Selling Your Soul

Introduction

A. It was a part of my life that I am not very proud of. Even now as I think back on that experience, I am embarrassed. I was only four years old at the time. We were poor by the world’s standards at that time, but I didn’t know it. Now as far as fruit goes, banana would have to be my favorite although a good, sweet juicy peach ranks near the top. It was only on very rare occasions that we had bananas in the house. They were a luxury. We had a neighbor. I don’t remember her name. She was kind to me. She even invited me into her house. In a small town, such things are not uncommon nor did parents worry about their children the way we do now. She invited me in. I sat. We talked. She had a bowl of fruit on her table. And on top was the best looking banana one had ever seen. I wanted it. She got up and left the room for a moment. I stole the banana and took off out the door. And without as much as a moment of shame, I ate the banana. Such are the memories of a four year old. That may seem harmless now over three decades later, but the truth is that taking something that doesn’t belong to us still goes on today.

B. ILL. “Stealing.” Maybe you have your own story. I would like to hear it. Not that we need to boast of our exploits, but maybe having a fellow thief might make both of us fell better. Today, we are more sophisticated in how we steal. We would not go into a store and shoplift. We would not go into a bank and pass a note to the teller demanding money. But from the time of Adam and Eve, man has had the problem of taking that which doesn’t belong to him. Such is the case in 1 Kings 21. We have the story of Ahab and Naboth. It is a story of greed, deception, murder, intrigue, judgment, and eventually repentance. There are lessons to learn from this story. And there are attitudes to be avoided. Let’s be encouraged in our walk with God tonight.

The Story

A. Naboth owns a vineyard in Jezreel. This vineyard is close to Ahab’s palace. Ahab wants the vineyard to make it into a vegetable garden. Ahab offers to either buy the vineyard or to give Naboth a better one. Naboth refuses. From Leviticus 25:23-28 and Numbers 36:7, land was a precious commodity. Land was to remain in a family. It was not to be sold or given away. Naboth intended to follow God’s directives. Ahab can’t believe that Naboth will not sell him the land. He returns home and sulks. He comes to the dinner table but refuses to eat. He turns his back to the table. Jezebel, Ahab’s wife, knows something is wrong. Ahab explains. Jezebel promises that she will get the land for him. So in an elaborate scheme, Naboth is set up.

B. Jezebel, with the help of Ahab’s signet ring, sends out a decree to the officials of Jezreel. There is to be a day of fasting. Naboth is to have a place of honor on the festive day. Two thugs are to sit near Naboth and accuse him of blasphemy and treason. It is done. Naboth is dragged from the feast and is stoned to death. Jezebel reports this to Ahab. She tells Ahab that the land is now free to him. Being king, he immediately takes possession of the land.

C. God sends Elijah to confront Ahab. Elijah tells Ahab that God is extremely displeased with him. He will die and so will his children. His sons will not rule over Israel because of Ahab’s great evil. In fact, Jezebel will be eaten by dogs; thus, signifying an impure death. With no burial then she will not receive any honor. Ahab’s reaction is not what we might expect. Instead of being proud and haughty as he has been, he repents. His repentance is genuine and because of his repentance God relents to the point of allowing Ahab more days to live.

So What?

A. There are a number of lessons to learn from this story. This story is here to show us that Ahab is evil and to give reason for Ahab and his family being wiped out. Ahab is killed and although he leaves a dynasty it doesn’t last long. This story explains why it doesn’t last. But there are at least two items in this story which deserve our attention. One is neatly tucked away at the end of the story; the other is mentioned twice in the chapter.

B. First, who we choose to marry affects our life. Look at verse 25. Ahab made an alliance with the King of Tyre. This alliance resulted in his marriage to Jezebel. Jezebel was not Jewish. She was not familiar with the ways of God. Nor did she have any desire to know God and his ways. What she wanted was to keep her religion and to bring her faith into her marriage with Ahab. Ahab wanting to please her built a temple for her gods. He even participated himself in worship with these other gods. The truth of the matter is who we choose to marry affects our life. That means that as parents we should encourage our children to marry someone who has similar views about God, faith, and what it means to walk with him. It means searching for a mate who will help you grow closer to God and not lead you away from God.

1. This is not the first time we have seen this. Solomon who married more women than any one man could possibly deal with was led away from God by the women in his life. Samson's love affair with Delilah resulted in disobedience to God. Having a good marriage is difficult enough without adding to it by marrying someone who is not of like mind.

2. However, there is a corollary to this general truth and it is this—our mates affect our behavior. The nature of marriage is that we are intertwined physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Our mate affects us. You may come into the house full of pep and energy and your mate can pull you down quicker than the IRS. Why? Because we are connected. Jezebel led Ahab away from God. It is important that in our relationship with God we do not allow our spouse to pull us away from God. Our objective in marriage is to draw one another closer to God.

C. Second, there is a price paid for sin. Look at verses 20 and 25. Both use the phrase “sold yourself to do evil.” This is the idea that there is a price to be paid for sin. It wasn’t that Ahab couldn’t do the right thing. It wasn’t that Ahab couldn’t tell Jezebel to hush. Ahab was a weak man in many respects. But he had choices to make and those choices resulted in selling his future for a piece of land. Coveting Naboth’s property led to murder. There was a clear progression of evil as Ahab did not rein in the evil in his life.

1. Remember the story of Cain and Abel? Do you remember what God told Cain before he killed his brother? Both boys brought their sacrifice. God was pleased with Abel's and he was displeased with Cain's. Cain becomes angry. God says to Cain: "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."

2. There are always choices. Ahab didn't get what he wanted. At that moment he had a choice. He didn't have to turn his signet ring over to Jezebel. He didn't have to allow his wife to lead a murderous plot. He didn't have to sulk. He didn't have to possession of the land. There are always choices. We have to master the sin which is crouching at our door.

3. Whenever we choose wrongly there are other choices which will either take us further down the path of sin or away from sin. I am convinced that there is a point of no return. But the choices for doing right and good are presented early on. So what is the price paid for sin? In Ahab's case it was his life and the life of his wife and children. All for a field to make a vegetable garden.

4. This is the corollary to the rule. The price paid for sin is never equal to the value of the sin itself. If we could ask Ahab "Is this field worth the life of your sons?" What do you think he would have answered. When we give ourselves over to sin, the price paid is rarely worth the sin itself.

    a. Is the price of pleasurable sexual sin worth your health?

    b. Is the price of sexual sin worth the guilt?

    c. Is the price of greed worth the loss of a thankful spirit?

    d. Is the price of gossip worth your reputation and the division such sin causes?

    e. Is the price of rebelliousness worth the loss of unity in your family?

    f. Is the price of pride worth the loss of relationship with God?

5. The price of sin is never worth the value of the sin itself. Ahab paid a big price for his greed. This story exists in part to demonstrate to us that walking with God is far better than living for self.

D. What price are you paying for sin in your life? Are you helping your mate walk with God? Are you preparing yourself to be a mate who will encourage your spouse to walk with God? Perhaps tonight someone needs to give their life to God. Perhaps tonight someone is needing to master sin. God will give you the strength. Invitation.

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