T HE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S wife his troubles. He was miserable in the midst of luxury. He had an ivory palace, an ivory couch; he had conquer ed Benhadad; but he is like a spoiled child. He wails, “ I want a vineyard He won’t give me his vineyard. I won’t play any more!” Naboth had crossed his will and nothing would please him. What a wonderful book is the Bible in its dramatic representations of the heart life of men and women! There are a good many grown-up babies who will not play unless every one else will play their way. Conditions reveal character. Certain tests are required to prove what is in a man. (3) THE CRAFTINESS OF JEZE BEL, vs. 7-16. It takes a woman to find a way out of a difficulty, but the trouble is, she can not keep out. Jezebel finds a way for her silly husband to get the vineyard. She knows no law but her own wilful will. “ Cheer up, my sulky boy, I’ll give you the vineyard.” She was more of a king than the king himself. What a woman she might have been had her life been in the hands of God in place of being a tool of Satan. She conceived a plot at once, and once the plot is conceived the carrying of it out is only cnild’s play with her. She can juggle the authorities as well as a Twentieth Century politician. Ahab is a mere tool with her. She involves him by taking possession of the signet ring and sealing her orders. She uses the law for her own personal ends. The law of God forbids Ahab’s taking the vineyard from Naboth (Ezek. 46:18). “Moreover the prince sh all not ta k e part of the people’s inheritance b y oppression, to th ru st them out of their possession; but he sh all g iv e his sons inheritance out of his ow n possession; th a t m y people be not scattered every man from his pos session.” Jezebel plans the murder of Naboth and his sons so that the land would re vert to the king. Her plan was of a judicial character. She employed the judges and princes of Jezreel to carry out the program. A religious fast was
72 Naboth was not wilting to part with his vineyard which Ahab coveted. He was a faithful Israelite. The propo sition of Ahab was fair. He was will ing to give him a good trade, or pay cash. Even a Jew is here found to have a conscience which enabled him to re fuse to profit at its expense. He was a Bible man— a man of convictions based upon the Word of God. (Num. 36:7). “So sh all not the inheritance o f the children of Israel rem ove from tribe to tribe; for every one o f the children of Israel shall keep h im self to the inher itance of the tribe o f his fath ers.” (Lev. 25:23) “T h e land shall not be sold forever: for the land is m ine; fo r ye are stran gers and sojourners w ith me.” . . It was God’s land. He parcelled it out among the tribes and they held it in trust, Thev were tenants at will and had no rign* to dispose of it to strangers. In case of necessity, a temp orary sale could be made, subject to redemption at any time by properly re imbursing the purchaser; and in the jubilee year all property reverted to the original owners, or heirs. Naboth was a man of faith. He con fessed the Lord to be his God even be fore Ahab, the idolatrous king. He might desire to please his royal neigh bor, but not if it involved bowing the knee to Baal, or dishonoring his God. He was a man of courage. He dared to tell the king the law of God (v. 3). He was a “ Jehovahite”— one of the thousands, no doubt, whose knees had not bowed to Baal. He was risking his life for he knew well enough the char acter of Jezebel. He stood like Nathan before David (2 Sam. 12:7). “And N athan said to D avid, Thou art the man.- Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee k in g over Israel, and I delivered thee out o f the hand of Saul.” (2) THE CHILDISHNESS OF THE KING vs. 4-6. Ahab came home with a grouch, heavy and displeased, as is also record ed in 20:43. It was evidently a habit of his,— a big, brutal bully without a conscience, whining into the ears of his
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