1st Kings 21:6 And he said unto her, because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite, and I said unto him, give me your vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard.
[2] Do not indulge in covetousness of another man’s property but be content with that which is your own because coveting that which belongs to another, can trigger terrible mood swings, and a loss of appetite….. [Prophets + kings pp 204] Naturally of a covetous disposition, Ahab, strengthened and sustained in wrongdoing by Jezebel, had followed the dictates of his evil heart until he was fully controlled by the spirit of selfishness.
He could brook no refusal of his wishes; the things he desired, he felt should by right be his. Naboth valued his vineyard highly because it had belonged to his fathers and he refused to part with it. Naboth’s refusal made the selfish monarch ill….. as he lay upon his bed tossing and turning all night, he kept drooling over the real estate that Naboth explicitly said was not for sale. This leads us to the second scriptural instruction on acquiring real estate.
Here is where things get very dicey, because Ahab’s wife is suggesting that he use the power invested in his office as king, to take away Naboth’s real estate by force. This is a very serious proposal, for if those diabolical plans were to go through, it would set a very dangerous precedent in motion, for acquiring real estate in the future.
1st Kings 21:7 And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry, for I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study of His word. God bless!