You may be familiar with the story in 1 Kings 21. Ahab is one of the worst kings in the history of Israel. His lusts are boundless. One day he decides that he wants to take the vineyard that belonged to a man named Naboth. He offered to give him another patch of land or even to buy it from him. However, Naboth resisted: “The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers” (1 Kin. 21:3).
Naboth refused because the land was part of his inheritance. We might think that this is dripping with the sentimentality of a family. And, to some extent, it may be. But more than this, it represents the Hebrew mindset that the land is a gift from God. Naboth can’t just give it up and take something else. It is not like a pair of sneakers or trading in an old phone.
As we read on we see that Ahab’s wife, the notorious Jezebel, does his dirty work. She gets a couple of worthless guys together to accuse Naboth of something he did not do in order to put him to death. She succeeds in her malevolence. The innocent Naboth is killed outside the city because he was falsely accused as a blasphemer.
The gospel is jumping off this page. Like a fresh glass of wine from Naboth’s vineyard, the gospel aroma is arresting.
Jesus was himself innocent and a victim of a devilish plot. He was offered to let go of his inheritance by Satan himself in order to gain his glory, but our beloved Jesus refused. He would not forget God’s covenant with him. He would not forgo his promise to do all that the Father has commanded him. He was accused of blasphemy and insurrection against the ruling authorities. And ultimately, Jesus was dragged outside the camp and murdered by blood-thirsty, lustful jackals. Just like Ahab, Jezebel, and the worthless men, these guys (Pilate, the chief priests, the Pharisees, and so on) thought they were getting victory and freedom, but they were, in fact, sealing their fate. There is a God who loves justice and hates iniquity.
The bottom line is, the seed of the serpent is warring against the seed of the woman (Gen. 3:15). Satan is behind Jezebel as much as Pilate. He is aiming to destroy God’s inheritance. However, Jesus, the faithful and true seed of the woman, refuses to be defeated. Instead, he does what he came to do. He destroyed the work of the Devil (1 John 3:8).
Let that gospel wine breathe and refresh your soul.
