The prophet said that it was because he was busy here and there that he let the man go, whom he should have kept, and this is exactly what Ahab had done. And are we not often so busy here and there, that we neglect or give up the conflict? We get so occupied with other things that opportunities slip by and are gone, never to return. What a challenge to our hearts! The prophet said that because Ahab had let Ben-hadad go, therefore his life. would go for Ben-hadad’s. This makes one think of that verse, “Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at My mouth, and give them warning from Me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.” Ezekiel 3:17, 1817Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. 18When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. (Ezekiel 3:17‑18). It is a solemn thing to think of the Lord requiring the blood of a lost one at our hands, because we were not faithful! Oh what a manifestation there will be at the judgment seat of Christ — how much to give account for — how much to be burned up as loss in our lives. May the love of Christ constrain us to live more unto Him, so that there may be more that meets His approval in that day. He wants us to have an abundant entrance.
When we neglect God-given opportunities to be faithful to the Lord, then we usually go after earthly things. When we are not willing to lift the sword of the Spirit against the world, we are soon jealous of what belongs to others, even our brethren, and harshly lift the sword against them. We become self-complacent and self-centered and make unreasonable demands of others.
Is it not often so? There are none so hard on others as those who are negligent of the Lord’s claims over themselves, as Ahab was here.
After failing so grievously himself, Ahab looked enviously on the vineyard of Naboth. It was near to his palace, so he wanted it for a vegetable garden. He offered Naboth another piece of property, or money, if he would give it to him, but Naboth said, “The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.” He valued what the Lord had given him and would not sell out, even to the king. This makes us think how the enemy would like to get us to “sell out” — to accept money or earthly things in place of the enjoyment of the things of the Lord. But let us never forget that whatever robs us of the joy of the Lord in our souls is a poor exchange. It is better to die than do dishonor Him. Yet how easy it is to be men-pleasers, and while we might refuse to do what is wrong to please some people, it is hard to refuse others, especially those in a high position. How often we fail in this! We will be very firm in our stand with certain ones, but we weaken before special friends. However, Naboth would not give in, not even to the king.
When Naboth had refused to sell his vineyard to Ahab, the king was very displeased and upset. He went home but would not eat. He lay down and turned his face to the wall. When Jezebel his wife saw how bad he felt, she said she would see to it that he got Naboth’s vineyard. She was a very wicked woman and had no regard for the Lord nor for others, and murder was in her heart. What a partner for poor weak Ahab!
ML 07/22/1956