• Prophet Elijah Fights For Equality Before The Law and God

    From Raskolynikov@21:1/5 to All on Fri Nov 24 08:30:49 2023
    You already know the Commandment:
    "Thou shalt not covet or envy!" and
    "Thou shalt not murder!"

    Here is the story of Jezebel who thought that her husband
    and king of Israel was above the Ten Commandments and
    the Law of Moses and God. The story is also about Elijah the
    Tishbite executing the vengeance of the LORD.

    1 Kings 21:25
    25 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.

    It starts in 1st book of Kings 21st chapter:

    Ahab Covets Naboth's Vineyard

    1 And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.
    2 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. 3 And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that
    I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee. 4 And Ahab came into
    his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the
    Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned
    away his face, and would eat no bread.

    5 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread? 6 And he said unto her, 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: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard. 7 And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and
    let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.

    8 So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and
    sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth. 9 And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people: 10 And set two men, sons of
    Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst
    blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he
    may die.

    Jezebel's Plot

    11 And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them. 12 They proclaimed a
    fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. 13 And there came in two
    men, children of Belial, and sat 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. 14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead.

    15 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. 16 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth
    the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.

    Elijah Denounces Ahab and Jezebel

    17 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18 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. 19 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 dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood,
    even thine.

    20 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. 21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, 22 And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha
    the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin. 23 And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. 24 Him that dieth of Ahab
    in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of
    the air eat.

    Ahab's Repentance

    25 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.
    26 And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

    27 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. 28 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 29 Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he
    humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.

    * * *

    Now there comes the passage of Ahab being deceived by his own
    false prophets whom he selected for himself because they always
    foreseen good for him. There was one prophet predicting his demise,
    but Ahab locked him up and left him of bread and water alone.

    Then he went to war:

    1 Kings 22
    Ahab Killed at Ramoth Gilead

    (2 Chronicles 18:28-34)

    29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead. 30 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will
    disguise myself, and enter into the battle; but put thou on thy robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle. 31 But the king of Syria commanded his thirty and two captains that had rule over his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel. 32 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat,
    that they said, Surely it is the king of Israel. And they turned aside to fight against him: and Jehoshaphat cried out. 33 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, that they
    turned back from pursuing him.

    34 And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded.
    35 And the battle increased that day: and the king was stayed up in his
    chariot against the Syrians, and died at even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot. 36 And there went a proclamation throughout the host about the going down of the sun, saying, Every man to
    his city, and every man to his own country.

    37 So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria. 38 And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; AND THE
    DOGS LICKED UP HIS BLOOD; and they washed his armour; according unto the word of
    the LORD which he spake. 39 Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he made, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 40 So Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.

    * * *

    The End of Jezebel (2 Kings 9:30-37)

    The Murder of Jezebel

    30 And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted
    her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window. 31 And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?
    32 And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side?
    who? And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs.

    33 And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down: and some of her
    blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trode her under foot. 34 And when he was come in, he did eat and drink, and said, Go, see
    now this cursed woman, and bury her: for she is a king's daughter. 35 And
    they went to bury her: but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands. 36 Wherefore they came again, and told
    him. And he said, This is the word of the LORD, which he spake by his
    servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the
    flesh of Jezebel: 37 And the carcase of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the
    face of the field in the portion of Jezreel; so that they shall not say, This is
    Jezebel.

    This is the Word of the LORD
    Amen.

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