May 12 Daily Devotional

1 Kings 21; 2 Kings 9

King Ahab lived at Samaria, the capital of the kingdom. He had also a palace at Jezreel, which overlooked the great plain of Esdraelon (also called Megiddo). Near Ahab’s palace at Jezreel was a vineyard, belonging to a man named Naboth. Ahab desired to own this tract of land. He said to Naboth, “Give me thy vineyard … I will give thee for it a better vineyard … or I will give thee the worth of it in money.” But Naboth said, “The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.” This displeased the king; he lay down and would not eat. When Jezebel heard about the matter she said to Ahab, “Let thine heart be merry; I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth.”

So Jezebel wrote letters in Ahab’s name, unto the elders of Jezreel, saying, “Set two men, sons of Belial, before him (Naboth), to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme (curse) God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he die.” The elders did so with Naboth. After that they sent a message to Jezebel, “Naboth is stoned, and is dead.” Now Jezebel said to Ahab, Take possession of the vineyard, for Naboth is dead. And the word of the Lord came to Elijah, saying, “Go down to meet Ahab … behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth,” and say, “In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine … and the dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.”

And after three years Ahab went to war against the king of Syria. And a certain man drew his bow at a venture and smote the king between the joints of his armor, and the blood of the wound ran into the bottom of the chariot, so that he died. And when they washed the chariot at the pool of Samaria, the dogs licked up his blood, according to the word of the Lord.

Ahaziah a son of Ahab was the next king, and he did evil in the sight of the Lord. He fell sick and died according to the word of Elijah. Joram another son of Ahab, became king in his stead. Jehu the son of Nimshi was anointed king against him. One day Jehu came to Jezreel. When Jezebel heard about his coming, she painted her face and tired her head. When the king drew nigh she looked out of the window. He saw her, but instead of admiring her beauty, he said, “Throw her down.” And two servants threw her down, and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall. Jehu went to eat and drink. After that he said to his men, “Bury her (Jezebel), for she is a king’s daughter.” And they went, but found no more of her than the skull, the feet and the palms of her hands. Thus the word of the Lord by his servant Elijah was fulfilled, “In the portion of Jezreel shall the dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel.”