SDfAoWOP: Jezebel

Day Thirty-Three

I Kings 21:5

But Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, “Why is your spirit so vexed that you eat no food?” But he said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, 'Give me your vineyard for money, or else, if it please you, I will give you another vineyard for it.'”

Jezebel is a good wife. Her poor husband is cast down, his soul laid low, his heart in the dust because he wants another man's beautiful vineyard. He was passing by and saw the cool green vines, the lovely curve of the wall, the pleasing situation of the watchtower, the grapes full, rich, abundant. He casts his vision afar out over the hills of the Land The Lord his God had promised, a pleasing habitation. And his king's heart became sad. He wandered back, listless and sorrowful, to the smooth cool courts of his father's father's palace, his footfalls echoing along the marble. He flung himself down on his dark, worthless, rich couch and turned his face to the wall. What is the point of all this if he can't have that? What is the use of living?

His wife, attentive to his every whim, ruthless in her perusal of power and glory, for him, for him, ran her finger along his petulant brow. She coaxed and soothed and promised him every good thing.

Are you satisfied with the riches of His grace? Do you look over the landscape of your life and choose dissatisfaction, sadness even, in the face of all that God has given you? Do you help others along in their sin, teasing them along to covet what isn't theirs?

But the watchtower was manned. When Naboth's blood was spilled on the ground The Lord saw and understood. Drop by drop he measured and knew. There is no wickedness, no injustice, no evil that he does not see. The blood cries out to him and he answers, blood for blood, drop for drop. Wipe the makeup from your eyes, the red from your lips and repent of what wrong you have done. It may be that mercy will be measured out to you if you turn from your wickedness to live.