We know that God is almighty. There is nothing beyond His might and power. There is nothing He can’t do. He is a “consuming fire” who takes vengeance on His enemies and destroys anyone who opposes Him. Yet in all His glory, majesty, splendor, might, and terror, there is one thing that God simply “cannot” do. Yes, there is something God is “incapable” of doing – a “weakness” in God so to speak (if this article sounds blasphemous, please but bear with me).
After King Ahab mercilessly murdered Naboth and seized his property, God initially sent Prophet Elijah to him with this message:
‘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!… I am going to bring disaster on you. I will wipe out your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel—slave or free. ’
Ahab wasn’t just an evil king. He was the worst! About him it was written: “There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord…He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the Lord drove out before Israel.”
And yet, when Ahab heard God’s words “he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.”After this:
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.”
Wait a minute! God’s sentence against Ahab had no ultimatum. God did not say, if you don’t repent, such and such will happen. It was not a warning. The message couldn’t be clearer. The disaster would happen in Ahab’s days upon Ahab, and God’s word can’t be broken. Right? Moreoever, there was no evidence that Ahab truly repented by correcting his sins. Bible does not mention Ahab renouncing idolatrous worship or restoring Naboth’s vineyard. Also, when he and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, decided to go to war against the Syrians, Ahab consulted with four hundred false prophets (1 Kings 22:6) If Ahab had truly repented, he would have corrected his previous sins and would not have consulted with false prophets. If he didn’t truly repent, Ahab heart was still not right before God and he will not be spared of eternal judgment. Nevertheless, here was God’s “weakness” — Simply because Ahab asked for God’s mercy with fasting and humility, he was at least spared from the destruction of his own time (since this is all he cared about).
“And though after this forgiveness he was sure not to depart from his wickedness, nevertheless the forgiving God forgave him, not as being ignorant of the future, but as granting a forgiveness corresponding to his present season of repentance.” – St. Cyril of Jerusalem
Likewise, the message Jonah gave to the Ninevites was not a warning or ulitmatum. God’s message was not unless you repent Nineveh will be destroyed. God’s decree was : “Forty more days and Nineveh will be destroyed.” (Jonah 3:4). It was not a warning! It was sentence. And yet when God saw there sincere pleas for mercy demonstrated through fasting, prayer, humility, and repentance, God’s “weakness” — His mercy was manifest again:
And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not. (Jonah 3:10)
If someone as vile and evil as Ahab can pursue God’s mercy through fasting and humility and receive mercy, without evidence of a sincere or lasting repentance, what stops you and me from seeking God’s mercy with confidence if we also seek it with a sincere repentance? Hence is manifest God’s very “weakness”, His mercy to to all who humble themselves before Him. A humble and contrite heart, God will not despise (Psalm 50). To such a person God will say: Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me (Song of Solomon 6:5)