1Ki 21:15-16 | KingComments | STEP | Reactions like Naboth’s are poorly received. Ahab behaves like a deprived child. He is a weakling who, as a spoiled child, always wants to have his way. He lies on his bed and does not eat. When Jezebel comes to him, she wants her husband to explain why he is so sullen. Ahab tells her what happened. Jezebel knows a solution for that. She promises Ahab that she will give him the vineyard of Naboth. She has her own methods for this. Ahab can already, as far as she is concerned, rejoice in his ‘gift’. He can get up, eat and be cheerful, for she will make sure that he gets his way. Jezebel is the strong, ruthless character that disregards God and neighbor. She goes unscrupulously toward her goal. In Jezebel’s case, in her are present the full measure of murderousness to carry out her own will at all costs and especially at the expense of those who fear God. Jezebel doesn’t waste any time. A person like Naboth should be killed as soon as possible. She writes letters in the name of Ahab, seals them with the seal of Ahab and sends them “to the elders and to the nobles” of the city of Naboth. These high lords are as depraved as two worthless men who they let testify against Naboth by order of Jezebel. The nobles of the city do without a reply directly what is written to them. They let two men who do not care about God or commandment themselves give a terrible testimony in a sham trial against a righteous man. Every word they accuse Naboth of is a word they are guilty of themselves in all their depravity. After this indictment Naboth is killed without any form of trial. In what is done to Naboth here, he resembles the Lord Jesus. Just as one does with Naboth, one also does with the Lord Jesus. Also against Him two worthless people are sought as witnesses who can accuse Him ( ). When Naboth is killed, the elders and nobles send a message to Jezebel. Jezebel goes to Ahab with this message and tells him that he can take possession of the vineyard of Naboth, because “Naboth is not alive, but dead”. Soon it will become clear how much she is mistaken. She does not take into account God for Whom all those who have died in faith in Him, the living God, live.

‏ 1 Kings 21:15-16

Jezebel Lets Naboth to Be Stoned

Reactions like Naboth’s are poorly received. Ahab behaves like a deprived child. He is a weakling who, as a spoiled child, always wants to have his way. He lies on his bed and does not eat. When Jezebel comes to him, she wants her husband to explain why he is so sullen. Ahab tells her what happened. Jezebel knows a solution for that. She promises Ahab that she will give him the vineyard of Naboth. She has her own methods for this. Ahab can already, as far as she is concerned, rejoice in his ‘gift’. He can get up, eat and be cheerful, for she will make sure that he gets his way.

Jezebel is the strong, ruthless character that disregards God and neighbor. She goes unscrupulously toward her goal. In Jezebel’s case, in her are present the full measure of murderousness to carry out her own will at all costs and especially at the expense of those who fear God.

Jezebel doesn’t waste any time. A person like Naboth should be killed as soon as possible. She writes letters in the name of Ahab, seals them with the seal of Ahab and sends them “to the elders and to the nobles” of the city of Naboth. These high lords are as depraved as two worthless men who they let testify against Naboth by order of Jezebel. The nobles of the city do without a reply directly what is written to them.

They let two men who do not care about God or commandment themselves give a terrible testimony in a sham trial against a righteous man. Every word they accuse Naboth of is a word they are guilty of themselves in all their depravity. After this indictment Naboth is killed without any form of trial.

In what is done to Naboth here, he resembles the Lord Jesus. Just as one does with Naboth, one also does with the Lord Jesus. Also against Him two worthless people are sought as witnesses who can accuse Him (Mt 26:59-61).

When Naboth is killed, the elders and nobles send a message to Jezebel. Jezebel goes to Ahab with this message and tells him that he can take possession of the vineyard of Naboth, because “Naboth is not alive, but dead”. Soon it will become clear how much she is mistaken. She does not take into account God for Whom all those who have died in faith in Him, the living God, live.

Elijah Announces Ahab His Verdict

Jezebel may think that Naboth is dead, but Naboth’s God is not dead. Since 1 Kings 19 we have not seen Elijah anymore, but here he gets another assignment from God. Elijah is informed by God of what Ahab has done and must go and announce him the judgment.

What Elijah must say because the word of the LORD has literally been fulfilled. We see this in the history of Jehu (2Kgs 9:36-37). Jehu is on his way to kill the house of Ahab. Jehoram sees Jehu coming and goes to meets him and meets him “in the property of Naboth the Jezreelite” (2Kgs 9:21). This makes it clear that the people killed Naboth in his own property, apparently not in the vineyard. We also read there that the sons of Naboth were stoned with him (2Kgs 9:26), as a result of which also the heirs were exterminated and no more claim can be made on the land of Naboth.

At the place where Ahab thought he would finally enjoy undisturbed his unlawfully acquired possessions, Elijah meets him. Again that wretched Elijah. He can drink that man’s blood. He calls him “my enemy”. So much so is Ahab filled with hatred toward this representative of God. Yet he is powerless against the man of God.

Without the introductory “thus says the LORD” Elijah pronounces the judgment in the name of God. First Elijah confirms that he has found him. Thus every man will be found by God. No one can make himself untraceable before the omnipresent God. That Ahab sees Elijah like this is because he “sold” himself to do what is evil in the sight of the LORD. He has sold his soul to Satan. All the fame and honor he has as king, he has got from Satan. The price he has paid is that of his soul. He who has so surrendered himself to the power of Satan, sees someone who reminds him of God as an enemy.

Elijah lets Ahab know what the LORD will do with him and his descendants. He refers to what happened to the kings who ruled before him. Ahab knows the history of the people and therefore knows what this means for him. He knows what happened to those houses and it will happen to his house as well. How important it is that we learn from history, that we let it warn us and take the lessons to heart.