By James L. Thornton

AHAB COVETS NABOTH'S VINEYARD

In This Study #5, Ahab Covets Naboth's Vineyard And When Naboth Would Not Sell His Vineyard To Him Jezebel Schemes To Have Him Killed So That Ahab Could Have It. The Story Details How The Elders Of Jezreel Were Also Involved In The Death Of Naboth. After The Cruel Death Of Naboth, Ahab Has Arrived To Take Over His Vineyard.

In Study #6, On This Page God Give Ahab A Space To Repent But He Turns Again To His Evil Ways. We Will See How God Brings About His Death With An Arrow Guided By An Unseen Hand, In A Battle With Syria.

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Elijah, Study Number Six

The Following Are Some Of The Things We Will Discuss In This Study Number Five.

————— Contents ————— A. Ahab Covets Naboth’s Vineyard B. The Power Of Covetousness C. Ahab’s Disappointment And Displeasure D. Sin’s Friendship’s And What They Lead To E. Jezebel Schemes To Slay Naboth F. The Corruption Of The Elders Of Jezreel G. The Trial Of Naboth H. The Death Of Naboth I. Ahab Possesses The Vineyard J. Thou God Seeth Me K. Elijah The Prophet Of Doom L. God Summons Elijah To Meet Ahab M. They Meet In Naboth’s Vineyard N. Thou Hast Found Me, O, Mine Enemy O. Sold Unto Sin P. Judgment Pronounced Upon Ahab Q. Sentence Is Given R. The Repentance Of Ahab S. The Sentence Is Deferred ———————————————

The Events Described In This Chapter (21) Sealed Ahab’s Fate, Along With The Fate Of Jezebel, In Fact, All Of Ahab’s House.

After The Call Of Elisha There Is A Blank Of As Much As Five Years In Elijah’s History. We Can Readily Gather That These Years Were Neither Unprofitable Nor Idle, But Were Spent In One Or More Of The Schools Of The Prophets.

These "Sons Of The Prophets," As They Were Called, Are First Mentioned In Scripture In (1 Kings 20:35,) Though The Prophetic Schools Probably Owed Their Existence To Samuel, And, Most Certainly, Their Development.

Yet Elijah Can Be Found When Wanted, And Is Ready For Any Work To Which God May Appoint Him. At Last The Occasion Comes, And Along With The Occasion Comes The Stern Desert Prophet.

Ahab Has Been Occupied With War With Syria (1Kings 20), The Arch Enemy Of Israel, In Which He Suffered Humiliating Consequences At The First, And Only The Miraculous Intervention Of Jehovah Saved Them. (1 Kings 20:28-30)

A. Ahab Covets Naboth’s Vineyard

After The War With Syria, Ahab Busies Himself With Improving His Many Vineyards And Gardens He Has Bought Or Confiscated During His Reign.

He Had Built Himself A Palace In Jezreel, A Beautiful Retreat, A Sort Of, "Get Away," Twenty Two Miles From The Main Palace In Samaria. A Place Where He Liked To Go And Relax Or Carouse.

The Chapter Opens With Ahab On A Visit To This Retreat And Looking Out From An Upper Terrace He Spies A Neighboring Vineyard Which He Immediately Covets.

History Records Few Crimes More Flagitious, Nor More Cruel And Cold-Bloodied Than The One Recorded In (1 Kings 21). And Just As The Crime Has Few Parallels, So Has The Historian. There Are Few Equals In His Description And Pathos Of It.

It Is Like One Of Those Paintings By The Hand Of A Master Who With Stroke After Stroke Of The Brush Reveals Every Detail Of The Scene Before Him. Or Like A Greek Tragedy Which Holds One Spellbound On The Edge Of Their Seat As Scene After Scene Unfolds Before Them.

There Are Four Scenes Which We Will Discuss And Let God Speak To Our Hearts As We Read The Story.

The First Scene

1 Kings 21:1. 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.
2. 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.
3. And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.
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.

B. The Power And Dangers Of Covetousness

"In Vain Our Fields And Flocks Increase Our Store, If Our Abundance Makes Us Wish For More." (Sir. John Denham)

Covetousness = "An Insatiable Desire For Wealth Or Possessions, Or For Another’s Possessions."
"A Thirst For Power Or Dominion Over Others."
"A Desire To Acquire More That One Needs Or Deserves."

Exodus 20:17. (The Tenth Commandment) "Thou shalt not covet ………"

Luke 12:15. (Jesus’ Warning) And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. (KJV)

Paul Tells Us That Covetousness Excludes One From,
Sacred Offices, (1 Timothy 3:13;)
God’s Kingdom, (Ephesians 5:5.)

Bible Examples Of Covetousness

Scriptures Are Filled With Examples, And Warnings Against The Awful Consequences Of Covetousness. (We Will Mention Four)

1. Laban, An Older Brother Of Rebekah.

Genesis 24:29. And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban: and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the well.
30a. And it came to pass, when he saw the earring and bracelets upon his sister's hands, …. (KJV)

Laban’s Eye Was Upon The Golden Rings And Bracelets That Was Upon His Sister Rebekah, Which Had Been Given To Her By Abraham’s Servant. This Was An Indication That Greed And Covetousness Had Started Early In His Life.

The Second Scripture (Genesis 31:36-43), Lets Us See How This Awful Vice Has Come To Full Fruit In Labans' Old Age, In His Dealings With His Nephew, Jacob, Fifty Years Later.

Genesis 31:36. And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?
37. Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both.
38. This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten.
39. That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night.
40. Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.
41. Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.
42. Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight. (KJV

2. Haman

Esther 5:13. Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate. (KJV)

These Were The Words Of Haman, Prime Minister Of Ahasuerus King Of Persia.

By Some Royal Favor Haman Had Been Exalted To The Highest Dignity In The Kingdom. Before Him Daily, Hundreds Bowed, If Not In Sincere, At Least In Servile Homage.

To Many Men Of Power And Authority This Is Of More Value And Importance To Them, Than All Their Wealth And Monetary Compensation.

Even An Exclusive Seat Even At The Queen’s Table Was His.

Esther 5:9. (Haman As He Was Leaving The Queen’s Banquet) Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a glad heart: but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he stood not up, nor moved for him, he was full of indignation against Mordecai.
10. Nevertheless Haman refrained himself: and when he came home, he sent and called for his friends, and Zeresh his wife.
11. And Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king.
12. Haman said moreover, Yea, Esther the queen did let no man come in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared but myself; and to morrow am I invited unto her also with the king.
13. Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate. (KJV)

Yet There Was One Thing Which Was Enough To Poison The Cup Of His Joy, The Jew, Modicai, At The King’s Gate, Refused To Do Reverence To The Amalekite At The Side Of The King’s Throne.

Esther 3:5. And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath. (KJV)

It Seemed A Small Matter; Nevertheless, In Public Confession To His Wife And Friends, Haman Avows, That, While In The Opinion Of Thousands He Was The Happiest Man In Persia, His Life Was Actually Miserable, Because One Knee Would Not Bow Before Him As He Went In And Out Of The King’s Gate.

What A Poor Thing Is Worldly Rank, Or Wealth, When It Cannot Tolerate One Disappointment. How Little To Be Envied Are Those Who, Having No Real Annoyances, Invent Them.

And What An Awful Thing Is The Retributive Justice Of God, When Haman Ends His Ambitions And Guilty Career On The Very Gallows He Had Prepared For Mordicai. (Esther 7:9-10)

3. The Third Example We Have In Achan’s Own Words.

Joshua 7:20. And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:
21. When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it. (KJV)

The Sin Of Covetousness Cost Achan, Not Only His Own Life, But The Lives Of His Entire Family.

4. The Fourth Example As Told By Jesus Himself.

Luke 12:15. And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
16. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:
17. And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do,because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
18. And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
19. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
20. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
21. So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.(KJV)

In The Light Of The Aforementioned Incidents Let Us Turn Our Attention Back To Ahab And His Covetous Attitude Towards Naboth’s Vineyard And The Resulting Consequences Which Cost, Not Only Naboth His Life, But The Lives Of All Of Ahab’s House.

1. First Scene Ahab Covets Naboth Vineyard.

Ahab, While On A Visit To His Summer Palace, Is Planning To Enlarge And Beautify His Gardens; But Space Is Limited.

The Object Of His Desire Was To Acquire The Land Nearest To The Palace With The Intent Of Converting It Into A Garden.

What Such A Garden Might Bear, And What A Pleasant View Could Be Enjoyed From The Windows Of The Palace When He Looked Out Upon It In The Early Morning.

What Really Caught Ahab’s Eye Was A Vineyard That Joined Hard Against The Palace Wall. This Was Not The First Time That He Had Cast His Covetous Eyes Upon This Nice Piece Of Land.

This Vineyard Was Owned By A Long Time Citizen Of Jezreel, In Fact Naboth Could Trace His Ancestral Roots Back To The Conquest Of Canaan By Joshua.

Naboth, According To Josephus (Antiq., Book viii, Ch. 13, Sec. 8), Was Of An Illustrious Family, And Evidently, More Illustrious Still By Being One Of The "Seven Thousand" Who Had Not Bowed Unto Baal. (1 Kings 19:18)

This Vineyard Though, Ahab Must Have At Whatever Cost, The Palace Grounds Are Incomplete Without It.

One Of The Arguments Used By Samuel To Discourage The People From Desiring A King, He Said, "He Will Take Your Fields, And Your Vineyards, And Your Olive-Yards, Even The Best Of Them, …" (1 Samuel 8:14)

Naboth Is Sent For. We Then Hear The King Making Overtures To The Owner. There Is A Smile Upon Ahab’s Face. His Words Are Smoother Than Butter.

Surely Naboth Will Do Well To Sell Or Exchange On Such Liberal Terms. He Is Offered, In Exchange, Either Land Or Money, Even "A Better Vineyard." (1 Kings 21:2)

Naboth, Doubtless, In Things Lawful Would Have Been Happy To Gratify The King’s Desire.

But No! Naboth Shrinks Back From Ahab In Horror At The Idea. He Cannot, He Will Not, Do This Thing And Sin Against God.

1 Kings 21:3. And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee. (KJV)

"I Will Not Sell, Not Only For My Family’s Sake, But It Is A Religious Duty. The Land Belongs To God."

Leviticus 25:23. The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me. (KJV)

God Did Grant To Them The Option Of Sell Part Of The Land In Cases Of Extreme Poverty. But, Even In These Cases They Could Redeem The Land When They Could Afford It, And If Not, The Land Was To Be Returned To The Original Owners In The Year Of Jubilee. (Leviticus 25:24-28)

A Scowl Comes Upon Ahab’s Face, A Look In Which Suppressed Rage And Bitter Disappointment Clouds His Features. He Turns Away Quickly And Mounts His Chariot, His Day Is Ruined, And He Rides Back To Samaria. (verses. 14; 16; 18)

Naboth, Strong In The Conviction Of His Consciousness Of Right, But, No Doubt, Wondering About The Outcome Of The Issue, Goes To His House To Tell The Story To His Wife And Children.

It Would Have Been Lawful For Ahab To Have Purchased A "Lease" Of The Vineyard Of Naboth At A Fair Price, Leaving It In The Power Of Naboth To Have Redeemed It; And, If Not, For It To Revert Back To Naboth, Or His Heirs, In The Year Of Jubilee. (Leviticus 25:23-28)

We Have Two Instances Of The Sale Of Land To The King. In (2 Samuel 24:24)David Bought The Threshing Floor Of Araunah, But He Was A Jebusite.

In (1 Kings 16:24) Asa, King Of Judah, Bought The Hill Of Samaria From Shemer For Two Talents Of Silver And Built A City And Called It By The Name Of The Former Owner.

Naboth Had His Entitlement From The Lord, He Was Acquainted With The Will Of God. He Looked Upon His Earthly Inheritance As A Pledge Of A Heavenly.

It Is Important For Us To Be Acquainted With The Will Of God. This Requires The Study Of God’s Word, Because He Has Revealed His Will In The Scriptures. In The Cases Of Transgression We Cannot Plead Ignorance When We Have The Bible In Our Hands.

C. Ahab’s Disappointment And Displeasure

Scene # 2 The Scene Changes. Ahab Is Back At Home In His Bedroom, In The Palace At Samaria.

1 Kings 21:4a. And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread. (KJV)

(Josephus Adds) "Neither Would He Wash Himself."

Here Lay The King Of Israel, In A Room In The Palace, In A Fit Of Dejection.

What Had Happened? Had Some Invader Overcome His Army? No, His Soldiers Were Still Flushed With Victory Over The Syrians.

Had His False Prophets Suffered Another Massacre? No, The Worship Of Baal Had Recovered From The Terrible Ordeal On Carmel.

Had His Royal Consort Been Smitten Down By The Hand Of Death? No, Jezebel Was Very Much Alive, And About To Lead Him Into Further Evil.

What Then Had Brought About His Melancholy?
The Answer To This Question Is Found In The Middle Of The Verse. (verse 4b)

1 Kings 21:4b. …. 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. (KJV)

Ahab Was Greatly Displeased By Naboth’s Refusal To Sell His Inheritance, And In Thwarting His Desire His Pride Was Wounded.

And So Vexed Was He To Meet With This Denial That He Sulked Like A Spoiled Child When He Is Crossed. The King So Took To Heart His Disappointment That He Became Miserable, Took To His Bed, Turned His Face To The Wall, And Refused To Eat.

What A Picture Of The Poor Rich! A King At That Millionaires And Those In High Office Are Not To Be Envied, For Neither Material Wealth Nor Worldly Honors Can Bring Contentment To The Heart.

Solomon Proved That: He Was Permitted To Possess Everything The Natural Man Craved, And Then Found It All To Be Nothing But "Vanity And Vexation Of The Spirit." (Ecclesiastes 2:1-11)

D. Sins Friendships And What It Leads To

In The Next Few Verses We See How The Sinful Find Many Helpers. (1 Kings 21:5-14)

Ahab Seems To Have Done All That He Was Able Or Cared To Do. He Had Tempted Naboth And Failed, And The Matter Seemed To Have Come To An End.

But Where Ahab Stops, Satan’s Servants Meet Him And Carry On The Work.

Jezebel Prevails On Him To Tell The Story, And The Elders Of Jezreel And It’s Sons Of Belial Are Ready To Do Their Part Also, To Give Him His Desire And Steep His Soul In Crime.

Any Man Who Is Casting Away Morals And Character And Health And Eternal Life Will Find Friends To Take The Part Of His Worse Side Against His Better Self, And Agents Enough To Aid Him In Accomplishing His Sinful Will.

JEZEBEL ENTERS

1 Kings 21:5. But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread? (KJV)

It Seems That The Queen Missed Ahab From The Banqueting Hall And Went To His Bedroom To Inquire The Reason.

It Also Seems That Jezebel Was So Dominating Over The King That She Needed No Invitation Or Even Permission To Enter His Private Quarters As Was The Custom Of Oriental Kingdoms Of That Day. (See Esther 4:11)

1 Kings 21:6. And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard. (KJV)

Notice That Ahab Said That Naboth Said "I Will Not Give Thee My Vineyard." How Easy It Is To Misrepresent The Just And Upright.

Ahab Does Not Mention The Reason Naboth Gave For Refusal, But Naboth’s Reasons Were Nothing To Him, And He Had Hardly Given Them A Second Thought.

Ahab Leaves The Impression That Naboth Acted Only With Insubordination And Obstinacy.

1 Kings 21:7a. And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? … (KJV)

This Is To Be Understood As Being An Ironical Question.

In Other Words Jezebel Is Saying,
"Do Thou Now Exert Authority Over The Kingdom Of Israel?"
"Do Thou Now Play The King? Make Thy Power Felt. Give Me The Requisite Authority. I Will, &c."

1 Kings 21:7b. …. arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. (KJV)

"Get Up Go To The Banquet Hall, Feast And Make Yourself Merry, I Will Give You The Vineyard You Crave."

E. Jezebel Schemes To Slay Naboth

SCENE NUMBER THREE

1 Kings 21:8. 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. (KJV)

In This Scene Jezebel, Having Obtained The Royal Signet, Returns To Another Part Of The Royal Residence. The King May Keep His Bed If He Will, But The Queen Is Up And Doing.

The Royal Scribes Are Writing At Her Command. She It Is Who Dictates The Words, Who Also Stamps The Writings With The King’s Seal.

The Use Of The Kings Seal Gives A Strong Presumption That He Was Privy To Her Intentions, But Of This We Cannot Be Absolutely Certain.

The Scribe’s Hand May Well Tremble As He Pens The Infamous Decree, For The Letter Consigns Naboth To Death.

Note In This Verse The Word "Letters" Is Used Indicating More Than One Letter Was Written. Let Us Explain Why.

The Old Mosaic Civil Order Still Continued In Israel By Which Jurisdiction, Even In Matters Of Life And Death, Lay, In The First Instance, With The "Judges And Officers" Of A Place (Deuteronomy 16:18-20).

Jezebel Knew This Only Too Well, And With Terrible Frankness Wrote To Each Member Of That Senate What Would Seem To Be The King’s Directions. By This Each Recipient Of The Letter Would Become A Fellow-Conspirator, And Each Feel Bound To Keep The Edict.

It Was As If Some Great Sin Rested Upon The City (Compare 1 Samuel 7:5-6), In Consequence Of It, Some Heavy Judgment Could Be Averted (2 Chronicles 20:2-4; Jeremiah 36:6-9), If The Eldership Of The City Gathered The People To A Solemn Fast

If It Had Been So, And Some Great Sin Had Been Committed Or Even Suspected, It Would Have Been The Duty Of The City Thus To Purge Itself Of Guilt Or Complicity.

1 Kings 21:9a.( Let Us Examine What She Wrote.) And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, …

The Object Of This Ordinance Was To Give The Impression That The City Was Laboring Under, Or Threatened With A Curse, Because Of Some Unresolved Sin.

We Have Indications Of Such In The Following Scriptures, (Deuteronomy 21:1-9; Joshua 9:23-27; 2 Samuel 21:1.) This Curse, Jezebel Is Saying, Must Be Removed Or Averted By Public Humiliation.

1 Kings 21:9b. …, and set Naboth on high among the people: (KJV)

Josephus Says That It Was Because Of His High Birth That This Position Was Assigned To Him. The Reason For This Is Obvious, Viz., To Give Impression Of Impartiality To The Proceedings.

It Would Also Agree With The Popular Idea Of Retributive Justice Of That Era That Naboth Should Be Denounced In The Very Hour Of His Triumph And Exaltation.

1 Kings 21:10a. And set two men, … (KJV) (Josephus Speaks Of Three)

This Was In Accordance To The Law.

Deuteronomy 17:6. At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.
7. The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So thou shalt put the evil away from among you. (KJV)

This Shows Even Jezebel Knows The Law.

1 Kings 21:10b. … , sons of Belial (Worthless Men), before him (Confronting Him), to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme (Curse) God and the king. (KJV)

These Worthless Men Were Paid To Testify. Remember Two False Witnesses Testified Against Our Lord (Matt. 26:60). To Curse The King Was Practically To Curse Him Whose Vicegerent He Was. (Matt.23:18-22)

Hence Such Cursing Is Called Blasphemy And Was Punishable With Death. (Deuteronomy 17:5; 2 Samuel 16:9)

1 Kings 21:10c. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die. (KJV)

The Terrible Power Accorded To "Two Or Three Witnesses," Of Denouncing A Man To Death, Accounts For The Prominence Given To The Sin Of Bearing False Witness. (Exodus 20:16; 23:1)

Great As Ahab’s Guilt Was In This Hideous Crime, It Was Altogether Eclipsed By That Of His Wife. At Her Door Lies The Real Sin Of Murder. The Hands That Committed It Were Not So Guilty As The Heart That Suggested It And The Mind That Planned It.

Was Ever Such Black-Hearted Ingenuity As Hers? Ahab Broke The Tenth, Jezebel The Sixth, Eighth, Ninth, And Tenth Commandment.

Here Was A Woman Who Sowed Sin With Both Hands. She Not Only Led Ahab Deeper Into Iniquity, But She Dragged The Elders And Nobles Of Jezreel Into The Mire Of Her Devil-Inspired Crime. She Made The Son’s Of Belial, The False Witnesses, Even Worse Than They Were Before.

She Became Both A Robber And A Murderess, Stealing From Naboth Both His Good Name And Heritage.

The Elders And Nobles Of Israel Were Base Enough To Carry Out Her Orders--Sure Sign Was This That The Kingdom Was Ripe For Judgment; When Those In High Places Are Godless And Conscienceless, It Will Not Be Long Before The Wrath Of God Falls On Those Over Whom They Preside.

The Letters Are Dispatched, The Royal Postman Carry The Sealed Orders To Jezreel In The Late Evening Hours, The Murderess Sits Down With The King To Eat Drink, And Rise Up To Play.

F. THE CORRUPTION OF THE ELDERS

SCENE NUMBER FOUR

It Would Have Taken 1½ To 2 Hours For The Royal Post To Travel The 18 Miles To Jezreel And The Letters Would Have Been Delivered Immediately, So The Following Scene Could Possibly Have Taken Place That Very Night, As Many Notable Bible Scholars Think.

1 Kings 21:11a. And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, … (KJV)

These Were Men Who Knew Naboth Personally, Next Door Neighbors, Men Who Had Day By Day Contact With Him. Men Who Bought And Sold Goods To Him, Men Who Knew His Fidelity And Honesty.

Naboth Was Not Tried Before An Alien Court, By Justices Ruling Who Were Hardened And Unacquainted With Him. They Were Men Of His City, Friends The Day Before Jezebel’s Letter Arrived.

They Could Not Have Embarked On That Course Of Crime Without Many Qualms Of Conscious And Secret (Inward) Self- Remonstration.

But The Name Jezebel Terrified The Citizens Of Jezreel, And They Dared Not Resist Her Will. I’m Sure That The Royal Post Filled Them In Verbally That The Orders Were From Jezebel.

1 Kings 21:11. 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. (KJV)

Their Ready Compliance Shows The Deep Moral Degradation Of The Isralites At This Period, And Also The Terror Which The Name Jezebel Inspired.

Their Sin Was, First, That They Feared Man More Than God. It Was Unbelief Foremost; They Had More Faith In The Finger Of The Queen Than In The Arm Of The Almighty. They Argued, As Many Have Done, That The Queen Was Near And God Was A Long Was Off.

It Was, Secondly, That They Abused Their Office. In Defiance Of The Law (Exodus 23:2,6), They Wrested Judgment And Condemned The Innocent (Deuteronomy 27:19,25), And So They Share With Jezebel The Guilt Of Murder.

They Should Have Died Rather Than Slay The Innocent.

One Might Reasonably Expect Elders—The "Judges And Officers" Of The Land (Deuteronomy 16:18) To Answer, "We Ought To Obey God Rather Than Man." (Acts 4:19)

I’m Sure That If, As A Body, They Had Rose Up Against The Edict, That Jezebel Would Have Been Stymied And Naboth Would Have Been Vindicated.

History Tells Us Of Many Judges Who Have Withstood The Corrupt Commands Of Their Sovereign. It Would Have Been Better For Them To Have Died With Naboth Than To Forfeit Morals And Go Down In History As Being Involved In One Of The Most Heinous Crimes In Human History.

They Will Stand In Judgment Along side Jezebel, Ahab, Judas, Hitler, Stalin, And A Host Of Other Infamous People.

G. The Trial Of Naboth

1 Kings 21:12. They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. (KJV)

The Scene Is Taking Place In A Village Convocation. The Elders Of Jezreel, The Officers And Judges (Deut. 16:18) Of The Village, Have Proclaimed A Fast. Their Town Has Incurred The Wrath Of God, And They Must Find Out And Expiate The Sin.

Naboth Is There. He, No Doubt, Fears This Meeting Bodes Him No Good, He Is Compelled To Attend. He Finds Himself, To His Great Surprise, Set "At The Head Of The People."

Sons Of Belial Are There

1 Kings 21:13a. 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. … (KJV)

Can We Picture The Astonishment And Pain In Naboth’s Face, When There Rose Up In That Assembly Two Miserable Villains Who Swear That He, Naboth, The Humble Servant Of The Lord, The Man Who Has Honestly Striven To Keep The Law Of God, Has Blasphemed God And The Anointed Of God.

There Seems To Have Been No Difficulty In Procuring Men So Lost To Truth And Mercy That They Would Readily Swear Away The Life Of A God Fearing Citizen.

Nor Is This To Be Wondered At When The Whole Magistracy Are Sons Of Belial, No Better Than Those They Suborned. The Elders And Nobles Of Jezreel Saw Nothing Wrong With Procuring Such Men.

What Will Not Some Men Stoop To For Gain? What Will They Hazard For Eternity? And For What A Trifle?

No Voice Is Raised

Naboth Thinks, Perchance, At The First, That The Charge Is So Utterly Reckless And Improbable, That None Of These, His Neighbors, Who Know Him So Well, And Have Known Him From His Youth Up, Will Believe It For A Moment.

No One Stood Up. Not A Voice Was Raised On His Behalf.

One Can Think Of Such A Trial 900 Years Later When Another "Just Man" Stood, Being Condemned By False Witnesses And Not A Voice Was Raised On His Behalf.

Then Another Man "Full Of Faith, And The Holy Ghost," Stephens, Was Condemned And Stoned To Death By A Mob (Acts 7:59).

Naboth Has No Hearing In His Defense. He Finds That He Has Not A Chance With Them, They All Steel Their Faces And Hearts Against Him.

In Vain He Protests His Innocence;
In Vain He Appeals To His Blameless Life.
His Cries And Those Of His Wife And Children Go Unheeded.

In A Moment He Is Condemned To Die The Death Of A Blasphemer.

Naboth Is Stoned

1 Kings 21:13b. …. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died. (KJV)

Naboth Is Hurried Along By A Tumultuous Crowd With Each Bearing Torches, And Passing Through The City Gate, Until They Reached The Space Outside Of The City Walls Into Naboth’s Own Vineyard (2 Kings 9:25-26).

So Suddenly Has This Thing Come Upon Him That Naboth Can Hardly Realized That They Are In Earnest. Naboth Sees Them Making Preparations For His Execution. They Are Going To Stone Him On The Spot.

"O God In Heaven!" He Thinks, "Is It For This I Have Kept Thy Law?" "Is This Agony And Death The Reward Of Mine Integrity?" "Is There No Power To Rescue Me Out Of The Jaws Of Death?" "Has God Forgotten Me?"

It Is True That History Says Nothing Of Any Such Thoughts, Of Any Prayers, Appeals, Entreaties, Threatening; But The History Is But An Outline And That Outline Is Left For Us To Fill Up.

We Cannot Doubt That Naboth Had Some Such Thoughts As These, But Whatever They Were, They Were Speedily Brought To A Close.

The Witnesses, Men Of Belial, Lay Down Their Clothes At The Feet Of The Elders; They Take Up Stones And Rush Upon Him. As Witnesses They Had To Cast The First Stone To Take The Principal Part In The Execution.

At The First Blow He Quivers From Head To Foot With A Great Throb Of Pain, But Blow Follows Blow; He Sinks Senseless; The Blood Streams From His Wounds; The Life Is Crushed Out Of Him.

Naboth’s Name And The Names Of His Sons (2 Kings 9:26) Are Added To Those On The Glory Roll Of The Noble Army Of Martyrs.

It Appears From 2 Kings 9:26 That The Children Of Naboth, Who Otherwise Might Have Laid A Claim To Their Inheritance, Were Put To Death At The Same Time, And Probably In The Same Way.

The Witnesses Share With The Elders The Guilt Of Violating The Sixth And Ninth Commandments. But They Were "Sons Of Belial" To Begin With.

They Are Not Ministers Of God; Still Less Were They "The Lord’s Anointed." And They Were But Instruments In The Hands Of Others.

The Elders Were The Hand; The Queen The Head.

H. Naboth Is Dead

It Is Clear From (1 Kings 21:19) That The Corpses Both Of Naboth And His Children Were Left To Be Devoured By Dogs.

1 Kings 21:14. Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead. (KJV)

The Elders Of Jezreel Lost No Time In Sending A Dispatch To Samaria To Inform Jezebel That They Had Complied With Her Orders And Naboth Is Dead.

It Is Significant That This Announcement Was Made To Her And Not To Ahab.

Let Us Take Another Look At The Evil Wrought By These Elders. There Is Nothing To Relieve The Baseness Of The Elders And Nobles Of Jezreel.

The Elders Could Not Plead Ignorance. They Were Behind The Scenes And Arranged For The Trial. It Was Murder Of The Deepest Hue. Murder Under The Guise Of Zeal For The Offended Majesty Of God.

They Had One Of The Grandest Opportunities Of Shielding An Innocent Person And Rebuking Wickedness In High Places.

They Had Only To Say They Could Not Lend Themselves To Such A Deed, And Jezebel Would Have Possibly Been Stymied.

But The Elders Of Jezreel Will Not Stand Alone In Judgment, Some Of The Most Atrocious Crimes In History Have Been Committed In This Way. Is There No Place Today Over Which "Jezreel" Might Well Be Written?

There May Be No Crime Wrought Now In This Land Such As Was Then Done In Israel; But Should The Time Come, These Are The Men Who Will Do As The Elders And Nobles Did Then.

The Spirit Is The Same, And In Like Circumstances It Will Bear The Same Fruit.

Jezebel Informs Ahab That Naboth Is Dead.

Immediately Upon Receiving The News From Jezreel, Jezebel Wasted No Time In Telling Ahab That Naboth Was Dead And The Vineyard He Craved Was His.

1 Kings 21:15. 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. (KJV)

There Is Bitter, As Well As Haughty, Irony In The Words Of Jezebel, As If She Felt Herself, As Well As Her Wishes And Commands, Above The Law, Human And Divine, And Could Not Be Resisted By God Or Man.

"Take Possession." The Possessions Of A Person Executed For Treason Were Forfeited To The Crown. There Was No Law Prescribing This, But It Followed The Principals Of The Mosaic Law.

Just As The Goods Of The Idolater Were Devoted As Belonging To The Lord, So Those Of The Traitor Or Blasphemer Reverted To The King. In Both Cases All The Sons Or Heirs Were Executed Along With The Guilty One So That There Would Be No Legal Claims Against The Property. (2 Kings 9:26)

It Is Interesting To Note That Jezebel Never Told Ahab How Naboth Died, Simply. "Naboth Is Not Alive, But Dead."

Did The King Stop To Ask How This Death Had Been Brought About? Did He Know The Shameful Crime That Had Been Committed In His Name, And Behind His Palace Walls?

He Must Have Known Something Of It, If Not All. Even If He Thought It Prudent To Ask No Questions, Still He Would Remember Jezebel’s Promise Of Giving Him The Vineyard. (verse 7)

He Would Have Some Suspicions Of The Purpose For Which The Royal Seal Was Required. And It Would Be Clear To Him, Even If He Did Not Know The Exact Circumstances, That Somehow Jezebel Had Masterminded Naboth’s Death.

It Was Clear To Him That This Vineyard Was Bought At The Price Of Naboth’s Blood. But He Will Not Let Such Considerations As These Hinder His Enjoyment Of It.

All He Thinks Of, Or Cares For, Is This, That The Vineyard Is His And He Can Enter Upon It At Once.

I. Ahab Possesses The Vineyard

Scene # 5

In This Scene We Find Ahab Joyfully Taking Possession Of The Vineyard He Coveted, And Is Walking Through It, Admiring The Trellises Which Held The Fruit Of Naboth’s Hands, And Thinking Of The Changes Which He Will Make To The Grounds.

But Now Back To The Royal Palace In Samaria, Ahab Is Up, And Refreshed Upon Hearing That The Vineyard Is His. He Will Enter Upon It At Once. His Chariot Shall Bear Him To The Vineyard. He Will View His New Property That Day. He Will Begin His Garden Of Herbs At Once.

1 Kings 21:16. 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. (KJV)

The Royal Chariot Is Ordered Out Immediately, Ahab Is In A Happy Frame Of Mind, He Mounts The Chariot Along With His Two Captains, Jehu And Bidkar (2 Kings 9:25), Probably Riding In The Back Part Of The Chariot, And Hurries Off To Jezreel.

It Was Apparently On The Morning After The Murder. (2 Kings 9:25)

The Whole Ordeal, Ahab Coming To Jezreel, And Bargaining With Naboth, Then Riding Back To Samaria in Disgust, Jezebel Dispatching The Death Warrant, Which Probably Was Carried Out That Night, News Came Back To Samaria That Naboth Was Dead, Then Ahab Riding Back To Jezreel, Could All Have Been Done In Twenty-Fours Hours.

The Citizens Of Jezreel, The "Elders," And "Children Of Belial" Amongst Them, See The Royal Chariot Crossing The Plain, Toping The Hill, And Entering The City.

They Know Full Well What Is It’s Destination. There Is None In The City But Guesses The King’s Errand.

But They Shall Learn, And Through Them All Israel Shall Learn, That There Is A Just God In Heaven, That Even The King Is Responsible To A Higher Power.

And They Shall Know That God Himself Is Against The Evildoer, And Shall Render To Every Man According To His Works. (Proverbs 24:12; Matthew 16:27)

In The Old Testament Dispensation Judgment Was Expected To Be Handed Out In This Life And Only A Time

Ahab Should Have Realized This Because Solomon Had Already Written A Passage In Ecclesiastes Which Was In The Process Of Being Fulfilled In His Life.

Ecclesiastes 12:13. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. (KJV)

The Men Of Jezreel Had Not Seen The Last Act In The Tragedy.

They Must Learn That "No Reckoning (Bill) Is Brought In The Midst Of The Meal; The End Pays For All." They Must Be Taught To Count No Man Happy Before His Death.

They Must Be Reminded That There Is A Prophet In Israel.

And So Elijah, The Great Restorer Of The Law, Is Summoned To Stand Forth To Avenge The Death Of Naboth

J. Thou God Seest Me

In All This Dark And Horrendous Business There Was An Invisible Spectator, Whose Presence Does Not Seem To Have Been Sufficiently Taken Into Account.

Genesis 16:13. (Hagar) And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me? (KJV)

Proverbs 15:3. The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. (KJV)

Ecclesiastes 8:11. Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
12. Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: (KJV)

God Is An Omniscient Observer. He Inspects All Human Actions.

"Thou God seest me:"

He Was Present In The Garden When Ahab Made Overtures To Naboth.

He Listened And Smiled When Naboth Refused To Sell On The Grounds Of Divine Law.

He Was Present In The Palace Looking Upon The King Of Israel As He Sulked And Sickened Upon His Bed.

"Thou God seest me:"

His Eye Was Full Upon Jezebel As She Proposed To Cure The Monarch’s Ills By Giving Him The Vineyard Of Naboth.

He Was Present In The Court Of Injustice When The Honest And Morale Naboth Was "Set On High Among The People."

He Witnessed The Son’s Of Belial As They Swore Away The Life Of A Worthy Family.

"Thou God seest me:’

He Looked Into The Faces Of The "Nobles" And "Elders" Of Jezreel Who Suborned These Perjurers.

He Was A Spectator At The Place Of Execution.

He Saw The Steadiness Of Naboth’s Steps, And Noted Well The Bearing Of His Sons As They Came Forth To Suffer For Righteousness.

The Tightening Of Every Muscle Of Those Who Hurled The Stones Was Measured By His Piercing Vision.

He Surveys All Human Motives.

1 Samuel 2:3b.. … for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. (KJV)

He Clearly Discerned The Hypocrisy Of Jezebel’s Fast.

He Knew Why The Sons Of Belial Publicly Perjured Themselves, And Accurately Weighed The Price For Which They Sold The Lives Of Honorable Men.

"By Him Actions Are Weighed."

He Also Gauged The Cowardly Fear Which The "Elders" Displayed Of Jezebel’s Wrath, When They Carried Out Her Wicked Instructions, Rather Than Fearing God.

He Weighed The Motives Which Nerved The Muscle Of Every Man Who Lifted A Stone Against The Life Of Naboth.

Nothing Is Forgotten By Him.

God Sees The End From The Beginning , So Does He See The Beginning For The End. Let Us Never Forget That God Can Never Forget, Every Action Of Our Lives Is Always Present With Him. So Every Word, So Every Thought, And Intent Of The Heart Is There.

Hebrews 4:12b. …, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (KJV)

God Will Finally Judge The World.

Naboth And His Family Have Yet To Be Vindicated. God Has Vindicated Their Reputation; But They Have To Be Vindicated In Person Also.

To This End All Parties Concerned In Their Murder Will Have To Stand Face To Face With Their Hearts Exposed To The Clear Light And Sensible Presence Of Omniscient Justice.

What Defense Can The Sons Of Belial Then Set Up?
The Magistrates And Elders?

What A Day Of Confusion To All The Wicked. (Revelation 6:12-17)
Everything Will Be Righteously Adjusted In That Final Sentence. (Matthew 25:34, 41, 46) .

K. ELIJAH, THE PROPHET OF DOOM

1 Kings 21:17. And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, (KJV)

On The Same Day That Jezebel Informed Ahab That Naboth Was Dead, The God Of Heaven And Earth Called Upon His Most Trusted And Reliable Servant, Elijah, To Confront Ahab One Last Time.

This Would Be The Last Meeting Between King Ahab And The Prophet Elijah, Until They Meet In The Final Judgment, And This Meeting Held No Good For The King.

1 Kings 21:18a. …….Arise, go down …. (KJV)

This Seems To Indicate That Elijah Was Hidden Away In Some Mountain District, Probably In Some School Of The Prophets.

Wherever He Was He Could Easily Be Found By His Lord When Needed.

Remember In 1 Kings 17:1.. He Makes The Statement. "Before Whom I Stand." Which Means He Was Standing, As A Servant, Before His Lord, Eyes Intent Upon His Master, Ready At All Times To Do His Every Bidding.

1 Kings 21:18b.. … 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. (KJV)

Here Elijah Received His Toughest Assignment. Remember I Told You (Study #1) That A Tough Man Was Needed For Rough Service, And That Elijah Met Those Qualifications.

Every Minister Of God Will Receive, At Some Time, Or Other, A Tough Assignment From God And To Be Able To Fulfill That Assignment He Needs To "Stand Before God" As Elijah Had Done.

Paul Told Timothy To, "Reprove, Rebuke Exhort…" (2Timothy 4:2)

Elijah May Have Known Naboth, As He Most Likely Was One Of The 7,000 Whom The Lord Had Called His Attention To. (1 Kings 19:18)

L. God Summons Elijah To Meet With Ahab

As Elijah Stood Before The Lord, Once Again God Handed Down The Indictment And The Sentence For Him To Deliver To Ahab.

1 Kings 21:19. 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. (KJV)

Ahab Meets Elijah For The Final Time On The Very Soil Of The Coveted Vineyard.

The Citizens Of Jezreel Having Seen The Chariot Of Ahab Entering In Upon The Vineyard May Well Also Have Seen The Prophet As He Made His Way Also Towards The Vineyard.

With His Dress Like Unto John The Baptist’s, Of Camel’s Hair, With A Leather Girdle About His Loins, And A Sheepskin Mantle Draped Upon His Shoulders, The People Of Jezreel Would Have Known Him At A Glance.

Word Would Have Spread Through Jezreel Like Wildfire, "Behold Elijah Is Here." (1 Kings 18:8)

M. They Meet In Naboth’s Vineyard

As Ahab Walks Through The Vineyard With His Two Body Guards, Jehu And Bidkar (2Kings 9:25), Suddenly Before Him, Confronting Him, One He Has Not Seen In Five Years Or More, Standing, Like A Ghost From Another World.

There Standing Before Him, Not One Of The Son’s Of The Prophets, Nor An Ordinary Seer, But The Terrible Figure Of The Gileadite, With Burning Eyes, Clad In The Rough Cloak Of Black Camel’s Hair, Girt About With A Leathern Girdle.

It Must Have Recalled To Ahab His First Appearance In The Great Hall At Samaria (1 Kings 17:1), When He Announced That It Would Not Rain Until He Gave The Word, And Then Disappeared From Sight.

Ahab Thought About The Three And One Half Years Of Drought And The Terrible Misery It Produced, And His Wide Ranging Search For The Prophet. (1 Kings 18:10)

He Remembered How Elijah Confronted Him Once Again And The Ordeal On Carmel. (1 Kings 18:16-45)

The Last Glimpse Of The Gileadite Was Years Ago When, Though The Blinding Rain, In The Late Evening Hours, He Saw His Dark Figure Running Before His Chariot To The Very Gate Of Samaria. (1 Kings 18:46)

Now, Suddenly, Unannounced, He Stood Once More Before Him—And Ahab Knew Only Too Well Why.

N. Thou Hast Found Me, O. Mine Enemy

Ahab Shrieks, While The Scene Is Impressed Forever On Bidkar And Jehu (2 Kings 11:25, Years Later).

1 Kings 21:20a. And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? ... (KJV)

Elijah Has Not Spoken A Word, And Yet The King Breaks Out Into A Scream Of Terror. It Was The Language Of Surprise As Well As Defiance.

Ahab Is So Conscience Stricken By The Sudden Apparition Of Elijah, Whom He In All Probability Has Not Seen Or Heard Of Since The Day On Carmel, And By His Appearance On The Scene At The Very Moment When He Was Entering On The Fruit Of His Evil Doings--In The Very Blossom Of His Sin, That He Feels That Judgment Is Already Begun.

The Prophet Would Be The Last Man He Wished Or Expected To See. He Probably Thought, That Jezebel’s Threat Had Frightened Him Away So That He Would Be Troubled By Him No More.

At The Very Sight Of Elijah His Conscious Would Smite Him For His Wickedness And Bring His Guilt Home To Him.

"Hast Thou Found Me……?"
A Guilty Heart Can Never Be At Peace.

"O Mine Enemy?"
We See, Again, The Terrible Mistakes Wicked Men Always Make As To Who Are Their Friends And Foes.

Remember What The Apostle Paul Said To The Galatians Church When He Felt Them Growing Cold Towards Him, "Am I Become Your Enemy, Because I Tell You The Truth?" (Galatians 4:16)

Such A Reception Is All That The Faithful Servant Of God Must Expect At The Hands Of The Wicked, Especially From Unregenerate Religious Professors. They Regard Him As A Disturber Of The Peace, A Troubler Of Those Who Want To Be Comfortable In Their Sins.

They Who Are Engaged In Evil-Doing Are Annoyed At Him Who Detects Them, Whether He Be A Minister Of Christ Or A Policeman. Who Was Ahab’s Real Enemy, Elijah Or Jezebel, --The Prophet Of Gilead, Or The Phoenician Queen That Shared The Throne?

But Sin Is Always Blind--Nay, Seeks To Shirk Its Own Blame By Charging It The Others.

Neither God Nor God’s Ministers Proclaiming His Gospel Are Enemies To Men.

John 5:40. (Jesus) And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

O. Sold Unto Evil

1 Kings 21:20b. (Elijah) …? And he answered, I have found thee: (Not Because I Am Thine Enemy, But,) because thou hast sold thyself (Surrenderest Thyself Wholly) to work evil in the sight of the LORD. (KJV)

What The Prophet Had Said Was Not The Outcome Of Personal Enmity, Nor Was What Had Occurred (The Death Of Naboth) The Result Of Sudden Temptation Or Rash Mood Of The King, But Of The Whole Direction Of Life Which Ahab Had Deliberately Chosen.

He Had "Sold" Himself As A Slave (Romans 7:14), So That He No Longer Had Freedom Of Action, But Had To Obey His Master’s Command; And Consequently He Had So Sold Himself "To Do Evil In The Sight (To The Despising) Of Jehovah."

It Would Be Good Now To Explain The Difference In The Charge Elijah Made Against Ahab And The Similar Statement The Apostle Paul Makes In Romans 7:14.

Here We May Observe How Essential It Is That We Note Particularly Each Word Of Scripture, For If We Read These Verses Carelessly We Fail To Distinguish The Vastly Different Sense Of Meaning In The Two Occasions.

Romans 7:14. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. (KJV)

It Will Be Noted That Paul Begins With The Affirmation, "For We Know That The Law Is Spiritual," Which Among Other Things Means, It Legislates For The Soul (Inner Self) As Well As The Body.

It (The Law) Reaches Beyond The Mere Outward Acts To The Motive Which Prompted It And The Spirit In Which It Is Performed; In A Word, It Requires Inward Conformity And Purity.

As The Apostle Measured Himself By The High And Holy Requirements Of God’s Law, He Declared, "I Am Carnal." That Was Not Said By Way Of Self-Justification, To Excuse His Coming So Far Short, Of The Divine Standard Set Before Us, But In Self-Condemnation, Because Of His Lack Of Conformity To It.

That Is The Sorrowful Confession Of Every Honest Christian.

"I Am Carnal" Expresses What Paul (And Any Believer) Is In Himself By Nature; Though Born From Above (Born Again), Yet The "Flesh" In Him Has Not Improved To The Slightest Degree.

That Is Not True Of The Believer Only When He Has Suffered Some Failure Or Short Coming; He Is Always "Carnal" For There Is No Getting Rid Of The Old Nature, Even Though He Is Not Always Conscious Of The Humiliating Fact.

The More The Christian Grows In Grace (The Closer He Draws To Christ) The More He Realizes His Carnality (That The "Flesh" Pollutes His Holiest Exercises And Best Performances).

Romans 7:14b. …, sold under sin. (KJV)

This Does Not Mean That The Saint Gives Up Himself To Be The Willing Slave Of Sin, But That He Finds Himself In The Shoes Of A Slave, Of One Whose Master Demands Him To Do Things Against His Inclinations.

The Literal Rending Of The Greek Phrase Paul Is Using Is, "Having Been Sold Under Sin," That Is, At The Fall Of Adam, In Which Condition We Continue To Live To The End Of Our Earthly Life.

"Sold" So As To Be Under The Power Of Sin, For The Old Nature Is Never Made Holy. The Apostle Speaks Of What He Finds In Himself, What He Is Before God, And Not What He Appeared In The Sight Of Men.

His "Old Man" (Romans 6:6) Was Thoroughly Opposed To God’s Law. There Was An Evil Principal In Him Against Which He Struggled (Romans 7:15), From Which He Longed To Be Delivered (Romans 7:24), But Which Continued To Exert Its Fearful Power.

Even With All The Grace He Had Received, He Found Himself Far, Far, From Being Perfect, And In All Respects Unable To Attain Thereunto, Though Longing After It (Philippians 3:14). .

It Was While Measuring Himself By The Law, Which Requires Perfect Love (Matthew 22:37-40), That He Realized How Far Short He Came Of It.

"Sold Under Sin"—Indwelling Corruption (1 Corinthians 15:53) Holds The Believer Back. (Living For Christ Is A Wrestling Match)

The More Spiritual Progress He Is Enabled To Make, The More He Discovers His Handicap. It Is Like A Man Journeying Uphill With A Heavy Load On His Back; The Further He Proceeds The More Conscious Does He Become Of That Burden.

But, One Might Say, How Do We Harmonize This With What Paul Says, "Sin Shall Not Have Dominion Over You?" (Romans 6:14)

Though Indwelling Sin Tyrannizes The Believer, It By No Means Prevails Over Him Totally And Completely.

Sin Reigns Over The Sinner, Having An Absolute And Undisputed Dominion Over Him, But Not So With The Saint.

Yet It So Far Plagues Him As To Prevent His Attaining Unto Perfection, Which He Craves (Philippians 3:12).

From The Standpoint Of The New Nature And As God Sees Him In Christ, The Believer Is Spiritual; But From The Standpoint Of The Old Nature And As God Sees Him In Himself, He Is "Carnal."

As A Child Of Adam He Is "Sold Under Sin," As A Child Of God He "Delights In The Law Of God After The Inward Man" (Romans 7:22).

The Acts Of A Slave Are Indeed His Own Acts, Yet Not Being Performed With The Full Consent Of His Will And The Delights Of His Heart, They Are Not A Fair Test Of His Disposition And Desires.

Vastly Different Was The Case Of Ahab From That Which We Have Said Above.

So Far From Being Brought Into Captivity Against His Will, He Had "Sold Himself To Work Evil In The Sight Of The Lord."

Deliberately, Willfully, And Without Limit, Ahab Wholly Gave Himself Up Unto All Manner Of Wickedness In Open Defiance Of The Almighty.

As Balaam "Loved The Wages Of Unrighteousness" (2 Peter 2:15), And Therefore Hired Himself To Balak To Curse The People Of God, And As Judas Coveted The Silver Of The Chief Priests, And Sought Them Out And Covenanted To Betray The Savior Unto Them (Matthew 26:14-15),

So This Apostate King "Sold Himself To Work Evil" Without Sting Of Conscience Or A Pang Of Guilt.

His Horrible Crime Against Naboth Was No Isolated Act Contrary To The General Direction Of His Life, As David’s Sin In The Matter Of Uriah Had Been, But Was Simply Another Act Of His Continual Rebellion Against God.

Having "Sold Himself To Work Evil In The Sight Of The Lord," Ahab Was Openly, Constantly, And Diligently Employed In It As A Slave In His Master’s Business.

Ahab Was Probably Guilty Of Many Such Acts Of Cruel Wrong During His Reign, Which Will Be Revealed In The Day Of Judgment. (1 Kings 16:30-33; 21:25-26)

Ecclesiastes 12:14. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. (KJV)

Revelation 14:13b. (Concerning The Resurrection) …; and their works do follow them. (KJV)

It Is Interesting To Note Something That Alexander McLaren Said In One Of His Sermons.

"There Is A Resurrection Of Acts As Well As Bodies. And Think What It Will Be For A Man To Stand Surrounded By That Ghastly Company, The Ghosts Of His Own Sins, And As Each Forgotten Fault And Buried Badness Comes, Silent And Sheeted, Into That Awful Society, And Sits Itself Down There. Think Of Him Greeting Each Sin With The Question, ‘Thou, Too? What! Are Ye All Here? Hast Thou Found Me, O Mine Enemy?’ And From Each Bloodless Spectral Lip There Tolls Out The Answer, The Knell Of His Despairing Hopes, ‘I Have Found Thee, Because Thou Hast Sold Thyself To Work Evil In The Sight Of The Lord."

P. Judgment Is Pronounced Upon Ahab

1 Kings 21:19b. "..Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine. (KJV)

1 Kings 21:21. Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity,
22. 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.
23. And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.
24. 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.

The Charges Have Been Filed,
The Verdict Is In,
The Witnesses Have Been Heard,
And Elijah Pronounces The Sentence From God.

The First Charge, "Thou Hast Provoked The Lord God Of Israel." (1 Kings 21:22)

He Continued The Calf-Worship Of Jeroboam Despite The Warnings Of Prophets And The History Of Others Who Propagated It, And He Maintained The Shrines, Sacrifices, And Priests At Bethel And Dan.

This Began When He Married Jezebel, A Phoenician Princes Which Brought To Israel The Worship Of Baal.

It "Was A Light Thing To Walk In The Way Of Jeroboam That He Must Take To Wife Jezebel" A Phoenician Princes (1 Kings 16:31), This In Direct Violation Of The Law (Deuteronomy 7:3-4).

To Place Such A Woman, Daughter Of Such A House, On The Throne Of Israel Was To Insult The True Religion, And To Court Its Overthrow.

He Stood By And Allowed Jezebel To Kill The Prophets Of The Lord, And Install Instead Hundreds Of Prophets Of Baal And Astherah (1 Kings 18:13).

The Next Charge, And The One Which Angered God The Most, "And Made Israel To Sin." (1 Kings 21:22)

It Is One Thing For A Person To Be A Vile Sinner, But It Is Another, And A Much More Repulsive Sin In The Eyes Of God, For An Individual To Be The Direct Cause Of Others To Sin.

Instead Of Being The Leader Of The Nation In The Worship Of Jehovah, Ahab "Reared Up Altars To Baal In Samaria (1 Kings 16:32)," "He Made A Grove (A Pagan Shrine For Pleasure), He Did Very Abominably In Following Idols (1 Kings 21:26)."

Under This Kind Of Leadership, The Nation Of Israel Was Led Into The Impure And Abominable Acts Which Were Associated With The Worship Of These Pagan Idols.

Last But Not The Least, "Hast Thou Killed, And Also Taken Possession?" (1 Kings 21:19)

The Enormity Of Ahab’s Guilt Was Brought Home By This Question. He Has Killed, For By Taking Possession He Sanctions, The Means By Which His Title Is Made Out.

I Am Sure That Naboth Was Not The Only Person’s Blood Which Cried Out From The Ground (Genesis 4:10) Against Ahab, But His Was The One Which Filled The Cup Of God’s Wrath Against Him.

The Verdict Is In

Ahab Had Been Weighed In The Balances Of God’s Justice And Found Wanting (Daniel 5:27), Guilty As Charged.

Q. The Sentence Is Given

"You Have Worked Evil (1 Kings 21:20) Now I Will Bring Evil Upon Thee, And Will Take Away Thy Posterity (Family And Descendants),.. (1 Kings 21:21)" (The Sentence Of Death Was Pronounced)

Ahab Knew Full Well The Meaning Of These Words For He Had Before Him The Examples Of Baasha (1 Kings 16:12), And Of Zimri (1 Kings 16:18-19).

This Sentence Was Fulfilled In It’s Entirety, In The Near Future For Ahab Himself, The Rest Of His Family Over The Next Few Years. (2 Kings 10:1-7; 10-17)

Sentence Was Also Pronounced Upon Jezebel, That Wicked Woman Who Had Been The Mastermind Behind Much Of The Wickedness That Ahab Had Been Involved In.

1Kings 21:23. And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.

We Cannot Be Sure Whether Ahab Delivered This Message Of Doom To Jezebel, But It Certainly Was Not Kept Secret Because On That Fateful Day There Were At Least Two Witnesses (2 Kings 9:25) And Possibly More Who Heard And Understood The Meaning Of The Words Spoken By Elijah.

1 Kings 21:24. 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.

This Verse Pertains To The House Of Ahab And The Fate Which Awaited Them.

One Of The Utmost Curses Which An Israelite Could Imagine Was To Not Have A Decent Burial, And Their Bodies Be Left To The Wild Dogs And Birds To Consume. All These Horrible Sentences Were The Results Of Ahab Having "Sold Himself To Work Evil In The Sight Of The Lord." (1 Kings 21: 20)

Not Honoring God, There Is No Power To Restrain Self But Self.

In The Next Two Verses The Chronicler (Jeremiah? Tradition) Inserts The Terrible Realities Concerning The Life Of Ahab, Comparing Him To The Amorites Which Had Worked Evil Since The Days Of Abraham. (Genesis 15:16)

1 Kings 21:25. 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.
26. 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.

The Words Of Elijah Struck Great Fear In Ahab. They Were Like Arrows Striking Deep Into His Heart Bringing Not Only Fear But A Sense Of Guilt And Remorse And Immediately His Countenance Changed And His Visage Marred As We Will Discuss Shortly.

R. The Repentance Of Ahab

1 Kings 21:27. 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.

Ahab Knew The Horrors Involved In The Words Of Elijah, And When He Hears These Words A Horrible Dread Overwhelms Him.

He Is Smitten By Sudden Compunction (A strong uneasiness caused by a sense of guilt) Like Those Who Heard Peter At Pentecost Who Were "Pricked in their heart (Acts 2:37), "Trembling and astonished"(Acts 9:6); "Trembling" (Acts 16:29); "Convicted" (John 8:9).

Jeremiah 23:29. Is not my word like as a fire? Saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? (KJV)

Ahab Must Get Away From This Cursed Spot At Once.

He Might Have Justly Said To His Charioteer, "Turn Thine Hand And Carry Me Away, For I Am Wounded" (1Kings 22:34). An Arrow From Elijah’s Lips Has Pierced His Harness Through.

The Whole Matter Concerning Naboth’s Death, And Now Elijah’s Awful Reproof Of Ahab, Was Not Done In A Corner, And Could Not Be Kept Secret.

We Know From (2 Kings 9:25) That Jehu And Bilkar, And Probably Others With Them, Stood For A While Transfixed To The Spot As Elijah Hurled His Words At The King, Then Turned And Strolled Away And Left Them To Rankle In His Mind, And Ahab Would See Him No More. (As 170 years) Before, Samuel Left Saul (1 Samuel 15:35)

We Can Well Imagine Their Reaction When They Hear The Terrible Doom—And Their Ears Tingle, As Elijah’s Impassioned Words Fall Upon Them.

"Thus Saith The Lord, In The Place Where Dogs Licked The Blood Of Naboth Shall Dogs Lick Thy Blood, Even Thine." (1 Kings 21:19)

They Hear, And Ahab Hears, That For Him A Death As Cruel And Shameful As Naboth’s Is Reserved For Him, That, King Though He Is, He Shall Come To The Dogs At Last.

But More: They Also Learn That For His Children, Born Into Royalty And Delicately Nurtured, There Remains A Reckoning; That Their Blood Must Be Shed, Their Bodies Torn Of Beasts, Like Those Of Naboth’s Sons.

Nor Shall Jezebel, The Prime Mover In This Murder, Escape—In The Same Space The Dogs, Which Devoured The Flesh Of Naboth, Shall Also Feast Upon Their Dead Bodies.

All This Was Spoken In The Broad Day, Before King And Retinue, By A Prophet Whose Words Had Never Fallen To The Ground.

The King Is Found Out; He Is Taken Red Handed In The Blossoms Of His Sin.

Yesterday The Crime, Today The Sentence.

And Now That He Is Found Out And Denounced, Ahab, Like Felix, (Acts 24:25) Trembles.

Suddenly The Garden Of Herbs He Has Pictured Of Naboth’s Vineyard Dies Away From His View.

He Sees In It’s Stead His Own Body Cast Into This Very Plot Of Ground Where He Is Standing—He Sees His Proud Consort Stripped Of Her Silk Attire, Suffering A Like Indignity In The Neighboring Ditch—He See His Children, The Fruit Of His Body, Lying In The Streets Of The Town, Or In The Open Field, A Feast For The Jackal And The Crow.

He Knew The Horrors Involved In These Words Of Elijah And A Horrible Dread Overwhelms Him.

He Mounts His Chariot, It Bears Him Through The Plain, Bears Him To His Palace—No Longer "Heavy And Displeased," But Utterly Crushed And Terrified.

As The Chariot Returns To Samaria The Townsman In The Street, The Peasant In The Field, All Would Perceive That Something Untoward Had Happened.

Again He Steals To His Bed-Chamber, And Turns His Face To The Wall And Eats No Bread.

In Vain The Queen Tries To Laugh Him Out Of His Fears. No Instrument Of Music Can Charm His Melancholy Spirit, No Physician Can Minister To That Mind Diseased.

He Cannot Banish From His Thoughts The Vision That The Words Of Elijah Conjured Up In His Mind.

It Haunts Him Like A Nightmare.

Can He Not Avert The Doom?
Can He Not Make Peace With Heaven?

He Has But Lately Forgiven A Cruel And Persistent Enemy (1 Kings 20:30-34); Is There No Forgiveness For Him?

He Will Make The Effort.

He Too Will "Gird Sackcloth On His Loins, And Put On Ashes On His Head,"
And Go To The Great King Of Israel, With Contrite Heart.

He Rises From His Couch A Sadder And A Wiser Man.
He Rends His Kingly Robes And Cast Them From Him;
He Assumes The Garments Of Humiliation, He Fasts, He Prays,
He Goes Softly (Barefoot, Josephus; Walked About Slowly, As If In Great Distress, (Kiel—Commentary In Logo).
And All This Publicly And In The Sight Of All Men.

Now We Want To Take A Look At Ahab’s Repentance.

1 Kings 21:27. 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.
28. And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
29. 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. (KJV)

It Is True That His Repentance Was Neither Profound Nor Enduring (1 Kings 22:8,26), But It Was Undoubtedly,

1. Sincere While It Lasted.

It Is A Mistake To Call It The "Shadow Of A Repentance."

There Was Real Contrition—Not Only Fear Of Punishment,
But Also Sorrow For His Sins. "Godly Sorrow Worketh Repentance."

We May Be Sure That Like A Former King Of Israel, His Cry Was,
"I Have Sinned Against The Lord." (2 Samuel 12:13)

2. Open And Public.

His Queen, His Courtiers, The Townsmen, And Elijah, Saw The Sackcloth, Marked The Hushed Voice, The Bowed Head, The Downcast Eye, And Knew What It Meant.

1 Kings 21:29. "Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, …" (KJV)

The Crime Was Known Of All Men; The Sorrow And Humiliation Must Be The Same.

3. Marked By Restitution. (Exodus 22:1-15)

The Scripture Does Not Say So, But It Does Not Need To Say So. There Could Be No Real Repentance, Certainly No Relenting On God’s Part So Long As Ahab Kept The Vineyard.

His Prayers Would Have Been Unheeded As Long As There Was Stolen Property In His Possession. A Penitent Thief Has Always Restored The Stolen Goods. (Luke 19:8)

Ahab Could Not Recall Naboth’s Life, But He Could Surrender The Vineyard To The Widow, And We May Be Sure He Did So.

And This Repentance, This Self-Abasement, Was Observed, Was Carefully Watched Outside The Palace, And Also Outside The Realm Of Israel In The Court Of Heaven, Where Tenderness And Mercy Originate.

As Day By Day, With Contrite Heart And Bowed Head And Soft Footstep, The Miserable King Moved Among His Subjects, The Merciful God And Father Of The Spirits Of All Flesh And Blood Beheld His Returning Prodigal, Yearned Over Him, Ran To Him.

S. The Sentence Of Doom Shall Be Deferred.

The Same Voice Which Just Now Thundered, "Hast thou killed… in the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood…," Is Hushed Into Tenderness, "Seeth thou,…" To The Prophet Of Doom.

1 Kings 21:28. And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
29. 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. (KJV)

These Two Verses Are Proof Of The Mercies Of God, And That His Ear Is Ever Turned To Hear The Sinners Prayer—God Looks Down From Heaven To See If There Is Any That Do Good.

They Also Show That Even Such A Sinner As Ahab (1 Kings 2l:25) Was Not Disregarded When He Showed The Faintest Signs Of Repentance.

Remember The Prodigal Was Seen "When Yet A Great Way Off" (Luke 15:20), And His Father Ran And Embraced Him.

They Also Point Out The Fact That, "God’s Goodness Which Leads To Repentance" (Roman 2:4), Sometimes Comes In The Form Of A Severe Rebuke Or Chastisement (Hebrew 12:5-11), And If Heeded Leads To A Reprieve Of His Judgments.

We Ought To Notice And Encourage Any Shadow Of Turning, And Give Support To What Is Right In Those Who Are Not What They Should Be, Commending It Whenever It Is Possible.

"Seeth thou…," An Indication That The Humbling Of Ahab And His Outward Signs Of Repentance Was Observed By Elijah Himself And God Says, Because Of This Humbling, That He Would Receive Pardon.

And This Pardon Was,

1. Instant.

The Rebellion Had Lasted Years. The Forgiveness Follows, On The Heels Of Repentance.

While He Was Yet Speaking God Heard. (Genesis 24:15; Daniel 10:12)
There Are Times When God Outruns Our Prayers.
When We Pray Just Visualize The Answer Already On The Way.

2. Free And Full

God Says To Elijah, "I will not bring the evil in his days:"

If Ahab’s Repentance Had Been Lasting, The Sentence Would Have Reversed So Far As He Was Concerned. It Was Not Finally Reversed Because Of His Subsequent Sin, And That Of His Sons.

The Guilt Of Innocent Blood, No Doubt, Could Only Be Purged By The Blood Of Him That Shed It (Numbers 35:33).

It Is Interesting To Note That Jezebel Was Never Included In The Pardon.

But It Is Probable That God, To "Show Forth All Longsuffering," Would Have Spared The King And His Sons, If They Had Turned From Their Evil Way.

The Repentance Of Ahab, However Shallow One May Think, Gained A Reprieve From God, How Much More Will A Through Repentance Gain Justification.

A Temporary Repentance May Be Followed By A Temporary Reprieve; But Final Salvation Must Be Preceded By True Repentance.

3. Conditional

This Provision Is Always Understood, Even If Not Expressed.

However Great And Full The Pardon And Forgiveness Of God Becomes, His Mercy And Forbearance Is Always Conditional.

On God’s Part It Is Always, "I Will, If You Will."

At The Close Of The Tremendous Prayer Of King Solomon At The Dedication Of The Temple When He Pleaded For The Mercies Of God On His People, God Answered," If My People Will… Then I Will…" (2 Chronicles 7:14, 19-21)

If The Heart Is Not Turned From Sin, It Cannot Be Turned From Hell. Not Only Must Evil Be Expelled, But Good Must Enter; For If The Heart Is Left "Empty, Swept, And Garnished," By Self-Reformation, The Evil Spirit Will Return.

Good Must Supersede Evil; Christ Must Supplant Sin; The Holy Spirit Must Conquer The Evil Spirit.

It Admonishes Us Not To Presume Upon Any Dogma Of Infallible Final Perseverance (Some Teach That One Cannot Fall Away From God’s Grace), But, By The Help Of God, To "Work Out Our Own Salvation With Fear And Trembling." (Philippians 2:12)

In 1 Corinthians 10:1-12, Paul Gives A Great Example Of How The Children Of Israel Forfeited The Great Redemption Which God Promised Them.

4. Forfeited.

When Ahab Turned Like A Dog To His Vomit (2 Peter 2:22), Then The Sword Which Had Been Sheathed Awhile (1 Kings 21:29), Leapt Again From Its Scabbard, And He Was Suddenly Destroyed, And That Without Remedy, As We Will Discuss In The Next Chapter.

Proverbs 29:1. He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. (KJV

We Should Also Note That The Reprieve Did Not Include Jezebel, But It Is Possible That God, To "Show Forth All Long Suffering," Would Have Spared His Sins, If They Had Turned From Their Evil Way.

We Will Continue This Study Of Elijah Study #6 On The Pages below.
Ahab’s Repentance After The Rebuke Of Elijah At The Death Of Naboth Lasted About Three Years During Which Time God Gave Him And Jezebel A Space To Repent. Then He Violated The Trust God Placed In Him And God Brought About His Death.

Ahab Sought To Avert The Prophecy Of His Death But An Arrow Guided By An Unseen Hand Found Him.

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Elijah. Study Number Six

This Is The Sixth Study On The Life Of Elijah. We Have Followed His Life And Ministry From The Time He Appeared In The Great Halls Of Samaria And Declared That There Would Be No Rain Until He Gave The Word.

In This Study We Will Conclude This Study Of Elijah With The Death Of Ahab And Also The Death Of His Son.

In The Conclusion We Will Follow Elijah Across The Jordan Where He Is Taken Into Heaven In A Fiery Chariot.

Finally His Appearance On The Mount Of Transfiguration, Along With Moses.
I Hope You Will Read And Study With Us All The Six Studies On The Life Of One Of The Greatest Figures In Human History.

The Following Are Some Of The Things We Will Be Studying In This, The Sixth Study, Of The Life Of Elijah.

————— Contents ————— A. A Space To Repent B. An Unholy Alliance C. A Prophetic Vision D. Wars With Syria E. Ahab’s Battle Plans F. An Arrow Guided By An Unseen Hand G. The Death Of Ahab ———————————————

A. A Space To Repent

1 Kings 22:1. And they continued three years without war between Syria and Israel.

The Three Years Mentioned Here Are To Be Counted From The Second Defeat Of Ben-hadad, And His Subsequent Release By Ahab, And The History Is Resumed From (1 Kings 20:34-43).

The Incident Described In (1 Kings 21) Concerning Naboth's Death Occurred During These Three Years Of Peace.

Also It Is Possible That These Three Years Is The "Space To Repent" That Is Referred To In (Revelation 2:21).

After The Murder Of Naboth (1 Kings 21) Ahab Did Show A Semblance Of Repentance. (1 Kings 21:27)

This Repentance, Genuine At The Time, Because God Honored It (1 Kings 21:28) (2 Peter 2:22)

We Will Not Spend Much Time In This Chapter (1 Kings 22), Only To Show The Fulfillment Of The Words Of The Prophets.

In The Second War With Syria (1 Kings 20:22-43), Ahab Had Displeased The Lord By Letting Ben-hadad, The King Of Syria Go Free.

The Lord Sent A Prophet (Unnamed, Mi-cai-ah?) To Tell Ahab That His Life Would Be Required For This Deed. (1 Kings 20:42-43)

Also After The Death Of Naboth Elijah Had Been Sent To Him With Warnings From God Concerning His Death. (1 Kings 21:17-24)

B. War With Syria

Three Years Have Gone By Since The Last War With Syria And Now Ahab Intends To Recover Some Of The Possessions Which Syria Had Taken In Previous Wars.

C. An Unholy Alliance

It Was During The Third Year That Ahab Invited Je-hosh-a-phat, King Of Judah, To Come Down For A Feast. (2 Chronicles 18:1-2)

It Was During This Feast That Ahab Persuaded, Or Enticed, The King Of Judah To Join Him In An Expedition Against His Old Enemy Ben-ha-dad To Regain Ramoth In Gilead Which Ben-ha-dad Had Failed To Restore To Israel.

Ahab Knowing That He Did Not Have The Divine Assistance From The Lord, And Felt That His Own Army Was Not Equal To The Task, Formed An Alliance With Je-hosh-a-phat, Whose Military Organization Was Very Great. (2 Chronicles 17:10-19)

This Alliance Was Evidently Made Possible By The Marriage Between The Son Of Je-hosh-a-phat And The Daughter Of Ahab And Jezebel. (2 Kings 8:18)

This Was An Unholy Alliance, For Which Je-hosh-a-phat Was Rebuked Later By One Of The Prophets (2 Chronicles 19:2), Almost Cost Him His Life (1 Kings 22:32), For Despite The Voice Of The Lord Through The Prophet Mi-cai-ah, He Was Persuaded To Join In The Battle Against Syria.

Evil Begets Evil. The Friendship Was Too Intimate For The Good Of The King Of Judah's Soul.

At God's Displeasure Je-hosh-a-phat Continued This Alliance With Ahaziah, Ahab's Son, After The Death Of Ahab, Which Proved Very Costly To Him. (2 Chronicles 20:35-37)

The Lesson We Learn From This Alliance With Evil, Is Let No Promise Of Power, Money, "No Gold From O-phir" (1 Kings 22:48), Induce Men To Enter Into Partnership With The Ungodly.

Ahab, In Making Preparations For The Battle Against Ben-ha-dad, Called All The False Prophets To Inquire Of Them Whether He Would Be Successful In The Battle, These All Assured Him That He Would Be Victorious.

D. A Prophetic Vision

Je-hosh-a-phat, Having Some Misgivings About The False Prophets, Asked Ahab,

"Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides, that we might inquire of him?" (1 Kings 22:7)

Ahab Voiced His Despite Of The Prophet Mi-cai-ah (1 Kings 22:8) Yet Had Him Brought From The Prison Cell So They Could Hear What He Had To Say.

1 Kings 22:17. And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace.

Mi-cai-ah Had Seen A Prophetic Vision.

1Kings 22:18. And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil? (KJV)

This Reply Of Ahab Meant That He Did Not Wish To Hear A Message From Jehovah; But That He Had Already Chosen His Own Path And His Own Guides (The False Prophets) In It.

Then In (1 Kings 22:19-23) Mi-cai-ah Describes A Scene Which Took Place In Heaven In Which The Lord Allowed A Lying Spirit To Deceive Ahab.

The Apostle Paul States This Possibility Also,

2 Thessalonians 2:10. And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12. That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (KJV)

This Lets Us Know That Whatever Takes Place On Earth Has Already Been Discussed, And In Most Cases, Directed In Heaven.
Yet In All This, Ahab's Destruction Would Come Through His Own Sin;
Being Led To His Ruin By Those False Prophets Whom He Had Chosen,
And By His Unwillingness To Hear The Word Of Jehovah By Mi-cai-ah,
Which He Regarded As The Outcome Of Personal Hostility.

In (1 Kings 22:24) One Of The False Prophets Came And Smote Mi-cai-ah On The Face, And Because He Was Not Struck Dead By Jehovah, The Others Mustered Courage To Follow Ahab.

Then To Show His Contempt For God's Prophet, Ahab Ordered Mi-cai-ah Back To The Dungeon Till He Came In Peace.

Then Mi-cai-ah Turned To Ahab, And To All That Were In His Presence, And Summoned Them As Witnesses Between Him And The King.

1 Kings 22:28. And Micaiah said, If thou return at all in peace, the LORD hath not spoken by me. And he said, Hearken, O people, every one of you. (KJV)

It Is A Strange Coincidence That The Prophet Micah, Who Lived About 150 Years After Mi-cai-ah, Uttered Almost Exactly The Same Words In The Beginning Of His Prophecy. (Micah 1:2)

We Are Not Told What Impression The Scene Had Upon Je-hosh-a-phat.

But We Cannot Help Feeling That In Spite Of His Boastful Language It Must Have Had A Deep Effect Upon Ahab.

The Wicked Rush Upon Destruction, They Are Allowed To Believe A Lie. (2 Thessalonians 2:11)

Ahab Provoked The War In Which He Himself Would Perish. The Peace Which Lasted So Long Might Have Continued.

Every Day That It Was Prolonged Was A Day Placed Between Him And Death, And Yet With His Own Hand He Brings An End To The Period Of Grace.

E. Ahab's Battle Plans

The Battle Against The Syrians At Ramoth-Gilead Would Naturally Follow As Soon As Possible After The Assembly In Samaria.

Another Interesting Note Is The Absence Of Any Army Of Judah Mentioned In The Text.

This Seems To Indicate That Je-hosh-a-phat Only Had A Small Contingent Of His Men With Him.

He Did Not Even Seem To Have A Sufficient Bodyguard With Him (1 Kings 22:32-33), Otherwise The Overwhelming Force Of His Army (2 Chronicles 17:10-19) The Battle Would Have Been No Contest.

Ahab Reveals His Battle Plans

1 Kings 22:30. And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle; but put thou on thy robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle. (KJV)

It Was Common Practice For Kings And Leaders To Go Into Battle In Full Array, Or Armour, Even Unto His Crown (2 Samuel 1:10), So They Would Be Easily Identifiable.

This Shows Us The Misgivings And Apprehensions Ahab Had Concerning The Battle, And The Divinely Threatened Judgment.

Ahab Would Disguise Himself When He Went Into Battle And Thereby Foil The Prophetic Voice Of Mi-cai-ah The Prophet.

But There Is An Old Proverb Which I Will Repeat For Our Benefit.

"If You Fix A Fix,
That God Has Made For You,
Then God Will Fix,
Another Fix For You."

Many A Person Has Made Elaborate Plans To Avoid His Appointment That God Has Arraigned For Him, Only To Run Into Something Else That He Cannot Negotiate.

Let Us Now Switch Our Perspective Of The Battle From Israel's Army To That Of The Syrian Side And The Orders Of King Ben-ha-dad.

1 Kings 22:31. But the king of Syria commanded his thirty and two captains that had rule over his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel.
32. And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, Surely it is the king of Israel. And they turned aside to fight against him: and Jehoshaphat cried out.
33. And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him. (KJV)

King Ben-had-ad Gave Direct Orders To The "Thirty And Two Captains", Who Evidently Formed The Front Line Of Attack, To Fight Exclusively Against The King Of Israel.

It Was At This Point That Je-hosh-a-phat's Unholy Alliance With Ahab Nearly Cost Him His Life.

But The Disguise Of Ahab, So Far From Frustrating The Judgment Predicted By Mi-cai-ah, Only Served The More Clearly To Show The Divine Will In His Death.

F. An Arrow Guided By An Unseen Hand

As The Battle Continued An Unknown Archer Shots An Arrow Which Was Guided By An Unseen Hand.

1 Kings 22:34. And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded.
35. And the battle increased that day: and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot. (KJV)

"And A Certain Man.."

This Man Has Been Identified By Josephus As Naaman, The Syrian Captain Of 2 Kings 5, Of Which We Have No Biblical Evidence.

"Drew A Bow At A Venture,…"

Let It Be Noted The This Particular Archer Had No Particular Person, Or Target, In Mind When He Discharged This Arrow, It, No Doubt, Was One Of Many That Were Shot At Random That Day.

"And Smote The King Of Israel Between The Joints Of The Harness,…"

Ahab Was, No Doubt, Dressed For Battle In The Best Suit Of Armor That Was Fashioned In His Day.

The Best Description Of These Suits Of Armor Is Found On Goliath. (2 Samuel 17:5-6)

God Guided The Arrow To The Opening In The Joints Of The Armor, As He Guided The Stone From The Sling Of David Into The Forehead Of Goliath.

So It Was An Unseen Hand That Guided That Arrow To It's Destination.

It Was Truly "The Arrow Of The Lord's Vengeance." (2 Kings 13:17)

One Can Only Wonder At The Thoughts Of That Unhappy King, With The Arrow In His Side, And Blood Draining From His Wound, And Forming A Sickening Pool In The Bottom Of The Chariot.

He Was Stayed Up Those Wretched Weary Hours Until The Sun Set Against The Syrian Sky, Possibly The Driver Was Unable To Retreat From The Mass Of Soldiers In The Battle.

Surely Ahab Would Know At Last That, "The Lord Was God." (1 Kings 18:39; 20:13, 28)

His Cry Would Now Be, "Thou Hast Found Me, O My Enemy." (1 Kings 21:20)

He Would Think, It May Be, Of Elijah's Prophecies. (1 Kings 21:21-24; 22:17, 28)

He Would Think Of Naboth's Bleeding And Mangled Corpse And The Stolen Vineyard.

He Would Think, Above All, That His Sin Had Found Him Out, And That Jehovah Had Conquered.

These Thoughts Were Expressed In The Cry Of Another Tyrant, A Thousand Years Later, When Julian The Apostate Cried Out When A Similar Arrow Had Pierced Him From A Parthian Bow, And Wrung From Him His Final Confession, "Thou Hast Conquered, O Galilean."

He Had Been Kicking Against The Pricks. (Acts 9:5)

Ahab Had Fought All His Life For Baal, But It Was In Vain.

Ahab Had Been Wrestling, Not With Flesh And Blood (Ephesians 6:12), But With An Invisible, Omnipotent God, And Now He Is Thrown, Cast Down, Never To Rise Again.

The Allied Armies Of Judah And Israel Who Stole Away In The Dark And Blackness Of Night To Their Homes, Like Sheep Without A Shepherd (1 Kings 22:17), Would Have Learned One Lesson At Least That Day, That There Was "A God That Judgeth In The Earth." (Genesis 18:25)

Conclusion Of The Study Of Ahab's Life.

G. The Death Of Ahab

We Include The Following In The Study Of Ahab Only To Prove How Accurate Elijah's And Mi-ca-iah Prophecies Concerning Ahab Were.

1 Kings 22:36. And there went a proclamation throughout the host about the going down of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his own country.

37. So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria. {was brought: Hebrew came}

38. And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armour; according unto the word of the LORD which he spake. (KJV)

The Chronicler (2 Chronicles 18:34) Tells Us That It Was At Sunset That Ahab Died.

The Proclamation May Have Originated From Jehoshaphat, Or Maybe From The Captain Of The Host Of Israel When He Was Informed Of Ahab's Death.

The Approach Of Night Would Of Itself Put An End To The Battle.

It Does Not Appear That Israel Had Been Defeated, Or Had Suffered Great Loss In The Battle, But, "They Had No Master." (1 Kings 22:17)

The Driver Of The Chariot, In Staying Up Ahab In His Chariot Throughout The Day, Was, No Doubt, Soaked With His Blood, So He Took The Chariot, Along With Ahab's Armor, And Washed All These In The Pool Of Samaria, Along With Himself.

Then We Read The Graphic Picture Of The Dogs Licking Up The Blood, As Elijah Had Prophesied. (1Kings 21:19)

To Further See The Fulfillment Of Elijah' Prophecy Concerning Jezebel And Ahab's House See 2 Kings 9:30-37; 10:11.

Burial Of Ahab And The Reign Of A-ha-zi-ah.

1 Kings 22:40. So Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead. (KJV)

Perhaps No Wicked Man Has A Larger Share Of The Sacred Writings Occupied With His Acts Than Ahab.

Such Acts Are Not Agreeable To The Spirit Of God, But In The Hands Of Inspiration They Are Made An Influence For Good.

The Principal Of The Wicked Should Only Be Studied To Be Shunned.

These Sacred Records Have Come Down To Our Times, And, After A Lapse Of Over Thirty Centuries, Ahab Survives.

But For These Records Ahab's Name Would Not Be Known. This Proves That Things Are Permanent As They Stand Related To The Everlasting God.

In The Next Study Of Elijah (# 7) We Will See How Posthumous Influence Points To The Immortality Of Man.

We Hope You Enjoyed This Study (# 6) Of The Life Of Elijah And Will Read The Next Study (# 7) On His Life In Which We Will Discuss A Subject That Has Been Much Questioned, The Incident Of Elijah Calling Down Fire From Heaven On Soldiers Sent To Apprehend Him.

We Will Close Out The Study Of Elijah When He Is Taken Into Heaven In A Chariot Of Fire Pulled By Horses Of Fire, Then, He Stands With Moses On The Mount Of Transfiguration Of Our Lord.

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