Naboth Is Murdered !

July 28, 2018

Naboth was a man who lived close to King Ahab and had a vineyard that the King wanted.  He wanted it because it was close ! He offered Naboth money or a different vineyard in exchange. Naboth wanted neither because the land was his inheritance. The reaction of the king was to be sullen and pout and to not eat !  Jezebel, his wife, assured him she would get the vineyard for him.

She wrote a letter instructing a fast and for Naboth to be given a place of honor to sit. When this was done she also wrote a letter for 2 scoundrels to claim that he (Naboth) had blasphemed God !  Under Jewish law a crime demanding death had to be witnessed by two people. Blasphemy is such a crime. This was done and Naboth was taken outside the city and stoned to death. Jezebel then went to her husband and said he should take possession of the vineyard for Naboth was dead !

Elijah the Tishbite was then contacted by God and was told to go pronounce their destruction to Ahab and Jezebel. This having been done, Ahab humbled himself before the Lord and was spared. God said that his sentence would be put off until Ahab's son was king. Jezebel did not humble herself and God's sentence was carried out.

Chapter 20 Ahab Wins .... Looses !

Ben-Hadad had arranger for 31 other kings and their people to lat siege to Jerusalem. He then made demands for peace from King Ahab of the Jews. These he agreed to then Ben-Hadad pushed it and demanded that his slaves be allowed to rummage and plunder the rest of Jerusalem when his troops were done !  Ahab refused. Then God showed up !  He told Ahab he would deliver the Syrians into his hands. The Jews defeated a far more numerous army with a great slaughter. When it was done the prophet came to King Ahab and said," Go, strengthen yourself; take note, and see what you should do, for in the spring of the year the King of Syria will come up against you." (20:22)

The arrogance of  Ben-Hadad was such that he insulted God and thought he could out smart God ! So in the spring when he and his 31 kings came up against the Jews ... again, God said to Ahab that because the king had said that God would deliver them into Ahab's hands again. Then the Jews would know that He was God ! When the Jews won and Ben-Hadad was captured, Ahab made a treaty for his life and sent him on his way. This was directly against God's instructions to Ahab !

God then worked through His prophet and made arrangements for Ahab to pay for his disobedience.  God said," Because you have let slip out of your hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefor your life shall go for his life and your people for his people."