Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Kings 21:5–16, “But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread? And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard. And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth. And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people: And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die. And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them. They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died. Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead. And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead. And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.”
Jezebel, Ahab’s wife was a foreigner and had no understanding of the Lord or His Law. She understood how to use power to obtain her own ends without any regard for integrity or honour. When she realised that Ahab was having another sulk and not coming to eat his food she went to his room and asked him what was bothering him. Ahab had a grumble about the fact that Naboth wouldn’t give his vineyard away. Jezebel said to Ahab, “Leave it up to me.” She took Ahab’s royal seal and made orders in his name. Ahab let Jezebel use his royal seal and his authority so he was responsible for her actions. Jezebel wrote to the local civic leaders and told them to suborn some men to lie about Naboth. They called an civic ceremony and let Naboth sit in an important place then they called their liars to say that they had heard Naboth blaspheme against the Lord. This is an all too modern scenario whereby jealous people lie to gain personal advantage. Naboth was taken out of the town and stoned to death for his blasphemy. Once Naboth was dead, Jezebel told Ahab that the property he wanted was now available so Ahab went and took possession of Naboth’s vineyard.
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