Jezebel's Failed Plot
Notes
Transcript
Elijah comes on the seen during the reign of Ahab king of Israel in the 9th century BC.
Ahab was a wicked king who married Jezebel of the Sindonians and does more to insight the anger of God than all the kings before him.
Elijah suddenly appears with a message for Ahab and the people of Israel.
Because they have rejected God for Baal and Ashteroth, God is going to send a drought no rain or dew.
During this time Elijah is sent away by God to be cared for
The brook Cherith where God fed the prophet
Then to Sidon to live with a widow during which time the oil never ran out, and the bowl of flour never went empty
After three years Elijah is sent back he meets face to face with Ahab and tells Ahab he is the troubler of Israel.
A challenge is given by Elijah to show who is the God of Israel - Baal or God.
After this the prophets of Baal are slaughtered and Elijah runs to Jezreel.
For the killing of the prophets Jezebel vows revenge which terrifies Elijah and he runs away.
God has an Angel care for him and give Elijah a message to go to Horeb the mountain God.
Elijah meets God there and learns that he is not alone in Israel.
We pick up the days of Elijah about six years after his return to Israel from Horeb.
Chair Bible page 246
17 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
18 “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.
19 And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Have you murdered and also taken possession?” ’ And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘The Lord says this: “In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, the dogs will lick up your blood, yours as well.” ’ ”
Are you ready for the message God has for us today?
Great lets dig in!
What brought this judgement against Ahab?
There was this vineyard...
There was this vineyard...
So chapter 21 opens with some information about the location of Ahab’s palace.
It was near a vineyard owned by a man named Naboth.
This was an ancestral vineyard that has belonged to Naboth’s family for several generations
Ahab desired Naboth to give him the vineyard, in fact if he did Ahab would give him an even better one
Naboth refused! The Lord forbid he says!
Ahab goes home “Sullen” this word means stubborn, resentful, sad, angry, characterized by dark and obstinate countenance.
Basically he was not happy!
4 So Ahab entered his house sullen and furious because of the answer that Naboth the Jezreelite had given to him, since he said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed and turned his face away, and ate no food.
Jezebel comes in and noticed her husband's demeanor
And he tells her the tale
6 So he said to her, “It is because I was speaking to Naboth the Jezreelite and saying to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if it pleases you, I will give you a vineyard in place of it.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’ ”
She says to Ahab, DO you reign over Israel?!
Jezebel encourages him to eat because she has a vicious idea to give the vineyard to Ahab!
The plot against Naboth
The plot against Naboth
The plot is so vicious and evil, Jezebel even uses Ahab’s signet ring to sign the letters
Call for a fast and have two scoundrels lie about Naboth and then have him stoned
Listen to this 1 Kings 21:9-10
9 Now she had written in the letters, saying, “Proclaim a fast and seat Naboth at the head of the people;
10 and seat two worthless men opposite him, and have them testify against him, saying, ‘You cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”
So the men of the city agree to this plot and enact her plan
The fast is proclaimed and two worthless men are seated next to Naboth and lie about his cursing God and Ahab!
Then after they stone Naboth they send word to Jezebel that Naboth is dead.
Upon receiving the news 1 Kings 21:15-16
15 And 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.”
16 When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab got up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.
Foiled in his desire to acquire the ancestral vineyard of Naboth by the refusal of that peasant to give away his ancestral inheritance, Ahab and Jezebel proceed to possess themselves of it by force, and by a degree of monstrous injustice which shows clearly enough how far the elders of Jezreel had forgotten the laws of the God, how perfect was their submission to the will of their mistress Jezebel.
The plot may have been hatched in private, but someone saw everything that transpired.
God’s message against Ahab and Jezebel
God’s message against Ahab and Jezebel
While they hatched a monstrous plot against Naboth God had seen the whole thing.
The text we read at the beginning of our lesson was from a conversation that Elijah and Ahab have.
Notice the first thing Ahab says to Elijah 1 Kings 21:20
20 Then Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, enemy of mine?” And he answered, “I have found you, because you have given yourself over to do evil in the sight of the Lord.
This is the prophet who defeated 850 prophets who supported Ahab and Jezebel. This is the prophet who spoke and it did not rain, who prayed and it began to rain.
Every time Ahab sees this prophet it only means trouble for Him.
And so he considers Elijah his enemy, likely with a message Ahab won’t like
Elijah then speaks God’s message to Ahab 1 Kings 21:21-22
21 Behold, I am bringing disaster upon you, and I will utterly sweep you away, and will eliminate from Ahab every male, both bond and free in Israel;
22 and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with which you have provoked Me to anger, and because you have misled Israel into sin.
Wow that is well just really, simply this is justice for all the evil that Ahab has done, more than any king before him.
Hang on though Elijah isn’t done yet 1 Kings 21:23-24
23 The Lord has also spoken of Jezebel, saying, ‘The dogs will eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel.’
24 The one belonging to Ahab, who dies in the city, the dogs will eat; and the one who dies in the field, the birds of the sky will eat.”
Gross I know but God is bringing His justice, His judgement against a ruling couple who have brought the anger of the Lord against his people.
Through the writer of this account God gives his commentary of the reign of Ahab and Jezebel
25 There certainly was no one like Ahab who gave himself over to do evil in the sight of the Lord, because Jezebel his wife incited him.
26 He also acted very despicably in following idols, conforming to everything that the Amorites had done, whom the Lord drove out from the sons of Israel.
What I love is now we see this from God’s perspective.
They are guilty, this is God’s verdict against them
Something amazing happened...
Something amazing happened...
27 Yet it came about, when Ahab heard these words, that he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and fasted, and he lay in sackcloth and went about despondently.
28 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
29 “Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; I will bring the disaster upon his house in his son’s days.”
Ahab at the words of the prophet humbled himself!
At the last moment God recognizes his humility and will not bring judgement against Ahab.
At least in his days, however there is no escape for the punishment it will happen in the days of his son Ahaziah
There is always hope with a loving God!
God is not blind to the heart of people
He saw into the heart of Ahab and his humility was genuine
That is the lesson for us, there is always hope!
Ahab was a last minute turn of heart, but still a turn of heart.
I am reminded of a parable of Jesus Matthew 20:8-16
8 “Now when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, starting with the last group to the first.’
9 When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius.
10 And so when those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius.
11 When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner,
12 saying, ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day’s work and the scorching heat.’
13 But he answered and said to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius?
14 Take what is yours and go; but I want to give to this last person the same as to you.
15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I want with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’
16 So the last shall be first, and the first, last.”
As long as we live there is always hope for a heart to turn to God! Even to the last moment of life.
I see Ahab as a last minute turn of heart!
He knew what was coming and at that moment everything came together for him!
This is why ultimately Jezebel’s plot failed. It brought God’s wrath on her and her family, and caused Ahab to turn his heart back to God!
With God there is always hope!
Conclusion
Where are you with God today?
The fact that you are here today is a demonstration that you still have a chance a moment to turn your heart to God!
Here is a chance to come to the altar and change the direction of your life!
Lay your life on the altar in submission to God and ask for his forgiveness!
Friends with God there is always hope!