1 Kings 21:20, commentary and pictures

Elijah confronted Ahab face to face in Naboth's vineyard when Ahab came down to take possession of it after it had been gained by fraud and bloodshed. Ahab's greeting of Elijah as his enemy expresses startled fear, treating God's stern messenger as an adversary because the prophet faithfully brought his hidden sins to light. Elijah's answer turns the charge back upon the king, declaring that he has found him because he has given himself over to work evil in the sight of the Lord. To have sold himself to work evil means to have committed himself to wickedness against God and His principles, following a naturally covetous heart until, strengthened and sustained in wrong by Jezebel, he was fully controlled by selfishness and could brook no refusal of his desires. The rebuke exposed that his seizure of the vineyard was found out and announced doom upon him and upon his house. Those who faithfully reprove sin and bring wrongdoing to light may likewise meet scorn and rejection, and those who have sold themselves to do evil will not have God's favor until they repent with sincere purpose and receive pardon.

Setting and Meaning

Elijah met Ahab face to face in Naboth the Jezreelite's vineyard as Ahab went to take possession of it, while Elijah was still a prophet in Israel. The vineyard had been gained through fraud and bloodshed, through Jezebel's fraud and Naboth's death. Ahab had set his heart on possessing Naboth's vineyard near his palace for a garden of herbs. He had proposed to buy it for money or to give a better vineyard in exchange. That desire revealed a dominant covetous trait that disastrously influenced the fortunes of the kingdom under his successors.

The confrontation belongs to the years Elijah and Elisha labored together after the call of Elisha. At that time Elijah served for the overthrow of great evils. The idolatry supported by Ahab and Jezebel had received a decided check. The prophets of Baal had been slain, and Israel had been deeply stirred with many returning to the worship of God.

To have sold himself to work evil in the sight of the Lord means to have given himself over to doing what is wicked. It means committing himself to work against God's principles and against the Lord. Ahab was naturally covetous, and was strengthened and sustained in wrongdoing by Jezebel until fully controlled by the spirit of selfishness. He followed his evil heart until he could brook no refusal of his wishes and felt whatever he desired should by right be his. His life was marked by unusually shameful and violent deeds.

Ahab's address to Elijah as his enemy expressed startled fear. It treated God's stern messenger as an adversary when confronted with wrongdoing. It revealed that he regarded the prophet as an enemy because the prophet faithfully brought his hidden sins to light.

Rebuke, Judgment and Application

Elijah met Ahab face to face in Naboth's vineyard to deliver God's command after the vineyard had been gained by fraud and bloodshed, and Ahab's question expressed startled fear that treated God's stern messenger as his enemy. Elijah's answer was without hesitation that he had found him because he had sold himself to work evil in the sight of the Lord, a divine reproof that identified the king's own guilt and exposed wrongdoing rather than accepting blame for the one who delivered it. The rebuke announced that Ahab's wrongdoing in seizing the vineyard by flagrant evil had been found out and would bring divine judgment on him and his house.

It prophesied doom upon Ahab and doom upon all his house for wickedly seizing Naboth's vineyard. This stern rebuke belonged to the years Elijah and Elisha labored together after the call of Elisha, when Elijah served as God's instrument for the overthrow of gigantic evils after the idolatry supported by Ahab and the heathen Jezebel that had seduced the nation had received a decided check, the prophets of Baal had been slain, and the whole people of Israel had been deeply stirred with many returning to the worship of God. Even great position, responsibility and authority such as Ahab's does not place anyone above God, whose sovereignty over all such rulers is supreme. Those who without spiritual discernment and experience in the things of God take control of the large interests of God's publishing work into finite hands and place their own mold upon it will learn this truth to their own peril.

To sell oneself to do evil means to commit oneself to work against God's principles and against the Lord, giving oneself over to doing what is wicked. Those who do so will not have God's favor until they repent, come to Him with sincere purpose, and receive pardon. The same charge applies to a person whose speech and spirit have been given over to the world. The same image also describes the people of the world before the Flood, who turned from God's wisdom, came under Satan's influence, and worked wickedness, with disregard for God leading to oppression including physical suffering and control of conscience through human laws. Ahab regarded Elijah as his enemy because the prophet faithfully exposed and rebuked the king's hidden sins and brought wrongdoing to light, and those who faithfully reprove sin may likewise meet scorn, rejection and rebuffs.