1 Kings 21:1-29
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.
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.
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.
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 higha 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.
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 wallb 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.
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.
1 Kings 21:3. The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers. Moses forbids the sale of an inheritance. Leviticus 25:23. Naboth had sons, it is presumed, and the sale would have robbed them; another vineyard would not have been the inheritance of their fathers. As Naboth knew the character of the reigning family, this refusal was an act of high heroic fortitude.
1 Kings 21:8. She wrote letters in Ahab's name: a crime which would have forfeited the life of another.
1 Kings 21:9. Proclaim a fast, because of the greatness of the sin in blaspheming God and the king. Moses directs that a man who curses his father shall die; and the king is the father of his country. Jezebel is now a saint of the first order; she makes no mention of Baal, but is zealous for the law of the Lord! Naboth and his sons were stoned and died. 2 Kings 9:26.
1 Kings 21:19. Hast thou killed, and also taken possession. Ah, clergy, clergy, who roll in ecclesiastical affluence; how few among you ever ventured to lay the axe to the vices of a court!
REFLECTIONS.
The land of Israel, after five years, had somewhat recovered the effects of the famine; and Ahab having twice by the singular aid of heaven defeated Benhadad, now thought of aggrandizing his palace by gardens and pleasuregrounds. Naboth of Jezreel had a smiling vineyard contiguous to the king's estate, and it was suggested that this vineyard would add a spacious and splendid appearance to his improvements. Ahab therefore offered Naboth an equivalent in money or in land. How cautious should mortals be of coveting what belongs to another. Why want the house, the shop, or the land of our neighbour, when he is not disposed to let it go? Perhaps, like Ahab, we have not long to live. Perhaps we shall get it with a curse; and then we shall wither, and droop, and die. If it be offered for sale, or offered to let, then every man is at liberty to bid. But the whole tenure of this world is so uncertain, that every earthly good, yea life itself purchased with sin, is bought too dear. In Naboth's refusal of the overture, we see a fine example of paternal fidelity. The Lord had said, the land is mine: it shall not be sold for ever. Leviticus 25:23. This vineyard having been in Naboth's family since the lot in Joshua's time, he considered himself the trustee and guardian of the Lord's inheritance. Let us learn of this upright man to hold fast the word of truth which has been entrusted to us by the Lord, for ourselves and for our children; and which is able to build us up to an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away. This is the Lord's inheritance, and we must not surrender our little for the best vineyard which this world can possibly give.
The sorrow of this world worketh death. Ahab went home so depressed that he could not take his food; because he was denied one vineyard, he seemed not to have a single comfort in which he could rejoice. He was so afflicted that Jezebel came to see him; and what can be more dangerous than the consolations of the wicked? Ah alas, how many grieve like Ahab, because they are denied that share of fortune, of splendour and dress, which their foolishness and pride would prompt them to ask. Mercies are heaped upon them; and yet when denied one favourite object, they are gloomy and depressed, and angry with heaven and earth.
In this Jezebel we have a character consummately wicked, very instructive to mankind. She had been educated in the Zidonian school, and was fully initiated into every mystery of impiety and wickedness. She had been long accustomed to shed innocent blood; yea the blood of prophets with impunity. Now she scorned reproof, and mocked at vengeance. Haughty and indignant she would bear no restraint; and to accomplish her purpose she never made a scruple of the most atrocious crimes; for with her there was no crime so great as the obstruction of her pleasure. From nature she had derived a fine understanding, and her personal charms were almost without a rival; but now every vestige of sound wisdom and real humanity she had extinguished from her breast. She had passions at command, had vanquished conscience, and opened her bosom wide to every maxim of infernal policy. Naboth's fall and Ahab's grief were to her equal subjects of diversion. Habituated to intrigue she wantonly obtruded her services in the tragic and daring plot, which was entirely her own. Having forged the king's name and applied his seal, she commanded the judges of Jezreel to select two men, well instructed for Naboth's ruin; and to impress the public by proclaiming a fast, for the worst of men are ready to avail themselves of religion when it will serve their purpose; she joined them in expressing the deepest concern that the land might be purged of such daring and atrocious crimes. She commanded them in particular to accuse Naboth of blasphemy against God, which would forfeit his life; and of blasphemy against the king, which would forfeit his lands. How cautious, how guarded was this scheme; and to be sure, nobody would think of calling the king to an account, or of asking him for evidence; and of the queen, no one would think her worse, or ever dream that she was privy to the plot. Rejoice wicked woman; rejoice in the most successful of thy plans. Thou hast triumphed in the sight of heaven and earth; religion and law have favoured thy designs. Naboth is dead, and the vineyard is thine own: send now thy husband to take possession. But know a maxim, a thousand years more ancient than thou: know that the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment. Know that thy plot, so complete in thy esteem, contained an important oversight. Thy letter was not against Naboth; he is taken from the evil to come, and out of thy power; it was a sentence against thyself, for in the place where the dogs licked up his blood, they shall lick up thy blood!
In Ahab we see that they who are partakers of other men's sins, shall be partakers of other men's punishments. Ahab complied with his wife; he went down to his vineyard, and tasted the forbidden fruit. He was surrounded with his flattering courtiers, and with a multitude of workmen. He was busy in executing the most approved plans. Unwilling to consult his title, he looked forward solely to improvements, and anxiously anticipated the extended beauties and retiring graces of his palace. Thus was Ahab employed when Elijah obtruded among the throng; when he thunder-struck and appalled the crowd by unravelling all the nefarious mystery, justifying the innocent Naboth, and denouncing against the guilty king the most terrific sentence of the Almighty. Hast thou killed and taken possession! Behold, in the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth shall they lick up thy blood, even thine! Oh what silent but expressive looks would the poor now cast on Elijah, on Ahab, and on one another. And from this prophet, let christian ministers learn to strike at all reigning and recent vices in the places where they exercise their ministry, and let them not fear the rank and influence of those who offend, for God requires fidelity in his servants.
Wicked men generally resent the first and more poignant strokes of the rod. The king, with all the revoltings of an indignant pride, said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, oh mine enemy? Yet, on a moment's reflection, vanquished by the weight of shame and guilt, he rent his splendid robe, put on sackcloth, fasted, and walked with a dejected countenance: and humbling his soul like the men of Nineveh, the Lord, after a while, graciously deferred, during his life, the evils denounced against his family. Yet after all, his repentance was defective: he still doted on his Jezebel, hated the prophets, and ultimately fell without leaving his country one ray of hope that he died in peace.