Naboth’s Vineyard

1 Kings 21-22

            Again, Ahab is sullen and angry—this time because Naboth will not sell the king his family vineyard. Naboth’s loyalty to his ancestral land demonstrates that he is a faithful Israelite; he respects the laws of Moses that say that the land must stay with the family to whom it was allotted. Later in the chapter we read that Ahab was the most idolatrous of kings, if not in all of Israel’s 200-year history, then at least so far. But there is a little evidence that he hadn’t completely lost his sense of honoring Israel’s God, Yahweh. Notice, for example, that he named his son Ahaziah (“Yahweh has taken hold”). Ahab must have had at least a little sense that Naboth was right, and he was angry and sullen because, after all, what’s the use of being king if you can’t get your way…

            Jezebel, a daughter of pagan kings, had no such compunction. In her upbringing, kings are the avatars of the gods and they get their way. So, she arranges to have Naboth framed and killed.

            Pagan wives leading a husband astray is becoming a theme in 1 Kings! We should remember that it works both ways: a pagan husband can just as easily lead a faithful wife astray. I imagine we’ve all seen it, maybe in our own families—a child of God marries someone who is ambivalent to the faith and the church attendance falls off. It’s good to remind our youth that their first loyalty is to their God; an unsupportive spouse doesn’t necessarily mean the end of faith, but it does mean that the believing spouse won’t get support from that sector. Additionally, as I commented not that long ago, the New Testament writers also acknowledge that a believing spouse can have a salutary effect on an unbelieving one. Altogether, these stories teach us how difficult it is to be a believer in a fallen world.

            Another takeaway: the story of Naboth always reminds me of the story of Stephen, also falsely accused and stoned to death (Acts 6-7). There, as Stephen is being stoned, he channels Jesus, saying, “Lord, do not hold this against them.” (Acts 7:60). So, the whole thing leads me to Jesus on the cross, praying, “Father, forgive them,” and Jesus who is at the right hand of the Father interceding for us (Romans 8:34).

            It may be difficult to live as a believer in a fallen world, but our Lord Jesus is constantly pleading for us, “Father, remember that I died for them. Forgive them.” When we don’t get life in a fallen world exactly right, when we wobble in our faith, when we try to have it both ways and miss the mark, there is peace and comfort in a King who knows that king’s aren’t supposed to get their way but that kings are supposed to do what is right and good for their subjects, a King who gave His life for us His subjects.