For The Proverbial Palate- 08.15.2008

Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel. Proverbs 20:17

For this weeks consideration in the Proverbs we will travel back to the Old Testament Kings when Ahab was king over Israel. For the details of the story please consider 1 Kings chapter 21.

There was a man named Naboth that owned a vineyard that was hard fast by the palace of Ahab, the king of Samaria. Ahab desired the garden and requested that he work out some deal to acquire it from Naboth, but the word of God forbid that Naboth release the property. This left Ahab distraught and of a sad countenance, such that he ate no bread.

So Jezebel (the queen, wife of Ahab) designed a plan whereby they would frame Naboth by lie and deceit and have him put to death, not only Naboth, but all of his sons. The plan came to fruition and Ahab took possession of the vineyard.

One can only surmise that Ahab would walk out of the palace in the cool of the evening and find his pleasure eating the succulent fruit of the vine…. oh so sweet these grapes, he must have thought. How sweet the reward of such deceit?

Then comes the truck load of gravel….

“And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 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. 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. 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 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, 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. And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. 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. 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.” 1 Kings 21:17-25

…. and a truck load of gravel it was. Know ye not that your sin will find you out?

malachi

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