“Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand. And they covet fields, and take them by violence; and houses, and take them away: so they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage” (Micah 2:1, 2).

“Ah, you who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is room for no one but you, and you are left to live alone in the midst of the land” (Isaiah 5:8, NRSV).

The Bible record contains information portraying the events of earth’s history which will confront God’s church in this final hour.

“The Bible has accumulated and bound up together its treasures for this last generation. All the great events and solemn transactions of Old Testament history have been, and are, repeating themselves in the church in these last days.”1

When, through the eyes of faith, we accept the “events and transactions” recorded within the Bible narrative as admonition for those at the end of the world, seemingly mundane or insignificant passages can take on serious implications. It is this type of passage which is preserved in the story of Naboth’s vineyard in 1 Kings 21.

The Spirit of Prophecy identifies the history of King Ahab’s covetousness over Naboth’s vineyard as the landmark leading to the close of probation for the king’s household.

“Naturally of a covetous disposition, Ahab, strengthened and sustained in wrongdoing by Jezebel, had followed the dictates of his evil heart until he was fully controlled by the spirit of selfishness.”2

In striking contrast to the selfish king, Naboth’s character shows nobility as he refused to sell his vineyard to Ahab. Unlike Esau, to him, his birthright was more important than life itself. When monetary enticement failed, Jezebel displayed her character by circumventing God’s law through falsehood, threats, and finally murder. When Naboth testified of his faith and obedience even to the point of martyrdom, the prophet Elijah appeared on the scene to announce that Ahab and Jezebel had closed their own probation. As we carefully analyze this story to ascertain the information relating to our generation, the passage bears a solemn warning to us all.

Jezebel represents the corrupting influence of Babylon upon God’s church.

In the book of Revelation, the Lord declares to the professed church at one phase of its history: “I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. . . . And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches will know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto everyone of you according to your works” (Revelation 2:20, 21, 23).

Ahab represents leadership of a church which has conformed to the influence of Jezebel, rather than to the influence of God:

“The influence of Jezebel over Ahab was greater than the influence of the Spirit of God, however powerful and convincing the evidence from heaven.”3

“God would have been with Ahab if he had walked in the counsel of heaven. But Ahab did not do this. He married a woman given to idolatry. Jezebel had more power over the king than God had. She led him into idolatry, and with him the people.”4

When a leader rejects the influence of God’s Spirit, in his position of responsibility he can do nothing else than to manifest the character of the spirit of Satan. Ahab represents an unholy “kingly power.”

“Just as soon as man is placed where God should be, he loses his purity, his vigor, his confidence in God’s power. Moral confusion results, because his powers become unsanctified and perverted. He feels competent to judge his fellowmen, and he strives unlawfully to be god over them.”5

“It is not in the order of God that any man, or any class of men, should assume that God has made them conscience for their brethren, or put forth their finite hand in a patronizing manner to control the Lord’s delegated workers, thus endangering the safety of the Lord’s heritage as well as their own, and retarding the work of God.”6

The setting of Naboth’s story is a church corrupted by the idolatry of Babylon and which seeks to enforce arbitrary control through the exercise of kingly power, as symbolized by the marriage of Ahab with Jezebel. The story takes place in the city of Samaria, Ahab’s capital and palatial city. The city represents the people of God which Jezebel is influencing and Ahab is ruling:

“Not only did Ahab introduce Baal worship at the capital city, but under the leadership of Jezebel he erected heathen altars in many ‘high places,’ where in the shelter of surrounding groves the priests and others connected with this seductive form of idolatry exerted their baleful influence, until well-nigh all Israel were following after Baal.”7

The people of God, as represented by the city of Samaria, were “well-nigh all” following the teachings of Babylon. Into this grave time of apostasy, the faithfulness of Naboth is uplifted. Naboth’s name means “elevation,” which not only describes how his character stood out during this time of great darkness, but also identifies how his enemies lifted him up as one causing great problems within the kingdom.

In Ahab’s name, Jezebel wrote letters which declared, “Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people: and set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die” (1 Kings 21:9, 10).

The marginal reading for “set Naboth on high,” states “in the top of the people.” As Naboth is lifted up unto the people we should prayerfully ask what specifically turned Naboth’s vineyard into an issue, forever finalizing the destiny of Ahab’s household? Who are the “sons of Belial”? What were the tactics used by Jezebel against Naboth?

The record of Ahab’s desire for the vineyard is more profound when one recognizes what a vineyard represents:

An example is given from Israel’s wilderness journey, where “order, dispatch, and exactitude were required of each one, at the post of duty assigned him. This is an important lesson to the church, and to every man whom God has chosen to act a part in His great work. No one is required to do another’s work. Each is to do the work assigned him with exactness and integrity. The management of that great church in their journeyings in the wilderness symbolizes the management of the church till the close of earth’s history, till we come into possession of the heavenly Canaan.”8

“When a laborer is set in a certain portion of the Lord’s vineyard, his work is given him as a faithful laborer together with God to work that vineyard. He is not to wait to be told at every point by human minds what he must do, but plan his work to labor wherever he is needed. God has given you brain power to use. The wants of the believers and the necessities of unbelievers are to be carefully studied and your labors are to meet their necessities. You are to inquire of God and not of any living man what you shall do. You are a servant of the living God, and not a servant of any man. You cannot do the work of God intelligently and be the shadow of another man’s thoughts and directions. You are under God.”9

Naboth did not recognize this vineyard as simply his, but as an inheritance from his fathers, which God had commanded him to maintain:

“Naboth valued his vineyard highly because it had belonged to his fathers, and he refused to part with it. ‘The Lord forbid it me,’ he said to Ahab, ‘that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.’ According to the Levitical code no land could be transferred permanently by sale or exchange; every one of the children of Israel must ‘keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.’ Numbers 36:7.”10 [Emphasis added.]

Not only was Naboth’s vineyard ordained by the Lord to be his specific work to accomplish for the Lord, but Naboth’s vineyard was also located within God’s nation. By God’s design, Naboth’s ministry was his assigned task. He was to carry on his work as the Lord specified, not as the king dictated. Naboth was to work his vineyard for the Lord, regardless of whether the leadership was walking with God, or walking with Baal. Naboth’s vineyard clearly represents a ministry which God ordained to be within the church, yet is a work to be accomplished in a self-supporting fashion:

“If there are those whom the Lord moves upon to give themselves to the neglected portions of the vineyard, let no man seek to tum them away from their appointed work. . . . As you go out in the highways and hedges, let no minister of the gospel say unto you, ‘Why do ye do so?’ We have for our example the ministry of Christ in earth.”11

“Now I want to say, God has not put any kingly power in our ranks to control this or that branch of the work. The work has been greatly restricted by the efforts to control it in every line. Here is a vineyard presenting its barren places that have received no labor. And if one should start out to till these places in the name of the Lord, unless he should get permission of the men in a little circle of authority he would receive no help. But God means that His workers shall have help. If a hundred should start out on a mission to these destitute fields, crying unto God, He would open the way before them. Let me tell you, if your heart is in the work, and you have faith in God, you need not depend on the sanction of any minister or any people; if you go right to work in the name of the Lord, in a humble way doing what you can to teach the truth, God will vindicate you.”12

Moses through the Levitical code required Naboth to keep the vineyard of his fathers. “So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel remove from tribe to tribe: for every one of the children of Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers” (Numbers 36:7). How Jezebel and Ahab pursued their purposes is illuminating:

When Naboth refused to surrender his work to the power of the king, a publicity campaign was initiated through the publishing instrumentalities which bore the “king’s signet.” This campaign was motivated by covetousness and selfishness, and established with falsehood: Naboth was lifted up through the king’s publishing instruments and made to appear as the burning issue throughout the entire city. This campaign continued until a trial was set up, and false witnesses called to give false evidence. Two “sons of Belial” are brought forward to bear false witness against Naboth.

Just as in the case of Eli’s sons (see 1 Samuel 2:12), these were men holding sacred office but who, in reality, were actually children of Satan.

The presentation of false testimonies in the presence of those within the city caused a tragic injustice in the nation. After the testimony, Naboth was taken outside the city where he was stoned. Jesus even told a parable about a stolen vineyard and a son of the real owner—representing Christ—who is killed, paralleling what happened to Naboth (Matthew 21:33–40). After the crime, Elijah confronted King Ahab and essentially told him, “You’re going to suffer the same fate as Naboth, because you killed an innocent man.” Naboth, who was falsely accused and killed outside the city, is a type of Christ in Elijah’s pronouncement. As an innocent man, Naboth being taken out of the city is representative of church members being unjustly disfellowshipped from the church. Each stone thrown at Naboth represents the casting of a vote. When we disfellowship members from the church today we are stoning them in figure and type. That is a grave responsibility.

“Can we cast the first stone in condemnation of a brother, when God is extending His mercy to us, and forgiving our trespasses against Him?”13

The story of Naboth points out the specific actions of kingly power which has lost its discernment through the acceptance of Babylonian idols. And yes, sadly, this sometimes occurs in churches. In a state of ecclesiastical greed, motivated by selfishness and covetousness, this type of power determines to control those within the city, who have been raised up by the Lord to do a work for Him—and who choose to retain their ministry within the church and yet not submit their specific work to the control of men who have no connection with their work other than that they are all citizens of the city. After a falsified publicity campaign, a church trial is set up. False witnesses are then brought against the accused ministries, and they are then disfellowshipped from the church at large.

As we have examined the story of Naboth, the implications for believers today are likewise sobering and solemn. Before we raise our hand in agreement against the accused, we should be absolutely sure that the vote we cast, is as the Lord would have us cast it. But the most sobering thought of the entire story is the climax of Naboth’s story.

When the kingly power, directed by a church corrupted by the influence of Babylon, executed their judgment on Naboth, immediately Elijah appeared on the scene to pronounce God’s judgment against that action, informing those involved that their probation was closed:

“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” (1 Kings 21:20–22).

God forbid that the “solemn transaction” of Naboth’s vineyard would be enacted again in this earth’s history! At the very least we should understand this story as a warning against exhibiting a desire to rule our brethren. We should not, however, use this history as an excuse to evade dealing with sin in the church, but as a call to deal with it righteously.

“When man is put to death by his fellowman, to serve some selfish purpose—as Naboth was slain that Ahab might obtain the coveted vineyard—what honor [horror], what anguish. should be felt by those who make and execute the laws! How zealous should be their efforts to ascertain the facts, and then decide the case with strict integrity, and execute the penalty with impartial justice. . . .

“Here are lessons which God’s people at the present day should take to heart. There are grievous sins indulged by individual members of the church—covetousness, overreaching, deception, fraud, falsehood, and many others. If these sins are neglected by those who have been placed in authority in the church, the blessing of the Lord is withheld from His people, and the innocent suffer with the guilty. The officers in the church should be earnest, energetic men, having a zeal for God, and they should take the prompt and thorough measures to condemn and correct these wrongs. In this work they should act, not from selfishness, jealousy, or, personal prejudice, but in all meekness and lowliness of mind, with a sincere desire that God may be glorified. Inhumanity, false dealing, prevarication, licentiousness, and other sins, are not to be palliated or excused; for they will speedily demoralize the church. Sin may be called by false names, and glossed over by plausible excuses and pretended good motives, but this does not lessen its guilt in the sight of God. Wherever it may be found, sin is offensive to God. and will surely meet its punishment.”14

“All of God’s servants have a work to do in His vineyard. In the church of God no one is to set himself up in kingly power and authority. ‘All ye are brethren.’ ”15

Elsewhere in Bible history, a mocking challenge is given to a king: “So you are a king; act like one and claim the land!” It was an old practice that kings could preempt property from others according to their own will and whim (see 2 Samuel 10:9, 10). The contemporary mode of that practice is that those with money and power characteristically can have property that belongs to others, whether by paying huge irresistible prices (gentrification!) or by “eminent domain” and other legal acts. Land tends to gravitate toward those who have socioeconomic, political leverage. At times in history, large-scale “land grabs” have even been cloaked under the guise of “discovery,” “scientific exploration,” or similarly lofty self-justifications.

Like our Master, the kingdom to which Christians belong is not of this world. The messenger of the Lord makes a clear point:

“The Lord has shown me in vision, repeatedly, that it is contrary to the Bible to make any provision for our temporal wants in the time of trouble. I saw that if the saints have food laid up by them, or in the fields, in the time of trouble when sword, famine, and pestilence are in the land, it will be taken from them by violent hands, and strangers would reap their fields. Then will be the time for us to trust wholly in God, and He will sustain us. I saw that our bread and water would be sure at that time, and we should not lack, or suffer hunger. The Lord has shown me that some of His children would fear when they see the price of food rising, and they would buy food and lay it by for the time of trouble. Then in a time of need, I saw them go to their food and look at it, and it had bred worms, and was full of living creatures, and not fit for use.”16

“Houses and lands will be of no use to the saints in the time of trouble, for they will then have to flee before infuriated mobs, and at that time their possessions cannot be disposed of to advance the cause of present truth. . . .

“I saw that if any held on to their property and did not inquire of the Lord as to their duty, He would not make duty known, and they would be permitted to keep their property, and in the time of trouble it would come up before them like a mountain to crush them, and they would try to dispose of it, but would not be able. . . . But if they desired to be taught, He would teach them, in a time of need, when to sell and how much to sell.”17

“In the last great conflict of the controversy with Satan those who are loyal to God will see every earthly support cut off. Because they refuse to break His law in obedience to earthly powers, they will be forbidden to buy or sell. It will finally be decreed that they shall be put to death. . . . But to the obedient is given the promise, ‘He shall dwell on high: his place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.’ Isaiah 33:16. By this promise the children of God will live.”18

The Naboth story is a paradigmatic tale that anticipates the contest between two ways of life that now occupy both the church and our world economy.

We can glean three concepts from it:

1. The narrative concerns a dispute between two systems of land ownership, inheritance, and possession.

2. The dispute between land systems is rooted in a dispute between Jehovah and Baal. Jehovah is the Owner of land as inheritance; Baal is the sponsor of land as a possession that leads, in turn, to commoditization.

3. This unequal struggle between these two land systems is interrupted by the sharp, critical appearance in the story of Elijah who is a truth-speaker who exposes the unsustainable folly of royal patterns concerning commoditized owners.

Different organizations—some of them churches—have verified how hunger is spreading over the world. Far from being circumstantial, this situation is the consequence of carefully designed measures to globalize the economy, which requires monopolizing of production goods and allocating land to agro-industrial, energy or development projects, condemning entire populations to death. The plans for the displacement and exile of communities come from the highest spheres of political power and are due to precise intentions. The internal war and social decomposition of our countries constitutes the strategy and instrument to structure an increasingly exclusive society and economy. The story of Naboth’s vineyard invites us to analyze the deepest causes of the confiscation of land, to identify personal and structural responsibilities, to examine the mechanisms used by power to produce hunger and to denounce exclusion as a situation totally contrary to the will of our God. Like Elijah before the king, the role of the believer is to keep the conflict open so that the system’s plans are not clothed in religious clothing and the will of the Lord is not ideologized again. Therefore, the believer cannot act differently. His entire life, marked by kindness in fraternal relationships, but also by the strengthening of alternative economic practices, constitutes a powerful delegitimization of the system and a commitment to make this world a better and more livable, equitable and sustainable society.

As we solemnly contemplate the sobering message found in the story of Naboth’s vineyard, should we not rededicate our lives to Christ with the same consecration which Naboth demonstrated? Naboth chose to cast his vote on the side of the Lord’s revealed will, and we too, may choose every day, moment by moment, to place our vote, through the exercise of our will, on the Lord’s side of the controversy.  And if we find ourselves in a position within God’s church where we must exercise the responsibility of voting on one side of an issue or another, let us fulfill our sacred responsibility with holy reverence and humility of mind, esteeming others as better than ourselves and shunning every possibility of reenacting the attributes of Ahab and Jezebel.