The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-07-29
NABoTH,s VINEYARD.
Sunday school Lesson in the Inter-
national Series for July 81,
1851 Kings 21,4-16.
BIASED upon Peioubet's Select Notes.l

5
THE SECTION includes the rest of
Kings, chaps. 20-22. A brief glance at
the silent progress of the reforms Elijah
Nsought, and at the steps of Ahab toward
his doom and toward the destruction of the
idolatry he upheld.
PLAcE--Samarfa, the capital and me-
tTopolis of Israel; and Jezreel, 70 miles
to the north; a favorite royal residence,
1.-THE Windsor of Israel
EXPLANATORY.
This story is given because it was
the outward expression of Ahab's de-
PRAYED character, which led to his doom;
as a boil expresses bad blood, or
furred tongue the inward fever
Scene l. Discomfort in Palace.-V.4 4.
Adjoining Ahab's palace grounds in
Jezreel, on one of the spurs of Mount
Gilboa, was the homestead vineyard of
native Jezreelite named Naboth. Ahab
wanted to buy this vineyard, to enlarge
or complete his pleasure grounds. Ma
both refused to sell. The refusal of
Naboth threw Ahab into fit of the
sulks.
4. "And Ahab came" from Jezreel,
s'into his house," In Samaria. "And
he laid him down upon his beds" The
bed chamber was in the most retired
and secret part of the palace. "And
turned away his face, and would eat no
bread" Such manifestation of Ill
temper is thoroughly characteristic Of
an oriental king.
Scene II. Bad Counsel at Home
vs.. 81. 5. But Jezebel his wife, like
Clytemnestra, of Aeschylus, and Lady
Macbeth, of Shakespeare, came forward
TO help her husband to sin, not to do
right.
7. "Dost thou now govern?" Are you
king? and can you not get possession
of this pretty vineyard? Why not use
your power? "Arise, and eat bread"
Ahab is fit only to desire and to revel;
it is for holder spirits to act for good
or for evil. ST will give thee the vine
yard" Compare the words of Shakes
peare's parallel character: ''Infrm of
purpose! give me the dagger"
Scene III. The Trial and Execution
OF. Naboth.-Vs. 8-14 s. $50 she wrote
letters in Ahab's name:" 1t is custom
airy in the east now, as then, for the
government to proclaim one thing pub
licly, and at the same time to give pri-
Yate instructions to the officials, of
very different nature, with the design
of binding the eyes of European gov
ernments. 'tAnd sealed them with his
seal:" Documents of every kind, from
a royal decree to a private letter, are
never signed with pen and ink in the
east, but are simply sealed with mans
signet.
9. proclaim FAST" AS if some great
calamity were overhanging the city for
their sins, like black cloud portending
a storm. "Set Naboth on high:" On
the platform of the court, to be tried.
TO- "Set two men, sons of Behalf"
Belial is not a proper noun, but simply
means 'worthlessness," "recklessness,"
''Blaspheme God:" The true oriental,
however careless his life, is fanatically
jealous for the honor of Gods name.
To blaspheme Allah in any place where
Mahommedans congregate would prob
ably result in the death of the bias
phemer on the spot. "And the king"
It would be easy to find some faint
foundation for this charge in a pious
man whose whole soul was opposed to
the course of the king in introducing
idolatry. 'And carry him OUT" A
stoning always took place outside the
city. "And stone him. The legal pun
ishment of blasphemy was indeed death
by stoning (Lev. 24:16), and Naboth
would have persisted justly had he been
guilty Of the crime. ''That he may
die" 1t appears from Kings 9:26,
that Naboth's sons were put to death
at the same time. Thus, there being
no heirs, the property would revert to
the crown.
Scene ". Ahab Meets Elijah in His
Ill-Gotten Possession.-Vs. Is. 16. 16.
"Ahab rose to go down to the vineyard
of Naboth:" The Septuagint adds that
he rent his clothes and put on sack
cloth, as though shocked at his crime,
and anxious to prove his innocence to
his own conscience and to the people.
But the hypocrisy of the act was shown
by his willingness to accept the fruits
of his crime.
At the same time news of the black
crime had come to Elijah, probably in
his lonely retreat in some cave at Car
mel. Goo babe him go down and meet
Ahab in the vineyard. When Ahab
came TO the vineyard "to take posses
sion of it" there stood the prophet in
his hairy garb.
Half in anger, half in anguish, Ahab
cried: Hast thou found me, O mine
enemy?"
81 have found thee" said the prophet,
speaking in Jehovah's name. 'sThou
hast sold myself to work evil before
me, and I will requite it and extinguish
thee before me. Surely the Lord saw
yesternight the blood of Naboth and
the blood Of his sons" -Septuagint.
Voices from Naboth's Vineyard.
Ahab's heart was a nest of vipers. ~
Avariee, (2) discontentment, 80 oppres-