Tuesday 01 July 2008
"As soon as Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab set out to go down into the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it." (v.16)
A Word in Time
This week's theme: Kingdom Demands
Do you sulk like Ahab?
Tuesday 1st July 2008
"As soon as Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab set out to godown into the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possessionof it." (v.16)
Background
This is a story that has it all - greed, power, jealousy,injustice and the powerful wife of a corrupt king.
Ahab knew that the vineyard of Naboth could not be sold, as it wasthe inheritance of his fathers. Ancient Israelites believed thatthe land on which they had eventually settled was an inheritancefrom God, parcelled out to individual tribes and families accordingto God's will. Therefore, land was never really sold - only leased- and then only under the most dire circumstances. But Ahab wantedit. He wanted it at any cost.
Naboth's response was an emphatic "no" to Ahab and with that wordhe signed his own death warrant.
If there is any word which comes to mind about Ahab's behaviour inthe early part of this story, it is 'childish'. He sees somethingand he wants it. He makes what he thinks is a fair offer and isrefused. So he goes home to sulk.
It is also a selfish attitude. Ahab is, after all, a king. We mightexpect some dignity, but he has been deprived of what he wants. Hethinks of no one but himself. But he still needed his wife,Jezebel, and heeded her words - 'You are king. You should be ableto have whatever you want'. And so he allows her to plot the deathof Naboth.
To Ponder
What do we do when our expectations are not met?Do we sulk like Ahab, and expect other people to take care of theproblem for us? What might be another response?
Is there anything that you really 'want'? How farwould you go to get it?