1 Kings 21
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Between Israel and Judah, out of 16 kings only 3 (all out of Judah) “did what was right in the sight of Yahweh”
Generational sin and especially idolatry is a biblical pattern: Exodus 20:4–5 “4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;”
Jeroboam:
1 Kings 12:28 “28 Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.”
1 Kings 14:9 “9 But hast done evil above all that were before thee: for thou hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images, to provoke me to anger, and hast cast me behind thy back:”
Nadab:
1 Kings 15:25–26 “25 And Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned over Israel two years. 26 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin.”
Omri:
Not the son of Nadab but the pattern’s set:
1 Kings 16:25–26 “25 But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the LORD, and did worse than all that were before him. 26 For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin, to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger with their vanities.”
Brings us to Ahab:
1 Kings 16:30 “30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him.”
Ahab marries Jezebel:
1 Kings 16:31 “31 And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.”
Ethbaal: “Baal is alive.” The father of Jezebel was the king of Phoenicia (including Tyre and Sidon) who had murdered his predecessor and, according to Josephus, was a priest of the gods Melqart and Astarte.
(Young men and our sons to pay attention to a young lady’s dad. It don’t necessarily tell you who she is, but will tell you what she was taught)
Naboth’s Vineyard
Naboth’s Vineyard
The offer, the refusal, and the response
The offer, the refusal, and the response
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.
Jezreel: “God sows”, in divine providence God had planted Naboth a garden right beside the winter palace of king Ahab
“The LORD forbid it me”: Leviticus 25:23-38 gives Yahweh’s rules for land inheritance.
God owns of all the land and the Israelites are just temporary residents and stewards on His property.
When land is "sold," it is actually only being leased until the next Jubilee year (every 50 years), when the land must return to the original family who inherited it from God's distribution.
God was preventing the loss of family inheritance and ensured that each tribe and family would always retain their God-given portion of the Promised Land.
Naboth shows his love of God and God’s law by telling the king no
Up to this point Ahab is within his rights, if Naboth was so broke his family was starving, he could have sold it to Ahab but God’s law would require it returned to his family in the next Jubilee year
If we see Naboth’s godly character in the refusal, we see Ahab’s character in his response. He acts like a spoiled 5 year old
Ahab’s mommy issues
Ahab’s mommy issues
5 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread? 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. 7 And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
“dost thou now govern”: Ironic Jezebel is telling him to act like a man. She want’s him to act like the king of Israel but she’s acting like the king of the castle
Jezebel’s plan
Jezebel’s plan
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. 9 And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people: 10 And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.
Ahab won’t act like a king so she will.
To call an assembly for solemn fasting implied that a disaster threatened the people that could be stopped only if they would humble themselves before the Lord and remove any person whose sin had brought God’s judgment upon them
2 witnesses were required by the law for capital cases
sons of Belial: Hebrew way of saying they wereutterly wicked men. 2 Corinthians 6:14–15 “14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?” Paul uses it for a name of Satan
In this one plan she acts in the name of her husband whose authority she has rebelled against from the beginning of their marriage and in the name of Yahweh she has rebelled against her whole life
Naboth’s murder
Naboth’s murder
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. 12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. 13 And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died. 14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead.
Jezebel’s pacifier
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. 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.
God sends Elijah
God sends Elijah
17 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18 Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it. 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.
God judges Ahab and Jezebel
God judges Ahab and Jezebel
20 And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD. 21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, 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 parentheses (in case we think God’s mean)
The parentheses (in case we think God’s mean)
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.
Ahab’s repentance
Ahab’s repentance
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.
putting on sackcloth is the usual way people showed they were mourning a great loss, it can also show repentance.
God even shows mercy to Ahab in response to his humility
but: If you’ve read ahead you know any repentance Ahab shows here is because he was caught in and the judgement promised for the sin, rather than actual guilt and repentance for the sin itself
When God judges a thing, a person, or a nation; the timing is up to Him. He may show mercy for a season for reasons maybe only he knows, but no matter what that judgement’s coming!
Conclusion
Conclusion
Naturally we see this chapter calling us to act like Naboth and not Ahab
Matthew 6:33 “33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Luke 9:23 “23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”
We have to seek and strive and fight for the righteousness of God and no matter the penalty or loss of the world, look for God’s reward and not man’s
My thoughts and attention this week have been on another part though:
After the lesson last week, the point was made that as bad as Ahab was, Jezebel was worse”
Jezebel
1 Kings 18:3–4 “3 And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly: 4 For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)”
1 Kings 18:13 “13 Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the LORD, how I hid an hundred men of the LORD’S prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?”
1 Kings 19:2 “2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.”
In culture today, I have heard and read this week the west is acting in every way like its actively committing suicide;
Ephesians 5:22–30 “22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.”
