“So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, “‘I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.’” He lay on his bed sulking and refusing to eat.”
~ 1 Kings 21:4
Hi James and Ellen,
How would you go about getting something that you really want that another guy or gal has? Would you try to buy it? Would you try to exchange something that you have for it? Would you steal it from the guy or gal who has it if he or she will not sell it to you or exchange it for something that you have? Would you pout if you cannot get it? Would you kill the guy or gal who has it in order to get it? A guy by the name of Ahab over 2850 years ago was the king who was reigning over the guys and gals who were living in Israel’s land area. Ahab had been king for about nineteen years over the guys and gals who were living in Israel’s land area when a guy by the name of Naboth told Ahab that he could not have the vineyard that he owned. The vineyard that Naboth owned was near where Ahab lived in his palace. Ahab wanted to buy Naboth’s vineyard from Naboth to use for a vegetable garden. Because the vineyard had always been owned by his family, Naboth could or would not sell his vineyard to Ahab. This really upset Ahab. Ahab went back to his palace and sulked. Jezebel was Ahab’s wife. Jezebel was a very wicked queen. Jezebel devised a scheme to get from Naboth the vineyard that her husband thought that he really needed to have. Jezebel sent letters – with Ahab’s seal on them, to the elders and nobles who lived in the city where Naboth lived to have them proclaim a day of fasting as a way to set up Naboth to be accused by a couple of rogues for bad mouthing God and Ahab. Jezebel set up the elders and nobles in the city where Naboth lived so that they would take Naboth outside his city to stone him to death. No one ever dared to cross Jezebel. The city elders and nobles who lived in the city where Naboth lived did what Jezebel wanted them to do and . . . and Ahab ended up with Naboth’s vineyard.
Do you think that Ahab felt good or was happy about what his devious wife did for him? Your grandpaa thinks that it did not bother Ahab at all that Jezebel devised a sinister plot that would have Naboth murdered by his fellow city leaders so that he could end up with what he wanted – the guy’s vineyard. Ahab and Jezebel did not want to have anything to do with the Mosaic Law. The Mosaic Law was what God – through Moses, gave to His specially chosen guys and gals that He expected them to faithfully obey. Ahab and Jezebel worshipped inanimate manmade idol gods that were handmade from wood, stone, clay and metal. Ahab and Jezebel were not concerned about the omniscient presence of an omnipotent Supreme Being – Who is always aware of everything that is taking place on planet Earth and Who has the power to control everything that takes place on planet Earth. Ahab was given a message from this omniscient and omnipotent Supreme Being when he got a surprise visit from Elijah. Elijah had been picked by the Supreme Being – Who is God, to be a prophet spokesman for Him during the time that Ahab and Jezebel were living on planet Earth. The Supreme Being’s message for Ahab through Elijah was that because of what took place with Naboth, that his family would be permanently cut off from the guys and gals who were in Israel’s people group’s tribal clans and that Jezebel would be eaten by dogs. Nothing worse could happen to a guy or gal during the time that Ahab and Jezebel lived on planet Earth than to be eaten by dogs and to not have their bones buried in a proper way. This message from the Supreme Being via His prophet spokesman Elijah was a wakeup call for Ahab. Ahab tore his clothes, put on some sackcloth and fasted. Ahab got a pass – for the moment, from God but he would ultimately be killed and his body would be . . . as would Jezebel’s body – and the bodies of their kids.
I Kings 21 is a true story of a guy who with the help of his conniving wife got his way. Ahab found out in the end that it is not worth it to get one’s way. The vineyard’s ultimate cost for Ahab was for dogs eat him. As this is not a kid story, why do you think that the Supreme Being – Who is God, had the Kings Books author insert this incident involving Ahab and Jezebel with everything else that he reported on in his two books? The Bible is filled with life lessons that are experientially learned by real life guys and gals like Ahab and Jezebel. When Naboth refused to sell to Ahab the vineyard that Ahab expected to get, Ahab pulled the ‘poor me’ ploy on his wife. Verse 4 says, “So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, “‘I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.’” He lay on his bed sulking and refusing to eat.” Have you pulled an Ahab by whining and refusing to eat after you did not get your way? Your grandpaa is sure that there have been times when you have tried to pull an Ahab. Every guy, gal and kid will try sooner or later to pull an Ahab. To pull an Ahab is to create a divisive situation where you will get your way while another guy, gal or kid gets hurt. Society is now promoting a ‘dog eat dog’ way of life. A ‘dog eat dog’ mindset has some believing that it is okay ‘to step on other guys and gals’ in order to climb a pecking order. This ‘dog eat dog’ mentality legitimizes gossip, misleading communiqués and negative criticism to infiltrate communities of Christ-followers so that some of the guys and gals who are adherents of a Christ-follower communities can obtain undeserved influence and authority. Ahab is an example God’s disgust towards self-seekers. God wants a humble mindset of ‘man serves man’ among the guys, gals and kids who He specially elected to be His adopted kids versus a mindset of ‘man destroys man’. Your grandmaa and grandpaa are praying that you will learn from the lives of Bible characters like Ahab and Jezebel and that you will not be like them when you become a guy and gal. There are going to be times in your lives when you will want to get back at another kid, guy or gal because of what he or she has done to you or have said to you. Do not forget that God is always having you learn life lessons.
1 Kings 21 (544)