[0:00] Let's look at 1 Kings chapter number 21. If you will turn there. This is such an exciting story. I believe most of you, or many of you would know the story here. We've got Naboth, we have Ahab, we have Elijah here, and Jezebel.
[0:15] And there's so many wonderful things happening. You can read 1 Kings 21, and I encourage you. God tells his story better than anybody will. And so I'm going to read for you the chapter, and he does a fantastic job telling it.
[0:25] I won't tell it as well as he does, but if you want the Paul Harvey rest of the story, write in your notes 2 Kings chapter number 9. Because some promises are made here in 1 Kings 21, but you also need to know about 2 Kings chapter number 9 to see how it all ends up.
[0:40] And how does it end up? Exactly like God said through his prophets would. And there's no surprises to it. I've listened to two great messages this week. One was from Brother Robert on Thursday night. He had 1 Kings chapter number 20.
[0:51] Stephen Cofield stopped me in the parking lot and said, How did you get 1 Kings chapter 21? And Robert was stuck with chapter number 20. That was a difficult chapter of the study, and it was chronologically, you know, of course. But that was an intimidating chapter.
[1:04] And as you said, there's so little being said about it. But I listened to his message this afternoon, and I was really encouraged by it because we see a gracious God in it. Ahab was a bum. Every chance he gets, he makes the selfish decision.
[1:15] Any opportunity, he's so weasely about it. And the other message I listened to that Brother Robert referenced at the end of it was called Payday Someday. How many of you have listened to that message by R.G. Lee? You've got to do it.
[1:26] It's not only educational, it's just fun. He tells a story in a phenomenal way. I'm actually going to read a little bit of that to you tonight, some of the characters that he builds there, just taking Bible references that they do there.
[1:38] But it's a great message. So, Stephen, I'm not actually feel like I'm lucky, because who's preached 1 Kings 20 before? That was the best message you've ever heard on it. This is not going to be the best message of 1 Kings chapter number 21.
[1:48] But I will keep it the Bible, and I'm going to recommend to you a better message once we are done. By disclaimer there. But it's such a fantastic story here. As we look at the story in the Bible, we get to a point where we see that if you go down to verse number 25 here, in 1 Kings chapter number 21, verse 25, It says, 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.
[2:20] And that passes there in 1 Kings 21-25. If I was building a movie of it, that's the opening trailer for it. That's what I would show. I would show Ahab and his wife there, and then as that's being shown, I would read that verse because it shows two things.
[2:34] It shows Ahab had something in his heart going on, but it was Jezebel and her mind that did that. Some of you are noticing I'm switching iPads. You're very observant, okay? All right?
[2:44] This message requires two iPads. That's how long it's going to take. I filled up the memory on one of them here. But in the story that we see, I want you to look for this. He did sell himself.
[2:55] He says, There was none like an Ahab, which did sell himself to work the wickedness in the sight of the Lord. And then it says, Whom Jezebel, his wife, stirred up. And I want you to look for that in there.
[3:07] You know, I could give you a long list, and in R.G. Lee's message, he lists all these bad women in history and all the bad things that they did and motivated men to make dumb decisions. I would do that, but there's been plenty of stories who made dumb men that made dumb decisions without any help of you women, okay?
[3:21] And so you're not the root of all evil, but you help us do a lot of dumb stuff at times. And so we see here, that's really what's going on. He was cowardly. As R.G. Lee said, he was the told that sat upon the stool there.
[3:34] And he pouted, and it was his wife that really had a brain to do evil there. And it's wonderful, isn't it? And a good help meet your wife. She may be smarter than you, have more knowledge in an area than you, and she motivates you to do the right thing.
[3:48] My wife can read a situation a lot better than I can, and it's always good for me to filter how I should respond. Hey, what do you think about this? And I know immediately if that's a good idea or not. She should compliment, and we should work together.
[3:58] She was going in the other area. And so she outsmarted him, and she said, let me show you how we get what's in your heart. You have a heart for it. Let me show you the evil steps that we can take to make that happen.
[4:09] Chapter 19 is the last time Ahab and Elijah had got together. I'd seen Elijah have ran past some chariots. Chapter 20, six years pass. A lot of wars are going on. Ahab, he's willing to bow down to the bad kings that we had heard about, but he didn't obey God, and that's just wild there.
[4:24] He's always preserving himself there. And now Elijah and Ahab are going to come together and see each other once again. Let me give you some of these character profiles we have here. Naboth. Introducing to Naboth.
[4:35] This is from R.G. Lee. Naboth was a devout Israelite who lived in the town of Jezreel. Naboth was a good man. He abhorred which was evil. He claimed that which is good. He would not dilute the stringency of his personal piety for any profit and money.
[4:48] He would not change his heavenly principles for loose expediency. He was a good man who loved God, his family, and his nation and had a little vineyard which was close by the summer palace of Ahab the king, a palace unique in its splendor as to the first palace inlaid with ivory.
[5:02] This little vineyard had come to Naboth as a cherished inheritance from his forefathers and all of it was dear to his heart. Naboth, the good guy, the innocent guy with the little vineyard that was there who protects it not because he was just selfish and not just because he was wanting to keep something that was in his family no, because he was honoring God and God's word and he didn't have a choice in the matter.
[5:25] Did he wish he had a choice? Very likely but he knew that he did not have the right to sell that and be disobedient to God. Ahab, the vile human told who squatted upon the throne of his nation.
[5:37] You've got to listen to the sermon. The worst of Israel's kings was King Ahab in command of nation's wealth and nation's army but he had no command of his lusts and appetites. Ahab wore rich robes. He had been sinning, wicked, and troubled heart beneath him.
[5:49] He ate the finest food that the world could supply. His food was served to him in dishes splendid by servants obedient to his every beck and nod but he had a starved soul. He lived in palaces sumptuous within and without yet he tormented himself with one bit of land more.
[6:03] Ahab was king with the throne and a cronous scepter yet he lived nearly all his life under the thumb of a wicked woman a tool in her hands. Ahab billowed himself into the contempt of a God-fearing man as a mean and selfish rascal who was the curse of this country.
[6:16] The Bible introduces him to us in words more appropriate than these when it says but there was none like an Ahab which had sell himself to work the wicked in the sight of the Lord whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.
[6:28] Ahab made a grove and Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings before him. 1 Kings chapter 21 And it came to pass after these days that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel hard by the palace of Ahab the king of Samaria and Ahab spake unto Naboth saying Give me the vineyard that I have it is for the garden of herds for it is near unto my house and I give it thee as a better vineyard than it and if it seem good to thee I will give thee the worth of it and money and Naboth said unto Ahab the Lord forbid it that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee the Lord forbid it that was enough to say right I'm not interested the Lord forbids it but remember what we just saw there Ahab said I'll give you more than what it's worth there or I'll give you any other piece of property you want it's just this is near my summer house and I want to plant vegetables there who wants to plant vegetables but Ahab did another reason he's a wicked king right and Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreel had spoken to him for he had said I will not give thee an inheritance to my fathers and he laid him down upon his bed and turned away his face and would not eat no bread what a little bitty baby hum he's pouting there he turns gives his wife the cold shoulder and he's laying there his wife realizes what's going on and he is pouting it's not a big deal right our attitudes man pouting is not a big deal becomes a huge deal in this story right what is building the heart of Ahab is going to spill out and it's going to hurt generations to come but Jezebel his wife came to him and said unto him why is thy spirit so sad that thou eatest no bread he says you must be really upset if you're not eating and he said unto her because I have spoken to Naboth the Jezreelite and said unto him give me thy vineyard for money or else if I please thee
[8:08] I would give thee another vineyard for it and he answered I will not give thee my vineyard and Jezebel his wife said unto him dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel arise and eat bread and let thy heart be married I will give thee the vineyard and Naboth the Jezreelite you see that the bad attitude of the husband but now the wife has a plan to help him live it out live it out here so she wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with the Silm and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in the city dwelling with Naboth and she wrote in the letters saying proclaim a fast and set Naboth on high among the people and set two men sons of Belial before him to bear witness against him saying thou disflame God and the king and then carry him out and stone him that he may die these men were complacent in this they should have known what kind of woman is Jezebel Ahab was never supposed to marry her she despised the things of the God she was always trying to lead the country into idolatry but then what does she do she says let's proclaim a fast she uses religion she uses the goodness of these other people to try to set Naboth up and stone him that he may die and the men of the city even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants of the land did as Jezebel had sent unto them and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them they proclaimed the fast and set Naboth on high among the people and there came in two men children of Belial and set before him and the men of Belial witnessed against him even against Naboth in the presence of the people saying Naboth did blaspheme God and the king then they carried him forth out of the city and stoned him with stones that he died then they sent to Jezebel saying Naboth is stoned and is dead and it came to pass when Jezebel heard 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 and it came to pass when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead that Ahab arose up to go down to the vineyard
[10:05] Naboth the Jezreelite to take possession of it he was passive Ahab said I'm not going to sell it to you Ahab walked out of the room he goes home he doesn't make any plans to murder but he's just pouting there but as soon as he is dead he doesn't work to reconcile anything he doesn't leave it in the family's name but he goes and takes it he's cowardly and he is evil and the word of the Lord came to Elijah and he goes to the Tishbite saying arise go down to meet Ahab king of Israel which is in Samaria behold he is the vineyard of Naboth whether he go down to possess him and thou shalt speak unto him saying thus saith the Lord hast thou killed and also taken possession and they shall speak unto him saying thus saith the Lord in the place where dogs lick the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick the blood even thine and Ahab said to Elijah hast thou found me O mine enemy and he answered I have found thee because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord behold I will bring evil upon thee and I will take away the posterity and will cut off from Ahab even him that pisses against the wall and him that is shut up and left in Israel and I will make that house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Naboth and the house of Basha the son of Ahijah for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me the anger and made Israel the sin and Jezebel also spake to the Lord saying the dog shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel him that dieth of Ahab in the city that the dog shall eat and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat but there was none like an Ahab which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord whom Jezebel his wife stirred up and he did very bodily and following idols according to all the things that did the Amorites whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel and it came to pass when Ahab heard those words that he rent his clothes and put sackcloth upon the flesh and fasted and lay in the sackcloth and went softly and the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite saying see how Ahab humbled himself before me because he humbled himself before me
[11:56] I will not bring evil in his days but in his son's day will I bring the evil upon his house Heavenly Father we have such a powerful story here before us that was an actual story that was lived out and you were very much involved in and I pray that in our time remaining Lord you will work in our hearts and you will warn us here from Ahab's life that we will see that the story that takes place here in scripture is a story that gets played out so often in our hearts and in our lives and causes us to be people that turn away from sin and look to you in Jesus name I pray Amen so if I said that the verse that I would give you as we look at the story was the one where it says he sold himself to do wickedness and his wife stirred that up there that kind of gives you a summary of what had happened but if you look in the New Testament in the book of James chapter number 1 verses 14 and 15 you're probably familiar with it and you probably know what it says and how it applies to this story I remember being a teenager and a pastor teaching on this and he said this was LSD lust, sin, and death it's like a drug here it's a natural progression it could have been
[13:01] T-L-E-S-D but that wasn't quite as witty was it but it's temptation lust, enticement sin, and death here in James chapter number 1 14 and 15 but every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed then when lust has conceived it bringeth forth sin and sin when is finished bringeth forth death here we see all of this being lived out here with the story in 1 Kings chapter number 21 it's just unbelievable that what God says happened is going to happen right?
[13:28] I mean just to the T that it's going to happen and teenagers I hope you listen not just to my beautiful singing but to this beautiful story here God told them exactly what rebellion was going to lead to and the Bible is full of it and life is full of these stories you listen to the rebels that were warned when they were younger against God's word no matter how smart they were no matter how much they think they can outwit God we'll see Ahab try that at the end of the story even disguise himself God finds him and the punishment comes for the sin upon their life so just as it says when every man is tempted and drawn away of his own lust we find in Ahab we find a very lustful man a desire to have what you do not have that's what lust is Ahab had everything that a king was offered to him he couldn't have this piece of land but he could have just about any other piece of land that he wanted I mean it was a very common thing if a king asked you for a piece of land that you would give it to him but Naboth wasn't able to give that to him there because God wouldn't allow that of him there was something he wanted that he couldn't have and it sure reminds you all the way back in the beginning the original sin in a garden with everything available to us but there was one area that was off limits there was one thing and that's what we want that's what we reach for here and you know that it's taken a place of idolatry when that thing that you want begins to affect your emotions it begins to affect your heart it starts affecting your thought processes here we see the emotional response sends my desire to find satisfaction in something contrary to the will of God could it be any more clear here what he's being tempted with no you can't have this land but I want that land
[14:59] I'm not going to be happy if I don't have it it affected his actions and Ahab came into the house heavy and displeased because the word of Naboth the Jezreelite he laid there and he was sad with a pitiful position he was in sulking is a sign of a sinful heart when we desire for other things we find ourselves engaged in wanting to get it but then when it's refused we have one or two things that we can go about doing when there's something we want that we can't have that God wouldn't have for us we can continue to be pitiful and the mope around or in our rebellion we can go forward and take it that's a dangerous place to live and that's where Ahab was evidence refused here that he was not going to bow down to God's providence why is this attitude such a big deal because it's rebellion against God's providence in his life no this isn't what I have for you Ahab no you can't have that and he says well I'm just I'm going to take my ball and go home I'm not going to play according to these rules I'm going to go home I'm going to pout here this is time he prepared his heart to sell out to an action he previously could not do for good conscience sake he had sell himself to do the work of wickedness you kind of picture it here right he sees it he wants it but he's not willing to take the steps his conscience wouldn't allow him he could immediately have Ahab killed in that moment but he wasn't there and so now he's laying in bed and he's thinking about it and that time of meditation or thinking upon the wrong thing is a breeding ground for sin in his life it's something that's boiling up inside of his heart and if it isn't dealt with it's going to spill over into his entire family which is exactly what happens here he wasn't prepared to take the house but Jezebel does the dirty work for him if your sin is still hidden matter of the heart if the sin you have is still a matter of the heart and it's still on that stage don't think for a moment that you have control of it it's gaining ground and it will be soon met with an opportunity to act upon it so if you say
[16:52] I don't do those things but I just think about these things then you know that it's gaining steam and it's gaining momentum and it's just as soon as anything when you're at your weakest there's going to be an opportunity and this story is the enticing woman temptation comes when lust is strong and the opportunity to the sin arises Ahab returns home and there she is and she makes a plan for him right when I typed that note up Jen's walked into the room with these Oreos that were green they were mint on the inside it was supposed to be lunch time for me and I hadn't eaten lunch yet so I know that I wasn't supposed to eat Oreos at that time but immediately here comes Jen with some Oreos and I'm looking at the Oreos I have a need for it I have a lust for anything to eat at that time but then here came an opportunity for it and I acted upon it I was looking at the Oreos and I was thinking Todd Pepperdine says you can eat whatever you want as long as you run like nobody else so I thought I'm going to eat these Oreos and then I'm going to run later so I did I ate two Oreos Jen went down the hall and I ran after Jen's and I got two more Oreos and so I don't know if that's what
[17:56] Todd Pepperdine meant but I ran I ate my Oreos but you know a thing like hunger I'm not acting upon it until I go somewhere Jen's walking into the room allowing me the opportunity to act upon it if you think that you're in a safe place because your evil imaginations the pornographic material that you've looked at the desire that you have for money or whatever is building in there you say I'm in a safe place because I'm not going to have that opportunity you're going to have that opportunity you're going to be given that opportunity and you've already decided what's going to happen when that opportunity has come and it's only the grace of God that you have an opportunity to repent before the opportunity has come and it's a race to see which one happens first and your life story is going to tell us which one came about faster she connects the dots for him there was no conversation about right and wrong it was only a matter of the heart the heart wants what the heart wants you ever heard that before that's horrible isn't it what the heart wants doesn't need to be fed what the heart wants at times Ahab wanted the land and she said I know how this could happen and they never said hey bring out the scholars bring out the people am I allowed to even take this land is it legal is it biblical there is no conversation they made decisions as a family based upon what was the heart let me give you what you want
[19:07] I got to teach the young couples the real young couples not David the boy and us pretenders in the other room the real young ones in the other room not the youngest couples there and we were talking about here in our lives how often times in our marriage we even become selfish so Steph and I in the early days dating we would want to be frugal but we get so tired of being frugal we would end up being selfish by saying hey I want to take you somewhere nice to eat which meant I'm tired of not eating nice I want to go somewhere and eat nice and I'm going to take you along for the ride and so we made selfish decisions like that but we said we were doing it for the sake of the family sometimes families become like Ahab and Jezebel all they do is live for each other's happiness and all they do is live to fulfill the other one's wants but sometimes the wants that I have don't need to be fulfilled by anybody I need to be told I need to be brought the word of God and so this wasn't a healthy couple this wasn't each one living for each other's happiness this was them living for each other's demise as we will see and she connects the dots and she breaks all kinds of laws in the process of it God's laws and even earthly laws and this is rebellion the God's word the family land was not to be bought or sold all sales were temporary temporarily sold and every 50th year of Jubilee it would go back to the family
[20:17] Leviticus 25 the land shall not be sold forever for the land is mine for you are strangers and sojourners with me and all the land of your possessions shall grant redemption for the land Numbers 36 7 so shall the inheritance of the children of Israel remove from tribe to tribe for every one of the children of Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers he couldn't sell that he knew Ahab wasn't going to give it back and when they did sell the land it was a lease upon it so if it's like three years out from the year of Jubilee the negotiation would look like a prorated lease that says you're going to get it for three years and this is what it's want but it's coming back to them because they were stewards of the land they were not owners of it and Naboth had been instructed by his family to know this he knew how to make this decision there's no telling what number how many times Ahab wrote a number on a piece of paper and slid it across a piece of paper that's when you know you're rolling in big numbers when you can't say the number you have to write it down alright and so they write the number down and they slide it across and another number and another number comes but he couldn't act upon it because he knew that it would violate God's law here Ahab has a choice to make and if he removed the lust from the occasion it's a very easy decision to make do you remember
[21:24] Elijah was met by the same woman at a low point in his life he brought down fire from heaven and then next chapter we read and Jezebel comes and says I'm going to kill you and if I don't my God's due to me what I plan to do to you and it says that Elijah said he wanted to die he was so depressed so the same woman discouraged two different men went to act upon the evil man but Elijah gets encouraged by the Lord and makes the right decision so it's most certainly not Jezebel's fault it's within the man's ability to make the decision to be right or wrong she just sat in an environment around him that made it easy for him Elijah and other prophets has been a warning Ahab all these years but the word of God was being choked out in his life Mark 4 19 and the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and lust and other things entering in choke the word and it becomes unfruitful and these that are sown on good ground such as hear the word and receive it and bring forth fruit some thirtyfold some sixty and some one hundred the lust chokes out God's word in our lives that's what was happening Ahab knew better he knew better because conscience sake wouldn't allow him to do it he had been spoken to by the prophets in the time but he decides to rebel against God you know revival in our own lives have always hindered by lack of repentance what teaching have you and I received through the years has been choked out by lust on Sundays we dream big together but on Mondays we often act in a very small manner because of the lust that choke out the word he does that he does that so often with young men
[22:54] God gives a big dream in their lives with the lust comes in their lives they don't know how to handle it so they live their life so defeated their identity isn't found in what God could do with their lives but their identity is found in the last mistake they made two days ago lust is there for us and it's always looking for a chance and we have so many abilities to act upon our lust in the world that we live in everything is readily available to us here so we must watch our hearts a sin is committed the sin is against the God of Heaven and we see Ahab tip his hat at that fact because at once when he saw Elijah he said to him in 1 Kings 18 he says oh here comes the one that troubles Israel he's like Elijah he's tormenting all of us here because of what you're saying but now in 1 Kings 21 19 and 20 he says Ahab said in the light gym hast thou found me oh mine enemy when the word of God came it became personal to him Ahab knew that the God of Heaven had his number and here's the prophet that he hadn't seen for six years and he's looking at him and he calls the messenger of God his enemy isn't that a horrible place to be you know just in the 11 years that I've been able to be the youth pastor
[24:01] I see teenagers who begin to slip away from God then they become they get cynical against Christian values and then you begin watching on social media and then they become hateful towards Christian values then they become hateful towards messengers of it and you look at it and you say what did we do to make you so mad why do you not love this place why don't you love us we gave our lives to you we poured our lives into you maybe we weren't perfect but we loved you the best we could why do you hate it so bad but we're just we're caught in the cross fires right because there's a God that they now hate and there's a word that they hate and so there's a messenger that they hate so it's so important that we teach our kids to love God's messengers because if they get a conflict of report that we don't love people teaching the word to them then what does that say about the word that is being taught my son loves Jen's loonies class there it is great as that's your sin and I love that because what does he love about the Jen's loony class is that he's teaching them the bible right and so that was what's happening here he says oh my enemy look at the steps which taken to get what he wanted let me stop there for a second and rewind you know I find in my own heart
[25:06] I begin to get critical towards people I get critical towards you and don't look at me that way because you get critical towards me alright some of you don't think I'm the best singer and that's on you okay alright and so we get critical towards one another and there's many things that need to be criticized but do you understand that we're just starting to open up the door when we do that when we become critical towards one another and we don't love the work that's being done God would love us to see each other as enemies he would love for us to see people that love and care for us become our enemies Elijah should have been his best friend Elijah should have been at every party that Ahab threw it would have been a different kind of party if he had been there but he should have been there nonetheless but he saw him as an enemy and we should view each other the same way especially when we're willing to talk to each other strongly according to the word of God look at the steps that are taken letters are forged there she takes his seal and does it there's a mockery about a fast good men they got men to bear a false witness the sons of law and a man was killed once you decide to rebel against God do not be surprised with the fences you will jump to get your goal man would you listen to this here
[26:10] I know none of you guys are going to date Jezebel alright you know better to look out for this but if I would take the time here I could picture it and holding a big block of ice teenagers and you say I can hold on to this and it's going to be fine well it's only fine until time comes and then it begins to melt and it's going to take over all of your life Ahab laying there in bed not acting upon it not doing anything he's already transgressed God's law where he says I'm not happy with what God's given me and when you're willing to jump over that first fence of saying God I'm not happy with you then don't be surprised with whatever other fence you will jump over and anything you've done you've already done the hard thing don't think the hard thing is to come when we've sinned against God we've already done the hard thing and now we're just waiting for the domino effect to take place in our lives the places you go the things that you would do if mom and dad weren't looking the opportunities that you would take if they were given it's just a matter of time and they were coming to you so you better protect your heart right now and make decisions and I'm talking to you teenagers because I don't know if these other people are listening to me but I know you guys listen to me and so when we pray here in a little bit
[27:10] I want you to look inside of your heart and I want you to say God there's some things that are building there there's some lusts that are there and there's some temptation that's growing stronger because I've already made the decision that when the opportunity comes I'm going to do wrong because you're going to have a friend just like Jezebel who says hey you want to do this when the opportunity comes let me make a few phone calls and I'm going to make it happen Jezebel in about five quick decisions she made it possible for Ahab to walk into a house that did not belong to him it would never belong to him and that friend's coming in life and you may become that friend to somebody but watch out for it you've already started transgression against God here it will be an outflow of your heart if you have a heart for something you'll always find a friend with an evil mind to help you make it happen a good man out of the good treasure of his heart bring it forth which is good but the evil man the evil treasure of his heart bring it forth which is evil Ahab did no small thing when he laid in bed and filled his heart with lust we've all been there before it's that depression that comes in where we just begin to entertain stuff where we don't get up and shake it off get into God's word and we think it's okay because nobody sees it and nobody's hurt yet but that is just where
[28:19] Satan likes to work death in a family what began as a wrong attitude brings death here he said I didn't do anything wrong I just pouted no harm no foul that isn't how the story ends it spreads like a wildfire in his life there's a promise given do you remember it says that Ahab's blood will be licked up in the same place Naboth dies and also Jezebel will die there by the wall and we find that in 1 Kings chapter 9 6 and 7 how it gets played out three years later Ahab is going to be in war and while he is in war he has this idea to his friend he says they like to kill kings everybody likes to go after a king let's switch clothes this should help me out and so he makes it through the day he's disguised God's the promise that he is going to die isn't going to catch up with him right because God can't see through what he's wearing he can pretend to be a good Christian and as long as everybody believes he's a good Christian God doesn't really see the real him I'm not dressed like a king so the guy won't know that I'm a king so nobody will come after me but you know this story pastors told it the guy just says hey I have a leftover arrow it's embarrassing to get back and have leftover arrows it means we aren't working hard enough so he takes the arrow and he shoots it he goes up in there and right in the joint of the armor he dies there while he's bleeding out as he's carried there in the wagon they stop at a car wash which happens to be in the same place that that vineyard was at and as the blood is coming off of it the dogs lick up the blood of the chariot prophecy given prophecy fulfilled every time without exception there
[29:42] Jezebel a few years later a king that God raises up who's evil says I'm going to come and I'm going to take out Ahab's family and goes there and this is kind of funny me and brother Robert are laughing about it he shows up at the door Jezebel's there so what does Jezebel go and do she fixed her makeup right she goes and paints her face is what it says that's what the Bible puts it so she does he makes her makeup it's like I want to look good before all this goes down and then they say who is with this lady and the servants that have been working with her there the eunuchs are like yeah kill her we didn't like the lady at all the people that were closest to her are like have at it alright and so that's what happens and she dies there falls and she dies and when she dies the guy that shows up said yeah I know I should do something about this dead body but I think I'm going to go inside and have a meal before we deal with the dead body it's a weird time in history okay and so he goes in there has a meal and when he comes back there's palms and there's the feet are left and the prophecy was given and it was fulfilled that was there just like gravity it's the laws of nature it's going to happen there are earthly consequences for sin don't get confused when we teach that there's no longer any condemnation because when Jesus Christ forgave you Adam when you show up in heaven know there's not a movie showing all your past sins and all the bad things you've done you don't go to time out with the North Carolina fans like Sherry Thomas for part of eternity that's not what's waiting for you the works that you did in your own flesh and weren't really for God they get burned up and so those aren't offered to God those are burned up but you're not set in time out there's no condemnation because of the cross but just like all the other rules sin brings a consequence you get bit by a snake you could die of a snake bite even though you're a Christian if you play with sin it's going to hurt you and that's what happened here
[31:21] Ahab allowed this thing to grow in his life and it built I can't look upon your heart and I'm so thankful that I can't look upon your heart and you can't look upon my heart but men of this church can I challenge you don't allow place for that don't allow for you to go home and think about something because you're going to act upon it the phone is going to ring somebody you haven't seen in a long time is going to email you the opportunity to act upon that sin is going to come and if you've been living with it and you haven't dealt with it now is the time to do it this is where the Holy Spirit has to do his work in your life I can't go through here and make right application for all of you but every one of you know what it looks like you know what it's like to go to your home and lay down and begin to be tempted and knowing that the lust is growing and growing and you need to take an axe to the root of it tonight because you know there was somebody that was more perfect than Naboth Naboth was innocent in everything that we read here in this story he just did what was right Jesus was perfect always has been always will be and he was here upon earth and he did nothing wrong he wasn't the little thief that I was he wasn't the liar he wasn't all the things that I was and I still fall into doing he was none of those things but he was perfect so why was he hung upon a tree why did he have to die what sin did he do it's the sin that I committed that's why I won't lay there and think about it why would I lay in my bed and think about a sin that would put my Savior upon the cross what kind of person would do that to such a loving God so why is it a big deal for you to be mad at God's providence in your life because when we think about these sins we are thinking about the actions that led our Savior to the cross and so don't entertain them do business with the Lord