The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-23

Judgment Deferred Kings xxi, 2O-29
All abs Death ..-----.1 Kings xxi l4- 20
| The God of Judgment .Pslam TX, l-2O
| Sold, Soul and Body -John xXvln. Ia
| Fasting for Conspiracy -.--- -Isalah, IFll, L.
| A Covetous Coward King. Fortunately for
the world, bad men are often towards, and a
craven spirit frequently goes with strong pas
sions and base appetites If it were not so, the
| good and true would have little left them from
the covetousness of the wicked. Ahab the king
was man of strong passions but weak will he
was engaged at this time in enlarging the grounds
of his palace at Jezreel, and greatly desired
| piece of ground adjoining that, belonging to
Naboth as family inheritance. He refused to
sell it to the king, and the story of the means
used to obtain it gives the opportunity of teach
ing great lesson the people of Israel and so
the sacred writer inserts this bit of history that
! shows the danger of covetousness, the sins to
which it leads, and their punishment. This
simple incident led to the downfall of the house
of Ahab, and so ito the great political and re-
ligious revolution that followed"
| This vineyard would have added much to the
| kings pleasure, but he had no right to demand it
of Naboth. 1t clearly against the law to
sell paternal inheritance permanently out Of
| the family. LEV. XIV, 1928; Mum. xxxvi, Z,
| seq and his answer shows the strong, positive
| believer in Jehovah. The Lord forbid it me.
| Then we find the king in his palace, miles
| away, heavy and dispeased because of the word
OF Naboth, and, like disappointed and sulKing
| child. he refuses to eat bread, and he laid him
| down upon his bed and turned away his face to
| the wall, unwilling to see or speak to any one,
III. Bold, Bad Queen.-W hat Ahab lacked
in nerve was more than supplied by his queen,
| Jezebel, one of the worst and boldest characters
pictured in the Bible. AS soon as she finds the
cause of his grief, she settles upon plan
| through which she assures him that she will give
| him the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. He
| allows her to do what he had not courage to do
| himself, and shows how many man secures
reputation for mercy or moderation when he
| simply does not dare to do what he desires
| She has often been compared to Lady Macbeth,
| and Shakespeare may nave found IN her the
model of that fierce character.
The king lends her his signet ring with which
to sign the letter she wrote to the elders and
| mobiles that were in the city dwelling with
Naboth. He must have known and so consented
| to her plan, else he had not allowed her to use
his slgnet this being necessary to all royal docu-
| mentS. 1t was generally ring with a precious
| stone of some kind engraved with some design
| of the owners choice This fiat stone rubbed
with ink, and pressed upon the parchment on
which the order was written, instead of signing
the kings The old documents are all
| signed in this way.
| d
| though the city had committed some great sin
| that needed to be repented of atoned for She
| commands that they set Naboth on high among
| the people, that they put him in prominent
| place as a criminal who had committed the sin
| of blasphemy that might bring punishment on
| all the people Two sons OF Belial were put for
| ward to bear false witness against Naboth. This
| name for worthless fellows who bore false
witness that they had heard Naboth blaspheme
| God and the king. The punishment of the crime
| of blaspnemy to take the offender out of the
| city and stone him to death. LEV. xiv, It, J
| By the Jewish law they could not stone the
| sons. But Jezebel followed the custom of sur
| rounding countries and had Naboth's sons also
| slain, and then the inheritance reverted TO the
| king.
III. A Sure and Speedy Punishment of Sim
| AS soon as Jezebel was informed of the death of
| Naboth she said to Ahab, arise and take
possession of the vineyard of Naboth;" az i he
went down to Jezreel for this purpose. And
| then God sent Elijah to meet and Ahab
| that he held him responsible for the death of
| Naboth, and in the same place where dogs licked
| the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood,
even thine. Elijah had been kept alive through
| these years, and now announces to his old
| enemy his coming death And though it is true
| that the repentance of Ahab may have delayed
| his death-yet in himself and in the death of his
| son there wonderful fulfillme Mt of
| this prophecy And this fitting epitaph of Ahab
| is in the words of the golden text Thou hast
| sold myself to work evil in the sight OF the
| Lord"
| APPLICATION.
l. Covetousness very Respectable but Most
Dangerous Sin-The Bible has more to say
| against the sin of covetousness than any other
| single sin. There many for this.
| 1t may exist side by side with many virtues, as
temperance, chastity, courage, truthfulness, and
| so it comes to partake of their responsibility.
| 1t may be concealed by good name, and may
| be called prudence wisdom, and even self
| denial. 1t is seldom confessed and almost never
| considered to be dangerous But it draws the
| heart away from God and prayer. 1t leads men
| to trust in the things of this world it hardens
the heart, it warps the judgment, it destroys the
soul, it is the root of all evil. 1t is as common
| among the poor the rich, among those who
| fail as among those who succeed. 1t is danger
| Gus to the young, and in many cases keeps them
| from being Christians. It needs to be analysed
| and explained to the young, and its fearful
results illustrated, that they may see it as seen
| in the word of God. Many man will find in
his great desire to possess money the real reason
| of his Indifference to religion, to society," and
| even to home itself. The man may imagine he
wants only the comforts and the power money
would give, but he really wants it for the exalta
! ton of himself.
| e. Our Unreasonable Demands of Others
Ahab is angered as though Naboth had done him
| some wrong in refusing to give him his vineyard
| Many make demands on the time and courtesy
| of others who would not demand their property
| How many who have no idea how precious are
| the rights and privileges that others enjoy
How many who, in the selfish pursuit of their
own pleasure trespass upon their neighbors
| How many are made to suffer through the selfish
ness or those who will smoke and use tobacco in
public places. How many who needlessly out
rage the more quiet tastes and habits strangers
1t is good thing to respect always the rights of
| Naboth and his vineyard.
| 3. Naboth in poverty happier than Ahab in
| wealth and power.-The contentment of Naboth
with his small inheritance stands out in marked
contrast to the unhappy grasping spirit of Ahab.
No amount of possessions can make covetous
man happy. When he secures one possession he
wants another, and the things that others have
make him unhappy. The poor man, thankful
and contented with his lot, is the happy man,
and the abundance of real enjoyment in this
world is with the humble and poor who are
| good.
4. God Holds US Responsible for Things Done
| by Our Consent-It is an old adage that 1.-THE