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These are days in which so many people want to avoid facing issues. They will resort to all types of reasoning to do so. One of the most common of those tactics is the renunciation of moral absolutes.

The position so commonly adopted is: There is no black and white anymore. Rather there are only a wide variety of shades of gray. So, who is qualified to stand in judgment on another person?

Therefore, we are being told, we all need far more tolerance. Be much more willing to compromise. Be willing to yield to the other person's point of view. So many people have believed that. They live by the philosophy: "Live and let live."

That entire philosophy is absolutely alien to the clear principles of the Bible. It is in complete conflict with the Word of God, a blatant denial of the very nature of God.

That philosophy of life is the delusion invented by the devil. A vile deception, introduced to give the excuse for condoning evil. But that must involve condoning that which God clearly and totally condemns!

Our study is a study in moral absolutes. Elijah was totally committed to those moral absolutes which honor God. Those absolutes honor God because they were established by Him! Therefore they are opposed to evil, and to every expression of evil as we see it represented in Ahab and Jezebel.

Elijah walked with God. He walked in the light. He clearly knew the difference between black and white. Between light and darkness. He lived and acted accordingly, always seeking to honor God!

How desperately we need to get back to that way of life today. How we need to get back to where "we walk in the light, as He is in the light!" (I John 1: 7).

"And it came to pass after those things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria."

"And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money."

This incident appears to start out innocently enough. Naboth's vineyard was quite close to Ahab's palace. Ahab felt that if he could acquire it he could use it for his herb garden.

Ahab made what appears to be a reasonable offer. Two offers in fact. Either an exchange which would give Naboth a better vineyard. Or, a cash transaction. Ahab's offers sound rather generous. No doubt the king believed that he was being reasonable and generous in his offers to Naboth.

But, Naboth was not interested. He refused to accept either of Ahab's offers, making his reasons for doing so quite clear to king Ahab.

“The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.”

“The Lord forbid it me!” Naboth knew that the land was a sacred trust. A trust which he had received from his ancestors. A trust which he intended to honor. In his response to Ahab he was faithfully honoring the Word of God!

“For everyone of the Children of Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers!” (Numbers 36: 7).

The Lord had reminded His people, "The land shall not be sold forever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me" (Leviticus 25: 23).

Naboth was committed to the trust which he had received. He fully intended to prove faithful to the stewardship which was entrusted to him. "The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee!"

Ahab took Naboth's response as a personal insult, even as a deep personal injury. “Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased.” “And he laid himself down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.”

The king was pouting! Like a spoiled child who could not get his own way! He should have commended Naboth for his faithfulness to his stewardship. Instead, he blamed him, while he himself wallowed in selfpity!

Jezebel became aware of the problem. She demanded to know, “Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread?”

It is significant to notice the way in which the king replied. “Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it.”

To that point the king's response was reasonably accurate. But not what follows! "And he answered me, I will not give thee my vineyard!"

Ahab totally omits the reason Naboth gave for refusing. Not a word about, "The Lord forbid it me!" Or the fact that Naboth was honoring the Word of the Lord. That he was committed to do the will of the Lord. That that had first priority with Naboth!

Nor yet any reference to Naboth's strong sense of stewardship. That he had received that vineyard as the inheritance of his fathers. An inheritance to which he must be faithful. Nothing about any of that from Ahab.

Ahab had no interest in honestly revealing the facts. It was those very facts which fully justified Naboth's decision.. The king had no desire to suggest that Naboth's decision was fully justified. To do so would put him in a very bad light!

He had only one desire. To give vent to his injured feelings. To express his deep frustration. To demonstrate how justified he was. Justified in wallowing in selfpity!

Any person who honored the Lord would also honor Naboth. The one who puts self first is fully identified with Ahab! What a challenge that is to us.

“And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? Arise, and eat bread, and let thy heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”

"Dost thou now govern Israel?" In name, yes! He was the king. In actual reality: no! She reigned. By evil device and cunning design. By vile selfassertive manipulation.

Ahab wanted the vineyard of Naboth. She would see to it that he got it. No matter what she had to do to make her commitment good.

As far as she was concerned, the king could do as he pleased. If he did not use his power to get what he wanted, she most certainly would. She was convinced that she could do as she pleased. No one would dare to stand in her way.

She used Ahab's name and seal, as she instructed the elders of the city to comply with her demands.

They were required to set the stage so that Naboth could be falsely accused. They were commanded to use two men in this. Two men who were well known for their evil character. "Sons if Belial!" Sons of the devil. They were to be instructed to falsely accuse Naboth.

Then on the basis of such lies Naboth was to be condemned, taken out and stoned to death! Those were Jezebel's instructions to the elders of the city.

The elders of the city received her letter, and read her instructions. They knew that all that she demanded of them was completely wrong. To lie. To falsely accuse an innocent man. To condemn him on the basis of what they knew were lies. Then to kill him!

Jezebel was an utterly vile woman. An arrogant liar. A callous murderer. Yet the leaders of the city of Jezreel proved to be no better. They were all that she was. Plus weakkneed cowards. Afraid to defy her instructions. Unwilling to take a stand against her vile and vicious evil plans.

They merely thought of protecting themselves. Protect their positions. They were so afraid of Jezebel. They should have been more afraid of God!

There are so many today who are in that same mold. They are utter cowards. Men and women who are afraid to take a stand against what they know to be wrong. A stand against all that is evil. They will not take a stand against lies. Or murder. Or anything else even though they know it to be so evil.

The old statement is still so very true. "All that it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing" That is so very true but only to a point. A man who is genuinely "good" will not, cannot, stand back and do nothing!

The Word of God is quite clear on this issue. "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin" (James 4: 17).

Naboth was a tragic victim. The victim of Ahab's selfcentered greed and selfpity. The victim of Jezebel's totally vile viciousness. The victim of the weak cowardice of men who pretended to be leaders.

Naboth was falsely accused. Falsely condemned. Falsely executed. The victim of lies and murder. As men and women gave themselves utterly to the power of the devil.

The Lord Jesus is right. The devil is both the liar and the murderer. These people demonstrated that he was both their god and their father. They willingly did his bidding. They chose to be liars, like him. To be murderers, like him.

They were not alone. They are not alone. What a clear reflection these events are of so much in our modern society. Truth is so callously sacrificed to expediency. All that which is genuinely good is brutally murdered on the altar of selfgratification and selfjustification.

“And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead.”

Ahab asked no questions. He sought no explanation. Now he could have what he wanted. He added blatant thievery to lies and murder.

“Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.”

He was on his way to the vineyard, believing that all of the obstacles had been removed. Or, so he thought. But, he had forgotten the most important obstacle of all!

Jezebel. Ahab. The leaders of Jezreel. Did they all forget? Or, did they choose to ignore? Forget, or, ignore: The Lord?

God stood between Ahab and Naboth's vineyard! God who had taken full account of all that had happened. God who was fully aware of every expression of selfcentered greed. Every lie and distortion. Every false accusation.

God, who had taken notice of that totally unjust condemnation. That utterly evil decision to execute Naboth. God, who called it: murder!

God, who would call all who were Involved to account! That fact was absolutely inevitable.

"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" (Galatians 6: 7)..

At that very critical moment. At that moment when Jezebel was so busy congratulating herself. So proud of all that she had done. She had shown that upstart, Naboth! She got rid of him. That was that. No one could do anything about it.

At that critical moment! Naboth was dead. No one could stand in the way of Ahab claiming the vineyard. He could take possession. He could use that vineyard as he pleased now. There was no one to stand in his way.

That "fool" was making his way to Naboth's vineyard. Yet, he was not alone. He is not alone. So many live and act as though there is no God. No God to see. To hear. To know. No God to call them to account.

"Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it."

"And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him saying, Thus saith the Lord, In the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine."

They were so full of themselves. So taken up with their success. So proud of their accomplishment.

Jezebel had manipulated the entire situation to her satisfaction. She got exactly what she wanted. Ahab got exactly what he wanted. They congratulated themselves on their success.

They congratulated themselves far too early. The Word of the Lord came to Elijah. "Go down to meet Ahab!''

Each such confrontation had turned out badly: for Ahab! On each such occasion Ahab had found himself completely outnumbered. He found himself so completely alone. So utterly vulnerable. So thoroughly and hopelessly weak.

On each such occasion, there was: Elijah! Elijah, who appeared in the Name of the Lord. Standing there in the fullness of the power of the Lord. Elijah: so effectively exposing the sinfulness of Ahab.

Ahab, “is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it.”

The Lord's response was according to His perfect knowledge. He did not miss a thing. He knew exactly what Ahab was doing. And why. Nothing escaped His attention.

We always have a choice. The choice of standing with Elijah. Or of standing with Ahab. There is no other alternative. There is certainly no middle ground. No neutral position. God Himself has totally and eternally ruled out that as a possibility.

To stand with Elijah is to stand with the Lord. To be totally loyal to Him. Faithful to His will. Responsive and obedient to His Word. Thankful that, in grace, He gives to us such a glorious privilege.

To stand with Ahab is to stand with self. To stand with the world and the flesh. To stand allied to the devil. To insist on doing "your own thing"! To have your own way. To stand there involved all that is totally unacceptable to God.

The Lord knows exactly where we stand. Either, for Him! Or, against Him! Either, for self. Or against self. Either, for the world. Or, against the world.

To stand with the Lord is to know the Lord's blessing. The Lord's leading. His provision. His enabling.

To stand with self. With the world. With the devil. Is to come under the judgment of God.

"Killed?" It was a question. But it was far more. It was a statement of fact! It was the charge which the Lord brought against Ahab!

Ahab was guilty. He had let Jezebel use him. Use his position. Use his authority and power. As the result Naboth was dead. Ahab weakly allowed that. Welcomed it!

Used! To accomplish evil goals. So many would want to pretend that that is not the case. Yet that is the way the Lord sees it. Even with so many people today!

Such people as those who are silent, when they know that they should speak up. People who are inactive, when they should take a stand. People who let evil proceed. Spread. Making no attempt to stop it.

Such people are allowing themselves to be used. They are no different to Ahab. Their apathy, indifference, and inactivity proclaim their guilt. God does not, will not, regard such as guiltless.

Ahab! You are guilty! Guilty of lies! Guilty of murder! Guilty of theft! Guilty! Did you think that God would not notice? That He would not respond?

The Lord had reached His verdict. Elijah, tell Ahab. "In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine!"

“And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, 0 mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord.”

At the previous confrontation Ahab's reaction had also been negative. Then Elijah had come to Ahab after the years of drought. Ahab said, "Art thou he that troubleth Israel?"

“And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim!” (I Kings 18: 17, 18).

Elijah! The one who caused trouble for Israel? No! He was the instrument of God! The instrument of grace!

Yes. There had been judgment! Yes, there had been long years without rain. But that was the expression of pure love seeking to bring Israel to repentance. To enable the people to see how great their sin was. To inspire a genuine contrition. A sincere repentance.

Those who are causing the problem almost always blame the Lord's servant. They may do so out of blindness. They cannot see that it is their sin that is causing the problem. Cannot, or will not see!

It should not surprise the Christian to find himself confronted with such an accusation. It is the very nature of sin to attack in that manner, as it seeks to divert attention.

Sinful people are so quick to justify themselves. Therefore, to blame others. Particularly if that "other" happens to be the servant of the Lord. That is the reality which should never surprise us.

The message of the Lord is not popular with the world. It never has been. It never will be. So the accusation comes automatically, "You are causing trouble!"

"Enemy!" That is the way that Ahab saw it. Elijah was his enemy. Elijah had opposed him. Opposed the things which Ahab wanted to do. Opposed the way Ahab ruled the nation. Opposed everything about Ahab's life

“Enemy!” Elijah was there as: the Lord's representative! That meant that Ahab saw the Lord as his enemy! Jezebel certainly saw the Lord as her enemy. It was for that reason that the prophets of the Lord were slaughtered.

“Enemy!” That is the way the world sees the faithful Christian! The Christian who is genuinely committed to the Lord. Who is loyal to His will. Obedient to His Word. Who stands for the Lord, in all things.

“Enemy!” Why? Because the Christian must take a stand against sin. Which means, taking a strong stand against the very things which the world wants to do! Taking a strong stand against things which the world condones and encourages.

These days it is not popular to take a stand. Even with many Christians. So many have opted for silence. They pretend to be committed. But they are compromised. Their silence and inactivity condoning the very things which the Lord condemns!

Yes! If we are loyal to the Lord the world will call us: "Enemies!" We have no choice. To be true to Him we must oppose all impurity. We must be an open rebuke to all that is wrong. Standing in clear condemnation of all evil.

Too many have failed to take that stand. Evil marches arrogantly through our land. It demands that we be silent. We dare not be silent. We must take a stand.

To be the friend of the world is to be the enemy of God! Multitudes of "Christians" today refuse to believe that! Yet that is God's Word. No matter how many ignore it.

"Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God!" (James 4: 4).

"Enemy!" Elijah was not the enemy of Ahab! He was the best friend Ahab had. The final outcome of this incident is ample proof' of that fact.

Elijah expressed a vital principle. By faithfully condemning the sin, he opened the door of hope to the sinner. If the sin had not been openly and powerfully condemned, the sinner would have been left under judgment. Left unaware of his desperate condition!

Do we really love people? If we do, we will always take a strong stand: For the Lord! For His Word. Strong. Unyielding. Uncompromising.

Only that. strong stand can put us where the Lord can use us. Use us to achieve the positive result which He seeks in the lives of all those who need His grace.

To weakly condone sin is to have the effect of imbedding sin more deeply in the heart. But to speak the Word of God's condemnation on sin, that reveals the great need. That points out the imminent danger. That enables the sinner to begin to really see his need.

That is exactly what Elijah did. "I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord."

"The wrath of God is revealed!" That was Elijah's message to Ahab. There was no mistaking the meaning of his words.

Ahab was left with no illusions. His sin would cost him everything. He and his family would pay a most horrendous price for their foolish disregard for the Word of God. His disobedience would have the most devastating impact.

Horrendous? Devastating? Such strong terminology is not popular today. Even as it is so rarely used. That, too, has its disastrous effects. People have such a totally inadequate view of the consequences of sin. It is dismissed far too lightly. The effects of sin are brushed aside as inconsequential. People live as though there is nothing to be concerned about.

God has not changed. His attitude to sin has not changed. "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men" (Romans 1: 18).

Sin has not changed. It is still utterly vile. Totally degraded. Indescribably depraved. Completely deserving of the holy wrath and judgment of God.

People today so desperately need to know this. To be told that the wrath of God is revealed against the sin in their lives. That the judgment of God on the sin in their lives is horrendous! Devastating! Inescapable.

Special attention was given to Jezebel. "And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel!"

"The dogs shall eat Jezebel!" They did! She was so totally hardened in her vile sin. Her name has become synonymous with all that. is so utterly depraved! She refused to admit her guilt. She was perversely committed to pursue her despicable lifestyle. God pronounced His judgment. It happened! The dogs ate her!

What an awesome warning! What a horrible end! Not as horrible as the eternal consequence. Not comparable with: "I am tormented in this flame!" (Luke 16: 24).

Tormented. With never any hope of relief. How we must sound the warning! Let people know that God does mean exactly what He says!

He hates sin! Totally! Irrevocably! Eternally! Justly! He is committed to judge sin. To destroy all sin, and the sinner who refuses to renounce sin. Who refuses to repent. Who refuses to humbly confess his guilt and shame. Who will not come to the place of cleansing. Of forgiveness.

The sinner who refuses to believe in Jesus, or trust Him for salvation. For that person, the end is inescapable. Horrendous. Devastating. Eternal.

We must sound the warning. Clearly. Decisively. Unmistakably. Or, God will hold us accountable!

"But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD., whom Jezebel his wife stirred up."

"There was none like unto Ahab!" He was unique in a most tragic sense. He stands out as the most grotesque example of brazen vileness and depravity.

He had severed all restraints. Trampled all warnings under his feet. Ruthlessly repulsed every hindrance to his life of sin. He sold himself, willfully, to work wickedness. Nothing was too depraved. He made himself a slave to it.

Jezebel encouraged him in this. She wanted him to embrace all that was totally vile and degrading. What a picture. No winder the Lord says, "There was none else like unto Ahab!"

So utterly vile in depraved sinfulness. No wonder he attracted God's strong and decisive Word of condemnation!

"And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly!"

The Word of the Lord had pierced his defenses. The conviction of the Lord had shattered his hard selfwill. The Spirit of the Lord laid bare the desperate need of his depraved heart. He saw himself as he had not seen himself before. He saw his sin. His vileness. He saw the justice of the condemnation. He fully deserved to come under the judgment of such a holy God!

Ahab was broken. He had described Elijah as: "Enemy.'' But Elijah had cared enough to speak God's Word to Ahab.

Ahab believed that Word. Realizing that he had only one hope. He must openly confess his sin. Personally repent. Humbly declaring that he desperately needed the Lord's mercy and grace.

Unique in his vile sinfulness. But not beyond the reach of the Spirit of God. Not beyond the conviction of the Word of God. Not beyond being brought to genuine repentance and confession.

How we need to see this reality today! Even today, when vileness is on its arrogant march! God condemns the sin! Yes! But He still seeks in grace to bring the sinner to genuine repentance and confession of sin and need.

It does not matter how vile the sinner is. Grace still reaches out to the sinner, seeking to turn the sinner back to God!

We must accept our responsibility. A watered down Gospel is of no use. There is only one way: Faithfully preach the Word of God in the fullness of' the power of the Holy Spirit.

Expose sin in all its utter and reprehensible vileness. Reveal the wonder of God's answer of grace in Jesus and Him crucified.

Some may want to ask, Was Ahab genuine? Or was he just putting on an act?

"And the Word of the LORD came unto Elijah, the Tisbite saying, Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before Me? . . . I will not bring evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house."

Ahab may have been able to deceive man. But he could not deceive the Lord. It was the Lord who identified the reality. "Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before Me?" There can be no doubt about the genuineness of Ahab's repentance. The Lord accepted it. That is all we need to know.

It is too easy to be skeptical. Some people demand more than God demands! They are too slow to accept the repentance of sinners coming to God. Too judgmental!

This reveals a sad blindness. A self-inflicted blindness which fails to see that God strives to bring sinners to repentance.

God has no desire to judge anyone, but that all come to repentance. God asks no more of the openly depraved and vilely degraded than anyone else. That is: sincere repentance and confession. That humble faith which seeks for cleansing and forgiveness.

Ahab's repentance was accepted by God. Therefore the judgment of God did not fall on him.

That judgment did fall on Jezebel, as well as the family of Ahab. But not on the man who sincerely expressed repentance.

The ultimate confrontation brought Ahab to brokenness before the Lord. That was the Lord's goal.

When a sinner is broken before the Lord, the Lord can intervene. He can cleanse. He will forgive. He will save.