Jezebel

Focus verses: II Kings 9:30-37

When Jezebel had Naboth killed so that Ahab could have Naboth's land at Jezreel, the word of the Lord came to say that the dogs would lick up Ahab's blood on that very land. But it also said that the dogs would devour Jezebel's flesh also on that very spot.

What could Jezebel have done to deserve such an ignominous end?

She fed Ahab's covetousness by telling him that as king, he should have the piece of ground he wanted. Never mind that God Himself had parceled that land to another family.

She took the seal of the king and wrote letters to elders and nobles in Naboth's city. In those letters, she laid out a scheme that used others to conspire against Naboth, to lie about Naboth, to have Naboth stoned to death.

The charge against Naboth was that he had cursed both God and the king. It was a lie. Naboth had not cursed God or the king. He had, in fact, simply honored God's legacy to his family by holding onto the land that had been parceled out as his family heritage from God.

Jezebel took God's name in vain in the most heinous manner, using it to condemn an innocent man.

Today's reading sees the dogs devour her flesh on the very land Ahab coveted. The word of the Lord never fails. Ahab was the most wicked king in Israel and Jezebel was his equal in treachery and wickedness. The Lord excised that particular wickedness by orchestrating the deaths of the couple and cutting off all their heritage in the land.

Father, God,

Help us to be discerning in our words and deeds. Grant us the favor of knowing Your voice among all the others that whisper in our ears. Keep us faithful to Your words, careful to do in Your name only those things which You have decreed.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

Heritage

Focus verses: I Kings 21:1-24

Today's reading tells us about the two most infamous people in the Old Testament and one faithful steward.

Ahab is the most wicked king to rule Israel, and Jezebel, his wife, has turned into a byword in our language as a descriptor of a treacherous woman.

The story of Naboth's vineyard seems rather innocuous in our day and age. Why would Naboth keep something that he could sell at a profit? After all, the king offered to trade him a different piece of property or to purchase the vineyard outright for cash.

But remember when the children of Israel took possession of the land, each tribe was given a specific portion of the land. The land is their heritage.

Back in the book of Joshua, chapter 13, we have the land being divided according to the word of the Lord spoken directly to Joshua. "Be sure to allocate this land to Israel for an inheritance, as I have instructed you, and divide it as an inheritance among the nine tribes and half of the tribe of Manasseh." (v. 13)

Naboth looked upon his land as an inheritance from the Lord. A gift from God is not to be taken lightly, nor traded off like one would barter a donkey or a bushel of grain. Look at his answer to Ahab: "The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers."

Naboth valued his heritage from the Lord and took his stewardship quite seriously.

What has the Lord given us that we value so highly? And how are we using it? What spiritual gifts do we have that we can use to benefit the body of Christ? And when was the last time we took these questions into consideration?

Father, God,

Teach us to use our inheritace from You wisely. Show us our gifts and how You would have us use them for Your glory.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

Completed Word

Focus verses: I Kings 22:28-36

When Ahab killed Naboth for his vineyard, the Lord told Ahab that the dogs would lick up his blood exactly where they licked up the blood of Naboth.

Can't you imagine that Ahab was very careful for his life from that day forward? Look at today's reading. The Israelites, both Israel and Judah, are about to go into battle against Aram. The king of Judah goes in his normal garb, but the king of Israel, Ahab, goes disguised as a nobody.

The king of Aram told his warriors to target the king of Israel, but with Ahab in disguise, they didn't know where he was. To all intents and purposes, Ahab was killed by a stray arrow. What a coincidence.

It is a coincidence only if you will accept my definition of the word: a small miracle where God chooses to remain anonymous, so if you don't want to see Him, you don't have to. But if you are looking, there He is.

The word of God never comes back void, but it always completes what it says. That is as true of the uncomfortable consequences as it is of the beneficial ones.

Father, God,

Help us to take all Your words as You meant them. Remind us that the uncomfortable truths in the Bible are just as valid as the reassuring ones. Keep us faithful to all Your truth.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

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