Chapter 177 1 Kings 21:1-14 Naboth’s Vineyard.
THERE was a man named Naboth who lived in Jezreel and had a vineyard there, very near King Ahab’s palace. It was a very pleasant plot of ground, and the king often looked at it and said, “I wish I had that for my garden.” At last he called Naboth and said to him, “Give me your vineyard. I like it very much. It is near my house and I want it for my garden. I will give you another better vineyard in its place, or, if you prefer, I will give you money.” Naboth was a God-fearing man. He knew the law of Moses forbade the selling of the land because it was the Lord’s. So he answered the king fearlessly, “The Lord forbid it me that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.”
Ahab went home angry and, throwing himself upon his bed, he would speak to no one; when his servants brought him food, he refused to eat, acting more like a spoiled child than like a man and king.
The queen came in to see why Ahab had refused to eat. He told her Naboth had refused to sell his vineyard to him. “Is that all?” Queen Jezebel answered. “Are you not the king of Israel? Arise and eat and be merry. I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth, the Jezrelite.”
The wicked woman, without any fear of displeasing God, wrote letters and sealed them with the king’s seal and sent them to the nobles who lived in Jezreel. “Proclaim a fast,” the letters read, “and bring Naboth before the people and have two lawless men bear witness against him that he has blasphemed God.” Jezebel was a poor heathen herself, but she knew it was a crime to speak against God, and she did not hesitate to bring this lying accusation against an innocent man to gain her desire. “Then carry him out and stone him with stones that he die,” were her instructions.
It was not hard for the nobles of Jezreel to find men to execute the queen’s command. They came forward and declared that Naboth had blasphemed God and the king. The nobles attended to the false witnesses and brought out Naboth and stoned him with stones till he died. Then they sent word to Jezebel, “Naboth is dead.”
Jezebel was glad to hear this. She ran directly and told Ahab to go and take possession of the vineyard, for Naboth was dead.
Had Ahab had any conscience left, he could not have accepted such a gift from his wicked wife. He had married her, a Gentile, but he was an Israelite and knew God was to be feared. He was therefore as guilty as if he had ordered Naboth’s death himself when he went down to the vineyard which he had so recently acquired to take possession of it. Would he be allowed to enjoy it, or would God, whose eyes are in every place beholding the evil and the good, set His face against him that had done this evil? Yes, a day of reckoning was coming for Ahab, as it is for everyone, king or servant, that thinks to do without God, “when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thess. 1: 7, 8.)
ML 04/22/1917