In Disney’s thirty-ninth animated film, “The Emperor’s New Groove,” self-proclaimed “King of the World” Kuzco (COOS-coh), who had an evil female advisor named Yzma (EEZ-muh), made plans to demolish an entire village to build a new water park. At the highest point of the village he planned on building his new summer home, Kuzcotopia. This was all to be done as a birthday present to himself on his eighteenth birthday.
The plot of ground on which Kuzcotopia was to be built belonged to a lowly llama herder named Pacha. Pacha and his family had lived on that hill for many years, and Pacha had no desire to sell his land; that’s when Kuzco informed Pacha that his intention was not to pay for it but to simply take it for his own. Pacha was supposed to view it as a charitable contribution to the Emperor. Pacha denied Kuzco the land, and Kuzco envied it with a passion.
This sounds like a story straight out of the Bible; a story where a king, along with his evil female advisor, desired a new plot of ground. The piece of real estate desired by the king in our passage of Scripture for today was a vineyard or a “grove” of grapes; therefore, I have entitled our message “The Emperor’s New Grove.” This sermon will address the topic of the slippery slope of envy, or the downward spiral of coveting. If you have ever seen the Disney cartoon, then you will be surprised to discover just how similar the story sounds to our Bible passage.
Ahab Desired Naboth’s Vineyard (vv. 1-3)
1 And it came to pass after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel, next to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 So Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, “Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near, next to my house; and for it I will give you a vineyard better than it. Or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its worth in money.” 3 But Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you!”
Here we see that Ahab, king of Samaria, wanted the vineyard of his neighbor Naboth, because he thought it would make a lovely garden and it was in close proximity to his own house. Now this passage does not come right and use the word “desire,” but Ahab desired this vineyard. I want to take a moment to talk about “desire,” for coveting begins with desire. “Desire” is defined as, “to wish or long for,” to “want,” and, “a longing or craving, as for something that brings satisfaction and enjoyment.”(1) It is also defined as, “the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state.”(2)
Desire doesn’t have to be a bad thing, for we can have godly desires. For example, Paul stated, “I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands” (1 Timothy 2:8a). Desire, though, can easily become evil whenever it is accompanied by an unsatisfied state, as we heard in one definition. In Romans 7:8 Paul declared, “But sin, taking opportunity . . . produced in me all manner of evil desire.” Habakkuk 2:5 says in reference to an evil man, “He enlarges his desire as hell.”
If we become unsatisfied then we begin having evil desires, or desires not aligning with God’s will and a life of holiness; and if we are unsatisfied by life then we begin to impose our own will on our life circumstances, or our “own desire.” In James 1:14 we are told, “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.” Our own desires result in us taking our eyes off of God, and focusing on things we think are better than what we already have. We get the “grass-is-greener-on-the-other-side syndrome” and then enticement sets in, which leads to coveting. I will talk about this some more in just a moment.
Ahab Began Coveting the Vineyard (vv. 4-6)
4 So Ahab went into his house sullen and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no food. 5 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said to him, “Why is your spirit so sullen that you eat no food?” 6 He said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite, and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if it pleases you, I will give you another vineyard for it.’ And he answered, ‘I will not give you my vineyard’.”
As we read earlier in verse 3, Naboth replied to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you!” Like Pacha in “The Emperor’s New Groove,” this land had been in Naboth’s family for many generations and he was not about to give it up. It didn’t matter that Ahab had offered to pay for the land, or give him an even better vineyard. This vineyard was sentimental to Naboth, and it was his choice to say no to Ahab. Naboth was not an unreasonable fellow. He probably wanted to keep a promise made to his forefathers that the land would remain within the family. Ahab, however, just couldn’t take “no” for an answer and move on with life.
We read here that he “lay down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no food” (v. 4). Ahab became very depressed as he was still unsatisfied and unfulfilled with life. There was an emptiness inside that he hoped would be filled by this new vineyard, which in reality was a void that could only be filled by an intimate relationship with the God of the universe. Instead of having his eyes fixed on the one who is called the “Desire of all Nations” (Haggai 2:7), his eyes were fixed on his own desires, which gave way to coveting. “Coveting” is defined as “to desire wrongfully, inordinately, or without due regard for the rights of others: to covet another’s property.”(3)
Now, who was there to comfort Ahab and affirm his sin? It was his evil female advisor Jezebel, who was actually his wife. Like Yzma (EEZ-muh) in Disney’s “The Emperor’s New Groove,” Jezebel actually wanted the kingdom for her own, and she ran the kingdom through her husband. After Ahab’s death, Jezebel continued as a power in Israel for ten years, in her role as queen-mother, throughout the reign of Ahaziah, then during Jehoram’s lifetime.(4) Let us continue looking at Ahab’s coveting.
Ahab’s Coveting Led to Further Sin (vv. 7-14)
7 Then Jezebel his wife said to him, “You now exercise authority over Israel! Arise, eat food, and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” 8 And she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who were dwelling in the city with Naboth. 9 She wrote in the letters, saying, “Proclaim a fast, and seat Naboth with high honor among the people; 10 and seat two men, scoundrels, before him to bear witness against him, saying, ‘You have blasphemed God and the king.’ Then take him out, and stone him, that he may die.”
11 So the men of his city, the elders and nobles who were inhabitants of his city, did as Jezebel had sent to them, as it was written in the letters which she had sent to them. 12 They proclaimed a fast, and seated Naboth with high honor among the people. 13 And two men, scoundrels, came in and sat before him; and the scoundrels witnessed against him, against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth has blasphemed God and the king!” Then they took him outside the city and stoned him with stones, so that he died. 14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.”
Now we begin to see the slippery slope of envy, or the downward spiral of coveting taking place. Ahab’s desire led him to coveting, and his coveting led to further sin. Of course, it was not his decision to commit these other atrocities. It was Jezebel’s choice to lie and deceive, and then commit murder; but all of this was based on her interpretation of her husband’s desire. Ahab’s desire led to coveting, which led to one sin after another. Coveting tends to lead someone into making one bad choice after another in pursuit of fulfillment.
We just finished reading James 1:14, which said, “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed,” but James 1:15 says, “Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” Ahab’s misdirected desire gave birth to sin, and we read that sin leads to death. In this particular case, sin literally led to the death of an innocent man; however in James, it is not a reference to a physical death, but a spiritual death.
In Revelation 20:14-15 we read, “Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” The first death is physical death, or death of the body. The second death is a spiritual death, which is spending eternity in the lake of fire, or the fames of hell.
However, people don’t have to suffer spiritual death if they will only ask for forgiveness of their sins through God’s one and only Son, Jesus Christ. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” If we commit sin we have forgiveness in Christ, but we must also refrain from committing sin in the first place if we desire to stay away from that slippery slope. Watch out for coveting, because it leads to one sin after another.
Ahab Was Blinded By His Greed (vv. 15-16)
15 And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.” 16 So it was, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
We see here that the Emperor got his new grove. I find it rather strange that Ahab didn’t think it an odd coincidence that Naboth was dead soon after he desired his vineyard. I believe that at this moment Ahab was blinded by his coveting and greed. Sin can blind us spiritually. On more than one occasion Jesus called the sinful Pharisees blind (cf. Matthew 23). In Matthew 15:15, He said of the Pharisees, “Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind.” Sin becomes as the blinders on a horse and it allows us to see only the misdirected way, or desire, set before us. It results in our becoming numb to the Holy Spirit’s conviction, and the call of Christ as He knocks on the door to our heart (Revelation 3:20).
Sin becomes a veil that covers our hearing of the gospel message of forgiveness in Jesus Christ. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:3, “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded.” What is the god of this age that has you captivated? What has caught all of your attention to make you obsess and covet after it? What is holding you back from receiving forgiveness and salvation in Jesus Christ? Is it partying and bar-hopping? Is it money, along with the desire to gain more stuff? Is it recreation or sports, or perhaps even your career? The bottom line is that there are numerous desires that blind us to sin and our need for forgiveness.
Coveting is one of those sins, as we see in Ahab’s case. The hunger for power and control is another sin that blinded Jezebel. Whatever it is that you are holding onto, it hinders you from forgiveness and salvation in Jesus Christ, and it results in spiritual death. I want to encourage you to let go of your own desires, whatever they may be, and pursue the “Desire of all Nations” (Haggai 2:7) and be healed. Then you will be able to declare as we read in John 9:25: “One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”
Blood Was Required to Atone for Sin (vv. 17-19, 23)
17 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18 “Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who lives in Samaria. There he is, in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down to take possession of it. 19 You shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: Have you murdered and also taken possession?’ And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs shall lick your blood, even yours’” . . . 23 And concerning Jezebel the Lord also spoke, saying, “The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.”
Right here the Lord commanded the prophet Elijah to confront Ahab concerning his sin. We see in verse 19 that Elijah was supposed to tell Ahab that he would die for the murder of Naboth, and that “in the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs shall lick [Ahab’s] blood.” In 1 Kings 22:29-38, this prophecy was fulfilled when Ahab was shot and killed by an arrow in battle, and as his chariot was being washed out some dogs licked up his blood.
In verse 23, we see how Jezebel was supposed to pay for Naboth’s murder with her own life, and that “the dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.” In 2 Kings 9:30-37, we see that this prophecy was fulfilled too when Jezebel was thrown off a wall by three eunuchs; and when they came out to bury her, all they found was her skull, feet, and hands, for dogs had eaten the rest of her body.
In the Old Testament the punishment for sin was “life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, [and] stripe for stripe” (Exodus 21:23-25). Blood was needed to atone for sin. Blood was required because it represents life for life, and Leviticus 17:14 declares, “For the life of all flesh is its blood.” A life is required in order to pay the price for sin.
Romans 6:23 tells us “the wages of sin is death.” God requires that someone must die for sin; and the Lord Jesus came into this world to die in our place. In Romans 5:7-8, Paul declared, “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
If we are living in sin – whether coveting, or any other kind of sin – then we will die a spiritual death, unless we confess Jesus Christ as Lord and ask Him to forgive our sins. We receive the forgiveness of sin whenever we believe and accept His death on the cross where He died for our sin. 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 declares, “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us.”
Time of Reflection
This morning we looked at the downward spiral of coveting, and learned that desire leads to coveting, and coveting leads to sin, and that there is a price to pay for sin. Most importantly we learned that the penalty for sin can be forgiven through our faith in Jesus Christ and acceptance of Him as our Lord and Savior who laid down His life for us.
In “The Emperor’s New Groove,” Kuzco’s hard heart was eventually softened and his life was changed, and that’s when he got his new groove on. You too can have a new groove and see your life changed if you will accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
We read in Romans 10:9-10 how to receive Jesus. The Bible declares, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
I want to caution you to let go of trying to gain a new grove. Let go of the worldly possessions that are holding you back from receiving Christ. In Matthew 16:26 Jesus asked, “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” I want to invite you to seek a new groove in Jesus, and to pursue salvation and newness of life in Christ. Come today and confess Jesus as Lord, and receive eternal life.
NOTES
(1) “Desire,” Dictionary.com Unabridged, taken from the Internet in December of 2006 at http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/desire.
(2) “Desire,” WordNet, taken from the Internet in December of 2006 at http://dictionary. reference.com/browse/desire.
(3) “Covet,” Dictionary.com Unabridged, taken from the Internet in December of 2006 at http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/covet
(4) “Jezebel,” The New Bible Dictionary (Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House, 1962) taken from Logos 2.1E on CD-ROM.
