A Prophet Denounces Corruption

GOLDEN TEXT: “Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbor’s service without wages, and giveth him not for his work.” —Jeremiah 22:13

I KINGS 21:1-7, 17-20

THE Tenth Commandment given to Israel at the hand of Moses states, “Thou shalt not covet.” It was this commandment which King Ahab of Israel failed to obey, and in his failure allowed his wife Jezebel to plot the death of Naboth in order that he might obtain his vineyard which he coveted. In this instance the sin of covetousness led to a heinous crime which resulted in appropriate punishment from the Lord being inflicted upon both Ahab and Jezebel.

This sin of a king of Israel and his wife, however, reflects a far more serious condition of heart and mind than its outward manifestation of covetousness. Basically, this was the sin of unbelief, the attitude which led to practically all of Israel’s sins, both of the people and of their rulers. The sin of unbelief was manifested very early in the national life of this people. It led to their rebellion against Moses in the Wilderness. It caused them to go whoring after other gods. It caused Jeroboam, the first king of the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel, to set up idol worship at Bethel in order to lure his subjects away from worshiping Jehovah at Jerusalem.

Had the Israelites exercised genuine faith in their God, they would know that he could and would provide water and the other necessities of life for them in wilderness and desert conditions. Faith would also have led them to accept the report of the two spies, Caleb and Joshua, that by God’s help they could enter Canaan, drive out the Canaanites, and possess the land.

So, in the case of Ahab and Jezebel, had they really possessed faith in the existence and abilities of the God of Israel, they would have known that he would be aware of their plotting against the life of Naboth in order to obtain his vineyard. They would know, moreover, that they could not thus injure, even kill, one of their own subjects without being severely punished for it.

When we study the records of the various sinful exploits of God’s professed people during those ancient days, it would seem that Jehovah was no more than a name to them. How could they have committed the crimes which they did if they believed that God was aware of what they were doing and would deal with them accordingly? In some instances; of course—and this has been true in the experiences of God’s people in all ages—weaknesses of the flesh lead to temporary wrongdoing. But when the heart is right and faith is strong, deflection from the will of God can and will be only temporary.

The customs and laws of society are such today as to make plotting against another, such as is brought to our attention in this lesson, very difficult; although there are many crimes of the “underworld” which are just as “black,” some of which are brought to justice, and many which are not.

But the sin of Ahab and Jezebel was a sin committed by the professed people of God. This is why God took account of it, and they were punished. The Lord’s people today should be very sensitive to the lesson thus brought to our attention. There may be situations in which we would be tempted to covet. Fleshly ambitions may lead us to covet that which is possessed by another—not material wealth, perhaps, but position, influence, or other desirable assets.

The mind of the new creature might not always be successful in keeping out these envious and covetous thoughts. But if we have faith in God and in his promises, we will realize that he would be aware of any unchristian effort we might make to rob another of that which the Lord has not seen fit to entrust to us. Let us not, as Christians, go about the accomplishment of our own selfish ways as though God did not exist.

And even more important, if our faith and trust in our Heavenly Father is strong and firm, we will realize that he knows exactly what is best for us. We will know that in the dispensing of his blessings he will give us that which is for our highest spiritual welfare; and that no good thing will he withhold from those who walk uprightly. (Ps. 84:11) If we have faith to believe this, there will never be an occasion when we will be tempted to take matters into our own hands. We will never, as our Golden Text asserts, build our “house” by selfish and unrighteous methods, but will be just and loving in all our dealings with others.

QUESTIONS

Which of the Ten Commandments was first broken by the sin related in today’s lesson?

What basic sin is usually at the root of all wrongdoing by God’s people?

What practical lesson can be learned by the Lord’s people today from the sin of Ahab and Jezebel?

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