Chapter 40 death of ahab

The king moved his capital from Samaria to Jezreel, and he built a new palace for himself. Near the new site of the palace was a vineyard that belonged to a citizen named Naboth.The king wanted to incorporate it into his palace. Ahab told Naboth what he thought.But Naboth said that the vineyard belonged to their family's ancestral property, and he could not sell it. Jezebel offered a simple solution to the difficulty.Ahab is the king, he can do what he wants.Just kill Naboth and bring the vineyard over! Ahab, however, refused to do so.He was afraid that Elijah would appear again, and in order to avoid further explanations, he feigned illness.

Jezebel wasted no time.Taking advantage of Ahab's bedtime, she accused Naboth of treason.Without a trial, the poor farmer and his sons (heirs of the vineyard) were stoned to death, and the bodies were thrown into the fields to be fed to the dogs. As soon as it happened, my God! Elijah was standing in front of the palace garden. He came again unexpectedly. His prophecy filled Ahab with unspeakable terror.Within a year, the dogs that licked Naboth's blood will lick the king's blood.When Queen Jezebel's body was thrown into the streets of Jezreel, it was left to be bitten by wild dogs.

This may not be possible.However, Ahab was afraid, and he wanted to find a way to escape the bad luck. His tyrant rule was strong in Israel, so he was not afraid of his subjects.If he was destined to be killed, it must be his enemies abroad who could do it. death of ahab It is well known that his enemies live in the north.He must guard against an attack from Syria.It happened that that country was being threatened by the king of Assyria at that time, which was lucky.If they attack from the south and the east at the same time, Aram's ambition can be ended. Not wanting to waste time, Ahab decided to take the initiative.He sent a messenger on horseback to King Jehoshaphat of Judah, suggesting that the two countries jointly attack Damascus.

Jehoshaphat was pleased, and the two kings marched north together. The priests of the sun god predicted a great victory, but the prophet Micaiah (one of the few prophets who remained loyal to Yahweh) repeated the warning: no matter how hard the king tried, he would still be killed, and there was no escape. Ahab's actions at this time showed that he was an Israelite.He disguised himself as a common soldier, and at the same time he tricked Jehoshaphat into dressing up as the king of Israel. He thought, "Then the Syrians will think that Jehoshaphat is the king of Israel, and they will attack him instead of me."

But when the battle broke out, Jehoshaphat, who was wearing a big red robe, was unscathed.Ahab, who was dressed as a soldier, was shot by a cold arrow and died of his injuries. His body was brought back to Jezreel.Before the funeral, the king's chariot was carefully washed, and Ahab's blood spilled on the ground.Dogs that can be seen everywhere on the streets of the Eastern countryside licked the bloody water.Thus Elijah's prophecy was fulfilled.The place where the chariot stopped happened to be Naboth's vineyard. Ahab's death not only meant a change of successor, but also marked the beginning of a long period of anarchy.

Ahab's eldest son, Ahaziah, succeeded him.Not long after the child came to the throne, he fell from a window in the palace of Samaria and was seriously injured.He sent messengers to the Temple of the Sun to ask if he could recover from his wounds.Elijah stopped the messenger and replied, "No!" Ahaziah died. His brother Yoran had better luck.King Mesha of Moab, who was supposed to pay annual tribute to Israel, rebelled.Joram suggested to Jehoshaphat that the two nations work together to divide the land of the Moabites. The king of Judah thought it was a great idea. This expedition did not go smoothly from the beginning.For some reason, the two kings were trying to cross the wilds of the Dead Sea region, rather than the usual invasion from the north, which was a more appropriate route.

They got lost in the desert and almost died of thirst. When they arrived in Moab, they found that the defense of the capital of the king of Moab had been greatly strengthened, and they had no choice but to besiege it. The siege lasted for several months.Finally, the city was about to fall, and the king of Moab decided to make a sacrifice.This sacrifice will impress both man and god.The king took his eldest son, and killed him on the walls of the capital, before the belligerents, and burned his body as a sacrifice to the most glorious gods of Moab. The morale of the Jews was shaken after seeing it, because they (the generation of Joram and Jehoshaphat) no longer had such a firm belief in Yahweh.

They feared the wrath of the god of Moab, who had just been sacrificed with such great pomp.They felt that it was useless to continue the siege under such circumstances, so they withdrew. soar to heaven This is one of the most critical periods in Jewish history.The Omri family ruled over two kingdoms.In the north, Jezebel ruled Israel with the ferocity of a despot.In the south, his daughter Athaliah presided over her husband and the country under the guidance of foreign advisers.Everywhere the followers of Yahweh are in decline, and everywhere Baal is gaining the upper hand.A way must be found immediately to save the Jewish people from the consequences of their mistakes.

Take strong action at critical moments. But Elijah, who talked little but did great things, is no more.