But, Ahab was about to push the limits of God's goodness.
I Kings 21:1-3-And it came to pass after these things, [that] Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money. And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.
King Ahab wanted a grape vineyard that was growing by his castle. Every day when he looked out on that vineyard he coveted it. One day, he went down to ask the owner of the vineyard to sell or trade the vineyard.
Now, long ago when Joshua brought the children of Israel into the Promised Land, he told the Israelite people to keep their inheritance- this meant that they weren't to trade their land to another family or tribe. The owner of the vineyard, Naboth, knew this. So, he told King Ahab that he couldn't sell his inheritance because the Lord wouldn't allow it.
This made Ahab upset and he went home to pout.
I Kings 21:4-And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.
When the evil Queen Jezebel heard that Ahab wasn't eating and was moping around, she went to find out what was wrong. When she heard about the vineyard she came up with a wicked plan. She told Ahab to cheer up and eat and leave getting the vineyard up to her.
I Kings 21:8-10- So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed [them] with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth. And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people: And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.
Queen Jezebel sent letters to the town and told them to make a feast. During the feast, she wanted two evil men to lie and say that Naboth, the owner of the vineyard, had blasphemed God. According to Jewish law, anyone who blasphemed the LORD was to be killed. She knew that if someone accused Naboth of this that the whole town would take him out and stone him.
These wicked people worshiped false gods. They didn't serve the LORD. But, they didn't care about the law unless it benefit them. They knew what was right to do, but they chose not to do it.
I Kings 21:11-13- And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them. They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.
Once the wicked deed was done and Naboth was dead, the leaders of the city sent word to Queen Jezebel who happily told the King.
I Kings 21:14-16- Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead. And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead. And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.
You would think that the king would wonder how Naboth died so quickly after their talk. The only way that King Ahab could have taken possession was if Naboth's sons were also dead. The cruel leaders of the city not only stoned Naboth on a false blasphemy charge, but they also stoned his sons. You might wonder if the king thought about this, but it didn't even seem to bother him. He left his house happy that he could claim the vineyard he had so coveted.
The LORD knew what Jezebel had done. He knew that Ahab didn't question how he was able to get what he wanted.
I Kings 21:17-19- 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.
The mercy and longsuffering of God towards Ahab was over. This was the last straw! God had just set a death sentence upon King Ahab's head.
I Kings 21:20-24- 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.
Not only was the death sentence against the wicked king, but it was also set upon the heads of the evil queen and their children. God was so angry that He was going to wipe out the entire family!
Why, you ask?
I Kings 21:25-26- 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.
Ahab went out of his way to do evil. His wife, the wicked Jezebel, encouraged him to commit all sorts of things that the LORD said were not to be done.
But, there is something you should know about God- our response to His punishment can effect it.
I Kings 21:27-29- 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.
He always does what He says. He said that King Ahab and his family would die. But, because Ahab humbled himself and repented, God prolonged the time Ahab had left. He was going to kill everyone, but He would wait until Ahab was dead to do it.
Why would God give Ahab this courtesy? Because God is always merciful, even when we don't deserve it.
