Naboth's Vineyard
The two rulers were King Ahab and Queen Jezebel
from the city Jezreel, in the land of Israel.
A vineyard owned by another man in the city
became a very coveted piece of property.
This is a plot of ground stationed in propinquity
to the royal couple’s palatial facility.
King Ahab sought a vegetable garden for the land.
He’d pay any price, no matter how great the demand.
The man owning the property was Naboth by name.
He was a prominent subject of Jezreel with fame.
Always a proud man forever loyal to his king,
Naboth declined the king’s great offer for everything.
“I cannot sell the land of my fathers,” he would say.
Therefore, dejected Ahab got up and went away.
Later that night, the king and queen were in the palace.
The king’s presence invoked the queen’s inherent malice.
Queen Jezebel noticed the king’s languid sullenness.
She asked, “Why do you have this sudden unhappiness?”
Ahab told her of the unfortunate happening.
Hearing this made her question the power of the king:
“What you have told me is the most ridiculous thing
The words you have spoken have an unfamiliar ring.
I‘ll show you how it‘s done. I can handle everything!”
She wrote a letter to the officials of Jezreel
told what they had to do, and affixed the king’s seal.
The message told them to place Naboth in position.
Two mendacious accusers in a situation
will remark of Naboth’s unfaithfulness and treason.
Once you do this, before Naboth takes another breath,
all of you shall take him outside, and stone him to death.
With the mission accomplished, the queen received the word.
Here was the brief evil speech of the queen the king heard:
“Naboth is dead my king; I said it would not be hard.
Therefore, go king of Israel and claim your vineyard.”
The prophet Elijah soon appeared before the king,
This man of God conveyed the Lord’s message he did bring.
“Your blood shall be spilled here, and also that of the queen.
Dogs will consume Jezebel, and little will be seen.”
Copyright © Robert Pettit | Year Posted 2011
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