Story 25 - Naboth's vineyard
By now Elijah had an apprentice prophet. His name was Elisha. Confusing isn’t it? Elijah’s role as a prophet to a nation as disobedient as Israel, with kings that were often evil, was a hard, lonely one. Elijah used to get very depressed and at times, lonely. So God chose Elisha to be his successor but sent him to Elijah learn from him before that time came. So Elisha was Elijah’s companion as well. Sometime later there was an incident known as “Naboth’s vineyard’. The vineyard was near to King Ahab’s palace and he wanted it for a vegetable garden. King Ahab said to Naboth, who owned the vineyard, “Let me have it and I will give you a better vineyard or, if you like, I will pay you whatever it is worth.” But Naboth didn’t want to sell it. It had been in his family for generations.
God told Elijah to go and talk to King Ahab. Elijah did, and found Ahab inspecting his newly acquired vineyard.
King Ahab wept and fasted (didn’t eat) and put on rough clothes to show he was sorry and for the time being, God forgave them. But they did eventually come to a sticky end! King Ahab was killed in battle and Jezebel was thrown from a tower and her blood spattered the walls and the horses who trampled all over her! Gruesome stuff isn’t it? |