Murder, She Wrote

MURDER, SHE WROTE

1 Kgs. 21:1-15

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. A four-year-old boy accompanied his expectant mother to the doctor’s office. When the mother heaved a sigh and clutched her stomach, her son looked alarmed. "Mommy, what is it?" He asked.

2. "The baby brother you're going to have is kicking," his mother explained. "He's probably getting bored," the youngster decided. "Why don't you swallow a toy?"

3. JOKE # 2. A mother had just brought her newborn triplets home from the hospital. Her older boy, a four-year-old, took his first doubtful look at the new babies and said, "We probably better go out front of Wal-Mart right away. They're going to be harder to get rid of than kittens!”

4. BRIDGE TO THE TEXT

a. “Murder, She Wrote” [was] an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 with close to 23 million viewers in its prime.” (Wikipedia Article)

b. But the title “Murder, She Wrote” could have been the title of the story of Ahab and Jezebel; when she wrote a letter to have Naboth’s killed. Let’s read about it.

B. TEXT

1 There was…a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite….close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 Ahab said to Naboth, “Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden….In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth.” 3 But Naboth replied, “The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.” 4 So Ahab went home, sullen and angry….He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat. 5 His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, “Why are you so sullen? Why won’t you eat?” 6 He answered her, “Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, ‘Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’” 7 Jezebel his wife said, “Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” 8 So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city with him. 9 In those letters she wrote: “Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. 10 But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death.” 11 So the elders and nobles…did as Jezebel directed….15 As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead.” 1 Kgs. 21:1-15.

C. THESIS

1. Ahab is a type of the devil; Naboth is a type of the Christian. John 10:10 says, "The thief is come but for to kill, to steal, and to destroy." Jesus called the devil "a thief." A thief takes what doesn't belong to him. An heir possesses what DOES belong to him. We are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ!

2. We're going to see this morning how we're supposed to hold on to what is ours in Christ and not let the enemy take it from us.

3. The title of this morning's message is "Murder, She Wrote."

I. THE GREED OF AHAB

A. NEVER SATISFIED

1. Ahab was a King and immensely wealthy. His palace and grounds were very extensive.

2. This palace was not even his main palace at Samaria, the capital city. This palace was part of a fortress in northern Israel overlooking the valley of Jezreel.

3. Yet Ahab wasn’t content; he coveted Naboth’s property, desiring to add his small plot to the King's vast holdings or else be sick to death.

B. GREED – ROOT OF ALL EVIL

1. “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” 1 Tim. 6:10.

2. 10th Commandment; "Thou shalt not covet..."

3. IMPORTANCE OF CONTENTMENT. “6But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” 1 Tim. 6:6-10.