Dealing With Injustice Series

DEALING WITH INJUSTICE- MURDER IN THE VINEYARD

1 Kings 21:1-16

We have looked at dealing with desperate situations

And dealing with disappointments of life.

Today we want to look injustice.

Murder in the vineyard.

Injustice defined implies unjust treatment of another or a violation of one’s rights

Some years ago in Albany Ga,

when the river overflowed and flooded the countryside and the city.

It swept through two cemeteries, one white and one black.

In the black cemetery it washed up the caskets,

Caskets and bodies were floating all over.

The bodies, telling the tale of racism and injustice.

For the city required the graves be six feet deep for whites,

But they only had dug two feet deep to bury the black folks.

And the flooded river told the story.

There have been floods of injustice that have crossed this land.

The flood of racism, gambling,

the flood of improper marketing,

The flood of disparities in wages,

the flood of power and dealings in high places.

Of CEO who have gotten wealthy stealing from their shareholders.

God has called the church to be proactive

in defending the innocent.

Standing up against big business or bad government that victimizes people..

Proactive in feeding the hungry,

Seeking release for those falsely imprisoned

To fight for Justice among all.

We had a discussion in our mens group about

“Eminent domain,” -land condemnation,

Eminent domain defined is the ability of government to convert

privately owned land into public land, subject to reasonable compensation

South Dakota uses eminent domain for highways and construction projects.

Some of which occurred on the road between Aberdeen and Webster.

Nearly 3,000 years ago two of the most wicked leaders

who ever lived seemed to use a process very similar to eminent domain

because someone wanted a vineyard owned by a man named Naboth

I. INJUSTICE IS A PART OF OUR EVIL WORLD

King Ahab decides he wants to plant a garden

and since he wants it to be “close to home”,

he decides he will buy or trade for Naboth’s land.

I Kings 21:2 “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.

To often the rich and powerful,

Live believing that everything has a price.

That if they want something it can be bought.

Ahab, being the king, could’ve simply annexed his neighbor’s property

by royal decree. Like the government deciding to build a new highway right

smack in the middle of your pumpkin patch.

Sure, they’re obliged to pay you something, small potatoes usually,

Ahab had that power.

But he chose not to use it.

Instead, he went to Naboth’s place and rang the doorbell.

Naboth came out promptly and Ahab said:

I want your vineyard.

I will pay or exchange it for what you choose.

Naboth said:

“The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.”

I Kings 21:3

King Ahab was shocked.

How could he reject the Kings offer?

Naboth could ask for anything in the kingdom

Retirement home on the lake.

A Villa or castle.

But he refused it.

What King Ahab didn’t understand was

Naboth’s decision was not based upon a business decision

but by Biblical principles.

When God gave the land of Canaan to Israel,

He divided it among the tribes and said

No one can own the land outside the tribe to which it was given.

That is why Naboth said, “the Lord forbids it”.

I Kings 21:4

((((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. I Kings 21:4))))

Ahab began pouting like a big baby.

Lay on his be sulking and refused to eat.

Oh when you have a Self pity party it affects everyone.

His wife Jezebel came in and asked him,

“Why are you so sullen? Why won’t you eat? I Kings 21:5

Notice how self-pity and sin breaks down our resistant and leads to more sin?

We have to be careful who we listen to.

Not long ago I happened to switch on Dr. Phil. doing his Life Strategies show.

This Texan Counseling guru is a fascinating speaker

A master communicator.

He’s funny, a straight shooter

He’s a better communicator than most preachers.

He motivates and connect with people.

But I clicked the remote

The next stop I find Charles Stanley preaching.

And for some reason as I listen

He may not be as funny, or as fascinating,

But I sense a deeper truth, a confidence and peace I did not find with Dr. Phil.

I wondered what is the difference? In these two gifted men?