Naboth’s Vineyard
Be content with what you have is illustrated by the story of Naboth’s Vineyard. Naboth had a vineyard that was seen by King Ahab, king of Samaria. Ahab pouted because Naboth would not sell his land to him. Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab was a bully. We should praise the Lord for all the blessings we receive in our lives. 1 Kings 21:1-29.
There was a man named Naboth the Jezreelite who had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. Ahab spoke unto Naboth, saying, Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give you for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to you, I will give you the worth of it in money.
Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fatherís unto you. Ahab came into his house resentful, 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 laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.
Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, why is your spirit so sad, that you eat no bread? Ahab said unto her, because I spoke unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, give me your vineyard for money; or else, if it please you, I will give you another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give you my vineyard.
Jezebel his wife ask Ahab if he did not govern the kingdom of Israel. Then she told him to arise, and eat bread, and let his heart be merry: she would give him the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.
Jezebel wrote letters in Ahab’s name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth. She wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people: And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, you did blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.
The men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them. They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people.
And there came in two men, children of Belial, (worthless, good for nothing, wicked people) and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.
Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead. When Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead. When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.
The word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, arise, and go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it. Elijah was to say the LORD, wants to know if he had killed and taken possession of Naboth land. The LORD also said in the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your blood.
Ahab said to Elijah, Have you found me, O mine enemy? Elijah answered, I have found you: because you have sold yourself to work evil in the sight of the LORD. I will bring evil upon you, and will take away your posterity, and will cut off from Ahab the male line, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, his house will be like the other houses that provoked the LORD to anger and made Israel to sin.
The LORD also spoke of Jezebel saying, the dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. Those that die of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that die in the field shall the fowls of the air eat. There was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.
Ahab did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel. When Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly. And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, did you see how Ahab humbled himself before me? Because he humbled himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his sonís days will I bring the evil upon his house.
What Can This Story Teach Us?
It is fair to say that king Ahab was a spoiled whiner. Jezebel was a bully. Together they did many wicked things against the LORD God. They should have been happy with what they had. They should praised the Lord for all their blessings instead of being so wicked.
1Peter 3:8-9 says: “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.”
Cite Article Source
MLA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne “Naboth’s Vineyard:.” Becker Bible Studies Library Feb 2015.<https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2222,>.
APA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015, February) “Naboth’s Vineyard:.” Becker Bible Studies Library. Retrieved from https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2222,.
Chicago Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015) “Naboth’s Vineyard:.” Becker Bible Studies Library (February), https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2222
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