The Verses
1-7 The law said that nobody must make a permanent sale of his land. People must not pass land from tribe to tribe. (See Leviticus 25:23; Numbers 36:7.) Naboth was right to refuse the king.
If Naboth sold the field to the king, he (Naboth) would not be obeying God’s law. So this was not merely a business matter or an ordinary argument. Naboth could not obey the king, because such an action would be against God’s law. So Naboth firmly refused Ahab’s request. Naboth chose to stand for God.
Ahab was angry. He had everything that he needed. But he was not happy without Naboth’s vineyard. Jezebel promised to get the land for him.
She thought that the king should be like a god. If Ahab did not behave like one, she would!
8-16 During a trial the panel, or accused person, was placed on a high seat, in the presence of all the court; but as the guilty person was supposed to be unknown, the setting of Naboth on high among the people must have been owing to his being among the distinguished men of the place.
Naboth’s trial was like the trial of Jesus. In both cases, false witnesses said that they had spoken against God and the king. (See Luke 22:70-71; 23:1-3.) So, although Naboth was innocent, people killed him.
We can see that Ahab and Jezebel were becoming even more wicked. They were ready to use false (lying) witnesses to accuse people who upset them. And they were not afraid to kill an innocent man.
But God knew about their sin.
17-29 Elijah took God’s message to Ahab. This terrible announcement made a deep impression on the king's heart, and led, for a while, to sincere repentance. Going softly, that is, barefoot, and with a pensive manner, within doors, he manifested all the external signs, conventional and natural, of the deepest sorrow.
He was wretched, and so great is the mercy of God, that, in consequence of his humiliation, the threatened punishment was deferred.
Fact is, Ahab’s attitudes and actions seem unforgivable, but he had been strongly influenced by his Ba’al worshiping wife, Jezebel.
John wrote to a church where an evil woman was controlling some people. He warned the members of that church about her. They would suffer greatly if they continued to obey her. He called that woman by the name ‘Jezebel’ (Revelation 2:20-25).
True repentance leads to eternal forgiveness by God. But this only comes when we place our faith in and only in the finished work of Christ at Calvary.
There is a need for revival in the church today. That revival will only come when we admit that it is we who need it most. Then God can use us as He wants to use us.
No comments:
Post a Comment