1 Kings 21:17-24 What You Are!

 “Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, “Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who lives in Samaria. There he is, in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down to take possession of it. You shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Have you murdered and also taken possession?” ’ And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: “In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs shall lick your blood, even yours.” ’ ” So Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” And he answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the Lord: ‘Behold, I will bring calamity on you. I will take away your posterity, and will cut off from Ahab every male in Israel, both bond and free. I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with which you have provoked Me to anger, and made Israel sin.’ And concerning Jezebel the Lord also spoke, saying, ‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’ The dogs shall eat whoever belongs to Ahab and dies in the city, and the birds of the air shall eat whoever dies in the field.”” I Kings‬ ‭21‬:‭17‬-‭24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Arise, go down to meet Ahab: Ahab ran out to get his new toy (the land gained by betrayal, lies, and murder), and instead he ran into the prophet of God.

b. Have you murdered and also taken possession: Elijah did what few other men had the courage to do – confront this wicked, brutal, and amoral king and queen of Israel. He pointedly charged them with the two crimes of both murder and theft of Naboth’s land.

i. We notice that Elijah confronted Ahab (you murdered) over the sin of Jezebel and her wicked associates. God clearly held Ahab responsible for this sin as husband, as king, and as beneficiary of this crime.

ii. “This is added to show that temptations to sin are no excuse to the sinner.” (Poole)

c. In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs shall lick your blood, even yours: This was a strong and startling prophecy. It was not fulfilled, because Ahab died in Samaria and the dogs licked his blood there (1 Kings 22:38), instead of in Jezreel where Naboth was murdered.

i. This unfulfilled prophecy has needlessly troubled some. Various explanations have been made, including the ideas that Elijah meant a general area and not a specific place, or that there were pools or streams that carried the blood from Ahab’s chariot to the waters of Jezreel, or that this was fulfilled in the blood that ran in the veins of Ahab’s son Joram (2 Kings 9:25). A far better explanation is found in the fact that because of Ahab’s sorrow and repentance at the end of the chapter, God relented from this judgment and instead brought it upon Ahab’s son (in 2 Kings 9:24-26) as the LORD said He would in 1 Kings 21:29.

ii. “And see how literally the prediction concerning his son was fulfilled, see 2 Kings 9:25, where we find that the body of Jehoram his son, just then slain by an arrow that had passed through his heart, was thrown into the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite; and there, doubtless, the dogs licked his blood, if they did not even devour his body.” (Clarke)

d. Have you found me, O my enemy: “Though the king knew it not, Elijah was his best friend; Jezebel his direst foe.” (Meyer)

i. “To the widow of Zarephath Elijah was an angel of light; whilst to Ahab he was an enemy… What you are, determines whether Elijah will be your friend or your enemy.” (Meyer)

e. You have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD: “See a similar form of speech, Romans 7:14. Thou hast totally abandoned thyself to the service of sin. Satan is become thy absolute master, and thou his undivided slave.” (Clarke)

f. I will take away your posterity, and cut off from Ahab every male in Israel: This was a severe judgment against anyone, in particular against a king. A king’s legacy was in his posterity succeeding him on the throne, and here God announced an end to the dynasty of Omri (Ahab’s father). His dynasty would come to a dead-end, just like the dynasties of Jeroboam and Baasha.

i. “Ahab never possessed the vineyard of Naboth. He held it, but that very fact became to him a torment. However fine the vintage, for him the grapes were acrid, poisonous… That which is gained by fraud is never possessed.” (Morgan)

g. The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel: Though the prophecy of judgment was focused against Ahab, it did not forget Jezebel. Her end would be both horrible and disgraceful. (Guzik)

What You Are!

Reader, don’t let this escape your attention! “What you are, determines whether Elijah will be your friend or your enemy.” 

I have seen many people on the way to and from church be a different person than the one sitting inside. Once they get behind the steering wheel they become a demon without Jesus in control of the wheel! Many times we have had people pass us in no passing zones or an intersection only to ask one another, will they turn into our church parking lot? Unfortunately we are usually correct.

What you are is what people see when you least expect it. 

Will they see Jesus or Ahab?

Blessings 

1 Kings 21:15-16 Added Evil!

 “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 ‭21‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Ahab got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth: This added evil to evil. Even with Naboth dead, the land did not belong to Ahab or the royal house of Israel. It belonged to the heirs or family of Naboth. Ahab probably claimed the land as a royal right because the crown seized the land of any executed criminal.

i. Although, “Some say that Ahab was his next kinsman, his sons being dead; which they judge more likely, because his land was next to the king’s” (Poole). “Hence some make Naboth to have been Ahab’s uncle; but that is uncertain” (Trapp). (Guzik)

Added Evil!

What goes through the mind of someone who has a person murdered so he can take possession of his property especially when the possession takes place? Evil justification? “This added evil to evil”!

In the end a righteous God will judge and the evil doers will be punished.

“Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭19‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

And here is the hard part, in conclusion:

“Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Blessings 

1 Kings 21:8-14 Innocent!

 “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.”” I Kings‬ ‭21‬:‭8‬-‭14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. She wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and the nobles: This shows that Ahab was in agreement with what Jezebel did and had to know something of her plot.

i. “She involved Ahab by the use of his seal on the directives to the local magistrates. The use of the king’s royal, dynastic, administrative or even personal seal to gain his authority would require Ahab’s collusion.” (Wiseman)

ii. Alexander Maclaren noted three types of dangerous characters in this chapter: (1) Ahab, who was wicked and weak. (2) Jezebel, who was wicked and strong. (3) The Elders of Jezreel, who were wicked and subservient.

b. Proclaim a fast: The idea was that some evil or calamity came upon Israel, and a scapegoat had to be found for the evil. Jezebel intended that Naboth be revealed as the scapegoat.

c. Seat Naboth with high honor among the people: This was a treacherous plan; first, to set Naboth in a high place of honor, and then to destroy him with lies from the mouths of scoundrels.

d. Naboth has blasphemed God and the king: Jesus was charged with similar crimes, accused of offending both God and Caesar. Naboth, just like Jesus, was completely innocent of such accusations and was murdered without cause. The stoning of Naboth over a piece of land for a vegetable garden shows the brutal and amoral character of Jezebel and Ahab.

i. 2 Kings 9:26 indicates that the crime was even worse than this, connecting the murder of Naboth with the blood of his sons. It is likely that the entire family of Naboth was murdered, so no heirs were left to claim his property. (Guzik)

Innocent!

Since the beginning of time innocent people have been murdered for selfish reasons! Abel, Naboth and Jesus quickly come to mind. 

But wait!

“Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” ‭‭I John‬ ‭3‬:‭15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I have been guilty of hating someone! Thank God for Jesus Christ and His tender mercies who forgives sin including murder! The Bible gives us examples in Saul who became Paul and king David who were forgiven for murdering innocent people.

Are you guilty of hating a brother?

Blessings 

1 Kings 21:4-7 Sullen and Displeased!

 “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.”” I Kings‬ ‭21‬:‭4‬-‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Ahab went into his house sullen and displeased: This seemed entirely characteristic of Ahab. He seemed to be a spineless, pouting man who reacted this way when he met any kind of adversity.

i. “So the scene is a vivid picture of peevish Ahab turning his face to the wall and refusing to eat. He was like a sulking child who could not get his own way.” (Dilday)

ii. “Poor soul! He was lord over ten-twelfths of the land, and became miserable because he could not get a poor man’s vineyard added to all that he possessed!” (Clarke)

b. You now exercise authority over Israel… I will give you the vineyard of Naboth: Jezebel’s manner of speech revealed who really exercised authority in the palace of Israel.

i. “Alas, was it not she that governed it really, with more daring ungodliness than Ahab, her puppet husband?” (Knapp)

(Guzik)

Sullen and Displeased!

When we act this way it usually doesn’t end well and it gives the devil a crack in the door to allow him to turn us from God!

“So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”” ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Don’t allow yourself to get burned by sin like Cain did! Kick your sullenness and displeasure out the door and be thankful to the Lord for all your blessings, great or small!

Can you count all your blessings?

Blessings 

1 Kings 21:1-3 Inheritance

“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!””

‭‭I Kings‬ ‭21‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Give me your vineyard: This account begins as a simple attempted real estate transaction. Ahab wanted the vineyard near his royal house in Jezreel so that he might have it as a vegetable garden. He was willing to trade for the land or to pay for it.

b. The LORD forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you: Naboth’s response was an emphatic “No.” His rejection of the otherwise reasonable offer was rooted in the ancient Israelite idea of the land. They believed that the land was an inheritance from God, parceled out to individual tribes and families according to His will. Therefore, land was never really sold, only leased - and that only under the most dire circumstances. Real Estate offices in ancient Israel didn’t do very good business. (Guzik)

i. “For God hath expressly, and for divers weighty reasons, forbidden the alienation of lands from the tribes and families to which they were allotted, Leviticus 25:15, 25:23, 25:25; Numbers 36:7; Ezekiel 46:18.” (Poole)

Inheritance 

Much can be learned about inheritance. Recently we read a book called Splitting Heirs by Ron Blue and after reading it we modified our wills. It’s an interesting book and I recommend it to everyone that is worried about what their estate will become in the hands of their children. Will they use it wisely or will it ruin their lives?

Since everything we have belongs to God wouldn’t it be best to leave a portion of our estate to Him through ministries that promote His kingdom?

Blessings 

Splitting Heirs

1 Kings 20:41-43 Not Repentant!

 “And he hastened to take the bandage away from his eyes; and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. Then he said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Because you have let slip out of your hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people.’ ” So the king of Israel went to his house sullen and displeased, and came to Samaria.” I Kings‬ ‭20‬:‭41‬-‭43‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. The king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets: This showed why the prophet found it wise to disguise himself as a soldier recently returned from battle, and why the wound was necessary. Ahab consciously shielded himself from the prophets.

b. Because you have let slip out of your hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people: God intended that Ben-Hadad should be utterly destroyed, but He also intended that this happen by the hand of the army of Israel. God was interested in more than the mere death of Ben-Hadad, but also in the way that death came about.

c. So the king of Israel went to his house sullen and displeased: Ahab was sullen and displeased, but he was not repentant. He had the sorrow of being a sinner and knowing the consequences of sin, without having the sorrow for the sin itself. (Guzik)

Not Repentant!

Throughout the Bible when the Lords people repent, God relents and shows mercy. It’s one of His merciful traits!

“So David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.”

‭‭II Samuel‬ ‭12‬:‭13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

King Ahab was not repentant, but if you are still breathing then you have time to confess to the Lord anything that’s displeasing to Him!

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalms‬ ‭139‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

May we all pray this on a daily basis.

Blessings 

1 Kings 20:39-40 God-appointed work!

 “Now as the king passed by, he cried out to the king and said, “Your servant went out into the midst of the battle; and there, a man came over and brought a man to me, and said, ‘Guard this man; if by any means he is missing, your life shall be for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.’ While your servant was busy here and there, he was gone.” Then the king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you yourself have decided it.”” I Kings‬ ‭20‬:‭39‬-‭40‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Your servant went out into the midst of the battle: After the pattern of other prophets, this anonymous prophet brought a message to King Ahab through a made-up story.

b. While your servant was busy here and there, he was gone: The prophet’s story told of a man who was responsible to guard the life of another, and proved himself unfaithful. In the story, the guilty man’s excuse was that he was busy here and there, which was no excuse at all. He should have paid attention to the job he had to do.

i. “This was likely enough to happen on a battlefield. It would not be possible to hold your prisoner, and to busy yourself about other things at the same time.” (Meyer)

ii. The prophet’s made-up story with the fictional excuse becomes real in the life of many, especially many ministers of the Gospel. 

“If a man is called to preach the Word, and becomes busy over a hundred things other than that of his central work, and so loses the opportunity to preach, his failure is complete. That which is our God-appointed work, we must do. If we fail in that, the fact that we have been ‘busy here and there,’ doing all sorts of other things, is of no avail” (Morgan).

iii. He was gone: Even as the fictional prisoner escaped, so many opportunities escape us in the Christian life. “I want you all to remember this morning that if any portion of life has not been spent in God’s service it is gone. Time past is gone. You can never have it back again, not even the last moment which just now glided by” (Spurgeon).

c. So shall your judgment be; you yourself have decided it: In the prophet’s story, he was unfaithful in guarding something that was entrusted to him. Ahab rightly judged that he should be held responsible for his failure to guard what was entrusted to him. (Guzik)

God-appointed work!

Don’t miss Morgan’s commentary! How can a man preach if he is busy over a hundred things? The same applies to us! If we are serving the Lord in some capacity we can’t be of service if we are busy over a hundred things! 

Morgan’s example of a preacher is spot on and sitting through one sermon will demonstrate his failure is complete!

Do you prioritize God-appointed work?

Blessings