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 

1 Kings 20:35-38 God works in mysterious ways!

 “Now a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his neighbor by the word of the Lord, “Strike me, please.” And the man refused to strike him. Then he said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord, surely, as soon as you depart from me, a lion shall kill you.” And as soon as he left him, a lion found him and killed him. And he found another man, and said, “Strike me, please.” So the man struck him, inflicting a wound. Then the prophet departed and waited for the king by the road, and disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes.” ‭‭I Kings‬ ‭20‬:‭35‬-‭38‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. A certain man of the sons of the prophets: This seems to be a different prophet from the man mentioned earlier in the chapter. This is another reminder that the 7,000 faithful followers of Yahweh were active in Israel.

i. “Although he is not named, Josephus believed the anonymous ‘man of God’ introduced in verse 35 was Micaiah who figures so prominently in the next story. He suggested it was in retaliation for Micaiah’s prophetic condemnation that the king put him in prison.” (Dilday)

ii. “This is the first reference to these special bands of prophets (2 Kings 2:3-7, 2:15; 4:1, 4:38; 5:22; 6:1; 9:1) who appear during the critical period of the Omride dynasty but are otherwise not well attested.” (Wiseman)

b. Strike me, please: Directed by God, the prophet needed an injury to display to King Ahab. When his neighbor refused, the prophet announced coming judgment on the neighbor, through the unusual method of a lion attack (a lion found him and killed him).

i. The neighbor was not just another man in the kingdom of Israel. The implication was that he was a fellow member of the sons of the prophets. He himself was a man given to following God and sensitive to God’s work in the prophets. He should have known better. Though this is not as clear in the New King James translation, it is clearer in other translations: his companion (NIV), a certain member of a company of prophets said to another (NRSV) another (NASB) to another man (NLB).

ii. “This seems a hard measure, but there was ample reason for it. This person was also one of the sons of the prophets, and he knew that God frequently delivered his counsels in this way, and should have immediately obeyed; for the smiting could have had no evil in it when God commanded it, and it could be no outrage or injury to his fellow when he himself required him to do it.” (Clarke)

c. Disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes: Ready with his injury, the prophet waited for the arrival of King Ahab so he could deliver his message from God to the king. (Guzik)

God works in mysterious ways!

When we read these verses and the commentary we wonder what the Lord is doing with the injured prophet and why the death sentence to the one who refused to strike him?

In our own lives we sometimes wonder why the Lord is doing things differently than we would!

““For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭55‬:‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

We need to trust in the Lord because the Father knows best!

Blessings 

1 Kings 20:31-34 The Victory Was The Lord’s!

 “Then his servants said to him, “Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Please, let us put sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads, and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will spare your life.” So they wore sackcloth around their waists and put ropes around their heads, and came to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-Hadad says, ‘Please let me live.’ ” And he said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.” Now the men were watching closely to see whether any sign of mercy would come from him; and they quickly grasped at this word and said, “Your brother Ben-Hadad.” So he said, “Go, bring him.” Then Ben-Hadad came out to him; and he had him come up into the chariot. So Ben-Hadad said to him, “The cities which my father took from your father I will restore; and you may set up marketplaces for yourself in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” Then Ahab said, “I will send you away with this treaty.” So he made a treaty with him and sent him away.”

‭‭I Kings‬ ‭20‬:‭31‬-‭34‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Please, let us put sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads, and go out to the king of Israel: Not long before this, Ben-Hadad spoke severe threats against Ahab and the Kingdom of Israel (1 Kings 20:1-6). Now, he humbled himself as much as he could to win mercy and favor from the unexpectedly triumphant King of Israel.

i. “The rope around the head was a sign of supplication, the figure being that of the porter at the wheel of the victor’s chariot.” (Patterson and Austel)

ii. Sinners should come to God the King with the same manner as Ben-Hadad. They should come with sincerity, with humility, with surrender, with earnestness, and with close watching to see whether any sign of mercy would come to them.

b. Is he still alive? He is my brother: Ahab felt a kinship towards this pagan king with exceedingly pagan ideas of God. Perhaps Ahab wanted Ben-Hadad and Syria’s friendship as protection against the powerful and threatening Assyrian Empire. If so, he looked for friends in the wrong places.

i. “This was not courtesy, but foolery. Brother Ben-Hadad will ere long fight against Ahab with that life which he had given him (chapter 22:31).” (Trapp)

c. I will send you away with this treaty: Ahab had no business making this treaty. The victory was the LORD’s and did not belong to Ahab; he had no right to negotiate away the victory.

The Victory Was The Lord’s!

Like Ahab some of us believe that the victory was of our doing, but the victory was the Lord’s not anything of us!

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬-‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Our victory over death “is the gift of God”!

Have you accepted His gift?

Blessings