Spoiled And Selfish Series

That’s a sad truth of today’s world. We would throw aside just about anything, all for some money. Yet not Naboth. Naboth could have been offered the world, yet he knew what God said, God said no, so no matter how pleasing the offer was, Naboth’s answer would be no, and that was his final answer.

And Ahab couldn’t understand it. Ahab did not share the same convictions about God’s law like Naboth did. And since he didn’t, he couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t take him up on his offer.

Now in this world, folks will think you our odd if you don’t follow their value system. They think it strange that you would put family above promotion, they think it odd that you would say no to sinful pleasures because of your faith, they think it odd that you would value integrity over profit.

I remember one of those 80’s family sitcoms named “Family Matters”, you might remember Erkel…that show. On the show Carl, the Dad played a cop, and when he gave this big time actor a ticket, the actor tried to bribe him with tickets to his show and money…and then he said “and no one would ever know.” Now this Dad’s kids wanted to go to the show, which was sold out, but Carl had integrity, and I’ll never forget what he said, he said, “Sounds good, but the problem is that I have to shave every day.” The actor looked at him strangely, then Carl said, “And in order to shave, I have to look in the mirror, and if I did what you want me to do, I couldn’t stand to even look at myself.” There are some things more important that money…faith, family, and integrity.

Naboth had integrity, but Ahab wasn’t about to stop. He was going to get what he wanted one way or another. So after Naboth said no, Ahab did what every spoiled person does when they don’t get there way…he pouted. Look at vs. 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.”

Even though Ahab had almost the entire Kingdom at his disposal, he was throwing a fit because he didn’t have that one vineyard. Matthew Henry wrote that discontentment is a sin that is its own punishment.” If you are discontent you are never satisfied, and you are never happy.

As Ahab is pouting, enter his wife, the evil Jezebel. And Jezebel reminds Ahab that he is the king, and as a king he is entitled to get what he wants. Kings are entitled to get what they want, when they want. Let me stray for just a second here and say that many of you may feel that you are entitled to something. You were born in America, then you are entitled to receive benefits from the government. Your were brought up in a wealthy home, thus you are entitled to be treated with respect. Some people think that they since they are a somewhat good person, that somehow God owes them something. Well, friends let me tell you that God owes you nothing whatsoever. Which makes the fact that he has given you everything that much more impressive.

Well, Jezebel says that Ahab should act like a king. Now this woman is evil to the core. Naboth has insulted her husband by having the audacity to say no…so now this is no longer just about a vineyard, this is about revenge. So she concocts a plan. Look at vs. 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."