Naboth's Vineyard (1 kings 21)

Naboth owns a vineyard near to Ahab's palace in Samaria. Ahab offers to buy it or exchange the land with another vineyard. Naboth declines because it is the vineyard of his ancestors. According to Mosiac law, real estate had to stay within the family. The exception was if the property was in a walled city, which could be bought and sold without restriction. Since it is next to the king's palace, it probably was within a walled city.

Ahab is upset by this and his wife Jezebel comes up with an idea to frame Naboth for cursing God. He is dragged outside the city and stoned to death. After Naboth is dead, Ahab goes to claim the vineyard as his personal property.

God is mad and sends Elijah. Elijah meets Ahab at the vineyard. Ahab has a sarcastic and somewhat humorous greeting: "so my enemy, you have found me.". Ahab knows that he did something bad and now Elijah shows up. He knows he's guilty. But God has let him off the hook before, gave him time to repent after the drought, and saved him from invasion twice.

Not this time.

Elijah proclaims that Ahab will not have a dynasty. In fact, his family will be wiped out and dogs will eat Jezebel's body Uh oh.

Ahab finally gets the message. He responds by fasting, mourning, and wearing a burlap sack. God respects this repentance and tells Elijah that the destruction of Ahab's family will happen after Ahab dies.

Verse 25 says that Ahab did a lot of things under Jezebel's influence. We saw that with the way Ahab interacted with people. He was very susceptible to outside pressure, either from his wife, God, prophets, or other rulers (i.e., his social peers). Sometimes it led to repentance, sometimes criminal activity. He seemed to lack internal initiative.

Verse 26 says that God was most mad about Ahab worshipping idols. So, despite all the other things he did or allowed Jezebel to do (killed Naboth, killing God's prophets) this is what God hated most. It also leaves open the possibility that maybe God was more angry at Jezebel for encouraging Ahab to do some of the things. It also indicates that Ahab did not get the message at Mount Carmel and kept worshipping Baal.