Podcast 72, Story if Elijah, “Pt 6”

Elijah remains a thorn in the side of Ahab and Jezebel. Whenever Elijah appears to Ahab it is to prophecy drought, death, or humiliation for Ahab. Ahab refers to Elijah as his enemy. The strangest thing about Ahab, as wicked as he is, is how he manages to escape the wrath of God. One problem is that Ahab is under the powerful influence of his wife Jezebel, the Phoenician Princess and idol worshiper. The Phoenicians introduced Baal worship to the northern tribes of Israel, and Jezebel was a religious fanatic. His marriage to Jezebel was a political alliance. Her wickedness is even greater than Ahab. She had many prophets of God murdered. Ahab has many wives as we learn from 1 Kings 20, but only Jezebel pulls the strings. In this chapter we learn just how cold blooded Jezebel is.

1 Kings 21:1-4

And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money. And Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee. And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.

Ahab is sulking, but apparently it doesn’t enter into his mind to do mischief to the innocent Naboth. Ahab, being an Israelite, fully understood Naboth’s reluctance to give up his inheritance. In those days land was generational. They did not, with the change of jobs move from city to city or state to state. They were identified by their relationship to the land of their inheritance.

Jezebel came from a maritime culture where trading was a way of life. With Jezebel, however, who came from a royal family, if a desired item could not be taken by trade, it could be taken by force. She was unscrupulous. Murder was merely a means to an end.

When she learned that Elijah had killed the prophets of Baal, she immediately retaliated.

1 Kings 19:1-2

And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.

She treated Naboth in the same fashion. Naboth’s only offence was that he wanted to keep his inheritance for his children. Jezebel talks to her husband.

1 Kings 21:5-7

But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread? And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard. And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.

Was Ahab complicit? Certainly, by his silence. He knew what Jezebel was capable of. For example, before Jezebel, he tried to have Elijah killed. When we first meet Elijah we find him in hiding from the king. It didn’t bother Ahab that Jezebel wanted to kill Elijah. We may assume that he simply didn’t inquire into her methods of getting the vineyard from Naboth.