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            My Sunday morning Bible class is currently in 1 Kings 21. We just began a study of the events regarding Naboth and his vineyard. There is plenty of human drama surrounding that incident. It is full of lessons that are valuable to us all. If this article is to help you at all it would be good if you would read 1 Kings 21.
            Some of the most memorable accounts in scripture center around individuals. A pet peeve for me is when people speak of “Bible characters,” as if they were characters in a fictional story. The Bible does describe in character, every type of person who has ever lived. Otherwise, they were ordinary people like ourselves. Such scriptural encounters instruct us of good and evil, love and hate, generosity and greed, justice and injustice. We see people at their best and worst and everything in between. Here is a picture of Ahab’s pettiness and Jezebel’s ruthlessness. Naboth is an innocent victim caught up in political corruption.
            As the chapter opens Naboth the Jezreelite owned a vineyard (vs. 1). Unfortunately for him it adjoined the king’s palace. Ahab decided that he wanted Naboth’s vineyard for his expansion plans.
            Ahab, to his credit, made what would seem a fair enough offer for it (vs. 2). Naboth’s answer to Ahab’s proposal was: “No deal!” (vs. 3). Naboth’s refusal to give up his property was based on two Old Testament passages: Leviticus 25:23-28 and Numbers 36:7-9. Naboth used the word “inheritance” which designates that piece of land he received when the land was divided up among the heirs. Families were to keep the part they received, passing it down to the nearest relative as family members died (Num. 27:6-11). The land could be leased for a while if circumstances demanded it, but never sold outright. In the year of Jubilee the land was returned to its heir (Lev. 25:10, 23). Some things are worth more than money.
            Ahab acts the cry-baby (vs. 4). It was only a vineyard! Discontent is a sin that is its own punishment and makes us torment ourselves. Paul was content in a prison – Ahab was discontent in a palace.
            Enter Jezebel (vs. 5). She wants to know why Ahab is so upset and won’t come down to supper. On a practical level it serves us well to take notice of the problems of our spouses. Notice how Ahab concealed the real reason for Naboth’s refusal (vs. 6). He did not include Naboth’s words: “the inheritance of my fathers.” Ahab may have been the spin-doctor by leaving Naboth’s religious reasons out of it making it sound like sheer bullheadedness. Or, he may have known that Jezebel could hardly have cared less about Israelite views of ancestral land holdings, and so shortened his answer.
            Jezebel to Ahab: “Are you king or a wimp?” (vs. 7) “No local-yokel grape picker can stand in your way if you want something!” “Your problem, Ahab, is that you think the king is subject to the law. You need to get it through your head that what you want is the law!” “If people stand in your way you just run over them!” “Let me take care of this. I’ll get you Naboth’s vineyard.”
            She wrote letters (scrolls) to the leaders in Naboth’s town (vss. 8-10). “Proclaim a fast.” “Set Naboth at the head of the people.” “And set two worthless men opposite him, and let them bring a charge against him, saying, ‘You have cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.” This was injustice, but she made it religious injustice with the fast. It was also legal injustice because she arranged two witnesses as the law required (Deut. 17:6-7; 19:15; Num. 35:30).

            This incident is a short course on what greed does to people. Greed or covetousness is the compelling desire for more, or for something we cannot properly obtain. It is no wonder that covetousness is called idolatry (Col. 3:5). It is the worship of money. Greed marks a dissatisfaction with what God has provided for our happiness. It is a quest for happiness in ways that it can never be found. There will always be the need for more.