NABOTH’S VINEYARD

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jul 14, 1898

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 28.

NABOTH’S VINEYARD

Lesson V.—Sunday, July 31, 1898.

NABOTH’S VINEYARD.

Lesson Scripture, 1 Kings 21: 4-16, R.V.

4 “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 5 away his face, and would eat no bread. But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that 6 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 7 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 8 the Jezreelite. So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, and that dwelt with 9 Naboth. And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people; and set two men, sons of Belial, before him, and let them bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst curse God and the king. And then 10 carry him out, and stone him, that he die. And the men of his 11 city, even the elders and the nobles who dwelt in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, according as it was written in 12 the letters which she had sent unto them. They proclaimed a 13 fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. And the two men, sons of Belial, came in and sat before him; and the men of Belial bare witness against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did curse God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and 14 stoned him with stones, that he died. Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead. And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give 15 thee for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead. And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.”

Golden Text: “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house.” Ex. 20: 17.

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.

(1) What occurred to greatly displease King Ahab? What had Naboth said? How did the king manifest his displeasure? V. 4. Note 1. (2) What did his wife say when she noticed his sullen mood? V. 5. (3) What explanation did the king give? V. 6. (4) What sarcastic question did Jezebel ask? In order to dispel his gloom, what assurance did she give him? V. 7. Note 2. (5) How did she undertake to carry out her purpose? V. 8. Note 3. (6) What plan was suggested in her letters? V. 9. Note 4. (7) What further directions were given? V. 10. Note 5. (8) How did the men of the city regard the queen’s proclamation? Vs. 11, 12. (9) What witnesses testified against Naboth? What was their testimony? What was the result of the trial? V. 13. Note 6. (10) Then what word was sent to Jezebel? V. 14. (11) When Jezebel heard this word, what did she say to Ahab? V. 15. Note 7. (12) Then what did Ahab do? V. 16. Note 8.

NOTES.

1. Would eat no bread.—Samaria was the capital of the kingdom of Israel, and Jezreel was a country village about twenty-five miles north, where King Ahab had a favorite residence and probably extensive grounds. Because Naboth’s vineyard was close to the royal grounds, Ahab wanted it; and, like a spoiled child, he sulked because he could not have his way.

2. Dost thou now govern?—Jezebel’s idea of royalty was that a subject had no rights that the king was bound to respect; that it was simply the privilege and power of gratifying selfish desire—an idea by no means extinct in our own time.

3. In the king’s name.—That Jezebel ruled the king had been manifested often before, and now she would show him that she had more power than he had dared to exercise. Her arrogant influence in the government was indicated by her assuming to write letters in the king’s name.

4. Proclaim a fast.—To “proclaim a fast” was a very pious tho hypocritical act designed to cover the wickedness of her purpose. It portended some great public exigency that could be met only by extraordinary means. See Joel 1: 13-20; Isa. 58: 4-7. Under the solemnity of the fast, Naboth was “set on high;” that is, he was set up before the court on grave charges, perhaps as the cause of an approaching calamity. To this day oriental rulers are wont to issue public proclamations, of very virtuous or pious pretense, and then give secret instructions to officials about carrying out the hidden object of the demonstration.

5. Two men.—It was necessary to have two witnesses in order to condemn one to death. See Deut. 19: 15; Matt. 18: 16; 26: 59-61. Sons of Belial means reckless, lawless fellows. Only such would bear false witness. Altho the word “Belial” is capitalized in the Bible, it is not a proper noun.

6. Cursed God and the king.—The witnesses declared that Naboth had blasphemed God and the king. The case was somewhat similar to that of Stephen, who was condemned on the charge of blasphemy, on the testimony of two suborned witnesses, and stoned to death. Of course there was a semblance of lawfulness in the matter; for the legal penalty for blasphemy was death. See Lev. 24: 16. These cases illustrate how the law can be made to subserve evil purposes. In fact, all evil is good perverted. It appears from 2 Kings 9: 26 that Naboth’s sons were also put to death; thus, there being no heirs, the land would lawfully fall to the crown.

7. Arise, take possession.—Apparently Ahab knew nothing of the plan that Jezebel had in mind until it was consummated. The fast was evidently a local affair, and only the people of the village of Jezreel were included in the proclamation. The rashness of the deed would indicate that it was a summary proceeding.

8. Ahab rose up to . . . take possession.—This whole transaction was the result of “covetousness, which is idolatry.” Col. 3: 5. But Jezebel overreached her mark, as ambitious, covetous people usually do. She gave Ahab the vineyard of Naboth, but with it she sealed the king’s doom and her own also. See remainder of lesson chapter, and 2 Kings 9.