C.I.: Ahab & Jezebel

During this series we have seen…
Today we will see – “When the powerful forget God’s word – the system is perverted so they can gain more.”

I. Problems Caused by Leaving God Out of Your Marriage!

A. A Spiritually Troubling Start to a Marriage, (I Kings 16:31-33)

1. (v. 31a), “It came about, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that Ahab married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians….”
a. A person’s character is molded by their beliefs. – So God warned His people….
1) (Deut. 7:1, 3-4), “When the Lord your God shall bring you into the land where you are entering to possess it, and clears away many nations before you, the Hit. Girg., Amor., Can., Peri., Hiv., and Jebu., - 7 nations greater & stronger than you … you shall not intermarry with them; you shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your sons. [Why? Because marriage is a spiritual as well as physical union – Matt. 19:6] – For they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods.
2) Indeed, this is exactly what happened – (I Kgs. 16:31b-32), “…and went to serve Baal and worshipped him. – So he erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria – And he also made an Asherah. – Thus Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel – than all the kings who were before him.”

b. For us today – it is important we teach our kids – to marry a strong believer!
1) It is not a sin to marry a non-believer – otherwise God would say leave, (Ezra 10:11), “…do
God’s will and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land & the foreign wives.”
2) (I Cor. 7:12-13), “…if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever & she consents to live
with him, he must not divorce him. – A woman who has an unbelieving husband and he….”
3) Yet the question, is, “Is it wise? – Will being married to an unbeliever strengthen your faith,
or your marriage? – Will it help your children spiritually by providing the best role model?”
4) (Pro. 31:28), “Her [the excellent wife, cf. v. 10] children rise up and bless her.”
5) (Eph. 6:4), “Fathers, … bring your children up in the disciple in & instruction of the Lord...”

c. The person we choose to commit our lives to – greatly impacts our commitment to the Lord!
1) So marry an “excellent wife” –
a) (Pro. 12:4), “An excellent wife is the crown of her husband.”
b) (21:19), “It is better to live in a desert land than with a contentious & vexing woman.
2) Marry a worthy man –
a) (Pro. 1:5), “A wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of under-
standing will acquire wise counsel.”
b) Or you could marry an Ahab!!!
3) So, with this as a backdrop – we now view life in the house of Ahab & Jezebel.

B. Life(?) in the House of Ahab, I Kings 21

1. Ahab’s moral weakness is seen by how he handles - not being able to get his own way, (vs. 1-4)
a. (vs. 1-2), “Now it came about that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. – Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, ‘Give me your vineyard that I may have it for a vegetable garden because it is close beside my house, - & I will give you a better vineyard than it in its place; if you like I will give you the price of it in money”
1) There is no subterfuge or malice – this is just a real estate deal.
2) Yet it demonstrates the different character – of these two men (Ahab & Naboth).
b. (v. 3), “Naboth said to Ahab, ‘The Lord forbid me that I should give you the inheritance of my f.
1) “Inheritance of my fathers”: God’s people understood the land was not theirs - but God’s.
2) (Lev. 25:23), “The land shall not be sold permanently, for it is Mine.”
4) (v. 4), “So Ahab came into his house sullen and vexed because of the words of Naboth …
And he lay down on his bed and turned his face away – and ate no food.”
c. Ahab saw this as only a physical thing (“its just dirt [vineyard]”) – but Naboth saw it for the
spiritual issue that it truly was!
1) How often do others considered things from a physical perspective – but believers see it differently?
2) Ex.: “Nobody will know!” – (Lk. 12:2), “There is nothing hidden that will not be known.”
3) Ex.: “Come on, everyone else is doing it” – (Matt. 7:13-14), “Enter by the narrow gate….”

2. Though up until now in the background, Jezebel is the real power behind the throne, (vs. 5-16)
a. (I Kgs. 18:19), “… the 450 prophets of Baal & 400 prophets of Asherah at Jezebel’s table.”
1) (I Kgs. 19:2-3), “Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, ‘So may the gods do to me &
even more, if I do not make your life like the life of one of these by tomorrow about this time.’
And Elijah was afraid and arose and ran for his life.” – Not afraid of 850 priest – but 1 queen!
2) When she hears of Naboth – she says to Ahab, “Do you now reign over Israel? Arise, eat bread & let your heart be joyful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.’”(v. 7)
b. The extent of this woman’s evil – is seen by the plan she has devised…
1) (vs. 8-10), “She wrote letters in Ahab’s name & sealed them with his seal, and sent letters to
the elders and to the nobles who were living with Naboth in the city…”
2) Compare that with I Pt. 3:4, “…let a wife’s adornment be the hidden person of the heart,
w/the imperishable quality of a gentle & quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.”
3) (21:14), “Then they sent word to Jezebel, saying, ‘Naboth has been stoned & is dead.’”

c. Noted earlier, a person’s character is molded by their belief-system. God’s commands were to
mold the character of Israel – notice they are not called “The 10 Suggestions.”
1) #1 - No other gods : Yet Ahab allowed his wife’s Baal worship to flourish in Israel, 16:31
2) #2 - No graven images : Ahab made an altar to Baal & also an Asherah, 16:32-33

3) #5 - Honor father & mother : Naboth’s sons were killed with him,
(II Kgs. 9:26), “‘Surely I have seen the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons.’”
4) #6 - You shall not murder : Naboth was murdered, (21:14)

5) #8 - You shall not steal : The theft of Naboth’s vineyard through illegal means.
6) #9 - You shall not bear false witness : the 2 worthless men, (21:13)
7) #10 - You shall not covet : How it all began w/Ahab coveting Naboth’s vineyard!

CONCLUSION: Review Main Points (marriage partner & moral weakness seen by not obeying God’s laws)
Quote Hebrews 5:9; Mark 16:16