HE MURDERED AND TOOK POSSESSION In the Septuagint version, this chapter came before the last one; so that what happened concerning taking possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite preceded the war between Ahab and Ben-Hadad; an order also adopted by the Historian Josephus. Ahab was so preoccupied by his palaces and gardens, that he desired to acquire the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which was next to Ahab’s winter palace in Jezreel.. He was ready to pay its worth in money to Naboth, or to give him a better one instead. When Naboth refused to sell the inheritance of his fathers, the wicked Jezebel planned to have him murdered. The priestess of Baal accused him of blasphemy against the name of the living God, and that of the king; as though the murderess of the prophets is zealous on the name of the living God. She murdered and took possession. God sent the prophet Elijah to rebuke Ahab; to find him, for the first time ever, put on sackcloth, fast, and walk with humility. For that, God, in His exalted mercy, said to the prophet Elijah: “Because Ahab has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his days, but in the days of his son; I will bring the calamity on his house” (28). 1- Ahab seeks the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite 1 - 4 2- Jezebel ordered the murder of Naboth 5 - 16 https://coptic-treasures.com/ 3- The prophet Elijah encounters Ahab 17 - 26 4- Ahab humbles himself 27 – 29 1- AHAB SEEKS THE VINEYARD OF NABOTH THE JEZREELITE: Naboth probably boasted that his vineyard was next to the king’s winter palace, not perceiving that he will lose his life for the sake of that neighborhood. That is why the counsel of many fathers of the Church was: [Keep away from the rulers to save yourself from trouble]. As to Ahab, he is now breaking the tenth divine commandment, by coveting what is his neighbor’s. He could have rented the vineyard; and do any improvement he likes, to enjoy it all his life; but he only sought to possess it; and when he could not, he fell ill. Being an Israelite who fears God, Naboth, cherished the inheritance of his fathers. He had no intention to insult the king, nor to disobey his commands; but he felt a commitment to keep the divine law that utterly forbids man to sell his inheritance to another; specially if he belongs to another tribe; And if he does, for some reason, he may have it back in the seventh year, namely in the year of the Jubilee (Leviticus 25: 23-28; Numbers 36: 7). Refusing to sell the vineyard did not come out of love for it, nor of stubbornness toward the king; but was based upon his obedience to the divine commandment. “And it came to pass after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel next to the palace of ahab king of Samaria” (1) . So Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, ‘Give me your vineyard that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near, next to my house; and for it, I will give you a vineyard better than it; or if it seems good to you, I will https://coptic-treasures.com/ give you its worth in money’ (2). And Naboth said to Ahab, ‘The Lord forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you” (3) What preoccupied the heart of Ahab was his own pleasure, assuming that by his authority or wealth, he could fulfill everything, even if it is contrary to the divine law. Whereas what preoccupied the heart of Naboth was the divine commandment; for him there was nothing worth breaking it. Naboth, most probably was one of the 7000, whose knees did not bow to Baal, and whose lips did not kiss him. He obeyed God more than men; and saw in giving away his portion in the promised land, even for the king’s sake, a sign of his slothfulness of his eternal inheritance for the sake of man, whatever his position is. According to St. Ambrose, he held fast to the inheritance of his fathers. + If Naboth defended his vineyard by his blood; and did not give away the inheritance of his father, shall I give away the inheritance of Christ? … As a bishop, I say: Let the emperor act as an emperor; Let him even take my life, but not my faith. (St. Ambrose) “So Ahab went into the house sullen and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him, for he had said, ‘I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers’. And he lay down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no food” (4) Ahab’s behavior was childish. Instead of seriously thinking in a mature way, he got depressed to the extent of falling ill on his bed. His pride, greed, and desire for pleasures, made him physically and psychologically ill. https://coptic-treasures.com/ In the last chapter, we saw Ahab return to his house sullen and displeased, when the prophet revealed to him his wrongdoing. Now, we see him sullen and displeased because Naboth intends to obey God more than him. He was living in his royal palace, enjoying the pleasures of the land of Canaan; a house full of everything precious; an undisputed authority; and honorably sitting on the throne. Yet his spirit was sick, his soul moaned with affliction, and his body sick. The real problem was not in Naboth’s refusal to give him his vineyard, but was in the depths of Ahab’s heart; Depression was the fruit of giving the back to God, the source of Joy. Instead of feeling satisfaction, and giving thanks to God, man feels he is in trouble, from which he cannot emerge; and punishes himself by depression and grief. The apostle Paul was thrown into a dungeon, his hands and feet bound in chains, his body covered with blood; and above all, denied the freedom to consummate his preaching mission among the people; Yet, he was exultant and praising the Lord; no depression could ever swallow his spirit, nor grief could find a place in his soul. Ahab loved the vineyard, but disregarded the Creator of the vineyard. + You may ask: Why should I not love the world, which is the creation of God? Brother, Whoever loves anyone or anything, but not for the sake of God, his love for God would be too little to mention. To love the created things for their own sake, would be greed and not love. + You have the choice: Either to love the temporal things, and pass away together with them, or not to love them and stay with God forever. + Our Lord Jesus Christ became a Man – to plant Himself on the bank of the river of time. If you feel that you are carried away with the torrent of the love of the world, hasten to hold fast to Christ, on account of that, for your sake, He entered into the time; yet He did not cease to remain eternal. https://coptic-treasures.com/ (St. Augustine) 2- JEZEBEL MURDERS NABOTH: “But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said to him, Why is your spirit so sullen that you eat no food? (5) “So he said to her: ‘Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite, and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money, or else, if it pleases you, I will give you another vineyard for it’, and he answered, “I will not give you my vineyard’ “ (6) “Then Jezebel his wife said to him, ‘You now exercise authority over Israel! Arise and eat food, and let your heart be cheerful. I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite’” (7) Telling his wife the conversation between him and Naboth the Jezreelite, Ahab did not mention the reason for his refusal to sell the vineyard - the divine commandment; probably for fear of referring to the name of God in his talk to her, Under the pretense of giving comfort to her sullen husband, she fed up his pride, and ignited the live coal inside him. She counted his behavior, his sullenness, and his refrain from eating food, an insult to his position as a king of authority, who should give commands; that the whole issue is too small for him as a king to think of; that entering into a debate with a commoner like Naboth, is insulting to him and to the royal throne; and that it is not befitting of him to buy and sell, but should command to be obeyed. So she gave the king a lesson in haughtiness, arrogance, and misuse of authority; she told him that she, the queen, will give him the vineyard of Naboth free and with no labor. https://coptic-treasures.com/ It is as though she is saying to him: ‘Who is the king? You or Naboth? If Naboth refuses your demand, he is then the king of authority; and you are not the king, submitting to his refusal. “So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent the letter to the elders and the nobles who were dwelling in the city with Naboth” (8) “And she wrote in the letter, saying, ‘Proclaim a fast, and seat Naboth with high honor among the people” (9) “And seat two men, scoundrels, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, ‘You have blasphemed God and the king’. Then take him out and stone him, that he may die’” (10) After giving the king a lesson of the concept of royalty and authority, she intended to give another to Naboth in the concept of submission and obedience to the king; even though against the divine commandment. She would not accept less than shedding his blood as a price of keeping and honoring the divine commandment, more than the royal command. She sent a letter to the elders and the nobles of Jezreel, who were tools in her hand, to move at her will; sealed with the royal seal to confirm that what it contain is a very serious issue that touches the prestige and security of the state. Sealing the royal letters was known by the pharaohs of Egypt since about 2000 years B.C.; the seals were mentioned in the days of Esther the queen (Esther 3: 12); and by Job 38: 41. It so seems that it was not the first time she used the seal of the king on whatever she wrote. She most probably used it when she sent letters to order the killing of the prophets of the Lord. In her present letter she demanded from the elders to seek a false testimony against Naboth, and to condemn him to death; without https://coptic-treasures.com/ referring to the reason for that. She did not bother to send false witness on her own, but demanded from the judges to do that, then to issue the verdict, they know is false. That could never happen unless she knows for sure that they have lost their faithfulness and honor; unless she had complete trust in their obedience at the expense of the truth; as though she is a serpent spitting venom through them. She covered her plan under a religious garment; as the first charge was blaspheming God and the king; accusing him of what she herself has committed in a horrible way; namely blaspheming God and oppressing Him, and killing His prophets; and demanded that the trial should be carried out in a tight way that carries the pretension of justice. The verdict of blaspheming God was to be stoned to death (Leviticus 24: 16; John 10: 33); followed by erecting a column of stone at the site of stoning, as a testimony to the crime committed. Blaspheming the king was not a second crime for which Naboth was tried, but an extension of the first one; as a steward of God. Jezebel demanded from the elders to proclaim a fast; as though the issue was so serious that required supplication and humiliation before God. It was surely not for the sake of repentance, remorse, or the return to God, but it was done by an evil priestess of idols, to cover her evil up with a spiritual cover of deception. The elders fulfilled their task with great precision; whether for fear from Jezebel, or to gain material rewards, or for their hatred of Naboth’s godliness. Naboth was publicly executed together with his children, to make sure that no one will seek the vineyard for inheritance after his death, or will seek revenge against those who unjustly murdered him. According to the law, the children were to endure the punishment together with their parents (Joshua 7: 24-25). And as Jahu said when https://coptic-treasures.com/ he killed Jehoram, “’Surely I saw yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons’, says the Lord” (2 kings 9: 26). She demanded to have the law applied in its formalities with all precision; through hiring two witnesses; for no one should be condemned to death by the testimony of one man (Deuteronomy 17: 6; 19: 5; Numbers 35: 30; Matthew 26: 60). So they chose two scoundrels, who would not hesitate to lie and to falsely swear. The law of the apostles confirms the importance of making sure of the integrity of witnesses in the church trials. As it so often happens that two or more witnesses may falsely testify; as when the two elders testified against the chaste Susanna in Babylon (Susanna 28); when the two scoundrels testified against Naboth in Samaria (1 kings 21); when the multitudes of the Jews who testified against our Lord in Jerusalem (Matthew 26); and against Steven, His first martyr (Acts 6, 7). In the law of the apostles it came: [The witnesses have to be meek, free of evil and anger; faithful, and religious. For then, the testimony of such man would be as straightforward as their persons, and as true as their way of life]. The first charge against Naboth was that he is a blasphemer and a rebel, who attacks God by words of blasphemy, and His steward on earth, despising the honor of the crown and the throne. According to some, he was charged, as well, with idol-worship, the punishment of which was to be stoned to death (Deuteronomy 12: 6; 17: 2-70; as though Jezebel accused Naboth with what she, herself has committed; but many scholars reject such a view. According to many, the word ‘bless’, would mean both ‘bless’ and ‘curse’, and would be interpreted according to the text in which it came. We notice that, in the book of ‘Job’, when his wife said to him “Bless the Lord and die”; and her words were not literally translated as “Curse the Lord and die” (Job 1: 5, 11; 2: 5). And according to some, the word “Bless” is used when someone encounters another, and greets him; or when he bids him farewell as he departs; hence it bears the https://coptic-treasures.com/ meaning of blessing in the good concepts; as well as the concept ‘Allow me to depart’; or ‘dismiss’ or ‘curse’. As though blaspheming or cursing God, is like dismissing Him, or seeks from Him to depart from someone. “So the men of his city, the elders and the nobles, who were inhabitants of his city, did as Jezebel has sent to them, as it was written in the letters which she had sent to them” (11) “They proclaimed a fast, and seated Naboth with high honor among the people” (12) “And two men, scoundrels, came in and sat before him; and the scoundrels witnessed against him, against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, ‘Naboth has blasphemed God and the king’. Then they took him outside the city and stoned him with stones, so that he dies” (13) Jezebel’s plan was executed to precision while she was in her palace away from the location of the crime; And yet God, the Almighty and Advocate of the oppressed was watching everything. He allows, yet for a certain time, for the devil to have authority to practice his evil, and to assume that he can prevail; about this which Solomon the Sage, amazingly says, “There is a vanity which occurs on earth, that there are just men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked; again there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 8: 14). As believers, we feel that our tears mix with those of the oppressed; and our moans with the moans of their hearts; saying together with Solomon the Sage, “Then I returned and considered all the oppressions that is done under the sun: And look! The tears of the oppressed, But they have no comforter – On the side of their oppressors there was power, but they have no comforter” (Ecclesiastes 4: 1) https://coptic-treasures.com/ Jezebel plotted well, and the hypocrites executed the plan in this world; but justice will not be completely fulfilled except on the great day of the Lord, when the judgment will not be in human hands, but in those of the divine Judge of the whole earth, the Searcher of the heart and mind, and the Maker of justice and mercy. “Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, ‘Naboth has been stoned, and he is dead’” (14) Later on, another message came from Jahu to those same elders of Jezreel , saying, ”If you are for me, and if you obey my voice, take the heads of the men, your master’s sons, and come to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow” (2 kings 10: 6). The elders killed the seventy sons of Ahab, and sent their heads put in baskets to Jahu in Jezreel. By the same measure done by Jezabel, it was measured to her; and from the same cup she filled, she drank. “And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth has been stoned and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, ‘Arise, take the possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give to you for money, for Naboth is not alive, but dead’” (15) Merrily, Jezebel set forth to tell Ahab that Naboth is no more there, but dead; and to ask him to arise and take possession of the vineyard. It was not the king’s right to inherit the vineyard of Naboth; but, according to the tradition, the king had the right to take possessions of the traitors after their execution (See 2 Samuel 16: 4). “So it was, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite” (16) https://coptic-treasures.com/ Although it was expected from the king to send one of his men to take possession of the vineyard, yet, because he was exultant on what happened, he went down, himself, to do that. 3- ELIJAH ENCOUNTERS AHAB: “Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel who lives in Samaria. There he is, in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down to take possession of it’” (17, 18) By the death of Naboth and his children, Ahab and Jezebel assumed that there was no more problem for Ahab to take possession of the vineyard. Ahab’s heart got comforted and exulted with what he possessed; But God’s eyes were on the oppressed, according to the words of the prophet Habakkuk, saying, ‘You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on wickedness. Why do you look on those who deal treacherously, and hold Your tongue when the wicked devours one more righteous than he? Why do You make men like fish of the sea; like creeping things that have no ruler over them?” (Habakkuk 1: 13, 14). God of the Truth sent His prophet to the partner in the crime to take possession, right on the following day (2 kings 9: 26). Ahab did not enjoy the vineyard more than few hours, before the divine verdict came against him. When God intended to send a message of encouragement to Ahab, on his conquest against Ben-Hadad, he sent to him a prophet every time; But now, when the situation needed to be addressed with more daring, about what will dwell upon the king and his household, God sent to him Elijah, the father of all prophets, to convey to him the divine verdict issued against him as a murderer and an oppressor. https://coptic-treasures.com/ “You shall speak to him, saying, ‘Have you murdered and also taken possession?’ And you shall speak to him, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, ‘In the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs shall lick the blood, even yours’” (19) He took possession of the vineyard by shedding innocent blood, not perceiving that, “Woe to him who builds a town with bloodshed” (Habakkuk 2: 12) Have the dogs licked Ahab’s blood at the same place where they licked Naboth’s blood? That was actually realized with Jezebel; First because, as Ahab delivered the issue into her hands, and gave her his seal to execute her plan; it came to pass that shedding her blood was as though shedding Ahab’s blood; and what the dogs have done to her corpse, was as though they did with that of Ahab himself. … (The dogs licked Ahab’s blood at the pond of Samaria where his chariot and weapons were washed, after he was mortally wounded at Ramoth Gilead the location believed by some to be where Naboth the Jezeelite was stoned. Whereas his son Joram was killed by an arrow in the vineyard of Naboth, and the dogs must have licked his blood, and probably devoured his corpse (2 kings 9: 25, 26); at the same location where the dogs have, as well, licked the blood, and devoured the corpse of Jezebel . “Then Ahab said to Elijah, ‘Have you found me, O my enemy?’; and he answered, ‘I have found you because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the Lord’” (20) Having noticed the signs of anger on the face of the prophet Elijah, and having perceived that he was sent by God to bring to him a bitter message, Ahab considered Elijah his enemy; assuming that there was a personal animosity between him and the prophet. But Elijah made it clear to him that he, himself was his own enemy, having sold himself to do evil in the sight of the Lord. An evil man https://coptic-treasures.com/ is his own enemy, he sells it to become a slave of sin; according to the words of the apostle, saying, “I am carnal, sold under sin” (Romans 7: 14); “For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me” (Romans 7: 11). It was befitting of Ahab to perceive his sin, and to humble himself instead of aggressively confronting the prophet, and calling him his enemy; although in their last confrontation after the killing of the priests of Baal, they seemed to be friends (1 kings 18: 46). But the horrible crime he committed stirred in him the feeling that God Himself has become his enemy, and His prophet has consequently so become. The king considered whoever utters the truth to be his enemy; as the apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians, saying, “Have I, therefore, become your enemy because I tell you the truth?” (Galatians 4: 16). Sin turned the king into a coward, who flee from confronting the truth; hence, in terror, he said to the prophet, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” Seeing Elijah was like when Belshazzar saw the hand writing on the wall, the divine verdict issued against him, when his knees trembled with fear (Daniel 5). Elijah answered him, saying, “Yes I have found you, for You cannot escape from the eyes of God, nor from His hand. He sent me to you”. “Behold, I will bring calamity on you; I will take away your posterity, and will cut off from Ahab every male from Israel, both bond and free. I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nabat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, because of the provocation with which you have provoked Me to anger, and made Israel sin” (21, 22). https://coptic-treasures.com/ The curse under which Ahab fell was like that under which Jeroboam and Baasha have fallen (1 kings 14: 10, 11; 16: 3-4) “And concerning Jezebel, the Lord also spoke, saying, ‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel” (23) In the old cities, a certain place outside the wall of a city was set aside to cast in it the trash and the corpses of the dead animals; and there, the birds of prey, and the wild dogs find their food. “The dogs shall eat whatever belong to Ahab and dies in the city, and the birds of the air shall eat whoever dies in the field. But there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the Lord, because Jezebel his wife stirred him up” (24, 25) Ahab became a bad and a unique example of whoever sells himself to do wickedness in the sight of the Lord, and who delivers himself into the hand of his heathen wife, whom he received, not from the hand of the Lord, but from that of the devil. That wicked woman had tightened her hold upon her man, as well as upon the whole kingdom. According to St. Ambrose, whoever looks at a woman to lust, does what Ahab and Jezebel have done, who murdered and took possession what are not theirs [You take possessions of the fatherless, and deprive them of the land of their fathers]. + When our souls long for the living God, this holy desire would become our food. But when one of us covets the wife of another, his desire would be the food of wild beasts, like that of Ahab, and of jezebel, concerning the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. https://coptic-treasures.com/ (The scholar Origen) “And he behaved very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites had done, whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel” (26) 4- AHAB HUMBLES HIMSELF: “So it was, when Ahab heard those words, that he tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his body, and fasted and lay in sackcloth , and went about mourning” (27) Hearing the divine verdict on the mouth of the prophet Elijah, Ahab presented a repentance; tore his clothes, put sackcloth on his body, fasted, and went about barefoot and mourning. He put on the garment of holy fasting. + “Pride serves as their necklace, violence covers them like a garment” (Psalm 73: 6). Inequity provides a bad cover; if anyone intends to clothe us with it, we should take it off, lest it brings us forth to judgment. And if anyone provokes us to take off our spiritual cover which we have received, we should take off from ourselves the garment of iniquity, and put on the cover of faith and perseverance by which David covered himself while fasting, lest he would lose the garment of virtue. Fasting itself, is a cover; if Joseph was not covered by it, the lustful adulteress would have bared him naked (Genesis 39: 12). And If by it, Adam had chosen to cover himself, he would not have been bared naked; But because he ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, contrary to the heavenly command, and challenging the fasting which was put upon him, through eating the forbidden food (of the sensual lust); he knew that he was naked (Genesis 3: https://coptic-treasures.com/ 6-11). If he has chosen to fast, he would have kept the garment of faith, and would not have seen himself naked. Let us then keep away from clothing ourselves with iniquity and drinking wine, lest it would be said about us: “He clothed himself with cursing as with a garment” (Psalm 109: 18). Adam clothed himself with a bad garment, and went around searching for leaves of trees; hence he got the verdict of cursing. (St. Ambrose) “And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ‘See how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the calamity in his days, but in the days of his son. I will bring the calamity on his house” (28, 29) How amazing are the exalted mercies and goodness of God! How he desires the salvation of all! How He perpetually anticipates the repentance of everyone, to pot His blessings upon him! + Have we ever read about any king, more evil than Ahab; about whom the Holy Book says: “There was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the Lord” …How happy was the remorse, by which he drew the eyes of the Lord! … The confession of sin, by which the verdict already issued by the wrath of God was changed! + When the people gathered together in Mizpah; and the prophet Samuel proclaimed a fast, the people were strengthened and prevailed against the enemy (1 Samuel 7: 7); and utterly destroyed the Assyrian attack. The power of Sennachrib king of Assyria was broken down by the tears of king https://coptic-treasures.com/ Hezekiah, his sackcloth, and his humility by fasting (Isaiah 37: 1). The city of Ninevah, by fasting, stirred up the compassion of God, and took away he threats of His wrath (Jonah 3: 10); And now, Ahab the worst of kings, by fasting, and clothing himself in sackcloth, managed to postpone the verdict of God to generations ahead. + Although the sin of Ahab was the same as that of Jezebel, yet when Ahab repented, his punishment was postponed to dwell upon his (wicked) children. Whereas Jezebel, having persisted upon her wickedness, she faced her sorrowful destiny here and there. + The vineyard of Jezreel (the plantation of God) calls for vengeance against you, if you turn it into a garden of pleasure, and a seed for covetousness; for which God would send Elijah to proclaim to you the sufferings and death. … I wish you bow down, and clothe yourself in sackcloth for some time, so that God would say to you what he said about Ahab: “See! How Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I shall not bring the calamity in his days”. + Searching Ahab when he had Naboth killed, and taken possession of his vineyard, God issued the verdict to shed his blood. He sent to him the prophet Elijah to say to him, ‘Have you murdered and also taken possession?’(19). His conscience instantly struck and tormented him; he bowed his head, and walked with his eyes down to the ground. According to the Holy Book, when God saw the wicked king, clothed himself with sackcloth underneath his purple royal attire; He said, “Because he has humbled himself before Me, I shall not bring the calamity in his days” (29). That was the power of the fasting and the sackcloth; and how the tears of humility cleanses the blood!... That is the befitting way; of clothing yourself in sackcloth, and fasting; things that no one will see! https://coptic-treasures.com/ (St. Jerome) + If you wish your prayers would fly up to God, provide them with two wings: fasting and giving. (St. Augustine) ------------------------ AN INSPIRATION FROM 1 KINGS 21 HE MURDERED AND TOOK POSSESSION + The palace got narrow before the eyes of the wicked Ahab; He hated his life, and cast himself on his bed; He turned his face to the wall, to avoid talking to anyone; His soul was burdened with bitterness, and his body with illness; Poor Ahab! He was not able to have the vineyard of Naboth. + Looking at him, the wicked Jezebel marveled, saying, ‘I wonder if my husband is a king, or a helpless kid? Why are you sullen? Give me your seal, and I will bring forth your heart’s desire’; In few days, she came to cry out merrily: ‘Here is your seal; Naboth and his children are dead; Arise, and go to take possession of the vineyard free. Why do you delay?’ + Jezebel drew Ahab’s heart like a humiliated captive; To take upon himself to destroy all what is God’s, and to establish idolworship; She turned him into a destroyer of altars, and a killer of prophets; https://coptic-treasures.com/ She made him a murderer of a simple and a faithful believer to take possession of his vineyard; He murdered and took possession. + You granted me a heart like a magnificent palace, that bears Your heavenly kingdom; Into which no anxiety would crawl to destroy my depths; My soul shall never covet for the vineyard of another; You have indeed turned my depths into Your amazing paradise; To which You invite Your angels, to turn my depths into an unceasing wedding; Why should I murder to take possession of what is not mine? My Christ, with His love, delivered Himself to the cross; My Christ, was murdered to let me inherit; He carried me with His cross up to the fellowship of His glory. + The wicked Ahab murdered and took possession; As for me, I desire to be crucified together with my Savior; To inherit the glory together with Him.
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