21:1 After this the following episode took place. Naboth the Jezreelite owned a vineyard in Jezreel adjacent to the palace of King Ahab of Samaria.
King Ahab built himself a second palace in Jezreel. Jezreel was one of the most beautiful and fertile places in the world. Naboth was King Ahab's next door neighbor.
21:2 Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard so I can make a vegetable garden out of it, for it is adjacent to my palace. I will give you an even better vineyard in its place, or if you prefer, I will pay you silver for it.”
King Ahab wanted to purchase Naboth’s vineyard. Many times the man on top who has everything takes advantage of the little man who has a very few things.
21:3 But Naboth replied to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should sell you my ancestral inheritance.”
According to the Mosaic Law, the land belonged to Naboth and his descendants. Naboth would be breaking the Mosaic Law if he sold it permanently to King Ahab. It takes a lot of courage to deny a king. Evidently, Naboth feared God more than he did Ahab.
21:4 So Ahab went into his palace, bitter and angry that Naboth the Jezreelite had said, “I will not sell to you my ancestral inheritance.” He lay down on his bed, pouted, and would not eat.
The King of Israel pouted like a baby, because he could not get what he wanted. Many times the man on top who has everything has taken advantage of the little man.
21:5 Then his wife Jezebel came in and said to him, “Why do you have a bitter attitude and refuse to eat?”
Jezebel noticed that her husband was pouting.
21:6 He answered her, “While I was talking to Naboth the Jezreelite, I said to him, ‘Sell me your vineyard for silver, or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not sell you my vineyard.’ ”
King Ahab told his wife that one of his subjects had stood up to him and refused to sell him a vineyard.
21:7 His wife Jezebel said to him, “You are the king of Israel! Get up, eat some food, and have a good time. I will get the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite for you.”
Queen Jezebel was about to demonstrate the attitude, ruthlessness, and pomposity of absolute monarchs.
21:8 She wrote out orders, signed Ahab’s name to them, and sealed them with his seal. She then sent the orders to the leaders and to the nobles who lived in Naboth’s city.
Queen Jezebel wrote out the orders and signed them with the king’s seal. The kings seal was a ring which was impressed into wax to close the seal. An ancient seal has been discovered in Israel containing the actual name of Queen Jezebel.
21:9 This is what she wrote: “Observe a time of fasting and seat Naboth in front of the people.
Whenever a nation was guilty of sin, then a fast was called so that the sin could be confessed in order to escape God’s judgment. The guilty people would be removed from the commonwealth of Israel.
21:10 Also seat two villains opposite him and have them testify, ‘You cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”
Two false witness were to sit across from Naboth and accuse him of blasphemy. Blasphemy against God was a capital offense. There must be two witnesses present to witness to the crime.
Notice that Jezebel knew the Mosaic Law, just as Satan knows the Bible. However, Jezebel did not follow the Law. She used it to her political advantage.
21:11 The men of the city, the leaders and the nobles who lived there, followed the written orders Jezebel had sent them.
The elders of the city feared Jezebel more than God.
21:12 They observed a time of fasting and put Naboth in front of the people.
The elders of this city were ready to sacrifice an innocent man in order to appease the Queen.
21:13 The two villains arrived and sat opposite him. Then the villains testified against Naboth right before the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” So they dragged him outside the city and stoned him to death.
False testimony was also a capital offense. The entire city was guilty of false testimony and should have been stoned.
21:14 Then they reported to Jezebel, “Naboth has been stoned to death.”
The elders reported the success of the conspiracy to Jezebel.
21:15 When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up, take possession of the vineyard Naboth the Jezreelite refused to sell you for silver, for Naboth is no longer alive; he’s dead.”
Jezebel was an example of a typical absolute monarch. Absolute monarchs will steal, kill, and destroy in order to keep their power or quench their thirsts.
21:16 When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
King Ahab took over the vineyard. Queen Jezebel taught King Ahab how typical secular kings and queens think and act. This type of absolute leadership has been standard operating procedure for all monarchs throughout history. When Israel asked for a king, the prophet Samuel warned the people that kings would take away their property. King Ahab was one of the many kings who fulfilled this prophecy.
21:17 The Lord told Elijah the Tishbite: 18 “Get up, go down and meet King Ahab of Israel who lives in Samaria. He is at the vineyard of Naboth; he has gone down there to take possession of it.
Jehovah sent Elijah the prophet to the vineyard of Naboth to discuss this situation with King Ahab.
21:19 Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Haven’t you committed murder and taken possession of the property of the deceased?” ’ Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: “In the spot where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood they will also lick up your blood—yes, yours!” ’ ”
Elijah gave King Ahab the exact words of Jehovah. Elijah predicted that King Ahab would die. Instead of receiving a state funeral in his honor, dogs would lick up his blood.
The Hebrew word for “in the spot” is בִּמְק֗וֹם (ba-makom), meaning place, region, or area. King Ahab will letter be killed in a field in the region of Samaria.
21:20 When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him, “So, you have found me, my enemy!” Elijah replied, “I have found you, because you are committed to doing evil in the sight of the Lord.
King Ahab no longer called Elijah a “trouble-maker.” Now, Elijah was the enemy of King Ahab. Elijah could have been a great friend and resource to Ahab, but Ahab chose to dishonor Jehovah. Today, many who seek to honor Christ and teach His word are accused of divisive religious extremism.
21:21 The Lord says, ‘Look, I am ready to bring disaster on you. I will destroy you and cut off every last male belonging to Ahab in Israel, including even the weak and incapacitated.
Jehovah promised that He would kill every male belonging to Ahab, meaning that this dynasty would end.
21:22 I will make your dynasty like those of Jeroboam son of Nebat and Baasha son of Ahijah because you angered me and made Israel sin.’
Jeroboam and Baasha were evil Israelite kings, so Jehovah ended their dynasty.
21:23 The Lord says this about Jezebel, ‘Dogs will devour Jezebel by the outer wall of Jezreel.’
Queen Jezebel will not receive a royal funeral. She will fall from an outer wall and be eaten by dogs.
21:24 As for Ahab’s family, dogs will eat the ones who die in the city, and the birds of the sky will eat the ones who die in the country.”
Ahab’s family would die violent deaths and be eaten by scavengers.
25 (There had never been anyone like Ahab, who was firmly committed to doing evil in the sight of the Lord, urged on by his wife Jezebel.
The Holy Spirit listed King Ahab as one of the most evil kings in history.
21:26 He was so wicked he worshiped the disgusting idols, just like the Amorites whom the Lord had driven out from before the Israelites.)
King Ahab witnessed the vulgar sexual idols of the Amorites. Many of these idols were based upon sodomy.
21:27 When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. He slept in sackcloth and walked around dejected.
King Ahab seriously repented of his sins. He even slept in sackcloths. Jezebel never repented.
God said, “Do not be deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Gal. 6:7).
Sowing and reaping is an eternal law that cannot be changed. Satan and his angels rebelled against God and they were condemned to the Lake of Fire forever. Pharaoh killed all of the little Hebrew boys, and then Pharaoh lost his own son. David committed murder and adultery, and then he lost four of his sons. The Apostle Paul was a leader in the stoning of Stephen, but then later he was stoned himself. Man sows what he reaps.
21:28 The Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, 29 “Have you noticed how Ahab shows remorse before me? Because he shows remorse before me, I will not bring disaster on his dynasty during his lifetime, but during the reign of his son.”
Jehovah postponed this judgment upon King Ahab. However, his son Joram would experience these judgments.