1 kings 21

Envy and Jealousy can drive you to do the most foolish things. Here is Ahab, king of Israel; he has more possessions than he knows what to do with. Yet, he sees something he doesn’t have, a little vineyard next to the palace, and he thinks, “what a nice garden that would make”. He goes to Naboth, the owner of the vineyard, and offers him money or a bigger vineyard to replace it. Naboth says “no way Jose” because the vineyard has been in the family since the Israelites possessed the land! To Naboth, that land was given to him specifically from the Lord, there was no way he was going to give it up. Ahab leaves furious.

In the next scene we see Ahab behaving like a little child, sulking in bed and refusing to eat because he can’t have what he wants. We may not do this exactly, but it is a good visual illustration of what goes on in our hearts when we don’t get what we want. Do you throw a temper tantrum, or sulk around the house? Do you get touchy and moody when things don’t go your way? If so it is selfishness, and it is sin.

Jezebel tells Ahab she can make it all better. What she really does is kill Naboth and take his land. Ahab doesn’t mourn, he is delighted. All he cares about is his stupid garden. Do you ever do things for your own benefit at the expense of others? This is sin, and grieves the heart of God. He desires for us to put others before ourselves, to “serve one another in love”. In the end, God turns the tables on Ahab and sends a prophetic message about how Ahab’s life will end, and what will become of his family. Ahab’s selfish choices ultimately became self-destruction… and that is how it always goes.