4. So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, "I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers." He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat. 5. His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, "Why are you so sullen? Why won't you eat?" 6. He answered her, "Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, 'Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.' But he said, 'I will not give you my vineyard.'" 7. Jezebel his wife said, "Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I'll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite."
The heart of the King moved from desire to envy. Naboth lived next door to one of the palaces. Ahab thought it would be nice to have a vegetable garden. He looked around and imagined how nice it would be. He inquired about the possibility of buying it or trading for a better piece of land.
Wanting something you do not have is not necessarily a sin. We would never buy anything if that were the case.
Naboth seems to be one of the Jehovah worshippers. The context indicates he sought to keep the laws of the Lord. Family rights with inherited property was more than just a piece of land, it was part of a religious and family commitment to keep it. Leviticus 25:23 taught, “The land must not be sold permanently because the land is mine and you are aliens and my tenants.”
When the land was divided at the time of Joshua, various people claimed the land as from the Lord. Numbers 36:7 “So shall not the inheritance the children of Israel remove from tribe to tribe: for every one of the children of Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.”
Desire led to covetousness and covetousness is a sin. Ahab wanted his neighbor’s property. He was unable to buy or trade it. He had enough of his own but there is something about not having what you want that makes it more attractive.
Children are especially that way when they can’t get what they want. If someone else has it, they feel envious. Envy is also holding something against the other for having what we want. Covetousness to that degree is breaking God’s law.
Adults are guilty too. Maybe it is something they cannot afford and they think about it until it affects their attitude. Many are wrapped up in personal possessions with disillusionment that if only I can have it, it will bring happiness, but it never does because soon there is something else and this desire is never satisfied.
Jezebel saw her husband in this mood. She comes up with a plan. Her standards certainly aren’t to protect the rights of the citizens. Her value system is, what the King wants the King gets. It is a matter of power. The issue becomes bigger than a plot a land.
Prayer: Lord, protect my heart against covetousness and give me a heart content in You.
