May 4, 2020

And it came to pass after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel, next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. So Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near, next to my house; and for it I will give you a vineyard better than it. Or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its worth in money.” But Naboth said to Ahab, “The LORD forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you!”

So Ahab went into his house sullen and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no food. But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said to him, “Why is your spirit so sullen that you eat no food?” He said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite, and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if it pleases you, I will give you another vineyard for it.’ And he answered, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’

Then Jezebel his wife said to him, “You now exercise authority over Israel! Arise, eat food, and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” And she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who were dwelling in the city with Naboth. She wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and seat Naboth with high honor among the people; and seat two men, scoundrels, before him to bear witness against him, saying, “You have blasphemed God and the king.” Then take him out, and stone him, that he may die. So the men of his city, the elders and nobles who were inhabitants of his city, did as Jezebel had sent to them, as it was written in the letters which she had sent to them. They proclaimed a fast, and seated Naboth with high honor among the people. And two men, scoundrels, came in and sat before him; and the scoundrels witnessed against him, against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth has blasphemed God and the king!” Then they took him outside the city and stoned him with stones, so that he died.

Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.” And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.” So it was, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.

I Kings 21:1-16 NKJV

What do you learn from accounts of terrible sin like David’s sin with Bathsheba; Cain and Abel; and Naboth and Ahab? There are at least two common elements these all share: 1) The nature of sin; and 2) The call to faithfulness.

“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” James 1:14-15

Ahab’s discontent and envy led to complaining, complaining led to Jezebel’s wicked plan, Jezebel’s wicked plan led to lies, lies led to murder, and murder led to theft. Sin breeds sin. 

Sin rarely ever occurs in isolation but like an avalanche it grows, expands, and devours many in its path. In Adam’s fall, we sinned all. From Ahab’s complaining spirit in front of his wife come the murder of Naboth and the theft of his property. 

One of the lessons we should learn from Ahab’s sin is to cut down our sin wherever we see it appear. If we are complaining, may we stop and give thanks to the Lord from whom all blessings flow. Let us “rejoice always” and “in everything give thanks.” If our hearts’ desire is on that which God has forbidden, whether that be the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, or the pride of life, may we humble ourselves before the Lord, be content with our lot, and flee from all that would cause us to fall. May we lift our eyes to Heaven from where comes our help and cry out, “Lead me not into temptation but deliver me from evil.”

As far as we can tell, Ahab made Naboth a fair if not advantageous offer for his property. He would either give Naboth the market value for his vineyard or give to him a vineyard somewhere else better than his own. As reasonable as this might seem, there was one problem, God had forbidden the selling of the Israelites’ inheritance (vs. 3).*

Ahab desired for Naboth to do something that was directly contrary to the Word of God. Because Naboth feared God more than man he would not consent. This decision by Naboth eventually cost him his life. It may have robbed a wife of her husband, and children of their father. 

Following and serving Christ may come at great cost. Many have given their lives, lost their lives, and suffered great persecution for following Christ. Naboth was no fool. He knew of the wickedness of his royal neighbors. He knew of the murder of the prophets. He knew of the death warrant out for Elijah. And yet he would not sin against his God who sent fire from Heaven on Mt. Carmel.

To fulfill all righteousness Jesus Christ was faithful even to His death on the cross. May we be faithful to the Lord our God even if it costs us everything. The losses of this world are nothing to be compared to the gains of the world to come. But if we sin against God and refuse to repent and turn to Him in faith, whatever gain we think we can receive in this life will provide no satisfaction or joy, and in the life to come we will have eternal death.

Through this account of Naboth, Ahab, and Jezebel, life and death are presented before you. Life in Jesus Christ. Death in sin and unrighteousness. Choose Life!**

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* “So the inheritance of the children of Israel shall not change hands from tribe to tribe, for every one of the children of Israel shall keep the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.” (Numbers 36:7)

** “I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days…” (Deut. 30: 18-20)

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