Read: 1
Kings 21
1 Kings 21 illustrates that hazardous consequences
of coveting and selfishness. A man named Naboth owns the vineyard beside Ahab’s
palace. Ahab wants the land to plant a vegetable garden for himself. In a rare
display of good character, Ahab offers to buy Naboth’s land instead of merely
expropriating it. Naboth refuses, citing God’s Law, which forbids Israel from
the permanent sale of land (Leviticus 25:23, Numbers 36). Ahab, in a surprising
move for such a wicked and rebellious king, does not argue with the Law.
However, he is not content with having obeyed the Law. Ahab mopes because his
selfish desires were not fulfilled. Jezebel sees Ahab’s self-pity and resolves
to get Naboth’s vineyard for Ahab. Jezebel forges Ahab’s signature and falsely uses
his royal seal to make a proclamation against Naboth. The men of Jezreel obey
this proclamation. They stage a mock
court, falsely convict Naboth of treason and stone him to death. As the news
reaches Ahab that Naboth is dead, Ahab returns to his normal character. He does
not display any displeasure with Jezebel for falsely using his name, nor does
he show any remorse for what happened to Naboth. Ahab capitalizes on the
situation and seizes Naboth’s land.
At this the Lord’s anger burns against Ahab. God
sends Elijah to prophecy over the king one final time. When Ahab sees Elijah he
says, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” At this point Ahab knows that any honest
servant of Yahweh is an enemy of Ahab. God proclaims through Elijah that Ahab’s
family line will be completely cut off, just as those of Jeroboam (1 Kings 15) and
Baasha (1 Kings 16) were previously ended. Those who die in the city will be
eaten by dogs and those who die in the fields will be eaten by birds (v 24).
The storyline pauses here to remind us why Ahab deserves judgment. “Surely
there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the
Lord, because Jezebel his wife incited him. And he acted accordingly to all
that the Amorites had done, whom the Lord cast out before the sons of Israel”
(v 25-26). God leaves no room for us to doubt his justice. His judgments are
true.
Ahab, in response to Elijah’s prophecy does not
argue or choose unbelief. He does not pridefully assume that he knows the
future more accurately than God. Elijah has proven to be a vessel of God’s
Spirit too many times already for Ahab to argue. Ahab instead accepts the
proclamation and enters into a period of mourning. God sees Ahab’s response and
grants him a mild reprieve. Because Ahab chose humility over pride, God will
wait to enact his judgment until after Ahab’s death (v 29).
Prayer and
Journaling
1. Thank God for the many blessings He has provided
you with, both material (e.g. your home, food, clothing, etc.) and immaterial
(e.g. salvation, relationships, etc.). Begin listing them in your journal. Be
as specific and detailed as you can. This should not be a quick, two-minute
exercise. Gratitude is one of the strongest defenses against coveting.
2. Ask God to search your heart today. Is there any
way in you that is offensive to Him? Confess and repent as He reveals things to
you. Pray that God would cleanse you from sin and fill you with righteousness.
3. Pray for marriages in our church today. Spouses
have a unique, powerful connection. They can either lead each other into sin,
as Jezebel did for Ahab (v 25) or into righteousness. Pray against the work of
the enemy that would try to see the former happen and destroy marriages in our
church. Pray that husbands and wives would be strengthened to stand for
godliness in their home. Pray that they would seek to put God first in
everything they do. Pray that unbelieving spouses would come to know Christ as
a result of the godly lifestyles of their partners (1 Peter 3:1). Pray that
believing spouses would be spurred to greater passion and commitment in their
walks with Christ through their partners.
