I Kings 21:17-29
“And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it.
And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.” (I Kings 21:17-19)
Jezebel had been told that her scheme had been completed and had told Ahab that Naboth was dead and he could take Naboth’s vineyard. Ahab didn’t want to know the details, he just went down to take it over. Like many political leaders he assumed that no one would ever really know what had happened, especially since it happened in Jezreel instead of Samaria. It would look as if it was an action by the leaders of Jezreel rather than by Ahab. Since he hadn’t personally ordered Naboth’s death he didn’t think he was guilty.
God had known all along what was happening, and he told Elijah to go down and meet him at Naboth’s vineyard in Jezreel taking possession and probably gloating about having gotten it. He was to deliver a message from God.
While Ahab hadn’t personally ordered Naboth’s death, he had allowed Jezebel to act in his name and had then taken advantage of what she had done, to take possession. While he might not know all the details, he had to be pretty sure she was behind the murder
Numbers 35:30-34 commands, “Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die. Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death. And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest. So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.”
By ignoring her action and those of the leaders in Jezreel, he was violating Numbers 35:30-34 for his own gain. He was making himself an accessory after the fact. As a result of his sin, he would be killed and the dogs would lick up his blood in the same place where they licked up that of Naboth.
While we are not to just be tattle tales, when we ignore sin, we become accessories. We have a responsibility to intervene and see that justice is done. Real justice requires that the injured party be recompensed for the harm he has suffered, not just that a punishment was meted out.
“And Ahab said to Elijah, hast thou found me, O mine enemy?
And he answered, I have found thee; because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.
Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin.
And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.” (I Kings 21:20-24)
People with guilty consciences tend to view those who are doing right as their enemy, and that was Ahab’s reaction. He accused Elijah of being his enemy and looking for him. Elijah declared that he had come to find him because he had set out to do evil against God.
As a result God would eliminate future generations of his family, and every man in th family would be killed. Ultimately, Ahab’s family would be like that of Jeroboam and Baasha, with no survivors. It was going to happen because Ahab had rebelled against God, and because not only had he done wrong, he had caused others to do so as well.
Jezebel herself would eaten by the dogs publicly in the city of Jezreel where she had Naboth killed. Like Jeroboam’s family, nobody would even bother to bury Ahab’s descendants.
“But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.” (I Kings 21:25-26)
We are reminded that God’s judgment was so severe because Ahab deliberately did evil. While Jezebel encouraged him to do worse than he otherwise would have, it was his decision to do those things. He was capable of not doing them if he had chosen not to. He did so simply to gain what he wanted.
“And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.
And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.” (I Kings 21:27-29)
When Ahab heard the warning, he changed his behavior and was less overtly wicked, although there is no indication of actual repentance. As a result, God delayed implementing some of those judgments, until his son became king, but they were not stopped.
Every action we take affects future events, not only for us, but also for those around us. Even just cutting back on things that are wrong can delay some of the consequences, although it will not take them away. Unfortunately, instead of looking to see what has been done to cause these effects, people tend to blame God for them happening. It is not his fault, Although we seem to have forgotten the principles of cause and effect.
“And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it.
And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.” (I Kings 21:17-19)
Jezebel had been told that her scheme had been completed and had told Ahab that Naboth was dead and he could take Naboth’s vineyard. Ahab didn’t want to know the details, he just went down to take it over. Like many political leaders he assumed that no one would ever really know what had happened, especially since it happened in Jezreel instead of Samaria. It would look as if it was an action by the leaders of Jezreel rather than by Ahab. Since he hadn’t personally ordered Naboth’s death he didn’t think he was guilty.
God had known all along what was happening, and he told Elijah to go down and meet him at Naboth’s vineyard in Jezreel taking possession and probably gloating about having gotten it. He was to deliver a message from God.
While Ahab hadn’t personally ordered Naboth’s death, he had allowed Jezebel to act in his name and had then taken advantage of what she had done, to take possession. While he might not know all the details, he had to be pretty sure she was behind the murder
Numbers 35:30-34 commands, “Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die. Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death. And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest. So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.”
By ignoring her action and those of the leaders in Jezreel, he was violating Numbers 35:30-34 for his own gain. He was making himself an accessory after the fact. As a result of his sin, he would be killed and the dogs would lick up his blood in the same place where they licked up that of Naboth.
While we are not to just be tattle tales, when we ignore sin, we become accessories. We have a responsibility to intervene and see that justice is done. Real justice requires that the injured party be recompensed for the harm he has suffered, not just that a punishment was meted out.
“And Ahab said to Elijah, hast thou found me, O mine enemy?
And he answered, I have found thee; because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.
Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin.
And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.” (I Kings 21:20-24)
People with guilty consciences tend to view those who are doing right as their enemy, and that was Ahab’s reaction. He accused Elijah of being his enemy and looking for him. Elijah declared that he had come to find him because he had set out to do evil against God.
As a result God would eliminate future generations of his family, and every man in th family would be killed. Ultimately, Ahab’s family would be like that of Jeroboam and Baasha, with no survivors. It was going to happen because Ahab had rebelled against God, and because not only had he done wrong, he had caused others to do so as well.
Jezebel herself would eaten by the dogs publicly in the city of Jezreel where she had Naboth killed. Like Jeroboam’s family, nobody would even bother to bury Ahab’s descendants.
“But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.” (I Kings 21:25-26)
We are reminded that God’s judgment was so severe because Ahab deliberately did evil. While Jezebel encouraged him to do worse than he otherwise would have, it was his decision to do those things. He was capable of not doing them if he had chosen not to. He did so simply to gain what he wanted.
“And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.
And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.” (I Kings 21:27-29)
When Ahab heard the warning, he changed his behavior and was less overtly wicked, although there is no indication of actual repentance. As a result, God delayed implementing some of those judgments, until his son became king, but they were not stopped.
Every action we take affects future events, not only for us, but also for those around us. Even just cutting back on things that are wrong can delay some of the consequences, although it will not take them away. Unfortunately, instead of looking to see what has been done to cause these effects, people tend to blame God for them happening. It is not his fault, Although we seem to have forgotten the principles of cause and effect.
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