Elijah’s Last Message To Ahab Series

Introduction: After Elijah had left Mount Horeb and returned to Israel, he seems to be out of the picture for a while. King Ahab, though, had been very busy with wars against Syria (see 1 Kings 20). After that, Ahab saw a vineyard belonging to someone else but Ahab wanted it anyway. He got it, all right, with the help of his wife Jezebel.

Then Elijah the prophet came, with a message directly for Ahab.

1 The Miscarriage of Justice

Text, 1 Kings 21:11-16, KJV: 11 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. 12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. 13 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. 14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead.

15 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. 16 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.

There’s some needed background to this story and it’s found in the first ten verses of this chapter. Ahab was king of the Ten Tribes (Israel); Jezebel of Sidon was his wife and the queen; and their neighbor was a man named Naboth who owned a vineyard in Jezreel, right next to Ahab's palace. This vineyard had been in Naboth’s family for quite some time, maybe even generations. Ahab offered Naboth money but Naboth said no to the offer.

To say the least, Ahab was very displeased. Verse 4 mentions Ahab was “heavy and displeased” or as the lexicon puts it, “sullen and vexed (https://biblehub.com/text/1_kings/21-4.htm)”. “Frustrated” is a word that comes to mind, and believe me, there are times I’ve felt like Ahab when I couldn’t get something I wanted! Many of us might feel or have felt the same way, no?

Jezebel, at least here, seemed to be a good wife (see verse 5) but she was always a bad person. She promised to get the vineyard from Naboth, money or no money, and as the story was told, she did exactly what she promised. All it takes is a bad person or two, a couple of false witnesses, and truth gets tossed out the window. Verses 11-14 have the record of, basically, a show trial in which Naboth was judged and executed without any mention of him pleading his own case.

Well, “justice” was served, at least as far as the alleged crime was concerned. The verdict was rendered, the sentence proclaimed, the punishment executed (as was Naboth), and the vineyard was (surprise, surprise) Ahab’s for the taking. Jezebel must have used some very soothing, or maybe encouraging words, possibly something like “I got it all fixed for you! Naboth is dead and the vineyard you wanted is all yours!”

So Ahab went down to Jezreel and the vineyard. I’ve sometimes wondered what Ahab may have been thinking as he took that journey: maybe he remembered how Elijah had run before him after the miracle of Mount Carmel, any number of miles in a blinding rain so Ahab could get safely to his palace. Maybe Ahab had a twinge of conscience, knowing his wife had caused an innocent man to lose his life just so he could claim the vineyard. Maybe he pondered if he should give credit to Baal (Jezebel’s god), Jeroboam’s calves, or the True God of Israel for this “gift!”

But no matter what he might have been thinking, there had been a serious miscarriage of justice and soon, no matter his thoughts, Ahab was soon to be face to face with none other than Elijah.

2 The Message to Ahab

Text: 1 Kings 21:17-24, KJV: 17 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18 Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it. 19 And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.