This is Spoken Gospel.

We’re dedicated to seeing
Jesus in all of scripture.

In each episode, we see what’s
happening in a Biblical text

and how it sheds light
on Jesus and his gospel.

Let’s jump in.

King Ahab has just disobeyed God.

He’s allowed a bloodthirsty king to walk free
in return for a trade partnership with Syria.

One of God’s prophets immediately condemns
him for this and predicts his coming death.

Rather than repent, Ahab pouts
and looks to a vineyard for comfort.

But the owner of the vineyard, Naboth (whose
name is a play on the word “prophet”), refuses to sell.

Ahab’s wife Jezebel cheers
her husband up by sending

lying witnesses to publicly accuse
Naboth during a religious festival.

They incite a mob, claiming Naboth
has “cursed both God and the king.”

Then they murder him.

Opposition removed; the
royal family seizes the vineyard.

Ahab is a king who murders his citizens
and lets the bloodthirsty go free.

God is displeased.

So, God sends Elijah to prophesy
the end of Ahab's dynasty.

Ahab will die in the
same vineyard he stole.

And the dogs he let lick up Naboth’s
blood will in turn drink his blood.

For a moment, Ahab
humbles himself before God.

But it only delays the
judgment against his family.

Three years later, the king of Judah wants to go to war
with Syria and take the strategic city of Ramoth Gilead.

Ahab has surrounded himself with 400 prophets
“of the Lord,” but really, they’re all yes
men to Ahab’s ambitions.

Each one gives the same ambiguous prophecy.
They say, “The Lord will give it into the king’s hand”.

But give what—and to which king?

The king of Judah is dissatisfied and asks for another
prophet, Micaiah, who leaves no room for interpretation.

Israel will be scattered like sheep without
a shepherd and Ahab will die in battle.

Ahab wants to dismiss Micaiah, but

Micaiah reveals that God has filled his prophets
with a lying spirit to trap Ahab, just like
Jezebel sent lying witnesses to kill Naboth.

Spooked, Ahab goes to battle in disguise,
but it does nothing to stop God’s justice.

A stray arrow just so happens
to fatally pierces his armor.

He bleeds out back home by his stolen
vineyard, and dogs lick up his blood.

[music]

According to Jesus, the story of
Ahab and Naboth is the story of Israel.

The people of Israel are tenants
of a vineyard they did not plant.

When God’s prophets come to announce the
bill and collect the rent, Israel turns murderous.

Ahab’s treatment of Naboth foreshadows the faithlessness
that will eventually kill God’s ultimate prophet, Jesus.

Like Naboth, false witnesses accuse
Jesus of cursing both God and king.

A mob seals both their fates.

And like Ahab, Israel’s leaders murder their own
prophet and let a bloodthirsty man go free.

Jesus dies, but his death isn’t
like the death of other prophets.

Jesus’ death is a trap like
the one God set for Ahab.

But Jesus isn’t just another victim.

His death is a kind of deception
against the wicked rulers of the earth.

And like Ahab’s lying spirits baited him to his death,
Jesus gave us his spirit and baited the
rulers of this age to their deaths.

The powers of death and the lies of the enemy are undone,
in the same moment they thought they were victorious.

God is cunning.

He is smarter than our enemy and is able
to trap even the grave into giving up its dead.

So now, if any of us humble ourselves before our
cunning God, not even death can stand against us.

I pray that the Holy Spirit would open your
eyes to see the God who is cunning and just.

And may you see Jesus as the rejected prophet whose death
destroys wicked rulers and gives the humble eternal life.