1 Kings 21 Ahab wants Veggies

seekeroftruth

Well-Known Member
1 Kings 21: 1 Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 Ahab said to Naboth, “Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth.”

3 But Naboth replied, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors.”

4 So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my ancestors.” He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat.

5 His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, “Why are you so sullen? Why won’t you eat?”

6 He answered her, “Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, ‘Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.’ But he said, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’”​

So this whole chapter is going to revolve around Ahab's desire to have a vegetable garden. It seems to me... sometimes rich people just sit up in their little towers looking down on us everyday joe's and they try to figure out what they can take from us. It's not enough that Ahab was already king. He could have just about anything he wanted.... but he wants that piece of land that belongs to Nabath.

This is from enduringword.com.

Give me your vineyard: This account begins as a simple attempted real estate transaction. Ahab wanted the vineyard near his royal house in Jezreel so that he might have it as a vegetable garden. He was willing to trade for the land or to pay for it.

The LORD forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you: Naboth’s response was an emphatic “No.” His rejection of the otherwise reasonable offer was rooted in the ancient Israelite idea of the land. They believed that the land was an inheritance from God, parceled out to individual tribes and families according to His will. Therefore, land was never really sold, only leased – and that only under the most dire circumstances. Real Estate offices in ancient Israel didn’t do very good business.

“For God hath expressly, and for divers weighty reasons, forbidden the alienation of lands from the tribes and families to which they were allotted, Leviticus 25:15, 25:23, 25:25; Numbers 36:7; Ezekiel 46:18.” (Poole)​

Ahab went into his house sullen and displeased: This seemed entirely characteristic of Ahab. He seemed to be a spineless, pouting man who reacted this way when he met any kind of adversity.

“So the scene is a vivid picture of peevish Ahab turning his face to the wall and refusing to eat. He was like a sulking child who could not get his own way.” (Dilday)

“Poor soul! He was lord over ten-twelfths of the land, and became miserable because he could not get a poor man’s vineyard added to all that he possessed!” (Clarke)​

You now exercise authority over Israel… I will give you the vineyard of Naboth: Jezebel’s manner of speech revealed who really exercised authority in the palace of Israel.

“Alas, was it not she that governed it really, with more daring ungodliness than Ahab, her puppet husband?” (Knapp)​

Wow.... The first lady of Israel was the real Jezebel that all the other Jezebels that followed through all the centuries fashioned themselves after. Stuck with an idiot sulking husband [who might have even liked broccoli], she took control and got things done. She was clever.

God gave that land to Nabath and his family. His family was part of the millions that left Egypt and wandered around the desert for 40 years. His family was part of the millions that crossed over the river on dry ground. His family was part of the original 12 tribes who took possession of the land at the instruction of God. There were laws on the books about what he was allowed to do with that land. He was not allowed to just give his vineyard to Ahab. It would be disrespectful to God.

:coffee:
 
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