WEBVTT - 1 Kings 21

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<v Speaker 1>Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your

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<v Speaker 1>walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Study Headquarters

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<v Speaker 1>dot com. You're listening to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm John Stangey, and today we're in First King's chapter

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<v Speaker 1>twenty one, and this is what we read. Now. There

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<v Speaker 1>was a man named Nabeth from Jezreel who owned a

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<v Speaker 1>vineyard in Jezreel beside the palace of King Ahab of Samaria.

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<v Speaker 1>One day, Ahab said to Nabeth, since your vineyard is

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<v Speaker 1>so convenient to my palace, I would like to buy

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<v Speaker 1>it to use as a vegetable garden. I will give

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<v Speaker 1>you a better vineyard in exchange, or if you prefer,

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<v Speaker 1>I will pay you for it. But Nabeth replied the

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<v Speaker 1>Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance that

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<v Speaker 1>was passed down by my ancestors. So Ahab went home

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<v Speaker 1>angry and sullen because of Nabeth's answer. The king went

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<v Speaker 1>to bed with his face to the wall and refused

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<v Speaker 1>to eat. What's the matter. His wife, Jezebel asked him,

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<v Speaker 1>what's made you so upset that you're not eating? I

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<v Speaker 1>asked Nabeth to sell me his vineyard or trade it,

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<v Speaker 1>but he refused, Ahab told her, are you the king

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<v Speaker 1>of Israel or not? Jezebel demanded, get up and eat something,

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<v Speaker 1>and don't worry about it. I'll get you Naabeth's vineyard.

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<v Speaker 1>So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, sealed them with

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<v Speaker 1>his seal, and sent them to the elders and other

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<v Speaker 1>leaders of the town where Nabeth lived. In her letters,

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<v Speaker 1>she commanded call the citizens together for a time of

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<v Speaker 1>fasting and give Nabeth a place of honor, and then

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<v Speaker 1>seat two scoundrels across from him who will accuse him

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<v Speaker 1>of cursing God and the King. Then take him out

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<v Speaker 1>and stone him to death. So the elders and other

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<v Speaker 1>town leaders followed the instructions Jezebel had written in the letters.

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<v Speaker 1>They called for a fast and put Nabeth at a

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<v Speaker 1>prominent place before the people. Then the two scoundrels came

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<v Speaker 1>and sat down across from him, and they accused Nabeth

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<v Speaker 1>before all the people, saying he cursed God and the King.

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<v Speaker 1>So he was dragged outside the town and stoned to death.

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<v Speaker 1>The town leaders then sent word to Jezebel Nabeth has

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<v Speaker 1>been stone to death. When Jezebel heard the news, she

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<v Speaker 1>said to Ahab, you know the vineyard Nabeth wouldn't sell you, well,

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<v Speaker 1>you can have it now he's dead. So Ahab immediately

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<v Speaker 1>went down to the vineyard of Nabeth to claim it.

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<v Speaker 1>But the Lord said to Elijah, go down to meet

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<v Speaker 1>King Ahab of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He will

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<v Speaker 1>be at Nabeth's vineyard in Jezreel claiming it for himself.

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<v Speaker 1>Give him this message. This is what the Lord says.

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<v Speaker 1>Wasn't it enough that you killed Nabeth? Must you rob

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<v Speaker 1>him too? Because you have done this, dogs will lick

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<v Speaker 1>your blood at the very place where they licked the

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<v Speaker 1>blood of Nabeth. So, my enemy, you have found me,

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<v Speaker 1>Ahab exclaimed you. Elijah, Yes, Elijah answered, I have come

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<v Speaker 1>because you have sold yourself to what is evil in

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<v Speaker 1>the Lord's sight. So now the Lord says, I will

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<v Speaker 1>bring disaster on you and consume you. I will destroy

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<v Speaker 1>every one of your male descendants, slave and free alike

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<v Speaker 1>anywhere in Israel. I am going to destroy your family

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<v Speaker 1>as I did the family of Jeroboam son of Nebat,

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<v Speaker 1>and the family of Beshah son of Ahijah. For you

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<v Speaker 1>have made me very angry and have led Israel in

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<v Speaker 1>desin and regarding Jezebel, the Lord says, dogs will eat

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<v Speaker 1>Jezebel's body at the plot of land in Jezreel. The

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<v Speaker 1>members of Ahab's family who die in the city will

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<v Speaker 1>be eaten by dogs, and those who die in the

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<v Speaker 1>field will be eaten by vultures. No one else so

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<v Speaker 1>completely sold himself to what was evil in the Lord's

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<v Speaker 1>sight as Ahab did under the influence of his wife Jezebel.

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<v Speaker 1>His worst outrage was worshiping idols, just as the Amorites

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<v Speaker 1>had done, the people whom the Lord had driven out

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<v Speaker 1>from the land ahead of the Israelites. But when Ahab

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<v Speaker 1>heard this message, he tore his clothing, dressed in burlap

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<v Speaker 1>and fasted. He even slept in burlap and went about

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<v Speaker 1>in deep mourning. Then another message from the Lord came

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<v Speaker 1>to Elijah. Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself

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<v Speaker 1>before me? Because he has done this, I will not

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<v Speaker 1>do what I promised during his lifetime. It will happen

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<v Speaker 1>to his sons. I will destroy his dynasty. Let's pray, Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>we thank you for your word, and we thank you

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<v Speaker 1>for the opportunity to spend some time looking at it.

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<v Speaker 1>We thank you that in a chapter like this, we

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<v Speaker 1>see cautions that you're giving to us as to how

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<v Speaker 1>to interact with other people in this world and honor you. Lord.

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<v Speaker 1>You expect that your people walk with integrity, that what

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<v Speaker 1>we do publicly and privately match. We could see Ahab

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<v Speaker 1>and Jezebel acting in a very underhanded way and coveting

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<v Speaker 1>things that don't belong to them, and dishonoring you in

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<v Speaker 1>the worship of idols, and setting their hearts against you.

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<v Speaker 1>And Lord, when we see that kind of activity, it

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<v Speaker 1>reminds us of the state that we were in when

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<v Speaker 1>you found us. Our hearts were set against you, we

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<v Speaker 1>were not inclined toward you, but you softened our hearts

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<v Speaker 1>invited us to receive the gift of salvation through faith

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<v Speaker 1>in your son, Jesus Christ. And in line with that, Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>we know that you show us your mercy and your grace.

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<v Speaker 1>And we know Lord that You're love is very evident

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<v Speaker 1>and visible around us. So Lord, we pray that we

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<v Speaker 1>would love you in return. We pray that we would

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<v Speaker 1>put you first in our minds and in our hearts

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<v Speaker 1>and in our lives, that we wouldn't bow the need

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<v Speaker 1>to idols, but that we would worship you with sincerity

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<v Speaker 1>and humility. We're grateful, Lord for your presence with us,

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<v Speaker 1>and we thank you for all these things in Jesus' name. Amen,