1 Kings 21:8-10
“So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal, and she sent the letters to the elders and the leaders who lived with Naboth in his city. And she wrote in the letters, “Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth at the head of the people. And set two worthless men opposite him, and let them bring a charge against him, saying, ‘You have cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”
Jezebel now puts into motion a plan to kill Naboth so that Ahab can have Naboth’s vineyard. She writes letters in Ahab’s name to the elders and leaders in the town where Naboth lived, instructing them how to incite the people of his city to kill Naboth by framing him with a false accusation.
The first thing that gets our attention is the dishonorable and corrupt action of the elders and magistrates of Naboth’s city. These were the people who were responsible for providing wise and just leadership for the citizens of the town, and yet they blindly accepted the evil strategy of Jezebel to slander and kill Naboth.
Clearly, the culture of Israel had descended to a disgraceful level, and this is reflected in the ease with which these leaders agreed to Jezebel’s murderous plan.
The application for us today is to stand firm and take full ownership of our “20 square feet” of our time and place in history. The society and culture around us is disintegrating. Moral standards are eroding, and social relationships are strained and fractured. Our society is losing its spiritual and moral foundation.
God calls us to be salt and light In the midst of modern culture. The Lord has given each of us a sphere of ownership, a sphere of leadership, and he calls us to be strong and stand firm in our 20 square feet. He calls us to be agents of his truth, love, and grace. He calls us to live and work with excellence.
We must be leaders. Remember, leadership is not authority based on a position you’ve been given; it is influence based on trust you have earned. We must be influencers and leaders who do not compromise. In whatever form it takes in our time, we must never listen to the voice of Jezebel.
Also, we must do a better job of electing better leaders at all levels of government: city, state, and federal. The kind of corrupt and dishonorable back-room dealings we see in this account with Jezebel has become commonplace in our government. At the federal level in particular, the government has devolved into a corrupt system for the acquisition of money and power.
Yes, there are good people in our government. However, there are also many Jezebels and Ahabs, and the number seems to be growing. As voting citizens, we can do better. We must do better!
“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Proverbs 14.34)
The Lord is calling.
