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Prophets and Kings
Jezreelite had spoken to him.... And he laid him down upon his bed,
and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.”
Jezebel soon learned the particulars, and, indignant that anyone
should refuse the request of the king, she assured Ahab that he need
no longer be sad. “Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel?” she
said. “Arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give
thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
Ahab cared not by what means his wife might accomplish the
desired object, and Jezebel immediately proceeded to carry out her
wicked purpose. She wrote letters in the name of the king, sealed
them with his signet, and sent them to the elders and nobles of the city
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where Naboth dwelt, saying: “Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high
among the people: and set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear
witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king.
And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.”
The command was obeyed. “The men of his city, even the elders
and the nobles, ... did as Jezebel had ... written in the letters which
she had sent unto them.” Then Jezebel went to the king and bade him
arise and take the vineyard. And Ahab, heedless of the consequences,
blindly followed her counsel and went down to take possession of the
coveted property.
The king was not allowed to enjoy unrebuked that which he had
gained by fraud and bloodshed. “The word of the Lord came to Elijah
the Tishbite, saying, Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel,
which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither
he is gone down to possess it. And thou shalt speak unto him, saying,
Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession?” And
the Lord further instructed Elijah to pronounce upon Ahab a terrible
judgment.
The prophet hastened to carry out the divine command. The guilty
ruler, meeting the stern messenger of Jehovah face to face in the
vineyard, gave voice to his startled fear in the words, “Hast thou found
me, O mine enemy?”
Without hesitation the messenger of the Lord replied, “I have found
thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the
Lord. Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy
posterity.” No mercy was to be shown. The house of Ahab was to be
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utterly destroyed, “like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and