DoublePortion_October2023_8.5x5.5_REV.indd

As I proclaim from the pulpit from time to time, “Sin will take you farther than you ever intended to go, keep you there longer than you ever intended to stay, and cost you more than you ever intended to pay. Coveting is a prime example. Left unchecked and unbridled, evil thoughts will evolve into villainous actions. This is why Jesus warned, “Take heed, and beware of covetous ness; for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth (Luke 12:15). Paul later proclaimed, “For I would not have known about coveting if the law had not said,‘YOU SHALL NOT COVET,’ But sin, taking the opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting every kind, for apart from the Law sin is dead” (Romans 7:7,8). Sadly, though surely aware of Moses and the command not to covet, Ahab had intention of actually being constrained by these words. Instead of doing his daily Scripture meditations, he lay around passively and weakly, until Jezebel came with new marching orders, “Get us and take pos/session of the vineyard to Naboth the Jez reelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead” (1 Kings 21:15). Ahab then went and took possession of the vineyard he so desperately wanted. Even at the highest level of privilege, crime leads to conse quences. In this case, the Lord sent His senior, influencer, Elijah to go and confront the wicked king.The prophet didn’t even have to come up with his own word.The Lord told him what to say, “This is what the Lord says:‘Have you not murdered a man and seized his proper ty?’ This is what the Lord says:‘In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth the dogs will lick up your blood , even yours’” (1 Kings 21:19). Continuing the revelation of His judgment through the prophet, the Lord goes on to say, “I am going to bring disaster on you. I will wipe out your descendents and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel -slave or free” (1 Kings 21:21). His house would be cut off like those of the first two dynasties, Jeroboam and Baasha.

41