be done and some of it will be beyond repair (Hebrews 12:12-17)3. perhaps we will have time to repent genuinely and be saved from ourselves, but how will weundo the damage to our reputations and influence upon our children and how will we accomplish all thatwe left undone?ConclusionAhab is a complicated character, but one that we can learn from.Character Studies! 181