1 Kings 21

1 Kings 21:1

12. Ahab’s Crimes against Naboth (Chap. 21)21:1-4 Chapter 21 traces the events leading up to Ahab’s death. The scene is in Jezreel, where Ahab and Jezebel had a palace. Adjoining the palace was a vineyard owned by Naboth the Jezreelite. Ahab desired to annex the vineyard so he could plant a vegetable garden there. Naboth refused to sell or exchange his land, since the law of Israel decreed that property should remain in the family to which it was originally assigned (Lev_25:23-28; Num_36:7; Eze_46:18). 21:5-16 When Jezebel found her husband vexed and sullen and learned of Naboth’s refusal to sell his vineyard, she assured Ahab that the vineyard would soon be his. She ordered a fast and a court of inquiry. Two evil men were appointed to charge Naboth with blasphemy against God and the king. Accordingly, Naboth was taken outside the city and stoned to death. The treacherous Jezebel thus framed Naboth so that it would appear he was being executed for breaking the law of Jehovah. Since the property would pass on to Naboth’s sons after his death, Jezebel had them murdered as well (2Ki_9:26). The iniquitous queen was as thorough as she was wicked. 21:17-26 When Ahab was on his way to take possession of the vineyard, Elijah met him and condemned him for murder and theft. Elijah predicted that Ahab himself would be slain, that his male descendants would be slain, ending his dynasty, that the body of Jezebel would be eaten by dogs in Jezreel, and that Ahab’s descendants would not be given a decent burial (v. 24). The severity of Ahab’s punishment is explained by the extremes to which he went in idolatry"there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness.“21:27-29 When Ahab heard his doom, he humbled himself before the Lord. For this, the Lord decreed that the judgments on his wife and family would not take place until after Ahab’s death. If we learn anything from these verses, it is that God is a God of grace and mercy. “‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die?’” (Eze_33:11). Even Ahab’s superficial repentance brought a respite. But the next chapter proves that his heart was unchanged. Grace was met by pride, so the Lord handed Ahab over to the angel of death, and Jehu was appointed to carry out the bloody decree against the rest of his house according to the prophecy of Elijah (2 Kgs. 9, 10).