In conjunction with the teaching earlier today, let me share some of my thoughts relating to Ten Commandments as viewed, or rather broken, by a central character in the House of Israel’s downfall, Ahab.
This study is not only important for the reason of studying what a nation actively serving another god might end up like, but also we as the chosen people Israel, the united branch of Ephraim and Judah, can observe what our spiritual ancestors of the House of Israel went through and do our best to learn from their actions.
King Ahab may have known the god of his father’s, the god of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. There are tenable points in his life where he also calls upon the name of YAH and is humbled before him. Ordinarily, this study would go from the start of Ahab’s reign and carefully look at the conditions leading up to the moment Ahab takes the throne. However, we will attempt to go backwards from the deathblow of the Kingdom of Israel and its most infamous leader. As a promise, we will observe how Ahab systematically disregarded YHWH’s commandments, but did so sequentially, intentionally, and maliciously.
The picture set is with the tenth commandment, do not covet. Hopefully by now in your day you have had the time to reflect on this mitzvot and its implications as we walk towards repentance. Oddly enough, this 10th commandment is the final confrontation that seals the fate of Ahab and his house. A lengthy read but worth it.
Now it came about after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. Ahab spoke to Naboth,saying, "Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden because it is close beside my house, and I will give you a better vineyard than it in its place; if you like, I will give you the price of it in money." But Naboth said to Ahab, "The LORD forbid me that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers." So Ahab came into his house sullen and vexed because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him;for he said, "I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers." And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and ate no food. But Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, "How is it that your spirit is so sullen that you are not eating food?" So he said toher, "Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, 'Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if it pleases you, I will give you a vineyard in its place.' But he said, 'I Will not give you my vineyard.'" Jezebel his wife said to him, "Do you now reign overIsrael? Arise, eat bread, and let your heart be joyful; I will give you the vineyard ofNaboth the Jezreelite." So she wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal, and sent letters to the elders and to the nobles who were living with Naboth in his city. Now she wrote in the letters, saying, "Proclaim a fast and seat Naboth at the head of the people; and seat two worthless men before him, and let them testify against him,saying, 'You cursed God and the king.' Then take him out and stone him to death." Sothe men of his city, the elders and the nobles who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had sent word to them, just as it was written in the letters which she had sent them. They Proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth at the head of the people. Then the two worthless men came in and sat before him; and the worthless men testified against him, even against Naboth, before the people, saying, "Naboth cursed God and the king." So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death with stones. Then they sent word toJezebel, saying, "Naboth has been stoned and is dead." When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, "Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth, the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; forNaboth is not alive, but dead." When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab arose togo down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it. Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, "Arise, go down to meet Ahab king ofIsrael, who is in Samaria; behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth where he has gone down to take possession of it. "You shall speak to him, saying, 'Thus says the LORD,"Have you murdered and also taken possession?"' And you shall speak to him, saying,'Thus says the LORD, "In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth thedogs will lick up your blood, even yours."'" Ahab said to Elijah, "Have you found me, Omy enemy?" And he answered, "I have found you, because you have sold yourself to devil in the sight of the LORD. "Behold, I will bring evil upon you, and will utterly sweep you away, and will cut off from Ahab every male, both bond and free in Israel; and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house ofBaasha the son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with which you have provoked Me To anger, and because you have made Israel sin. "Of Jezebel also has the LORDspoken, saying, 'The dogs will eat Jezebel in the district of Jezreel.' "The one belonging to Ahab, who dies in the city, the dogs will eat, and the one who dies in the field the birds of heaven will eat." Surely there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, because Jezebel his wife incited him. He acted very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites had done, whom the LORD cast out before the sons of Israel. It came about when Ahab heard these words, that he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and fasted, and he lay in sackcloth and went about despondently. Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, "Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself beforeMe, I will not bring the evil in his days, but I will bring the evil upon his house in his son's days."
(1Ki 21:1-29 NASB)
Not long after, Ahab is killed in battle. The fate YAH had for him became true, and within generations the House of Israel fell to the Assyrians. Truly Ahab’s covetous nature fell caused his entire household to fall and his kingdom to ruin.
But why this particular instance? Why not the consultation of other gods? Why not the marrying of Jezebel? Why not the building of the high places to the baals?
I heard it last week that covetousness causes all sin. I had to think long about it, and perhaps this rings true. To covet as mentioned here, pointed out is rooted in our inability to recognize our identity.
Ahab had almost everything, victory in war, prowess, a kingdom, and a palace. But the one thing he could not have was the vineyard of Naboth. Naboth recognized that Ahab’s request was for his inheritance, something that is only rightfully Naboth’s not Ahab’s. Covetousness likewise is the jealously of another’s inheritance, a longing for something that you cannot rightfully have in any sense of the imagination.
As the vineyard was not Ahab’s right, his blood was then lapped up by dogs after washing ashore where Naboth was wrongfully killed.
So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried the king in Samaria. They washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood (now the harlots bathed themselves there), according to the word of the LORD which He spoke.
(1Ki 22:37-38 NASB)
We must learn from the King of Israel’s mistake. To covet is not only to want another’s inheritance, but to deny your own. Abba has given what he has given, no more and no less. Our jealous eyes can lead to our own ruin, and the ruin of everyone else around us. As a reiteration of what you have already heard before, be content.
"For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? "And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? "And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. "But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! "Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?' "For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
(Mat 6:25-34 NASB)
Guest post by J. Cameron Mooney - jcameron.mooney [@] gmail [.] com