real estate and religion

Good morning all,
We've been away from Elijah's story for a little while. When we left that story Elijah had defeated the prophets of Baal and then fled from Ahab and Jezebel's wrath. God led him through the wilderness to Mt. Sinai and then sent him from there to anoint a new king for Syria and for Israel. We're skipping over a series of battles between King Ahab and King Ben-Hadad and a prophecy from another prophet that Ahab will die.

In today's reading we see Ahab strolling along when he sees a piece of land that he likes next to his palace, so he asks to buy it. In Israel buying and selling land was more complicated than what we're used to because God distributed the land to the various tribes when the land was conquered. As a result, Naboth's vineyard isn't just his property but a plot of land designated to his family for as long as his family has been around. There were ways one could sell one's land, particularly if one fell on hard times, but there were specific biblical rules about how and when that could happen. For this reason, and probably because he likes his vineyard, Naboth doesn't want to sell, so Ahab goes home disappointed. We'll see where the story goes from here.

Blessings,
Sam


1 Kings 21:1-7
Later the following events took place: Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel, beside the palace of King Ahab of Samaria. 2And Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard, so that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near my house; I will give you a better vineyard for it; or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its value in money.” 3But Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should give you my ancestral inheritance.” 4Ahab went home resentful and sullen because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had said to him; for he had said, “I will not give you my ancestral inheritance.” He lay down on his bed, turned away his face, and would not eat.

5His wife Jezebel came to him and said, “Why are you so depressed that you will not eat?” 6He said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard for it’; but he answered, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’” 7His wife Jezebel said to him, “Do you now govern Israel? Get up, eat some food, and be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”