How to Ruin the People of God
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Text:
Text:
1 Kings 21:1-20
For time sake, we’re only going to read it as we go through the text this morning, so please keep your Bible open or your bulletin out where you can see it to follow along.
Sermon Title:
Sermon Title:
How to Ruin the People of God in 5 Easy Steps
Thesis:
Thesis:
To Destroy the People of God, we must simply break God’s formula for Leadership and Servanthood.
Introduction:
Introduction:
(Insert Introduction Statements, Illustration)
- Brief Explanation of Text
Problem to be addressed
Solution/Restate Thesis
Step I: Throw a Fit
Step I: Throw a Fit
Now it happened after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.
And Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden because it is close beside my house, and I will give you a better vineyard than it in its place; if it is good in your sight, I will give you the price of it in money.”
But Naboth said to Ahab, “Yahweh forbid me that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.”
Naboth is a Jezreelite, and from what we can tell from the text, he is a somewhat righteous man who knows the law. He knows the way things should go.
He made one mistake, though, it would seem - he happened to be one of those people who just looked after his own, his own affairs, his own business, and also happened to live next to Ahab’s winter home.
They actually discovered and excavated this palace in the early 1990’s - and it was, basically, a castle. It had towers, a moat, everything. The moat was dry, being in Palestine, but still, it would have looked similar to some castles you’ve seen on TV.
And, starting with Ahab, we know that the Israelite kings would go to Jezreel - about 25 miles north of Samaria, Israel’s capital at the time, and that’s where they’d spend the winter months.
Kind of how some folks in North Dakota like to escape to Arizona for a few months out of the year.
Ahab goes to his winter home, and he happens to notice this vineyard nearby. He thinks to himself, “Hey, this is a pretty nice spot of land, and it would make me a nice little vegetable garden.
So he offers to buy the property, he’s nice about it, he even offers a fair price for it. By all accounts, from the outside looking in, Ahab seems like he’s doing the right thing.
Let me tell you why he’s not.
For starters:
Ahab is approaching this from a Canaanite mentality.
In Canaanite culture, land was simply a commodity to trade and sell for profit. Ahab’s initial offer to Naboth is fair - if you’re a pagan. If you do not worship the God of Israel.
We know Ahab did not do this.
Earlier in 1 Kings 16, we’re given insight into Ahab’s character.
1 Kings 16:30 “And Ahab the son of Omri did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh more than all who were before him.”
1 Kings 16:31 “Now it happened, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians as a wife, and went and served Baal and worshiped him.”
He erects an altar for the false god Baal, even builds a house for Baal, and 1 Kings 16:33 “Ahab also made the Asherah. Thus Ahab did more to provoke Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.”
People often want to blame Jezebel for all Ahab’s problems, but truly, Ahab was just as guilty. Marrying Jezebel was just one of many of the rebellious things he did, and he will pay a price for it, but Ahab is not a righteous king.
If anyone ever tries to defend Ahab and Jezebel, by the way, be cautious of such a person - either they speak from ignorance or from a kindred spirit to these two, and neither one is a good thing.
They’re wicked people - and the fact that Ahab even gets it in his mind to make this offer to Naboth tells us where his priorities are.
Also, it shows us the purposeful thumbing of his nose at God’s law.
Look at Naboth’s words: “Yahweh forbid me that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.”
In Israelite culture, property belonged to families - not to whoever had the most gold. Naboth’s response strongly implies to us, as the readers, that selling this property would displease God, and disregard His law.
This vineyard was Naboth’s ancestral land, and it was to stay in his family forever. We see this fact made clear in the law.
Leviticus 25:23 “‘The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are but sojourners and foreign residents with Me.”
Now, if someone did need to sell their land, God says, Leviticus 25:25 “‘If a brother of yours becomes so poor he has to sell part of his possession of land, then his nearest kinsman redeemer is to come and redeem what his brother has sold.”
This way the property stays in the family - but if there is no kinsman redeemer, he can buy it back based on how long and how fruitful it had been to the person who purchased it, and even then, if he couldn’t afford it...
Leviticus 25:28 “‘But if he has not found sufficient means to return it to himself, then what he has sold shall remain in the hands of its purchaser until the year of jubilee; but at the jubilee it shall revert, that he may return to his possession of land.”
So Ahab is in the wrong here - for even approaching Naboth and making the offer. Keep in mind Ahab was also a descendent of Jeroboam, an Ephraimite. Naboth is a Jezreelite. The law was very clear in Numbers 36:7 ““Thus no inheritance of the sons of Israel shall be transferred from tribe to tribe, for the sons of Israel shall each hold to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.”
To be clear, Ahab shows a complete disregard for God’s order.
So Ahab came into his house sullen and enraged because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and ate no food.
What. A. Baby.
He goes into his house “sullen” - the Hebrew word is “sahr” - and it means “resentful”, “ill-humored”, or literally, “so upset”.
And he’s “ENRAGED”, which is the Hebrew word “za-eph”, some translators take it to mean “vexed”, or “angry” but the LSB has a better beed on it - he’s throwing a tantrum. It literally means he is in a “furious rage.”
If you have ever had kids you know this anger. The King of Israel is throwing a temper tantrum.
And not only that, he’s pouting. He has thrown himself on his bed, he won’t look at anyone, and he’s refusing to eat his dinner.
He’s acting like a child.
King Hezekiah, when he is facing actual death - he turns his face away.
2 Kings 20:1-2 “In those days Hezekiah became ill to the point of death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him and said to him, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.’” Then he turned his face to the wall and prayed to Yahweh...”
This is how a king acts when he’s about to die - in Ahab’s mind, Naboth standing up to him, Naboth’s choosing God’s will over his will, “Well, ya may as well kill me because I’m not getting my way.”
That’s the message he is sending here.
We do this, too.
When we don’t get our way, we may not throw a fit and embarrass ourselves, but when we do not get what we want how we want it, when our pride says we must have what we want, and we do not get it - we throw a fit.
And when we do it in the church, it it damaging to the people of God.
The kids call it “being a Karen”, because that’s the stereotype of the kind of woman who walks into the store and is so upset she wants to speak only to the manager… because her son got ketchup on his happy meal, when she clearly, plainly said “no ketchup”.
In the church, among the people of God, it goes beyond being a Karen - it’s being an Ahab, it’s being a Jezebel.
So we have to pause and ask...
How does Christ compare to this?
Jesus, who was actually wronged, was actually betrayed, was actually struck in the face by those who oppressed Him… how did He handle it?
Matthew 26:39 “And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.””
Truthfully, Ahab probably didn’t know God’s law about property, because Ahab didn’t care for God’s will concerning property.
When we are in prayer, and we are saying - like Christ - not my will, but your will be done - it becomes a lot easier to not be angry when God’s will is being carried out before our eyes.
But if we want to destroy God’s people, we just have to try undermine God’s will, and throw a fit when it doesn’t work out.
Step II. Let Someone Else Lead You
Step II. Let Someone Else Lead You
But Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, “How is it that your spirit is so sullen that you are not eating food?”
So he said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if it pleases you, I will give you a vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’”
Here we go. Weak men produce evil women.
That’s not a sexist statement, that’s a Biblical fact. When men do not rise up and be the men God has called them to be, women rule, children rule, and it is in judgment of the men not stepping up to be the men of God they’re called to be.
Nowhere do we see this made any clearer than here in Ahab and Jezebel.
Jezebel gets all the hate but Ahab would not lead his wife as a man is called to lead his wife, instead he lets her lead because he is too weak, too full of his own self-pity, his own rage...
See, Naboth didn’t want a wife, he wanted a nanny. He wanted a nursemaid. He wanted a mommy. This is a disgusting fact of American society - so many men want to continue being boys, so they force their wives to act like their moms.
It’s disgusting. It’s Ahab and Jezebel, and judgment is coming.
She comes in, “Why are you so sad? Why aren’t you eating?” And the subtle question, the real question is, “Why aren’t you acting like the king? Why aren’t you acting like a man?”
So Ahab says, “Because I didn’t get my way.”
In fact, if you read it, look what he really says: “I spoke to Naboth and I made a fair bargain, but he said ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’ Naboth told me, ‘No’.” And ask the king, I imagine he wasn’t used to people telling him no.
So he threw a fit. Ahab is the victim here, you see. He got told what he didn’t want to hear, so he has been assaulted. He’s been attacked.
Jezebel is the perfect person to step in here if destruction is what Ahab truly wants.
Jezebel had killed as many prophets as she could - Obadiah had told Elijah 1 Kings 18:4 “And it happened that when Jezebel was cutting down the prophets of Yahweh, Obadiah took one hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave, and sustained them with bread and water.)”
And she wanted Elijah dead, too.
1 Kings 19:1-2 “Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by about this time tomorrow.””
Prophets! Men who worked incredible, powerful miracles. Jezebel had no qualms about killing them.
Ahab was seen as a warrior, but his wife was barbaric. His wife was ruthless. And we are soon going to see she’s the one Ahab would rather run the show.
And Jezebel his wife said to him, “Do you now exercise kingship over Israel? Arise, eat bread, and let your heart be merry; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
Notice the first thing in Jezebel’s response - “Aren’t you the king?”
We may read that and think she’s reminding him he’s the one in leadership - and that may be true. “Hey, you’re a big boy, you’re the king, but I’ll take care of this for you...” In other words, “You may wear the crown, but I’ll rule the nation.”
Actually, what she is saying it to him is emasculating - “Aren’t you supposed to be the man? Well, sit up little boy and eat your snack, and you just play with your toys and be happy, I’ll do what needs to be done.”
AND AHAB IS FINE WITH IT.
Weak men produce evil women.
Some scholars believe Jezebel telling Ahab something even more wicked here. Something whispered by her forked tongue that should open our eyes to her true nature, her true evil.
What she may really be asking here is, “Aren’t you the supreme power in Israel? Don’t you truly own all the land? Isn’t it yours?”
In Israel this was not so - the land was God’s, which we saw before in Leviticus 25, God said the land was his.
And in Israel the king was not above the law.
In fact, the king was supposed to keep the law with him at all times to remind him of the law, and that he is not above it - we see this in Deuteronomy 17:18-20 ““Now it will be when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. “And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear Yahweh his God, to carefully observe all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his sons in the midst of Israel.”
But Ahab obviously doesn’t do this - that would mean being the king God had called him to be.
That would mean being the man, God had made him to be.
That would mean being the husband, God designed him to be.
So Jezebel says, I will give you Naboth’s vineyard.
You have to wonder if in that moment, somewhere - a few hundred yards away, unable to hear these words whispered in the king’s bedroom - Naboth got sudden chills.
Remember, Naboth has done nothing wrong, but tried to till the land God gave him, be a good steward of what God had given him, and tried to honor the Lord’s will.
Jezebel says that day, “That will not stand as long as I’m around, my man is going to get what he wants, we deserve it. He is, after all, the king.”
How does Christ compare to this?
We never see Jesus take what is not His, but we do see Jesus tempted with it.
Matthew 4:8-10 “Again, the devil *took Him to a very high mountain and *showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus *said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’””
Jesus knew God’s law, He knew God’s will, and the only time He allows Himself to be taken under the leadership of men, the only time he submits to the will of someone other than the Father - is when it’s under the Father’s direction at the time of his arrest, trial, crucifixion, and death.
You see, Jesus is the King who keeps the law. Jesus is the King who does not let others lead Him, Jesus is the one who exemplifies to us what true manhood looks like.
Jesus had all the power in the universe at His fingertips, and yet He chooses submission to the will of the Father.
Jesus had the ability to vaporize those who opposed Him with a glance, yet he knew the Law of God, He knew the word of God, He knew the will of God and He knew what mattered most - if He was to lead His church, if He was to be in direct submission to the will of the Father - He had to be strong enough to follow the Father’s will.
Jesus could have easily said, “Nope, can’t go die on that cross, I need to go hang out with my disciples, I’d rather be hanging out with my friends...”
He could have easily thrown a fit and said, “No Father, pick someone else, do it some other way, I won’t do it!”
But no, He had the ultimate “man up” moment, and even though he could have called angels down to rescue Him, he goes to the cross.
But if we want to destroy the people of God - if we want to ruin Christ’s church, we just have to undermine God’s formula for leadership, and let someone else lead who shouldn’t.
Step III: Undermine the Word of God
Step III: Undermine the Word of God
So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal, and sent letters to the elders and to the nobles who were living with Naboth in his city.
Explain Text
Subpoint A.
Subpoint B.
And she wrote in the letters, saying, “Call for a fast and seat Naboth at the head of the people;
and seat two vile men before him, and let them testify against him, saying, ‘You cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him so that he will die.”
Explain Text
Subpoint A.
How does Christ compare to this?
But if we want to destroy God’s people, we just have to undermine God’s word, and establish our own.
Step IV: Gossip
Step IV: Gossip
So the men of his city, the elders and the nobles who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had sent word to them, just as it was written in the letters which she had sent them.
Explain Text
Subpoint A.
Subpoint B.
They called for a fast and seated Naboth at the head of the people.
Then the two vile men came in and sat before him; and the vile men testified against him, against Naboth, before the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him with stones and he died.
Explain Text
Subpoint A.
How does Christ compare to this?
But if we want to destroy God’s people, we just have to undermine God’s design for handling conflict, and make sure we spread the poison of gossip and slander, and we’ll kill the body.
Step V: Enjoy the Fruit of “Victory”
Step V: Enjoy the Fruit of “Victory”
Then they sent word to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.”
Now it happened that when Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.”
Now it happened that when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab arose to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.
Explain Text
Subpoint A.
Subpoint B.
Then the word of Yahweh came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
“Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria; behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth where he has gone down to take possession of it.
“And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “Have you murdered and also taken possession?”’ And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth the dogs will lick up your blood, even yours.”’
And Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” And he answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of Yahweh.
Explain Text
Subpoint A.
How does Christ compare to this?
But if we want to destroy God’s people, we just have to seek our own victory, and not victory for the Lord. Seek our pleasures, our wants, our desires, our own designs, and we may soon see the fruits of that victory.
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
- Call Back to Introduction
Restate Thesis
Solution and Call To Action
Closing Prayer
if we did an altar call and we were honest, we’d all have to come forward, other wise we’d be admitting we are Ahab and Jezebel and our hearts are so hardened by our pride and by our sin...