The story of Ahab and Naboth
1 Kings 21:1-16
1 Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 Ahab said to Naboth, “Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth.”
3 But Naboth replied, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors.”
4 So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my ancestors.” He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat.
5 His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, “Why are you so sullen? Why won’t you eat?”
6 He answered her, “Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, ‘Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’”
7 Jezebel his wife said, “Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
8 So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city with him. 9 In those letters she wrote: “Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. 10 But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them bring charges that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death.”
11 So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city did as Jezebel directed in the letters she had written to them. 12 They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth in a prominent place among the people. 13 Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death. 14 Then they sent word to Jezebel: “Naboth has been stoned to death.”
15 As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead.” 16 When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth’s vineyard.
What a sad story of how a king able to afford any vineyard he could wish for gets fixated by this one vineyard whose owner was not willing to sell, to the point of not eating. Actually it sounds funny that the king wanted to plant vegetables.
Things get out of hand and Naboth is killed! Then Ahab gets up quickly to go take over the vineyard.
When we desire something that already has an owner and wish it were ours, we are indirectly wishing the rightful owner were dead. Naboth did die.
Prov 27:4 Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming,
but who can stand before jealousy?
This story could seem far fetched, but how many times do I look at something and my eyes literally take ownership and my heart believes it would have been better with me?
Matt 6:22-23
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy,[c] your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy,[d] your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
Dear God, we pray that Your light shall be in us so that we shall be full of light and that our eyes shall be healthy so that we may see as you would like us to see.
Forgive us for the many times we were as Ahab, lusting after Naboth's vineyard, when greed guided our actions and we were so jealous of what 'Naboth' had.
Forgive us for allowing things to go so far that we sinned against you who is our provider. Help us to worship you and honour you with everything we have.
Amen
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