When he was rebuked for his disobedience and rebellious against the Lord, instead of manning up and repenting, Ahab “left for home resentful and angry” (1 Ki 20:43). It was a characteristic trait of him to throw a tantrum. When he offered to be his neighbor’s property and when the neighbor Naboth declined because it had been their family land for generations, again Ahab was “resentful and angry” (1 Ki 21:4). It got worse.
“He lay down on his bed, turned his face away, and didn’t eat any food” ( 1 Ki 21:4). His pity party was pathetic.
But that was nothing compared to his wife. She was pure evil. She arranged for Naboth to be killed so that they could get the property. It’s why even today her name is synonymous with evil and vengeance and treachery. She took a life out of greed.
Their behavior was sickening actually and showed how corrupt and broken they were. They weren’t given excuses because somehow they had a bad upbringing or they lived in a divided nation. Instead God said because of their evil, both of them would be killed and eaten by dogs. Harsh, but it was just judgment for killing an innocent man so that they could have his land.
At the end of the day we need to deal with what’s in our hearts. If God confronts, we need to humble ourselves and repent. It’s not easy but it is necessary.
We also need to see what’s in our hearts with greed. While we can easily see Jezebel has evil, do we do “lesser” things in the name of greed?
