Naboth’s Vineyard (1 Kings 21)

Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was beside king Ahab’s palace. Ahab eagerly requested the vineyard for money or exchange for another vineyard. Naboth refused, saying that the Lord did not allow him to sell his father’s inheritance.

King Ahab could not eat or drink because of his anger, but became bedridden with the refusal. Jezebel, Ahab’s wife, made a plan She wrote a letter with Ahab’s name on it, to the elders and nobles. In this missive, they were told to accuse Naboth of cursing God and the king; therefore he was taken outside the city and stoned to death. As soon as Jezebel was told of Naboth’s death, Ahab was told to occupy the vineyard.

What do we learn from this incident? God was very much upset by the king’s behaviour as shown by his prophet Elijah, (1 Kings 21:17-19). Murder is a grave sin; we are exhorted not to kill (Exodus 20:13), it was one of the commandments God gave to rule Israelite society.

Another commandment given by God was not to covet his or her neighbour’s house or property (Exodus 20:17). Covetousness leads to theft and possible destruction of life – hated by God.

The ten commandments were designed for Israelites, so that they could live at peace with one another and with God. Jesus showed us the type of life we should follow. Killing, stealing, covetousness and such like, were things Jesus never committed. As long as we are in Christ and have invited him to take full control of our lives, we should follow his example.

We must serve the Lord whose life was peaceful. In contrast, Ahab failed to please God and his punishment awaited him (1 Kings 21:19-23).

Are there still possibilities of entering the kingdom, after we have sinned? Ahab the king gives us a good example. Having heard the trouble that God intended to impose on him, Ahab tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, fasted and went about dejectedly (unhappily). These were tokens of humility. Here we learn that God wants us to be humble people. We find God withdrawing His punishment at that juncture and the punishment would not be faced by Ahab, but would be imposed in his son’s days (1 Kings 21:27-29).

Acts 17:30,31 challenges us to trust in God our Heavenly Father who forgives and gives us the opportunity to make a fresh start, or turn over a new leaf, today not tomorrow. God has set a day to judge the obdurate who do not obey His word. Let us remember His special plans in which He gave His beloved Son so that we might have eternal life through the blood of the sinless Christ who died for us. Let us think deeply over this as we partake of the bread and the wine before us, as tokens of the Christ.

Bre Moses Ajiweka & Chakumanda Kondowe (Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe)