Ahab went home, depressed and angry over what Naboth had said to him. He lay down on his bed, facing the wall, and would not eat.
The king of Israel is pouting!
“Well, are you the king or aren’t you?” Jezebel replied. “Get out of bed, cheer up, and eat. I will get you Naboth’s vineyard!”
What Achab forgot is that he had a wife that was absolutely ruthless, untethered by law and rules.
Then she wrote some letters, signed Ahab’s name to them, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the officials and leading citizens of Jezreel. The letters said: “Proclaim a day of fasting, call the people together, and give Naboth the place of honor. Get a couple of scoundrels to accuse him to his face of cursing God and the king. Then take him out of the city and stone him to death.”
And so it happened. What a horror it must be for the righteous to live at such a time.
Ahab went to the vineyard to take possession of it. Then the Lord said to Elijah, the prophet from Tishbe…
*oops*
When Ahab saw Elijah, he said, “Have you caught up with me, my enemy?”
What a terrible thing to make an enemy of a prophet – especially when the prophet is Elijah. Where human authority and divine authority face off.
‘I will bring disaster on you. I will do away with you and get rid of every male in your family, young and old alike.’ …And concerning Jezebel, the Lord says that dogs will eat her body in the city of Jezreel. Any of your relatives who die in the city will be eaten by dogs, and any who die in the open country will be eaten by vultures.”
And that is exactly what happened (2 Kings 9:30-10:11).