Then Jezebel his wife said to him, “You now exercise authority over Israel! Arise, eat food, and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” And she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who were dwelling in the city with Naboth. She wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and seat Naboth with high honor among the people; and seat two men, scoundrels, before him to bear witness against him, saying, You have blasphemed God and the king. Then take him out, and stone him, that he may die. So the men of his city, the elders and nobles who were inhabitants of his city, did as Jezebel had sent to them, as it was written in the letters which she had sent to them. (1 Kings 21:7-11)

Obeying God Or Man

Ahab, king of Israel, did more to provoke the anger of the Lord than any of the kings before them. He intensified his evil when he married the daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians, whose name was Jezebel. Ahab and Jezebel destroyed the moral fiber of God’s people in the northern tribes with their ruthless and wicked lives. The blame for the evil that God saw was not just on Ahab and Jezebel. The people of the land were also wicked. This is demonstrated in the story of an innocent man caught between the petty desires of a spoiled king and the monstrous actions of his evil wife.

Naboth was a good man who lived a quiet life in the city of Jezreel. He had a vineyard which was next to the palace of Ahab. The king asked Naboth if he would sell his vineyard, and Naboth replied that he could not sell the inheritance of his fathers. This upset Ahab, and he went to his house with the sullen spirit of a spoiled child, sulking because he did not get what he wanted. When Jezebel found out what Naboth had done, she wrote a letter to the elders and nobles who lived in the city with Naboth, telling them to proclaim a fast and place Naboth with high honor among the people. Then, the elders and nobles would bring in two worthless men to falsely accuse Naboth of blasphemy, resulting in him being taken out of the city and being stoned to death.

Everything went exactly as Jezebel planned. Naboth was accused of blasphemy and taken out of the city, where they stoned him to death. Ahab got his vineyard, but the wrath of God would condemn both Ahab and Jezebel for what they did. Not only were Ahab and Jezebel guilty before the Lord, but also the elders, nobles, and people of the city. They were told to commit a heinous crime against an innocent man. Jezebel’s decree was wicked, and the people should have refused to commit such a crime. Their fear of Jezebel was greater than their fear of God. This fear turned to divine wrath when they faced the Lord God.

Peter and John were arrested for preaching that Jesus was the Son of God. They were arrested and brought before the Jewish council and warned to speak to no man in the name of Jesus. Peter’s faith told the council that he and John would speak the word of the Lord, regardless of the consequences. Later, the council arrested the twelve apostles, warning them not to teach in the name of Jesus. Peter again tells the council they must obey God rather than men. Paul explained to the saints in Rome to obey the government, but this was measured by the word of God first. The early church struggled against the persecutions that challenged what the will of the Lord required, but they remained steadfast in obeying God rather than man.

The people of Jezreel were told to commit a heinous crime. They should have stood for truth and righteousness to reject what Jezebel demanded. Accusing an innocent man of blasphemy like Naboth was the greater sin. God brought judgment upon the people because they were not innocent of the guilt of Naboth’s murder. Faithful people of God will obey the laws of the land until those laws reject the word of the Lord. God must be first in all things. This applies in the workplace if the company demands that someone go against the word of the Lord. Obedience to the word of the Lord comes first in marriage, parenting, society, and interaction with government. Jesus taught throughout His ministry to seek first the rule of God in the heart, allowing nothing to compromise the word of God.