Brief: God is merciful but always punishes
sin.
Scripture:
1 Kings 21; Leviticus 25:8-24
Read 1
Kings 21.
Why didn’t
Naboth want to sell his land? (See Leviticus
25:8-24.)
Old Testament Law forbade the permanent sale of
land in order to prevent poverty.
How does Jezebel wrongly use God’s name to get
what she wants?
She had the false accusers say that Naboth had
cursed God.
How do people wrongly use God’s name today to get
what they want?
People take Scripture out of context to try to
prove their point, or they say that God wants them to be happy as an excuse to
do something they want to do.
The leaders
of the town did as Queen Jezebel commanded instead of doing what they knew God
would have wanted them to do. How can we avoid committing the same sin that
they did?
We need to
remember that God is our ultimate authority and that we must serve Him
before any earthly authority.
Why does Elijah say that Ahab murdered a man?
Ahab did not kill Naboth. The elders
and nobles of his town did. Nor did he order that he be
killed. Jezebel was calling the shots in Naboth’s
murder. This passage, however, shows that because Ahab did nothing
to stop the murder, he is just as guilty as everyone else who played a part in
Naboth’s death. We need to make sure that we’re speaking up to stop evil, not
letting it happen.
What does Elijah mean by saying Ahab sold himself
to do evil?
Selling has to do with the exchanging of one thing
for another. Ahab has given up his right relationship with the God
of the universe, his dignity as a human, and the respect owed to a king in
order to gain a little piece of land for a vegetable garden. Sin is
not worth the price we pay.
Why did
God pronounce such a serious punishment on Ahab and Jezebel?
God considers sin to be a very serious
matter. He is not afraid to show His attitude toward sin in equally
serious punishments. The killing of animals in the Old Testament in
order to atone for sin is extreme. The death of Christ in the New
Testament to atone for sin is extreme. There is also probably a
desire to make the royal couple an example. In order to deter others
from sin, God shows the very negative effects that sin causes.
When Ahab humbles himself before God, God delays
the punishment He pronounced. What does this teach us about God?
God is merciful, but He always punishes sin. He is
showing mercy to Ahab, but still carrying out the punishment for Ahab’s sin. God
had mercy on us when He chose Jesus to take our punishment for us.
What evidence is there in this passage of God
communicating with people?
Verses 17 and 28 say that the word of the Lord
came to Elijah. God wants to communicate with us.
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