The law provided that the land could be leased for a period, but that it could never be sold outright (Leviticus 25:13-15).. Did Ahab respect Naboth for doing the right . The vineyard was owned by Naboth and Ahab asked to buy it or exchange it for what he considered to be a better vineyard. Amen. window.location.replace(""); Some peoples land was better than others. [10] The wine was then strained into jars that were stored in a cool place for secondary fermentation. The bottle-shaped pits found at Jezreel are identical with those at Gibeon, and were ideal temperate storage places for secondary fermentation. He had lots of good thingsbut here he was, acting like a baby. Elijah wore the roughest kind of clothes, but underneath that crude clothing was a righteous and courageous heart. God had clearly said that the land should not be transferred from tribe to tribe, and he was afraid to disobey Gods clear command. 5. Ask: What was wrong with Ahabs answer? Leviticus 25 assumes that a landed Israelite would be willing to part with his property only in extreme circumstances, as a last resort (v. 25). God of compassion, you suffer in the grief of your people, and you are present to heal and forgive. His wife Jezebel said, "Is this how the King of Israel acts? When Jezebel heard the news, she said to Ahab, You know the vineyard Naboth wouldnt sell you? A close reading of the text, however, reveals that the authors are not primarily concerned with wealth and poverty. Why did Naboth refuse to sell his vineyard to Ahab? The land had been provided by God as part of his grace toward Israel; therefore, no one was to take the land of another away from him. [ 1 Kings 21:9-16] We have just read the center section of this twenty-first chapter of 1 Kings. The distinction between land and city-property seems to be one of productivity. He lived at a time when tens of thousands in Israel had forsaken Gods commandments, thrown down Gods altars, and slain Gods prophets. . She was a daring and reckless person. A king sees something he desires, and he devises a way to take it. But Naboth said to Ahab, 'The Lord forbid that I should give you my ancestral inheritance.'. Answer (1 of 9): . But I had said he should be set apart to the Lord in a special way to be destroyed. In Area K, a particularly impressive installation was carved into the limestone bedrock at the foot of the hill of Jezreel, north-east of the area excavated in the 1990s, and directly south of a large fertile terrace that sloped towards the spring of Jezreel. Like a good judge, God must punish sin. it belonged to a commoner, Naboth of Jezreel (an ancient city at the foot of Mount Gilboa, probably the site of the modern Israeli settlement of the same name). Ahab wanted Naboth to sell his vineyard to him. And Elijah said (with his eyes burning their way down into Ahabs guilty soul), I have found thee, because thou has sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord. And then in verses 21 to 24, Elijah predicts the doom of Ahab and Jezebel. The fundamental injustice is that Ahab fails to honor God. Or would that be treated as land that could not be sold in perpetuity? Ahab stopped eating and began to act very humble. Jezebel, the king's wife, asked him what was wrong. But let us look at:-. When Naboth is murdered by a mob incited by the queen, his property falls to the crown. Then, too, with Ahabs summer palace being so close, Naboth had a glimpse of the idolatry and the wild parties that were commonly held in the kings palace. The Jubilee law makes a distinction between property in the land, property in unwalled villages, property in walled cities, and property in Levitical cities (cf. Every father ought to lovingly teach it to his sons and daughters. Ahab had definitely wronged a true-hearted man in Israel, and he was punished accordingly. [8] The kibbutz told us this in response to inquiry about whether they had taken in any soil to analyze. God sent a prophet to tell Ahab, "The Lord says, 'Do you see this huge army? The law provided that the land could be leased for a period, but that it could never be sold outright (Leviticus 25:13-15).. He seeks after us; He wants us to turn from our sin and follow Him. King Ahab offered Naboth a better piece of land. Programs Pass UCE Pass UACE Career Guidance This threw Ahab into a tizzy because he didn't get what he wanted, and he began pouting. She said to give Naboth a special seat, and then call in two bad men who would lie about Naboth, saying that he had cursed God and cursed the King. Under the covenant, the land was never to be permanently transferred to someone else. Note to Teacher: Jezebels plan is both ironic and disturbing. During those years, I can imagine that Ahab never heard a dog bark, but that he didnt jump. The piece of dirt on which his vineyard sat was that apportioned to his family by God himself when Israel took possession of the land of promise. Say: Lets try to picture this scene. Using human logic, Naboth would have been better off taking the Kings offer. Say: Look carefully at what Ahab said. He was in a bad mood. A. Rof, Vineyard of Naboth (see above note 1), 438-444; M. Cogan, 1 Kings (see above note 1) 486. But remember, it wasnt only for sentimental reasons, that Naboth refused the proposition. He had a great army and a fat treasury. By Harold S. MartinA Bible Helps Booklet No. Vineyards. His fathers hands (which now were folded in the dust beneath the sod) had toiled in that garden. Ask: Who knows what a vineyard is used for? If we have done something wrong, leaving out details might seem like a convenient way to stay out of trouble. King Ahab is one of the better known personalities in the history of Israel. She had him falsely accused and stoned to death. Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Readers Version, (NIrV). Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Answer Naboth's story in the Bible ( 1 Kings 21) involves the downfall of the wicked king Ahab of Israel and his infamous wife, Jezebel. How did Ahab respond to Naboths refusal to sell the vineyard? When Naboth refused to part with his vineyard ("the inheritance of my fathers"), Jezebel falsely charged him with blaspheming "God and. Application: In todays story, we see that God is just, and He is also loving. Murder of Naboth. He took what he wanted by force, simply because he could. The second person named here is Ahab: Ahab was the seventh king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (c. 850 B.C. We are to fight injustices such as false accusations as we are able. - Exodus 34:b-7a CEV. Primary fermentation would have continued in Vat 1 for a number of days; a number of ancient sources specify that this first stage took place for three days in open jars or in the collection vat. I wouldn't sell my vineyard and so I was stoned to death. This meant that Naboth never had full ownership of the land. You cant get by with sin. Describe the plot that Jazebel devised to get the vineyard for her husband. She ordered that the leaders to call everyone in town together for a day of prayer. [3] Ahab's wife, Jezebel asked him why he was downcast (sulking) and he told her that Naboth would not sell him his vineyard. // Javascript URL redirection In a room in the palace in Samaria, King Ahab is lying on his couch with . why did naboth refuse to sell his vineyardkanawha county board of education. Soon, Elisha would take Elijahs place. 0. why did naboth refuse to sell his vineyard . ); he was the worst of Israels kings. [14], As Jezreel was an important city in ancient Israel, it is likely that winery dates from this period. Sadly, since the order had been sealed with the Kings seal, it had to be followed. The description of his life in the Old Testament takes up more space than the description of any other wicked man who is described there. For Naboth is no longer alive, but dead." Ray Dillard pointed to Leviticus 25 for the answer: "Because the land represented the fruit of the nation's redemption, God commanded that it. Ahab died in battle when the Lord decided it should happen (1 Kings 22:20, 37). In the same way, God must punish sin. King Ahab wanted a piece of land to plant a garden. Well, you can have it now! It does not matter whether they are slaves or free You have made me very angry. Failing to honor God is, in the end, the real injustice from which all other kinds come. Groucho Marx. Why did King Ahab want Naboth's vineyard? [4] Naboth s Refusal March 30, 2005 by Peter Leithart Why did Naboth refuse to sell his vineyard to Ahab? "Naboth said to Ahab, 'The Lord forbid me that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers." (1 Kings 21.3} According to the Law, Naboth could not sell his father's inheritance, and he reminds the king of this, thereby declaring his faithfulness to the Lord God. In premodern land-tenure systems, vineyards, like houses, gardens, and terraces, belonged to the category of private property. He was like a tall cedar as he wrestled with the cyclones of paganism, for he did it without bending and without breaking. God did not let the King Ahab get away with murder because the prophet Elijah found him and passed on God's message of displeasure. A vineyard was even considered to be so desirable that, according to the biblical account, it led to the queen, Jezebel, arranging for the owner of a vineyard to be murdered so that her husband, King Ahab, could take it over (1 Kings 21:1-29). Families were not free to do with the land whatever they wanted. In the book of Exodus, God told Moses, I am the Lord God. But God loves us so much, that He sent Jesus to pay for our sin. Naboth wasnt just being stubborn here. But I will bring it on his royal house when his son is king." In the twenty-first century, imagining a king or other leader who wields this type of authority and influence can be difficult. Why did Naboth refuse to sell his vineyard to King Ahab? One day Ahab said to Naboth, Since your vineyard is so convenient to my palace, I would like to buy it to use as a vegetable garden. In the case of Naboth, the king had him murdered. Later, your mom came and asked, Honey, did you see what happened to the neighbors window? Since your eyes were closed, you quickly reply, No. You may not have seen it, but you certainly knew what happened. She said it was needful to proclaim a fast in order to avoid the wrath of heaven. I am the Lord God. contributions other than intangible religious benefits. Ahab offered to give Naboth a better piece of land or to give him a fair price in cash. 2. Ray Dillard pointed to Leviticus 25 for the answer: "Because the land represented the fruit of the nation's redemption, God commanded that it remain in the hands of the families to whom it was originally allotted. It was a woman who suggested to Haman that he build a gallows on which to hang Mordecai; it was a woman who told Job (in the midst of his suffering) to curse God and die. The location of the winery, east of the Jezreel enclosure and near the junction of the Via Maris with the Ridge Route to Jezreel and on to Samaria, correlates well with the story. She knew that blasphemy bore the punishment of death by stoning (Leviticus 24:14-16). Naboth could have lived richly by selling his vineyard, but the word of the Lord meant more to him than earthly riches, and he stood firm. Naboth was a Jezreelite. He tore his clothes and put on black clothes. The man asking the question was troubled that within the pages of Scripture was a story where an evil king took away both the life and the property of a good man. Back when God handed out the land to the twelve tribes of Israel, He forbid them to sell or give their part of the land to another tribe or family (Leviticus 25:23). The LORD had forbidden him to do so in the Law of Moses. But Naboth was not doing what was right in his own eyes; he was obeying God. Growing grapes. God gently prodded Elijah to see that fearing the evil Jezebel and running away was sin. As we saw, God was very patient with Ahab and Jezebel.