A Journey Through The Old Testament - Elmer Towns

for the king. “Because you have let slip out of your hand a man whom I appointed to utter
destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people” (v. 42).
NABOTH’S VINEYARD
(1 Kings 21)
For three years, Israel was not engaged in war with Syria, and Ahab’s treaty with Ben-
Hadad seemed to be working. There was peace in the Northern Kingdom. But no longer
distracted with having to fight an enemy, Ahab began noticing things closer to home which he
had previously overlooked. Next to Ahab’s palace in Jezreel was a vineyard owned by a man
named Naboth. It was a good vineyard and Ahab decided he wanted to purchase it and turn it
into a vegetable garden. But the property was Naboth’s inheritance and he was reluctant to sell it
at any price. Upset with his failure to purchase the land, Ahab returned to the palace and fell into
depression. He separated himself from others socially and refused to eat. It was not long before
Jezebel became concerned about her husband and went to discern what was wrong.
When she learned Ahab wanted Naboth’s vineyard and had been refused it, she assured
him she would get it for him. Immediately she set in motion her plan. Naboth was falsely
accused of having cursed God and the king and was stoned outside the city in accordance with
the penalty in the Law for such action. When it was confirmed that Naboth was dead, Jezebel
then urged her husband to go down and claim the vineyard for himself. “So it was, when Ahab
heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard
of Naboth the Jezreelite” (1 Kings 21:16).
As Ahab walked through his new vineyard, he was met by Elijah with a message from
God. God was aware of all Ahab and Jezebel had done. Elijah predicted they would pay with
their lives, the house of Ahab would come to a violent end and be totally destroyed, and that the
wild dogs and birds common to that region would eat the carcasses of his sons and wife when
they died. The sin of Ahab would not go unrewarded.
On hearing this message from Elijah, Ahab did something he had never done before. He
acknowledged his own responsibility and sin. “So it was, when Ahab heard those words, that he
tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his body, and fasted and lay in sackcloth, and went about
mourning” (v. 27). His actions were those common to one repenting of sin in the Old Testament.
And just as his sin had not gone unnoticed by God, neither did his repentance escape the allseeing
eye of the Lord. “And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, `See how
Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not
bring the calamity in his days; but in the days of his son I will bring the calamity on his house’ “
(w. 28-29).
AN ILL-FATED BATTLE
(1 Kings 22:1-40, 51-53; 2 Kings 1)
The alliance between Jehoshaphat, king of the south, and Ahab, king of the north,
involved only one major military endeavor-that of Ahab’s third campaign against Syria. As
godly Jehoshaphat was visiting Ahab on something of a state visit, Ahab raised the question of
Judah’s involvement in Israel’s conflict with Syria. Three years earlier, Ahab had preserved the
life of Ben-Hadad in exchange for a promise that all the cities of Israel would be returned. Still,
the city of Ramoth Gilead remained under Syrian control. Ahab determined to take the city, but
was hesitant to do so without the support of Judah.