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1 Kings Chapter 21
Naboth's Vineyard
- 1Kings 21:1 And it
came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had
a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab
king of Samaria.
- 2 And Ahab spake
unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it
for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I
will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem
good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money.
- 3 And Naboth said to
Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance
of my fathers unto thee.
Looks like the kings long departed from
the law of Moses.
If someone was poor and had to sell,
the land was to be given back in the year of jubilee. So Naboth had
a perfect right to say no.
-
1Kings 21:4 And Ahab came
into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which
Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will
not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him
down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no
bread.
It is sad when those in authority desire land
that belongs to someone else. The average citizens have a hard time
going up against those in power. It is sad also what happens to this
one who resisted and kept with the law of God given to them by way
of Moses. One of the ten commandments is not to covet. God makes
laws to protect, not harm.
-
Deuteronomy 5:21
Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt
thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant,
or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy
neighbour's.
Isn't it great how God knows our human
weaknesses and made those beautiful commandments to safeguard and
keep us from doing things to harm one another. Oh why would someone
want to remove them from court house walls? They are good, they
protect, they show us the right way to treat our neighbors. God is
out for our good, not for our destruction.
- 1Kings 21:5 But
Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy
spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread?
- 6 And he said unto
her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto
him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee,
I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I
will not give thee my vineyard.
- 7 And Jezebel his
wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel?
arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give
thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
Jezebel was an example of someone who
should never be in the place of authority over others. Today when we
vote for someone, we need to try to discern what kind of people we
place in authority before we vote. Check previous voting records if
they were in some kind of government office before. We need to avoid
gossip and political bias though. Many times those running for
government positions are out to destroy someone's reputation by
constantly bringing up their past, and purposely try to trash them.
As much as posible try to ignore politcal speeches of opponents but
try to discern and find out if those running for office really care
about those they represent. Do they care more for increasing their
own riches or being in control? Do they care about helping people
because they care, not just to get votes? Are they control freaks?
Most of all pray and ask God's help when we vote. Most keep voting
for the party they prefer and that is why there is so much
corruption. It is hard to get honest people in government positions
because of party politics.
- 1Kings 21:8 So she
wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and
sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in
his city, dwelling with Naboth.
- 9 And she wrote in
the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high
among the people:
- 10 And set two men,
sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying,
Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out,
and stone him, that he may die.
- 11 And the men of
his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the
inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and
as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them.
- 12 They proclaimed a
fast, and set Naboth on high among the people.
- 13 And there came in
two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of
Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the
presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the
king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned
him with stones, that he died.
- 14 Then they sent to
Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead.
- 15 And it came to
pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead,
that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the
vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee
for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead.
- 16 And it came to
pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to
go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take
possession of it.
How sad and how wicked. Oh how much we
all need to seek to have a heart after God's and not care for the
things of this life so much that we war, fight, steal and do evil to
obtain that which is temporary.
Some words in the book of Micah I found
interesting:
- Micah 2:1 Woe to
them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when
the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the
power of their hand.
- 2 And they covet
fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them
away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his
heritage.
Our God has a better way for us to live
and walk while we are here on earth and even a better future for us
by giving eternal life for those who have their sins forgiven. He
also gives the gift of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us when we
receive Jesus into our lifes and trust in what He did for us. He
died for the sins we committed and rose again from the grave
insuring that we who believe will have eternal life with a new body
that can never die. Now that is an inheritance to seek. It is freely
given to all that believe.
The Lord Condemns Ahab
- 1Kings 21:17 And the
word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
- 18 Arise, go down to
meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in
the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it.
- 19 And thou shalt
speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed,
and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him,
saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the
blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.
- 20 And Ahab said to
Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I
have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in
the sight of the LORD.
- 21 Behold, I will
bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will
cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him
that is shut up and left in Israel,
- 22 And will make
thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and
like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation
wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to
sin.
- 23 And of Jezebel
also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the
wall of Jezreel.
- 24 Him that dieth of
Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the
field shall the fowls of the air eat.
Elijah here bravely spoke of the
judgment against Jezebel's and his (Ahab's) sin. Ahab repents later
but Jezebel has no repentance even though God showed them plainly
who was the real God was previously. This contest between the
prophets of Baal and God was recorded in chapter 18 of 1 Kings.
Ahab's Repentance
- 1Kings 21:25 But
there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work
wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife
stirred up.
- 26 And he did very
abominably in following idols, according to all things as did
the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of
Israel.
- 27 And it came to
pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and
put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth,
and went softly.
- 28 And the word of
the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
- 29 Seest thou how
Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself
before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his
son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.
The prophecy concerning Jezebel was
fulfilled later as we see recorded in 2 Kings chapter 9. God had
mercy on Ahab and delayed the evil upon his house until his son became king. Ahab
reverses his repentance later and died in a battle fulfilling part
of Elijah's prophesy. The prophecy concerning Jezebel happens later
which we read about in 2 Kings. Jezebel's end was horrible. She didn't
get away with anything. She had many chances to make things
right with God but chose to serve Baal and a religion that was vain
and evil. DC
1 Kings Chapter 22
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