Vineyards and Vegetable Gardens

1 Kings 21

INTRODUCTION

We pick up our journey with Ahab, the king of Israel, in a deep depression. Verse 4 ends: “And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and would eat no food.” What’s going on in Israel to send the king to such a dark place?

Has there been a devastating Military defeat? No - the soldiers are still revelling in their recent victories over mighty Syria. Has the economy fallen apart - leaving his people devastated by poverty? No, the 3 1/2 year drought is in the rear view mirror and the rain is falling again. Is his wife dead? No, Jezebel is as healthy and crafty as ever. She’s going to prove it.

READ vv. 1-4

This is a passage about a vineyard. But it’s not ultimately about a vineyard - it’s about theology. This is a passage that paints a picture for us of God’s justice. Out God will see that his people get justice. In fact, in Luke 18:7, Jesus sums up the message of this chapter in his parable about the widow who appeals to the unjust judge over and over and over again. “God will bring justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night. Will he delay long over them?”

For all of you listening to me this morning who know what it is to suffer injustice under the hands of others .... they’ve made the choices - you have been hurt - you will carry the scars for a lifetime… and the ones who hurt you seem to get away without a single, solitary consequence. And you have just about given up on justice ever being done. This passage is for you.

Let me show you what I mean, as we unpack the story.

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1 AHAB’S FAILED NEGOTIATIONS, vv. 1-4

Israel’s capital city, in Ahab’s day, is Samaria, so of course, that’s where the royal palace is. But just as royal families throughout history, Ahab also has a second palace. This one is about 20 miles north of Samaria, in Jezreel. From this spot you can see much of the territory that makes up Israel - and the low elevation of Jezreel makes it a perfect spot for a winter palace, when the cold blows in and brings a chill to more highly elevated Samaria.

Archaeologists have actually discovered what is, likely, this very palace - surrounded by large walls, a gate with 6 chambers that you would have to pass through before you get all teh way in AND a large moat that surrounded the whole complex.

Well, Ahab is here, in THIS palace. Out for a walk, along the walls, one day, he looks down at the property next door - and notices it, as if for the first time. It’s a vineyard, covered in row after careful row of neatly tended vines. The land caught his eye. He started thinking about it - how nice it looked, how perfect the location was - right beside the palace … how impressive the palace would look with more property added to the complex. The more Ahab thought about it, the more he wanted it. It was a vineyard fit for a king. He is the king.

He started thinking about how he would develop the land if it belonged to him. “A vineyard is nice - but I would change it up. I would turn it into a vegetable garden … a ROYAL vegetable garden.” “I must have this land”.

Who knew that Ahab would be so captivated by a plot of cultivated land, next door? I would have thought that his favorite magazine would be .... turns out, his favorite is ‘Better Homes and Gardens’.

Ahab had his staff do some checking. They discovered that the vineyard was owned by a local by the name of Naboth. Ahab summons Naboth to the palace and makes him a proposal. Verse 2, “Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near my house and I will give you a better vineyard for it; or, it it seems good to you, I will give you its value in money.”

It may not have been a tremendously generous offer. But give Ahab some credit - he’s not just confiscating the man’s vineyard, like so many governments have done throughout history. The king is offering the landowner a fair price. Why, he’s even giving him a couple of options. So what will he choose? A trade or money in the bank?

Well, it turns out, Naboth chooses neither.

Verse 3, “The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.” Wait a minute - Naboth said no? But you don’t say ‘NO’ to the king. Why would you do that?

There is a reason - and the reason is given right in the words of rejection: ‘the inheritance of my fathers.’ It’s not so much that Naboth WON’T sell … it’s that he CAN’T sell. When God led his people to the land flowing with milk and honey - the glorious land of lavish blessing that he promised them … and when He gave it to them - He allocated the land to each of the tribes as their inheritance and made very clear to the people of Israel that, yes - this land is gift - for you. This really is your land. But He also made clear that the people aren’t the SUPREME owners of it. Ultimately, GOD owns the land. And - He didn’t give the people the option of selling their land forever.

Leviticus 25:23, ‘The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is MINE. You are strangers and sojourners with me.’

And the LORD gave precise, detailed laws in the OT - to keep land within a family - to make sure people never got to the place wheere they became so poor that they had to sell their property and never get it back. God’s laws were also meant to prevent a few of the super-rich, INCLUDING kings, from accumulating all the land and forcing everyone else to be subservient.

That’s so interesting to me, in our day. If you want to defend Marxism, or it’s less-offensive little brother ‘Socialism’ - you can’t do it from the Bible: God puts safeguards to protect private property in Israel. AND - he also put safeguars to protect what we would call, ‘the Middle Class’ to protect their property from being swallowed up by the super-wealthy, well-connected cronies of the rulers.

Naboth knows his responsibility, so he says, ‘Sorry, King. The land’s not for sale.’ By that response, he shows that he is putting God first in his decision making. He shouldn’t have had to say ‘no’ to Ahab, because Ahab should never have asked in teh first place.

There’s something else I don’t want you to miss. Does it strike you at all, that the king wants to take a vineyard and turn it into a vegetable garden? That’s important for a couple of reasons.

First of all - a vineyard is a place wheere grapes are grown … it’s a source of wine … a symbol of abundance, blessing, delight and feasting. A VEGETABLE garden - well, that’s where you grow your bare sustenance. When you are going to celebrate a special event - a graduation or a wedding … who says, ‘Hey, let’s celebrate … we’re going to have a toast … so, somebody bring out the onions and celery sticks?’ Okay, maybe some of you vegans might say that. But that’s not how most of us celebrate. When Jesus was at a wedding feast in his day, he wasn’t asked to perform a miracle - when the cooked vegetable tray on the buffet table was empty. No - they wanted more wine!

So when Ahab wants to take a vineyard and turn it into a vegetable garden … don’t you get a sense that the King is wanting to march backward … OUT of joy and blessing and abundance … and INTO the joyless, the mundane … vegetables?

But there’s more than that going on here. There is one and only one other place in the OT where the phrase ‘vegetable garden’ takes place … that’s in Deuteronomy 11:10 where God is offering a contrast between Egypt - the place of slavery - where you have to do all the work .... and the promised land, which the LORD cares for.

“For the land you are entering to take possesion of is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and irrigated it, like a garden of vegetables.” Ahab wants to replace a vineyard of joy - that GOD takes care of and provides for .... and make it like Egypt - the place of toil and sweat, slavery and suffering.

Naboth says, “NO. Can’t do it, king.” He treasures God’s gift that has been passed down through the generations. He values it more than making some quick cash - and more than placating a king.

And Ahab - well, he’s proving again that you become like what you worship - when you abandon the God who cares for His people … not only do you abandon righteousness, but you also start down a road of sweating and toiling and striving to secure what you want - and it’s so, mundane. So joyLESS.

Naboth says ‘no’. Remember when God encouraged downcast Elijah - told him, “You aren’t the only one standing firm in faith - I’ve reserved for myself 7 thousand who have not bowed the knee?” It turns out that God wasn’t just talking about 7000 prophets or religious professionals … he was also talking about plain old farmers!

Well, Ahab gets Naboth’s rejection .... and verse 4 describes his reaction: “Ahab went into his house VEXED and SULLEN because of what Naboth … had said to him .... And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and would eat no foood.”

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2 JEZEBEL’S DIABOLICAL SCHEME, vv. 5-16

The story isn’t over yet. READ vv. 5-7

Jezebel sits down at the royal table for dinner. Across from her is the chair where her husband the king sits. But this day, that seat is empty. The queen waits and waits and waits - Ahab doesn’t arrive.

What’s wrong with Ahab? She goes to his room, opens the door - and there he is, lying on his bed, face turned away from the doorway, towards the wall … moping.

“It’s dinner time,” she says. “I’m not hungry.” “I’m never eating again!” Ahab speaks with all the maturity of a 12 year old girl who’s just been told that she can’t go to her friend’s slumber party, because didn’t finish the homework she promised to do. “My entire life is a disaster and I’m never eating again.”

Then the king tells his queen about his failed negotiations with Naboth and how he didn’t get his garden. Verse 6, “Naboth ansered: ‘I will NOT give you my vineyard.’” Well, that’s not the whole truth is it?

Jezebel’s response in v. 7 is a little difficult to translate. NJB gets the sense: “Some king of Israel you make! Get up, eat and take heart - I’ll get you your garden.”

“Ahab - are you a king, or a WIMP?!” “The guy said ‘no’?!! So what?!! Who cares what Naboth said - you’re the king. Kings don’t negotiate … they dictate. I’ll handle this.”

And in v. 8, Jezebel gets to work on her plan. She takes her pen, pulls out AHAB’S personal stationary with the letterhead emblazoned across the top of the page: “From the desk of the King Himself”. Then she proceeds to write letters. She seals the letters with the king’s own seal … and sends them to Jezreel City Hall.

This is forgery. She’s passing herself off as the king. But when you are Queen Jezebel - you MAKE the rules.

In the letter, Jezebel tells the city leaders to proclaim a community fast - ironically, a time for repenting of sin, on the part of the city. Jezebel has no sorrow over sin - she’s energized by MULTIPLYING sin. Which is exactly what she’s doing here.

The plan is for Naboth to be seated in the position of honour at the head of the crowd. While the proceedings are going on - her directions are to have two lowlifes come in and accuse the vineyard owner of cursing God AND the king.

Why 2 lowlifes, instead of 1? Because in Israel’s God-given law - 1 person isn’t enough to convict someone of a crime. You need two eyewitnesses.

Why curse God and the king? Because blasphemy is a capital offence - punishable by death. “Convict Naboth … take him outside and execute him.”

The letters are sent. Now we wait. What will the city leaders do? They know Naboth. They know his character. Is this the time when, once and for all, they stand up against government overreach and corruption? Is the time when they warn an innnocent man about the plot against him and blow the doors wide open with an expose on Vineyard-gate?!

Well, we can hope. But … not. The city leaders do EXACTLY what Jezebel asks. READ v. 11 - Absolute obedience.

The city is gathered to fast. Naboth is ushered to the stage as a VIP guest. But, just as someone is addressing the gathered crowd, two lowlife’s, regularly seen stumbling out of the bar at closing time … one on oneside of Naboth and one on the other - they stand up, they step forward to the podium, clear their throats and then speak into the microphone: “Naboth has cursed God AND the king. We heard it with our own ears.”

Well, you can hear a pin drop - the crowd falls to absolute silence for a split second. Then it erupts. The shouts begin. “It’s HIS fault. Our city is suffering because of THIS man’s evil.”

Suddenly hands reach out, grab hold of the up ‘til now oblivious Naboth - they seize him, drag him outside of the city gates and a crowd follows - grabbing stones along the way.

When they get Naboth outside the city, the stones start flying - pelting randomly all over his increasingly battered body - several of them making contact with his head … until this righteous Naboth lies battered and broken on the ground. He’s dead. Dale Davis, “That motionless form, pulverized mass of flesh and bone is mute testimony to what happens to those who won’t play ball with the government.”

Verse 13, “… So they took him outside the ccity and stoned him to death with stones. (14) Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, ‘Naboth has been stoned; he is dead.’” In fact 2 Kings 9:26 tells us that Naboth’s sons are also liquidated - to make sure there won’t be any inheritance issues to muck up the plans.

When Jezebel gets the report, you wonder - “Will there be ANY remorse? Any sober-self-examination at the depths she has stooped in order to get her husband what he wants?” .... The short answer: ‘No’.

READ vv. 15-16.

Oh, the cold-heartlessness … An innocent man has been murdered and Jezebel’s response is, “Hey Ahab … get up and go take a look at your garden. Naboth’s not going to need it anymore.”

And Ahab - he didn’t take part in the plot - he didn’t make the plan or kill the man himself … but he says not a word … not a hint of guilt or sadness. Like a baby who’s been crying because his soother was taken away … as soon as it’s shoved back into his mouth … the crying stops. HE gets up from the floor where he’s been having his tantrum … and he carries on. The world is right again - in his own eyes.

See Ahab - putting on his rubber boots and heading out to his new property.

A couple of points to think about before we go on with the story: FIRST - I don’t want you to miss the danger of COVETING. The 10th of the 10 commandments warns: “Do not covet”. And so many people think: It’s the tenth commandment because it’s the least important. Idolatry, murder - now those are the ones we need to worry about. But let me tell you - sins don’t travel solo … just like wolves, they move in packs. This sordid story starts with Ahab coveting. Actually, it DOESN’T start with coveting - it starts with breaking the FIRST commandment by worshiping other gods. After all the ways Ahab has seen God prove that He is the one who satisfies - He is the one who lives with power over the elements. He is the one who sends the rain to reward obedience - He’s the One who gives victory over enemies - after all that, Ahab says, “It’s not enough. I want a garden! I want STUFF.”

Ahab’s problem begins because he worships the false god of stuff, rather than the living God. THAT is what kickstarts his coveting. Because when you live for the stuff you can get for yourself - you never have enough. But the sin doesn’t stop with coveting … it moves to bearing false witness, to theft and ultimately to murder. In fact, isn’t murder the logical conclusion of coveting? If I can’t get what I want by any other tricks - I can kill to get it. False worship - coveting - theft - false witness and murder … oh the danger of playing around with so-called, ‘little sins’.

A SECOND point about the story so far, that I want you to see is this: Don’t miss the danger of an ungodly marriage. Ahab made bad decision after bad decision in his life. But if you trace them all back, over the course of the years - maybe the WORST choice he ever made was to make Jezebel his queen. Kids, when you get a husband or get a wife - you are NOT acquiring a new possession - like a new car: “Hey look at my car! It’s a beautiful car! I love my car! I’ll drive my car, wash my car and then I’ll put it away and do something else.” Your car is a possession that you add to your list of treasures.

Too many people think that way about romantic love: “Look at my wife! She’s a beautiful wife! I love my wife! I’ll take her out on dates … she looks so good on my arm .... maybe she’ll even be able to cook for me .... And then, I’ll put her away and go for a drive in my car!”

A spouse is so much more than that. Your spouse will change you. The husband or wife you choose will either lead you closer to God … or will lead you further away from Him - and nearer to destruction.

From the very day they got married, Jezebel has been pushing Ahab in the wrong direction. Look at this very chapter: what would a godly queen have done when she saw her husband acting like a spoiled child - consumed with getting something he couldn’t have? Well, she would have

Let me say this to you who are single: Don’t marry, don’t even get serious with an unbeliever, so you don’t end up like Ahab. Not just with a potential spouse, but even in friendship - look for friends who are centered on Christ, who have the presence and fruit of the Holy Spirit evident in their lives. It’s not enough to just get up on Sundays and come to church. That’s important! But it isn’t enough … you need frinds who will nourish your spirit and heart during the rest of the week. Friends who will help get you back on track when you’re heading down a dangerous path.

Choose your relationships carefully!

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3 GOD’S JUSTICE PRONOUNCED ON HUMAN KING AHAB, vv. 17-24

As verse 16 comes to a close, it seems as though the perfect crime has been committed: the king has his garden and the only man standing in his way (with his family) has been eliminated. He can’t fight for his land from the grave!

See Ahab, rubber boots on his feet, touring his new garden. “This is where I’ll plant the carrots, here’s where the tomatoes will go, and maybe a nice tall sunflower plant - right about there ...”. Life goes on … Life without Naboth.

Ah, but God is still on the throne. READ vv. 17-24.

God is still on the throne of the universe and God SEES everything. And … God cares about injustice. Notice verse 18 - The LORD still calls this the vineyard of NABOTH!

Ahab, inspecting the property, comes to the end of a row of vines, rounds the corner … and finds himself face to face with … the wild looking face of the prophet Elijah. “Not you again!”

Verse 20: “Have you found me, O my enemy?”

Elijah doesn’t miss a beat. Verse 26 goes on: “I have found you because you have SOLD yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the lORD.”

Now wait a minute. Technically, Ahab didn’t frame Naboth. He didn’t write the letters, didn’t throw the stones, didn’t actually DO anything. You could that other people did evil … and the blessings just fell in his lap. If he had a good lawyer - he could beat the charges in any human court of law.

But God is not fooled. He sees the deepest, most secret places in a human heart and He judges the secret motivations, not just outward actions. And so, God declares to the human king, through the prophet’s lips: “Have YOU killed him and .... taken possession.” “Ahab, you have Naboth’s blood on your hands.”

And because of that, the justice is coming down … hard. READ vv. 21-24

“I am taking your kingdom away. And just as you cut off Naboth, I will cut off your family line. In fact - Queen Jezebel will end her life in utter disgrace. In Jezreel, the city she thinks she runs with absolute authority … in this very city, she will lose her life and end her days as a dinner for the dogs.”

Oh God’s judgment on the royal couple is harsh. Ahab finally has the lightbulb moment when he realizes God means business - and he humbles himself in sorrow. READ vv. 25-27.

Even here, God is responsive - He puts off the judgment on the king, himself, to the next generation. But the judgment is coming. And it is sure.

It’s a sobering end to the chapter.

1 Kings: The Wisdom and the Folly God Will Intervene to Bring Justice to His Wronged People (vv. 17–26)

Chris Wright passed on in an editorial in Themelios. He had been speaking at a conference in India. After one session a fellow (now a doctor of science and university lecturer in chemistry) came up to tell him how thrilled he had been to hear Wright would be preaching from the Old Testament at the conference, because, he said, he had become a Christian through reading the Old Testament. Let Dr. Wright tell the rest:

He grew up in one of the many backward and oppressed groups in India, part of a community that is systematically exploited and treated with contempt, injustice and sometimes violence. The effect on his youth was to fill him with a burning desire to rise above that station in order to be able to turn the tables on those who oppressed him and his community. He threw himself into his education, and went to college committed to revolutionary ideals and Marxism. His goal was to achieve the qualifications needed to gain some kind of power and thus the means to do something in the name of justice and revenge. He was contacted in his early days at college by some Christian students and given a Bible, which he decided to read out of casual interest, though he had no respect at first for Christians at all.

It happened that the first thing he read in the Bible was the story of Naboth, Ahab and Jezebel in 1 Kings 21. He was astonished to find that it was all about greed for land, abuse of power, corruption of the courts, and violence against the poor—things that he himself was all too familiar with. But even more amazing was the fact that God took Naboth’s side and not only accused Ahab and Jezebel of their wrongdoing but also took vengeance upon them. Here was a God of real justice. A God who identified the real villains and who took real action against them. ‘I never knew such a God existed!’ he exclaimed. He read on through the rest of OT history and found his first impression confirmed. This God constantly took the side of the oppressed and took direct action against their enemies. Here was a God he could respect, a God he felt attracted to, even though he didn’t know him yet, because such a God would understand his own thirst for justice.

‘I never knew such a God existed!’ That was his virgin reaction to the Naboth story; he got the point immediately. He wasn’t converted yet, but the Holy Spirit’s first nudge came via 1 Kings 21. Would that the long-converted could see with the same clarity and thrill that Naboth’s God is the true consolation for a fragile church in a brutal world.