SERIES: Enlightening Epitaphs of the Kings and Prophets
Ahab and Jezebel: “There Was Never a Man Like Ahab, Who Sold Himself to Do Evil in the Eyes of the LORD, Urged on by Jezebel His Wife.”
Introduction: The epitaph I have chosen today is much too long to fit on most tombstones, but the whole things is necessary to tell the story of Ahab. Today is Father’s Day, and while Ahab (and his wife Jezebel) are not an ideal topic for such a noble day, there is a main character in our Scripture text today who is a very fine example of a father and a godly man, so I decided to go ahead with the planned preaching schedule. That man is Naboth the Jezreelite, and I want you to listen to his story from 1 Kings 21:1-17:
Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. Ahab said to Naboth, “Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth.”
But Naboth replied, “The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.”
So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat.
His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, “Why are you so sullen? Why won’t you eat?”
He answered her, “Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, ‘Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.'”
Jezebel his wife said, “Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city with him. In those letters she wrote:
“Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death.”
So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city did as Jezebel directed in the letters she had written to them. They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth in a prominent place among the people. Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death. Then they sent word to Jezebel: “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.”
As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead.” When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth’s vineyard.
God has said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” But He doesn’t say when. Those of us who believe in the wrath of God–and I regret to say that it appears we may be a slowly vanishing tribe–still have frequent struggles with the timing of God’s justice. We sometimes get impatient with Heaven’s Department of Justice, because wrongs often go unremedied for a long time. But let’s be sure we understand that cuts both ways–while we are troubled that God doesn’t judge the wicked in a timely manner, we should be grateful that He doesn’t judge us that way.
In fact, I would say we all have plenty of reason to be thankful that God is, as the Scriptures often say, “slow to anger.” Slow, but not tardy. In fact, what appears to us as slowness is actually patience. That’s what 2 Peter 3:9 tells us: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” Yet the very next verse says, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.” God will avenge the blood of the righteous, and He will judge the wicked severely.
There is no event in Scripture which speaks more profoundly of the inevitable course of God’s judgment than the story of Naboth that we have just read. The historical context is late in the reign of Ahab, King of Israel–about 850 years before Christ. Ahab is married to Jezebel, a ruthless idol-worshiper who is clearly the power behind the throne. The prophet who is prominent in this story is once again Elijah the Tishbite–the same prophet who earlier defeated the 850 prophets of Baal and Asherah, but who then experienced a devastating slide into fear and depression. Today’s story is a key part of the comeback trail for Elijah.
The first scene in our story has to do with a real estate venture:
Ahab fails in his attempt to acquire Naboth’s vineyard. (1-4)
Ahab had a summer palace in the town of Jezreel. Samaria was the capital of Israel, but Ahab preferred Jezreel because it was near the Mediterranean and had a nicer climate. On a certain day Ahab was admiring the lush and beautiful grounds of his palace in Jezreel when his eyes lighted upon a neighboring vineyard which belonged to Naboth. And Ahab coveted this vineyard for a vegetable garden.
Ahab’s covetousness. It’s difficult to read about Ahab’s covetousness without one’s mind going back several centuries to the time when another king of Israel was walking on the roof of his palace in Jerusalem and his eyes lighted upon something that belonged to his neighbor, Uriah the Hittite, namely Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba. He coveted, he stole, he murdered, and then he lied. And the Word of the Lord came to him through the prophet Nathan, saying, “I anointed you king over Israel and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more.” (2 Samuel 12: 7-8). David had so much, yet covetousness drove him to seize that which was not his.
Ahab undoubtedly owned countless acres of tillable soil, but covetousness drove him to seek one little piece of land more. It reminds us of the famous tycoon who was asked, “How much is enough?” His answer: “Just a little more.” We can say this much for Ahab, however. He had no intention of stealing Naboth’s vineyard. He offered to pay a fair price or, if Naboth preferred, give him a better vineyard in its place. Looking at it from Naboth’s viewpoint, there was much to commend this deal. He could demand a premium price and probably get it. Or he could receive an even better vineyard. In addition, it was an opportunity to curry royal favor for himself and his family. Who wouldn’t take a deal like this? From a purely human standpoint, there was everything to gain and almost nothing to lose.1
But Naboth refused. And he refused, not because of any ill will toward the king, nor to hold out for a better price, but rather because of his faithfulness to the Lord God and to his family.
Naboth’s faithfulness. You see, according to the Law of Moses, Palestine was God’s land, and the Jewish people were His tenants. When the Israelites first conquered the Promised Land, God divided the land among the 12 tribes, and then further subdivided it by clans and families so that every family in Israel had a plot of ground they could call their own. This was unique in the ancient Near East. In most countries the kings and nobles owned the land and the common people worked it. But in Israel almost everyone owned a piece of lthe and. Among the regulations in the Law of Moses that were designed to prevent property from being concentrated in the hands of a few rich and powerful people was one found in Lev. 25:23: “The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants.” The land could be leased for a period, but it was not to be sold permanently. If a family became destitute and found it necessary to sell their land, its ownership automatically reverted to them in the year of Jubilee, every 50th year.
But Naboth was not destitute, nor did he have any reason to believe that wicked King Ahab would honor the Jubilee regulation, and so because of his faith in God, because of his desire to be obedient to God’s commands, and in part, too, because of the precious memories of his family that were tied to that land, he turned down Ahab’s offer. In this I see a noble example of a husband and father who put the godly before the expedient, the eternal ahead of the temporal.
Unfortunately, when one chooses to do the right thing, the results are not always ideal from the human standpoint. Sometimes tragedy happens, but a godly person chooses right anyway and trusts that a sovereign God will also do what is right.
What did Ahab do about Naboth’s refusal? He pouted. Nor was this the first time he pouted, for Ahab was a man controlled by his passions and emotions. I must share with you the incredible descriptiveness of one preacher’s analysis of this scene. These are the words of Dr. R. G. Lee, the late pastor of Belleview Baptist Church in Memphis, TN and one of the great pulpiteers of the 20thcentury. He preached a sermon on this text entitled, “Payday Someday, and he preached it nearly 1000 times. I would have to say it is probably the single most powerful sermon I ever heard. Here is how he describes Ahab:
There he is, the king, whining like a whipped hound, pouting like a spoiled child that has been denied one trinket in the midst of a thousand toys. There’s the commander in chief of an army, made captive by Corporal Mopishness, made prisoner by Private Pout. Look at this old whale wallow and spout because he’s denied minnow food. Listen to this old bear growl because he’s denied a few drops of honey. Listen to this old eagle shriek because he’s denied the crumbs from one loaf of bread. Listen to this old lion roar because he’s denied the cheese in a mousetrap. Listen to this old bull bellow for a bit of grass outside his own vast pastureland.
Yes, and get the duplicate of that portrait in thousands of people in our world today who have diamond and ruby ability who are worth no more to Christ or to his church than a punctured Japanese nickel in a Chinese bazaar; people with pipe-organ abilities making no more music for Christ than a wheezy saxophone in an idiot pan; people with locomotive power doing pushcart work, with steam-shovel abilities doing teaspoon work, with incandescent light power making flickering candlelight for the cause of Christ.
There aren’t many today who can preach like R. G. Lee.
Well, Ahab has failed in his real estate venture, but all hope is not lost so long as his wife Jezebel is by his side. In the second scene we see that …
Jezebel succeeds where Ahab failed. (5-16)
When Jezebel first appears here in chapter 21, it is with solicitous concern for her husband Ahab. But that concern soon turns to sarcastic ridicule.
Her solicitous concern, then sarcastic ridicule of her husband. Jezebel very kindly inquires of her husband as to why he is feeling down and not eating. But when she learns that it is because Naboth has refused to sell his vineyard, she lashes out at him, “Are you king or aren’t you? Do you have absolute authority or don’t you? Are you going to allow that worthless peasant to thwart your desire? Arise, eat and let your heart be joyful. I will get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
And this is no idle promise coming from the lips of Jezebel. Getting Naboth’s vineyard would be a piece of cake for one as evil and unprincipled as she, for one who has no regard for the God of Israel or for righteousness, for one whose greatest concern in life is the satisfaction of her own lusts. And so we come to Jezebel’s sinister plot against Naboth.
Her sinister plot against Naboth. She writes letters on Ahab’s stationery and uses his signet ring to seal them. In those letters she orders the local authorities in Jezreel to proclaim a fast, to set Naboth in the prisoner’s dock, and to hire two worthless men to commit perjury, accusing him of high treason against the king and blasphemy against God. Sadly the elders of Jezreel do exactly as Jezebel tells them to. They are so tyrannized by Jezebel and so afraid for their own lives that they lack the intestinal fortitude to stand up for the rights of this innocent family.
One cannot help but empathize with the tortured hearts of Naboth and his family as they face this sudden turn of events. Surely Naboth protests his innocence to this kangaroo court. Surely his wife and sons beg for mercy from the elders of the city. Surely his wife screams out in anguish as her husband is stoned to death before her eyes and her sons are taken from her grasp and murdered along with their father so as to make sure they are not able to sue for return of the land at some time in the future (2 Kings 9:26).
And what is Ahab doing while this heinous deed is being perpetrated and Naboth’s blood is seeping into the soil? As soon as Jezebel receives word of Naboth’s death she goes to Ahab and says, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth, which he refused to give you for money. I have obtained it for nothing. Naboth is not alive, but dead.” And Ahab doesn’t question the suspicious circumstances of Naboth’s death, he doesn’t rebuke Jezebel for her murderous plot, nor does he allow his conscience to interfere with his covetousness. After all, he didn’t kill Naboth. In fact, he doesn’t even know how Naboth died, nor does he even want to know. All he cares about is that he has his vineyard.
I spoke earlier of the beautiful positive example Naboth sets as a husband and father. I think there is also something we can learn from Ahab on this Father’s Day, only it is something to avoid, not imitate. Ahab refused to take appropriate leadership over either his home or his nation. His passivity in the face of Jezebel’s heinous sin was itself sinful, for he used her wicked intentions as a convenient cloak to satisfy his own lusts. Rather than providing true leadership through faithfulness and self-sacrifice, Ahab was eager to serve himself at the expense of others. May God help the men in this church to be faithful and godly fathers, husbands, and leaders.
But doesn’t the moral outrage we feel at the actions of Jezebel and Ahab and the profound compassion we feel for Naboth’s family cause us to wonder, “Where is God while all this is happening?” That very question was asked by R. G. Lee in a way I will never forget as long as I live:
“Where is God? Is He blind that He cannot see? Is He deaf that He cannot hear? Is He dumb that He cannot speak? Is He paralyzed that He cannot move? Where is God?”
We might ask the same question today in regard to the evil being perpetrated by Saddam Hussein or Osama Bin Laden or the Abu Sayyef who kidnaped and murdered Martin Burnham. Will God let Ahab and Jezebel, or these other despicable characters, escape scot-free after their dastardly deeds? We shall find the answer as we come to the third scene in our story.
God promises judgment upon both Ahab and Jezebel. (17-29)
As He usually does, God chooses a special instrument to deliver His promise of judgment. That instrument is Elijah, God’s prophet, recently recovered from clinical depression and ready to be used again by almighty God. Let’s read the rest of the story, verses 17-29:
Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite: “Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth’s vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. Say to him, ‘This is what the LORD says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?’ Then say to him, ‘This is what the LORD says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!'”
Ahab said to Elijah, “So you have found me, my enemy!”
“I have found you,” he answered, “because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD. ‘I am going to bring disaster on you. I will consume your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel– slave or free. I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked me to anger and have caused Israel to sin.’ “And also concerning Jezebel the LORD says: ‘Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’
“Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city,
and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country.”
(There was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, urged on by Jezebel his wife. He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the LORD drove out before Israel.)
When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly.
Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite: “Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.”
Elijah’s commission from God. Let us not overlook the fact that we have almost no information about Elijah for the 6-10 years since his crash in the Sinai desert. The days passed into months and the months into years, but finally the Word of the Lord comes to Elijah once again, telling him to deliver judgment on the house of Ahab. How does Elijah react this time? Does his fear of Jezebel once again drive him into the desert? No, there is no cowardice now, no vacillation, no doubt. His old heroic faith is revived, and he immediately proceeds to the vineyard of Naboth and waits there for a classic confrontation.
Elijah’s confrontation with Ahab. My imagination tells me that Ahab enters the vineyard and begins to walk down the rows, planning how he will uproot the vines and replace them with herbs and vegetables. As he approaches the end of the plot of ground and turns to go down the last row, a shadow falls in front of him. He shudders as he sees the form of Elijah the Tishbite. He thought the prophet had died years before in the desert. He hoped against hope that he would never again have to stand before him. But here he is–there is no mistaking this hairy creature with the leather belt about his waist. It is Elijah, God’s prophet, in whose place Ahab would rather have seen a whole army marching against him.
And Ahab cries out to the prophet, “So you have found me, my enemy!” Did he really think he could hide from almighty God? The Psalmist describes as fools those who think the Lord does not see or hear (Ps. 94:7). The writer of Hebrews says, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Heb. 4:13). And it’s no problem for God to reveal what His eyes see to His prophet.
I think it is ironic and tragic how people so often see their true friends as their enemies and their real enemies as their friends. Teenagers often get angry at their parents and chafe under the rules of the house, though the parents would give their very lives for their children. Yet those same teenagers will believe almost anything their peers say, even though those peers may have no care or concern for their eternal welfare. Parishioners at times resist the exhortations of their pastors and Elders, who are committed to their spiritual welfare, and yet will believe anything a TV evangelist tells them, though that evangelist wouldn’t have five minutes to give them (unless, of course, they were able to give a million dollars to his ministry!).
Elijah isn’t Ahab’s enemy. Ahab is Ahab’s enemy. And Jezebel is his enemy. And the false prophets of Baal are his enemy. And covetousness is his enemy. Oh, that we might have divine discernment to know who our real enemies are–those who will lead us away from God and away from righteousness and away from eternal life.
Elijah responds to Ahab, “Yes, I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord.” Ahab not only did evil; he had sold his very soul to evil. He was a total prisoner of his own lust and covetousness. Elijah delivers a message from God that disaster will come upon Ahab, Jezebel, and their descendants. He tells them they will become dog food. Dogs will lick up Ahab’s blood; dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel, and dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, while birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country.
The confrontation between Elijah and Ahab is over. Elijah walks past the stunned king, past his bodyguards, out into the streets of Jezreel and disappears. As far as we know he never sees Ahab again. Our chapter ends with an extremely brief biography of Ahab–one of the most tragic epitaphs ever written for a human being.
Ahab’s tragic biography. Listen to verse 25 once again: “There was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, urged on by Jezebel his wife.” I wonder if this statement isn’t placed right here to teach us a profound and critical lesson–namely that no one, not even the most wicked person on earth, is beyond the reach of God’s grace if he will only repent of his sins. For in the next verse we read that Ahab apparently does repent.
God’s incredible grace. When Ahab hears Elijah’s words, he tears his clothes, puts on sackcloth, and begins to fast. I call this an apparent repentance because it is not at all clear how genuine or how permanent it is. In many ways it appears more like remorse, sorrow at getting caught, regret for the consequences of his actions. But it is this ambiguity regarding Ahab’s motives that makes God’s grace appear all the more incredible. For the Lord responds favorably to even this hint of repentance on the part of Ahab. It’s as though God is so anxious to pardon sinners that He will respond to the faintest sign of spiritual interest.
Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not suggesting that if you will just fake a conversion, you can fool God. What I am trying to communicate is that God is not an unwilling autocrat who withholds His salvation blessings from all but the most pious and most persistent. You don’t have to beat down His door in order to get His attention. If you will but incline your ear to Him, He will respond and give you further opportunity to demonstrate the reality of your faith.
Unfortunately, Ahab doesn’t demonstrate much reality to his repentance and eventually the reservoir of God’s patience runs dry. And that brings us to the final scene in our story.
Judgment day arrives.
Chapter 22 opens with the notice that three years have passed since Naboth and his sons were murdered. Ahab is still King of Israel. Jezebel is still queen. And Naboth’s wife, if alive, still suffers from that awful vacuum in her heart. Jezebel probably served Ahab vegetables from Naboth’s vineyard, reminding him of that foolish prophet who years before had predicted God’s judgment. I can imagine her cackling, “Ha, Ahab, I guess the dogs lost the trail!” But Ahab probably never heard a dog bark that he didn’t jump.[i]
The dogs lick the blood of Ahab. It came to pass one day that Ahab solicited the help of Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, to go into battle with him against the King of Aram or Syria. The story of that battle is found in chapter 22, and Lord willing, we will speak from that passage and the remarkable prophet named Micaiah next Sunday. I only draw your attention to the fact that Ahab disguised himself, according to verse 30, because he knew that the Syrians were gunning for him in particular. But he learned that while one can disguise himself from men, one cannot disguise himself from God. Listen to verses 34-38:
But someone drew his bow at random (I think God would put quotes around that word random, for there is nothing truly random in God’s plan) and hit the king of Israel between the sections of his armor…. The blood from his wound ran onto the floor of the chariot, and that evening he died … and was brought to Samaria, and they buried him there. They washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria (where the prostitutes bathed), and the dogs licked up his blood, as the word of the LORD had declared.
And what about Jezebel?
The dogs eat Jezebel’s flesh. Some twelve years passed following Ahab’s death. Jezebel is still the Queen mother, still flaunting herself against God, still persecuting God’s people. Even Elijah has passed off the scene. Have the dogs finally lost the trail? We have to turn over to 2 Kings, chapter 9 to find out. Again, we do not have time to share the full story–just to note that Jehu has been secretly anointed King of Israel and has been commanded by God to eliminate the house of Ahab. Listen to 2 Kings 9:30-36:
Then Jehu went to Jezreel. When Jezebel heard about it, she painted her eyes, arranged her hair and looked out a window. As Jehu entered the gate, she asked, “Have you come in peace, Zimri, you murderer of your master?”
He looked up at the window and called out, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three eunuchs looked down at him. “Throw her down!” Jehu said. So they threw her down, and some of her blood spattered the wall and the horses as they trampled her underfoot.
Jehu went in and ate and drank. “Take care of that cursed woman,” he said, “and bury her, for she was a king’s daughter.” But when they went out to bury her, they found nothing except her skull, her feet and her hands. They went back and told Jehu, who said, “This is the word of the Lord that he spoke through his servant Elijah the Tishbite: On the plot of ground at Jezreel dogs will devour Jezebel’s flesh.”
Conclusion: As a response to this tragic story, I would like to suggest four principles, the first two of which are borrowed from R. G. Lee’s sermon.
1. “Payday someday” is written into the constitution of God’s universe. In other words, sin always has its consequences. The Scriptures teach us clearly that “the one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction.” It also warns, “Do not be deceived. God cannot be mocked. A person reaps what he sows.” In a thousand ways the Scripture tells us that “Payday someday” is written into the constitution of God’s universe.
2. The devil always pays in counterfeit money. The Devil doesn’t tempt us with things that are obviously evil so much as he tempts us with things which are good in their place, proper at the right time, honorable with the right person, but sinful otherwise. He does his level best to get us to twist God’s Word, to question God’s goodness, and to rationalize our disobedience. Dr. Lee expressed it this way: “The devil’s pearls are paste pearls, his diamonds are plastic diamonds, his nectar is hog slop, and if you eat his corn he’ll choke you on the cobs. He will. He will.” The Devil always pays in counterfeit money.
3. It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of an angry God. That is the testimony of the Word of God as found in the 10th chapter of Hebrews. It’s the destiny of all those who sin willfully in the face of God’s revealed will. The Apostle John wrote, “He who does not obey the Son of God shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” Friends, that is, or should be, a terrifying prospect. There will be no arguments at that Great White Throne Judgment, no excuses will be accepted, no rationalizations allowed. But …
4. “He who believes in Him is not judged.” He who believes in the Son of God has eternal life. If you will but admit your sin before God, acknowledge that Jesus Christ died on Calvary’s cross in your place, and receive Him as your personal Savior, you will never face eternal judgment but rather spend eternity with God in heaven.
DATE: June 16, 2002
Tags:
Covetousness
Faithfulness
Grace
Judgment
1. Raymond B. Dillard, Faith in the Face of Apostasy, 68.