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Reading: 1Kings
21:1-29; 22:29-40; Psalm 52:7-9; Proverbs 13:7
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. 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."
But Naboth said to Ahab, "The LORD forbid that I should
give the inheritance of my fathers to you!"
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. But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said to him,
"Why is your spirit so sullen that you eat no food?"
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.'"
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."
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. She wrote in the letters,
saying,
Proclaim a fast, and seat Naboth with high honor among the
people; 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.
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. They
proclaimed a fast, and seated Naboth with high honor among the
people. 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. Then they sent to
Jezebel, saying, "Naboth has been stoned and is dead."
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." 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.
Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
"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. 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."'"
So Ahab said to Elijah, "Have you found me, O my
enemy?"
And he answered, "I have found you, because you have sold
yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD: 'Behold, I will
bring calamity on you. I will take away your posterity, and will
cut off from Ahab every male in Israel, both bond and free. I
will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of
Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, because
of the provocation with which you have provoked Me to anger, and
made Israel sin.' And concerning Jezebel the LORD also spoke,
saying, 'The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.' The
dogs shall eat whoever belongs to Ahab and dies in the city, and
the birds of the air shall eat whoever dies in the field."
But there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness
in the sight of the LORD, because Jezebel his wife stirred him
up. And he behaved very abominably in following idols, according
to all that the Amorites had done, whom the LORD had cast out
before the children of Israel. So it was, when Ahab heard those
words, that he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his body,
and fasted and lay in sackcloth, and went about mourning.
And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
"See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has
humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his
days. In the days of his son I will bring the calamity on his
house."
So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up
to Ramoth Gilead. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat,
"I will disguise myself and go into battle; but you put on
your robes." So the king of Israel disguised himself and
went into battle.
Now the king of Syria had commanded the thirty-two captains of
his chariots, saying, "Fight with no one small or great,
but only with the king of Israel." So it was, when the
captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said,
"Surely it is the king of Israel!" Therefore they
turned aside to fight against him, and Jehoshaphat cried out.
And it happened, when the captains of the chariots saw that it
was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing
him. Now a certain man drew a bow at random, and struck the king
of Israel between the joints of his armor. So he said to the
driver of his chariot, "Turn around and take me out of the
battle, for I am wounded."
The battle increased that day; and the king was propped up in
his chariot, facing the Syrians, and died at evening. The blood
ran out from the wound onto the floor of the chariot. Then, as
the sun was going down, a shout went throughout the army,
saying, "Every man to his city, and every man to his own
country!"
So the king died, and was brought to Samaria. And they buried
the king in Samaria. Then someone washed the chariot at a pool
in Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood while the harlots
bathed, according to the word of the LORD which He had spoken.
Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, the ivory
house which he built and all the cities that he built, are they
not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of
Israel? So Ahab rested with his fathers. Then Ahaziah his son
reigned in his place. (1Ki.21:1-29; 22:29-40)
WORSHIP:
Here is the
man who did not make God his strength, but trusted in the
abundance of his riches and strengthened himself in his
wickedness." But I am like a green olive tree in the
house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever. I
will praise You forever, because You have done it; and in the
presence of Your saints I will wait on Your name, for it is
good. (Ps.52:7-9)
WISDOM:
There is one
who makes himself rich, yet has nothing; And one who makes
himself poor, yet has great riches. (Prov.13:7)
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