Revelation Themes and Eschatological Applications

Natural Enemies - Part 1 of 2

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2013-11-01

Synopsis: In this sermon, Pastor John Weaver introduces the concept of 'natural enemies' from 1 Kings 21, showing that enmity exists in every realm, including the spiritual. He focuses on the conflict between King Ahab and Naboth, illustrating how natural enemies are manifested when one desires to act wickedly and the other righteously, and when one uses the law unlawfully while the other uses it lawfully. The sermon sets up a second part to follow.

[John Weaver] The message that I'm going to be bringing today, I will have to finish it next Lord's Day. So, you have to understand this is in two parts, and I hope that you'll be interested enough to make sure that you are here next Lord's Day as well. 1 Kings chapter 21, the title of the message is Natural Enemies. Natural Enemies. 1 Kings chapter 21 beginning there with verse 17.

[John Weaver] And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria. Behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it. And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, hast thou killed, and hast thou also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, in the place where dogs Lick the blood of Naboth, shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine. And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee, because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord. Natural enemies. Everyone understands the concept of natural enemies. All you have to do is look around in the animal world, first of all, and you will see natural enemies on every hand.

[John Weaver] If you were to place a mongoose and a cobra together, there's going to be a fight, and a fight to the death. And usually the mongoose is going to win. I never will forget as a boy, going out early one morning into the fields to work, I happened to look in the ditch, I was walking, and here was a king snake fighting with a rattlesnake. Now I don't know how long they had already been fighting, But this was probably 6, 6 or 30 something like that in the morning. When I came back in at dinner, they were still fighting. When I went back after dinner about 1 o'clock to go back to the field, the king snake had just killed the rattlesnake. When I came back in from the field that evening about 7 o'clock, the king snake had him halfway down.

[John Weaver] It took him, I guess, 24 hours to kill and eat that snake, but they are natural enemies. You find natural enemies in every realm, even in the insect realm. Let me just mention two of those. Did you realize that ladybugs are very important? In particular, their larvae, which are active during May through July, are voracious predators concerning aphids and also they'll consume mites and scale insects and caterpillars as well.

[John Weaver] And then of course there's dragonflies. Did you know that dragonflies eat mosquitoes? Even their naiads in the water live off the mosquito larva and in the air the dragonfly catches the mosquito and eats them as well. So we could just simply say that every sphere of life has what you and I would refer to as natural enemies. In fact, every organism has a natural enemy. I suppose that we could correctly state that death is the natural enemy of life. The truth of the matter is, there are natural enemies in every realm and in every sphere, and that is also true in the spiritual realm.

[John Weaver] I want you to hold 1 Kings chapter 21, but look in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 6. 2 Corinthians chapter 6, and let's begin reading there with verse 14. And I want you to understand this concept of natural enemies. Notice 2 Corinthians 6, beginning there with verse 14. I think you will see the application of this before we close today. 2 Corinthians 6, verse 14. Look what God says.

[John Weaver] Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God, as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

[John Weaver] Wherefore, come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you. and will be a father unto you, and you shall be my sons and my daughters, saith the Lord God Almighty." So I want you to understand that righteousness is the natural enemy of unrighteousness. Righteousness and unrighteousness cannot coexist together. One is going to dispel and displace the other. Likewise, light and darkness are natural enemies. Either the light will dispel the darkness or the darkness will dispel the light. And God says right here that the temple of God, which of course refers to Christians, has no agreement with idols. They are natural enemies. Truth is the natural enemy of error. The true God is the natural enemy of all false gods. And in this text right here, the Bible also teaches us that Christ and Belial, or Satan, are natural enemies. Satan seeks to overthrow and conquer Christ even though Christ has already overthrown and defeated Satan. Theologically, you could say that Satan is indeed a defeated enemy.

[John Weaver] The Bible in Romans chapter 16 and verse 20 says this, Paul writing to the Roman Christians said, And the God of peace shall brew Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. Notice he said the God of peace shall brew Satan under your feet. Satan is already defeated and therefore he says those Roman Christians are going to walk all over him. So in Revelation 12 and verse 11 the Bible says this, And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto death. So it is only through the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God that we have victory over the evil one and forces of evil. It is Christ who gives us victory in time and in history. That's why in Romans 8 and verse 37, the Apostle Paul said it like this, Nay, in all these things we're more than conquerors through Him that loved us. Now I must hasten also to point out that those who follow Christ are natural enemies to those who follow Satan.

[John Weaver] And the reverse is also true. Those who follow Satan are natural enemies to those who follow Christ. Do you know what our Lord said to those Jews who rejected Him in John 8, verses 42 and 45? Listen carefully. Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, you would love me. For I proceeded forth and came from God Neither came I of myself, but he sent me.

[John Weaver] Why do you not understand my speech? Even because you cannot hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and the lust of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh his own, for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, you believe me not.

[John Weaver] So our Lord here says, here are followers of Christ, followers of Satan. Here's children of Christ and children of Belial, or children of the evil one. And he says, yeah, we're enemies. You don't believe me, you won't listen to me, because you are of your father the devil. I've quoted this passage often, but I hope you remember the passage in John 15 verses 18 through 20, where our Lord says, If the world hate you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love his own. But because you're not of the world, but I've chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than the master.

[John Weaver] If they've persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they've kept my saying, they'll keep yours also. So what is our Lord doing? He says, here's some natural enemies. They are antagonistic toward each other. So, marker down, Satan, the world, the flesh, and those that hate Christ are natural enemies to the saints of God. Therefore, it should not surprise us to find that there are natural enemies, not only to God's saints, but to God's preachers as well.

[John Weaver] If you look back in our text in 1 Kings chapter 21 and verse 20, I want you to notice what Ahab said to Elijah. 1 Kings chapter 21 verse 20, and Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? Here you have an excellent example of natural enemies. And we find and we discover that example is one of tyranny versus freedom. or one of governmental power versus spiritual power.

[John Weaver] I can boil it down a little more succinctly. I can say it is the king versus the preacher. Or I can say it is God versus man. Or I could say it is a theocracy versus an autocracy. Self-law. Self-rule. Tyranny is the natural enemy of freedom. Theft is the natural enemy of private property. Murder is the natural enemy of life. Deception is a natural enemy of openness and truth.

[John Weaver] Now in 1 Kings chapter 21, we have the background for the message that I'm going to be really emphasizing next week. But I want you to understand that Ahab was the most wicked and vile king of all Israel. And Ahab wanted to possess the vineyard and the land that belonged to Naboth. Naboth refused to sell or to give the land to Ahab. So let's read the first three verses. 1 Kings 21 verse 1, And it came to pass after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hired by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs.

[John Weaver] because it is near unto my house. And I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it, or if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money. And Naboth said unto Ahab, The Lord forbid it mean, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.

[John Weaver] Now, I'm only going to cover two points this morning. Here's my first point. Listen carefully. Natural enemies are manifested when one desires to act wickedly and the other desires to act righteously in these first three verses you have Ahab the king of Israel who desired to act wickedly you have secondly Naboth who was just a ordinary regular believer who desired to act righteously you know it's interesting that

[John Weaver] the enmity And the wickedness that exists in unbelievers and the enmity that exists between non-believers and believers should manifest itself in something so common and so average as a garden or piece of land. But I want you to stop and think about something. That is usually the way it works. It does not have to be something complex. It does not have to be something hard to grasp.

[John Weaver] Here it is very simple. Naboth had a garden. Naboth had a vineyard. Naboth had a piece of property. And of course, the king wanted it. Now, I want you to understand that God's law forbade the king from taking the property of the people. I want you to hold 1 Kings 21, but look in your Bibles to the book of Ezekiel chapter 46 and verse 18. Ezekiel 46 and verse 18. Watch this carefully. Ezekiel chapter 46 and verse 18.

[John Weaver] I guess you could say here is a passage against imminent domain. First, Ezekiel chapter 46 verse 18. God says moreover, the prince shall not take of the people's inheritance by oppression to thrust them out of their possession, but he shall give his son's inheritance out of his own possession that my people be not scattered, every man from his possession. So God then forbids the king or the prince from obtaining or confiscating the possessions of his people. Now God says if the king wants to give his children a possession, fine. Give it out of his possession, not out of his people's.

[John Weaver] So Ahab then coveted his neighbor's vineyard which lay close to the palace and it was very convenient for Ahab to have it as an herb garden. Ahab set his eye on the vineyard, he wanted it. He determined he must have it. He was not interested in leasing it, he wanted it for his own. His covetousness was a violation of the 10th commandment. Now originally, stop and think about this, Naboth may have been pleased to have a vineyard that was so close to the royal palace. It may have also given him not only easy access to the palace, but even an opportunity to sell the fruits of his vineyard there. However, in this instance, the nearness to the palace proved fatal. for Naboth and his sons. If the vineyard had been a long way off from the palace, his life may have been preserved. But since it was close by, Naboth coveted. I think we can learn a simple truth right here.

[John Weaver] The farther we can distance ourselves from tyrants and tyranny, humanly speaking, the safer we're going to be. I want you to notice something about Ahab. As wicked, as vile, and as cruel as he was, he at least did offer to buy the vineyard or to swap Naboth another piece of property for the vineyard.

[John Weaver] Now whether the buying price would have been reasonable or not, I do not know. Or if the swap would have been reasonable, I do not know. Whatever the offer, Naboth immediately rejected it because it was his right to so do. Let me point this out about Naboth. When Naboth rejected the king's offer, he was not fishing for a better price. He was not holding out for a better deal.

[John Weaver] He was not being recalcitrant, stubborn, or rebellious. He simply spoke the truth. He said, the Lord forbid it me, that I should give thee the inheritance of my fathers. Now I want you to note, He said, the Lord forbid it me, or Yahweh forbid it me. Naboth was a worshipper of the one true God. He was not a worshipper of Baal. And since he worshipped the one true and the living God, He considered it unlawful for him to comply with the king's request. He understood it was a violation of the law of God.

[John Weaver] So his refusal then did not arise out of stubbornness, or rebellion, or even sentimentality based upon ancestral estates. No! His refusal was based squarely upon the law of God.

[John Weaver] Now let me point something out about Naboth. Naboth understood government. And more particularly, he understood wicked government. Because he realized that if Ahab ever got his hands upon this property, it would never revert back to his family. Therefore, out of regard for God and His law, and for the good of his family, Naboth was not willing to part with his property at any rate. I want you to stop and think about this. Ahab and Jezebel and most of the people in the land now are worshipers of Baal.

[John Weaver] You remember when Elijah fled and desired that the Lord would take his life because he only was left? What did the Lord say? I have 7,000 that have that I've reserved that have not bowed the knee to Baal." So the vast majority of the people had gone into Baal worship. And Ahab and Jezebel were doing absolutely everything they could to exterminate all of the true preachers of God as well as the people of God.

[John Weaver] So Naboth now is one of those seven thousands. He's one of those few individuals that still worships the One True and the Living God and honors God And therefore, it is his faith that singles him out to be a martyr.

[John Weaver] Now I want to ask you this question. Why did Naboth say to Ahab when Ahab said, sell me the property or I'll trade your bed of peace for it? Why did Naboth say, the Lord forbid it me? And the answer is found in God's law. I want you to hold 1 Kings 21, but look back in your Bibles to the book of Leviticus chapter 23. Leviticus 23 and look at verse 28. Leviticus 23 and verse 28. I'm sorry, it's Leviticus 25. Leviticus 25 and verse 28.

[John Weaver] Well, let's go to verse 23 in Leviticus 25. Then we'll go to verse 28. Leviticus 25, look in verse 23. God says, the land shall not be sold forever, for the land is mine for your strangers and sojourners with me. So God says you cannot permanently sell the land. Now, the land was not to leave the tribe or the family. It was the inheritance that had been given to the fathers when the land of Canaan was divided into the twelve tribes.

[John Weaver] Now the fruits of the land could be sold, or the fruits of the land could be leased or rented, but it had to go back to the rightful owner in the year of Jubilee. Now look in verse 28. Leviticus 25 verse 28. But if he be not able to restore it to him, then that which is sold shall remain in the hand of him that hath bought it unto the year of Jubilee, and in the Jubilee it shall go out, and he shall return unto his possession." So, the land could not be permanently sold. Look, if you would, in the book of Numbers, chapter 36.

[John Weaver] Turn over just a few pages. Numbers 36, and look at verse 7. Numbers 36. And verse 7, look what God says. So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel removed from tribe to tribe. For every one of the children of Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his father. So Naboth then, like I said, was not being stubborn or rebellious or recalcitrant. He just simply was going to obey God. It should be noticed, and I'm hoping that you're taking note, that natural enemies are manifested when one is going to try to do what's right and the other is going to do that which is wicked and wrong. There's always then this natural enmity that surfaces.

[John Weaver] Do you remember when we read 2 Corinthians chapter 6 verses 14 through 18 where God said Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. He's writing that to believers. Do you know why God forbids a Christian to marry a non-Christian? Because of the natural enmity. It will not work. That's why God forbids Christians from entering into covenants and contracts with non-Christians. Inevitably. The non-Christian is going to want to do something that's contrary to the Word of God. And the Christian is going to want to do something that's in line with the Word of God. And there's going to be a fuss and a fight. There's going to be a natural enmity that manifests itself. It will always happen. It always happens when you have one that's willing to do what's right and one that's willing to do what's wrong. I've often said this. in marriage counseling? I've had people ask me, can you help me? And my response is always, that depends. It depends on whether or not you want to do what's right.

[John Weaver] If you want to do what's right, I can help you. But if you have a husband and a wife, and one wants to do what's right, and the other wants to do what's wrong, one wants to save the marriage, and the other could care less, I can only help the one that wants to do what's right. I can't help the one that wants to do what's wrong. So natural enemies then always manifest themselves when one wants to do what's right and the other wants to do that which is wrong. Secondly today, natural enemies are manifested, listen carefully, when one uses the law unlawfully and the other uses the law in a lawful manner.

[John Weaver] So, let's begin reading with verse 4. and read through verse 11. 1 Kings chapter 21 verse 4. Watch carefully. And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him. For he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed and turned away his face and would eat no bread.

[John Weaver] Now you're talking about childish. But Jezebel his wife came to him and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad that thou eatest no bread? And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Napoth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money, or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it. And he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard.

[John Weaver] Now that's not exactly what he said. He said, The Lord forbid it me. But watch Jezebel, verse 7, And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? Arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry. I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. And so she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with a seal, and sent the letters unto the elders, and to the nobles that were in the city dwelling with Naboth. And she wrote in the letter saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. and set two men, sons of Belial, before him to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king, and then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die. And the men in the city, even the elders of the nobles who were in the habitants of the city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them."

[John Weaver] Notice if you would, Jezebel, is going to do that, which is unlawful, but she's going to do it legally. I want you to understand something. There's a lawful use of the law, and there's an unlawful use of the law. In 1 Timothy 1 and verse 8, the Apostle Paul said this, but we know that the law is good if a man use it lawfully. The law is good if a man use it lawfully, which indicates it may be used unlawfully. Do you understand that law is designed for justice? However, when it is used unlawfully, it produces injustice. I want you to note something else. This is important.

[John Weaver] Ahab had absolutely no regard for Naboth for his position. He did not admire Naboth for standing clearly and unequivocally upon the Word of God. He did not admire Naboth because Naboth wanted to obey God and maintain his family inheritance. He did not admire Naboth for being a Christian. What happened when Naboth said, The LORD forbid me? Verse 4, And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him. For he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers.

[John Weaver] And he laid him down upon the bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread. Now Ahab the king was not accustomed to being denied his way. You know it is kind of fun, in a perverse sense of the word, to really displease someone like Ahab. It's got to be. And so, he's not used to being denied. And so he throws himself down upon the bed.

[John Weaver] He becomes morose and melancholic. He would not eat. He would not entertain company. He could not personally digest the affront that he supposed that Naboth had given unto him. His proud spirit aggravated the indignity of Naboth when Naboth denied him his property. And Ahab thought that probably this is something that is not to be allowed. I want you to note Ahab was a king. He had plenty of land. He had plenty of money.

[John Weaver] He had whatever he wanted. Ahab was kind of like old Haman. You remember, Haman was promoted over and over in the kingdom. But Mordecai would not bow to him. And when Haman bragged of everything that he had, he had to say this in Esther 5 and verse 3, Yet all this availeth me nothing, As long as I see Mordecai sitting in the king's gate, Mordecai wouldn't get up and bow to him. So he said, all of this avails me nothing. Everything that Ahab possessed was insufficient for lack of this one little piece of property. Ahab had more than enough. Yet he coveted, he wanted, he desired, and he determined he had to have Naboth's Vineyard or everything else was insufficient.

[John Weaver] We need to learn another lesson. Are you listening? Tyrants are never satisfied. They always want more. More property, more control, more submission, more recognition. You cannot please a tyrant. It's impossible. So what happens? Well, Jezebel enters the picture. And by the way, Jezebel is the most vile and wicked queen in the Old Testament. So she begins to inquire as to why her husband is not eating and why he is so morose and melancholy. Look in verse 5.

[John Weaver] But Jezebel's wife came to him and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad that thou eatest no bread? And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money, or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it. And he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard. And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? Arise and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry, I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. Wow.

[John Weaver] I want you to listen. Jezebel implies. She does more than implies. She says to Ahab, if you had the courage and the will and the backbone, you would just take it. Because you're the king. And since you're the king, you're a wall unto yourself. You may do whatever you please. What's wrong with you? I want to give you a quote from Matthew Henry on this verse. I think it's wonderful. He's interpreting what Jezebel said and means when she asked us, Thou now govern Israel. Listen to what he said. Dost thou govern Israel? And shall any subject thou hast deny thee anything thou hast a mind to? Art thou a king? It is below thee to buy and pay, much more to beg and pray. Use thy prerogative and take by force what thou canst not accomplish by fair means.

[John Weaver] Instead of resenting the affront, revenge it. If thou knowest not how to support the dignity of a king, let me alone to do it. Give me but leave to make use of thy name, and I will soon give thee the vineyard of Naboth. Right or wrong, it shall be thine own shortly, and cost thee nothing. And that's basically what she said. Art not thou a king? Dost thou not govern?

[John Weaver] We should understand, when the law is used unlawfully, it becomes lawlessness. What Jezebel is about to do amounts to legal confiscation and legal murder. Each act is contrary to law, but I'm going to show you it's done under the color of law. I saw and it's on YouTube, about a 90 second statement by Jerry Spence. Jerry Spence, you remember the attorney? He said this, in 60 years of practice, I've never had one case against the government where they did not cheat. and lie. He said, yes they have a 98% success rate, but it's only because they violate everything imaginable.

[John Weaver] John Trapp said this, listen men, woman was first given to man for a comforter, But if sometimes for a counselor, yet not at all for a controller as this wicked woman took upon herself to be. So she's no longer a comforter or a counselor, she's now a controller. So Jezebel literally took control. She commits crimes with the approval and in the name of her lame and emasculated husband.

[John Weaver] So she said in verse 8, So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with a seal, and sent the letters to the elders and to the nobles that were in the city dwelling with Naboth. So, her plan is very exacting. I want you to note, she does not merely ask the elders and the nobles to falsify a deed. All they'd have to do is draw up a piece of paper, get someone to witness it, and then declare Naboth's useless and no good. That's simple. And those cowardly elders and nobles would have done exactly that.

[John Weaver] But it's not just now the property that she wants. It's revenge.

[John Weaver] Now, I'm trying to show you how, when one party uses the law unlawfully, and one party wants to use the law lawfully, you're going to find natural enemies are manifested. What did Naboth said? The Lord forbid it me. God's law forbids me.

[John Weaver] Now, what Jezebel says is, give me your name, give me your seal, and I'll take care of it. I want you to understand the three elements of her crime. First of all, her crime must be committed under the color of religion. Look in verse 9, and she wrote in letters saying, proclaim a fast and set Naboth on high among the people. Why proclaim a fast? Why not a feast?

[John Weaver] Well, let me tell you why. A fast is indicative that some great crime or some heavy load of guilt rests upon the city and therefore it is absolutely necessary that everyone humble themselves before God. Let me just read some scriptures just to show you this and yet to save a little time. In Ezra 8 in verse 21, Ezra said, Did I proclaim to fast there at the river of Ahavah that we might afflict ourselves before our God to seek of Him a right way for us and our little ones and all our substance? But notice what he said, We proclaimed to fast that we might afflict ourselves. In Joel 1 verses 14 and 15, the Word of God says, Sanctify ye fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land and of the house of the Lord your God, and cry unto the Lord, blow the trumpet and sign, sanctify fast, call a solemn assembly. Why? Because the judgment of God was upon the land. Then finally, you remember in Jonah, when he went through the land of Nineveh preaching, yet forty days in Nineveh shall be overthrown?

[John Weaver] And Jonah 3 and verse 5, the Bible says, so the people of Nineveh believed God and proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest of them even to the least of them. So when she says proclaim a fast, she is saying, act like there's some heavy burden, some extreme load of guilt laying upon this city and cry to God." In other words, under the color of religion. Matthew Henry again says this, Proclaim a fast.

[John Weaver] Signify to your city that you are apprehensive of some dreadful judgment coming upon you, which you must endeavor to avert only by prayer, but by finding out and by putting away the accursed thing, pretend to be afraid that there is some great offender among you undiscovered, For whose sake God is angry in your city? Charge the people, if they know of any, on that solemn occasion to inform against him as they regard the welfare of this city.

[John Weaver] And at last, let Naboth be fastened upon as a suspected person, probably because he does not join with his neighbors in their worship, nor is he not a Baal worshiper. This may serve for a pretense to set him on high among the people and to call him to the bar. And that's exactly what Jezebel did. Jezebel, the wicked queen, pretends to be religious. And she pretends to be afraid of offending God and desires that the offense be taken away by the deaths of Naboth and his sons.

[John Weaver] Such hypocrisy is evidenced multitudinous times even in our land today. It had to be done under the color of religion. Secondly, it had to be done under the color of law. Look in verse 10. She says, and set two men, sons of Elial, before him to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king, and then carry him out, and stoning that he may die.

[John Weaver] It's important to note that she commanded the elders and the nobles of the city. By the way, it's these elders and nobles who were responsible for justice. And she commands them to get two witnesses to come up and testify against Naboth. Do you know why? She wanted two witnesses? And the answer is, because of the law of God. Look in your Bibles, hold 1 Kings 21, but look in your Bibles, first of all to Deuteronomy chapter 17. Deuteronomy chapter 17, and let's look at verses 6 and 7. Deuteronomy 17, verses 6 and 7. Deuteronomy 17 verse 6, look what God says. At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death, but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death. The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people, so shalt thou put the evil away from among you. So God demands two witnesses. Look in Deuteronomy chapter 19 and verse 15.

[John Weaver] Again God says this, One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth, at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established. So it's interesting now, how the wicked and the ungodly endeavor to use scripture Endeavor to use God's law to camouflage their sins and their crimes. Now listen carefully. Jezebel did not believe in the one true and living God at all. She was a wicked, vile, reprobate. She had no regard for God. But she's willing to use Him. And she's willing to use His law to cover her wickedness.

[John Weaver] Now remember, there were still some people left in the land that were worshippers of God. So in all probability, our reasoning is like this. If I at least use biblical law to execute Him, then those that still believe in it won't have any grounds to oppose me. Because obviously, I'm following God's law. Remember what I told you earlier? When the law is used unlawfully, it becomes lawlessness. So she covers her actions, not only under the color of religion, but under the color of law.

[John Weaver] Thirdly, it must be done under the color of justice. Look in verse 10. She says,"...and set two men, sons of Belial, before him to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king, and then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die." Obviously, Naboth did not blaspheme either God or the king. His answer to Ahab cannot be construed as blasphemy under any imagination. He simply refused to have the king confiscate his property. However, Jezebel pretends this is blasphemy. She charges him with treason and blasphemy and demands the death penalty. Now the penalty for blasphemy and seduction into idolatry was death by stoning. If you would look back in your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 13 beginning there with verse 8. Deuteronomy 13 verse 8. Watch this. Deuteronomy 13 verse 8. Look what God says. Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him, Neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him, but thou shalt surely kill him. Thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people.

[John Weaver] And thou shalt stone him with stones that he die, because he is sought to thrust thee away from the Lord by God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage. And all Israel shall hear and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you." She says, take him out in stoning. It not only has to be on religion, it has to be done in the color of law, it has to be done in the color of justice. So, blaspheming the king here is not necessarily taken to be a second crime attached to blaspheming God. But according to Jezebel's interpretation, blaspheming the king was the same as blaspheming God, because he was ruling by divine right. And he was the representative of God, and therefore, he deserved the death penalty.

[John Weaver] Let me put it like this. He that blasphemed God deserved to die. And he that blasphemed the king, who is supposed to be the representative of God, of course, deserved to have his property confiscated. I hope you're beginning to see a picture that there is a natural enmity between, number one, someone who wants to do what's right and someone who wants to do what's wrong. Secondly, there's a natural enmity between a man who wants to use the law lawfully and someone who wants to use the law unlawfully.

[John Weaver] Now let me try to make some applications. The first one is this. The sins of Naboth and Jezebel are open and public in the sense that everything was done before the eyes of men. But do you realize, sometimes, there are some sins and some crimes that are so secretive, they're never found out. There was a young woman murdered in Irwin County, probably, what, 7, 8, 10 years ago now?

[John Weaver] No one's ever been called to account. Her body's never been found. And ever who took care of her may die a natural death, and His hand will never be discovered in this life. I want you to turn to 1 Timothy chapter 5 and look at verse 24. 1 Timothy chapter 5. Verse 24. 1 Timothy chapter 5, verse 24, the Bible says this. Watch carefully. God says, some men's sins are opened beforehand, going before to judgment, and some men they follow after. Likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand, and they that are otherwise cannot be hid." So God said some men's sins are open beforehand, going before the judgment.

[John Weaver] Some folks get judged here in time and history, but not necessarily just everybody. But God says, oh they will be judged, because their sins follow them. We're going to see that Ahab and Jezebel got judged in time and in history. Some may escape that judgment in time and history, but they will not escape that judgment in eternity. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 5 and verse 8, just listen, If thou seest the oppression of the poor and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the manner, for he that is higher than the highest regardeth, and they be higher than they. In other words, God is taking note. And just because someone escapes judgment in this life, does not mean that he will escape judgment in the next life.

[John Weaver] I'm almost through with the book. I've got one last chapter in it. I've enjoyed reading it this week. The title of the book is Outlaws with Badges. Outlaws with Badges. And you'd be amazed at the sheriffs, the deputies, the marshals, who not only had an outlaw passed, but even wearing a badge they were outlaws as well. And so many murders and so many thefts were done by these men with badges in the Old West. And I could not help but think, the badge may have protected them, Temporarily. But not in eternity. And I got news for you folks.

[John Weaver] Those people in positions of power who are prosecuting, persecuting, stealing, murdering, confiscating property and destroying people in their lives and their freedoms. They may not be called into account in this life. I hope they are. But I can assure you one thing, God will nail them in eternity. And I thought about this, when I read how wicked some of these men were, I thought to myself, I sure don't want to be in their shoes.

[John Weaver] I've got enough sins to answer for without doing all of that. So let's mark her down. Some men's sins are opened beforehand, going before to judgment. Some men they fall after.

[John Weaver] Secondly, listen carefully, natural enemies are always seeking to disarm, outmaneuver, and conquer each other. Now do you understand that which is happening today? Why do you think there's such a push against the Second Amendment? Governments never disarm criminals. They just disarm honest citizens who then can't fight back. But listen carefully. Natural enemies are always seeking to disarm, outmaneuver and conquer each other. Years ago, I went deer hunting and I had a little seat that I sat on the ground and there was a little pine tree just about this big around that I sat behind, watching about a 300 yard strip, hoping a deer would come out. But I sat there, and I got to looking at that pine tree.

[John Weaver] I was probably only a foot away from it. And I got to look, and here was a praying mantis. And below the praying mantis was a granddaddy longlegs. I watched them for an hour. Because each one of them would maneuver. Praying mantis, one of the granddaddy longlegs. Granddaddy Longlegs didn't want to be eaten. And so they would keep maneuvering back and forth, back and forth. I finally had to leave before I don't know who won.

[John Weaver] But notice what, they were natural enemies. And they were seeking to outmaneuver each other. The inevitable result of all such posturing usually ends in death for one or the other. So in order then to fulfill our responsibilities, we must know our enemies, their tactics, strategies, and we must understand that they're willing to use the law unlawfully in order to cover their wickedness. They're willing to use religion unlawfully. They're willing to use justice unlawfully. I hope you understand what our Lord meant when He said in Matthew 10 and verse 16, Be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Listen carefully.

[John Weaver] Something may be legal, but not lawful. Legal and lawful are two different concepts. Something may be done in authority, but may be not done according to law or according to that which is right. Do you realize that book, Outlaws with Badges, many of those sheriffs just literally shot people. They had the authority. But it was not right. What Ahab and Jezebel did was done under the color of law, the color of religion, the color of justice, and done in authority. But it was not right. It was not lawful.

[John Weaver] And you're going to see how God nailed their hides to the barn door. Thus may it be, always to tyrants. As the motto of Virginia, Sic Semper Tyrannis. Thus, always to tyrants. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to thee this day. We're thankful for your word. We're thankful for your truth. And we do ask, Lord, that you would teach us Help us to be as wise as serpents, harmless as doves, and yet, Lord, understand tyranny and wickedness and ungodliness, that we may, Lord, be able to fight the good fight of faith and honor Thee in every area of our lives. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.

Natural Enemies - Part 1 of 2

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	vz179z7OJ2E
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Revelation Themes and Eschatological Applications
Genre	Sermon
Date	2013-11-01
Dictation Name
Book	Book 150: Natural Enemies — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	75

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Concept of Natural Enemies

Weaver introduces the topic of natural enemies, using examples from the animal and insect world, and states that natural enemies exist in every realm, including the spiritual.

The message that I'm going to be bringing today, I will have to finish it next Lord's Day. So, you have to understand this is in two parts, and I hope that you'll be interested enough to make sure that you are here next Lord's Day as well. 1 Kings chapter 21, the title of the message is Natural Enemies. Natural Enemies. 1 Kings chapter 21 beginning there with verse 17. And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria. Behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it. And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, hast thou killed, and hast thou also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, in the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine. And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee, because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord. Natural enemies. Everyone understands the concept of natural enemies. All you have to do is look around in the animal world, first of all, and you will see natural enemies on every hand.

If you were to place a mongoose and a cobra together, there's going to be a fight, and a fight to the death. And usually the mongoose is going to win. I never will forget as a boy, going out early one morning into the fields to work, I happened to look in the ditch, I was walking, and here was a king snake fighting with a rattlesnake. Now I don't know how long they had already been fighting, but this was probably 6, 6:30 or something like that in the morning. When I came back in at dinner, they were still fighting. When I went back after dinner about 1 o'clock to go back to the field, the king snake had just killed the rattlesnake. When I came back in from the field that evening about 7 o'clock, the king snake had him halfway down.

It took him, I guess, 24 hours to kill and eat that snake, but they are natural enemies. You find natural enemies in every realm, even in the insect realm. Let me just mention two of those. Did you realize that ladybugs are very important? In particular, their larvae, which are active during May through July, are voracious predators concerning aphids and also they'll consume mites and scale insects and caterpillars as well. And then of course there's dragonflies. Did you know that dragonflies eat mosquitoes? Even their naiads in the water live off the mosquito larva and in the air the dragonfly catches the mosquito and eats them as well. So we could just simply say that every sphere of life has what you and I would refer to as natural enemies. In fact, every organism has a natural enemy. I suppose that we could correctly state that death is the natural enemy of life. The truth of the matter is, there are natural enemies in every realm and in every sphere, and that is also true in the spiritual realm.

Spiritual Natural Enemies in Scripture

Reading 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, Weaver explains that righteousness and unrighteousness, light and darkness, Christ and Belial are natural enemies, and that believers and unbelievers are natural enemies.

I want you to hold 1 Kings chapter 21, but look in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 6. 2 Corinthians chapter 6, and let's begin reading there with verse 14. And I want you to understand this concept of natural enemies. Notice 2 Corinthians 6, beginning there with verse 14. I think you will see the application of this before we close today. 2 Corinthians 6, verse 14. Look what God says.

Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God, as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Wherefore, come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you. and will be a father unto you, and you shall be my sons and my daughters, saith the Lord God Almighty." So I want you to understand that righteousness is the natural enemy of unrighteousness. Righteousness and unrighteousness cannot coexist together. One is going to dispel and displace the other. Likewise, light and darkness are natural enemies. Either the light will dispel the darkness or the darkness will dispel the light. And God says right here that the temple of God, which of course refers to Christians, has no agreement with idols. They are natural enemies. Truth is the natural enemy of error. The true God is the natural enemy of all false gods. And in this text right here, the Bible also teaches us that Christ and Belial, or Satan, are natural enemies. Satan seeks to overthrow and conquer Christ even though Christ has already overthrown and defeated Satan. Theologically, you could say that Satan is indeed a defeated enemy.

The Bible in Romans chapter 16 and verse 20 says this, Paul writing to the Roman Christians said, And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. Notice he said the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet. Satan is already defeated and therefore he says those Roman Christians are going to walk all over him. So in Revelation 12 and verse 11 the Bible says this, And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto death. So it is only through the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God that we have victory over the evil one and forces of evil. It is Christ who gives us victory in time and in history. That's why in Romans 8 and verse 37, the Apostle Paul said it like this, Nay, in all these things we're more than conquerors through Him that loved us. Now I must hasten also to point out that those who follow Christ are natural enemies to those who follow Satan.

And the reverse is also true. Those who follow Satan are natural enemies to those who follow Christ. Do you know what our Lord said to those Jews who rejected Him in John 8, verses 42 and 45? Listen carefully. Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, you would love me. For I proceeded forth and came from God Neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do you not understand my speech? Even because you cannot hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and the lust of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh his own, for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, you believe me not.

So our Lord here says, here are followers of Christ, followers of Satan. Here's children of Christ and children of Belial, or children of the evil one. And he says, yeah, we're enemies. You don't believe me, you won't listen to me, because you are of your father the devil. I've quoted this passage often, but I hope you remember the passage in John 15 verses 18 through 20, where our Lord says, If the world hate you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love his own. But because you're not of the world, but I've chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than the master.

If they've persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they've kept my saying, they'll keep yours also. So what is our Lord doing? He says, here's some natural enemies. They are antagonistic toward each other. So, marker down, Satan, the world, the flesh, and those that hate Christ are natural enemies to the saints of God. Therefore, it should not surprise us to find that there are natural enemies, not only to God's saints, but to God's preachers as well.

Ahab and Elijah: A Case Study in Natural Enemies

Weaver points to 1 Kings 21:20 where Ahab calls Elijah his enemy, showing the conflict between the king and the preacher, tyranny and freedom, God and man.

If you look back in our text in 1 Kings chapter 21 and verse 20, I want you to notice what Ahab said to Elijah. 1 Kings chapter 21 verse 20, and Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? Here you have an excellent example of natural enemies. And we find and we discover that example is one of tyranny versus freedom. or one of governmental power versus spiritual power. I can boil it down a little more succinctly. I can say it is the king versus the preacher. Or I can say it is God versus man. Or I could say it is a theocracy versus an autocracy. Self-law. Self-rule. Tyranny is the natural enemy of freedom. Theft is the natural enemy of private property. Murder is the natural enemy of life. Deception is a natural enemy of openness and truth.

Now in 1 Kings chapter 21, we have the background for the message that I'm going to be really emphasizing next week. But I want you to understand that Ahab was the most wicked and vile king of all Israel. And Ahab wanted to possess the vineyard and the land that belonged to Naboth. Naboth refused to sell or to give the land to Ahab. So let's read the first three verses. 1 Kings 21 verse 1, And it came to pass after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hired by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs.

Point 1: Natural Enemies Manifested by Righteous vs. Wicked Desires

Weaver examines 1 Kings 21:1-3, showing Ahab's wicked desire for Naboth's vineyard and Naboth's righteous refusal based on God's law, leading to enmity.

because it is near unto my house. And I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it, or if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money. And Naboth said unto Ahab, The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee. Now, I'm only going to cover two points this morning. Here's my first point. Listen carefully. Natural enemies are manifested when one desires to act wickedly and the other desires to act righteously in these first three verses you have Ahab the king of Israel who desired to act wickedly you have secondly Naboth who was just a ordinary regular believer who desired to act righteously you know it's interesting that

the enmity And the wickedness that exists in unbelievers and the enmity that exists between non-believers and believers should manifest itself in something so common and so average as a garden or piece of land. But I want you to stop and think about something. That is usually the way it works. It does not have to be something complex. It does not have to be something hard to grasp. Here it is very simple. Naboth had a garden. Naboth had a vineyard. Naboth had a piece of property. And of course, the king wanted it. Now, I want you to understand that God's law forbade the king from taking the property of the people. I want you to hold 1 Kings 21, but look in your Bibles to the book of Ezekiel chapter 46 and verse 18. Ezekiel 46 and verse 18. Watch this carefully. Ezekiel chapter 46 and verse 18.

I guess you could say here is a passage against imminent domain. First, Ezekiel chapter 46 verse 18. God says moreover, the prince shall not take of the people's inheritance by oppression to thrust them out of their possession, but he shall give his son's inheritance out of his own possession that my people be not scattered, every man from his possession. So God then forbids the king or the prince from obtaining or confiscating the possessions of his people. Now God says if the king wants to give his children a possession, fine. Give it out of his possession, not out of his people's.

So Ahab then coveted his neighbor's vineyard which lay close to the palace and it was very convenient for Ahab to have it as an herb garden. Ahab set his eye on the vineyard, he wanted it. He determined he must have it. He was not interested in leasing it, he wanted it for his own. His covetousness was a violation of the 10th commandment. Now originally, stop and think about this, Naboth may have been pleased to have a vineyard that was so close to the royal palace. It may have also given him not only easy access to the palace, but even an opportunity to sell the fruits of his vineyard there. However, in this instance, the nearness to the palace proved fatal. for Naboth and his sons. If the vineyard had been a long way off from the palace, his life may have been preserved. But since it was close by, Naboth coveted. I think we can learn a simple truth right here.

The farther we can distance ourselves from tyrants and tyranny, humanly speaking, the safer we're going to be. I want you to notice something about Ahab. As wicked, as vile, and as cruel as he was, he at least did offer to buy the vineyard or to swap Naboth another piece of property for the vineyard. Now whether the buying price would have been reasonable or not, I do not know. Or if the swap would have been reasonable, I do not know. Whatever the offer, Naboth immediately rejected it because it was his right to so do. Let me point this out about Naboth. When Naboth rejected the king's offer, he was not fishing for a better price. He was not holding out for a better deal.

He was not being recalcitrant, stubborn, or rebellious. He simply spoke the truth. He said, the Lord forbid it me, that I should give thee the inheritance of my fathers. Now I want you to note, He said, the Lord forbid it me, or Yahweh forbid it me. Naboth was a worshipper of the one true God. He was not a worshipper of Baal. And since he worshipped the one true and the living God, He considered it unlawful for him to comply with the king's request. He understood it was a violation of the law of God.

So his refusal then did not arise out of stubbornness, or rebellion, or even sentimentality based upon ancestral estates. No! His refusal was based squarely upon the law of God. Now let me point something out about Naboth. Naboth understood government. And more particularly, he understood wicked government. Because he realized that if Ahab ever got his hands upon this property, it would never revert back to his family. Therefore, out of regard for God and His law, and for the good of his family, Naboth was not willing to part with his property at any rate. I want you to stop and think about this. Ahab and Jezebel and most of the people in the land now are worshipers of Baal.

You remember when Elijah fled and desired that the Lord would take his life because he only was left? What did the Lord say? I have 7,000 that have that I've reserved that have not bowed the knee to Baal." So the vast majority of the people had gone into Baal worship. And Ahab and Jezebel were doing absolutely everything they could to exterminate all of the true preachers of God as well as the people of God.

So Naboth now is one of those seven thousands. He's one of those few individuals that still worships the One True and the Living God and honors God And therefore, it is his faith that singles him out to be a martyr. Now I want to ask you this question. Why did Naboth say to Ahab when Ahab said, sell me the property or I'll trade your bed of peace for it? Why did Naboth say, the Lord forbid it me? And the answer is found in God's law. I want you to hold 1 Kings 21, but look back in your Bibles to the book of Leviticus chapter 23. Leviticus 23 and look at verse 28. Leviticus 23 and verse 28. I'm sorry, it's Leviticus 25. Leviticus 25 and verse 28.

Well, let's go to verse 23 in Leviticus 25. Then we'll go to verse 28. Leviticus 25, look in verse 23. God says, the land shall not be sold forever, for the land is mine for your strangers and sojourners with me. So God says you cannot permanently sell the land. Now, the land was not to leave the tribe or the family. It was the inheritance that had been given to the fathers when the land of Canaan was divided into the twelve tribes.

Now the fruits of the land could be sold, or the fruits of the land could be leased or rented, but it had to go back to the rightful owner in the year of Jubilee. Now look in verse 28. Leviticus 25 verse 28. But if he be not able to restore it to him, then that which is sold shall remain in the hand of him that hath bought it unto the year of Jubilee, and in the Jubilee it shall go out, and he shall return unto his possession.

Scripture Reading — Numbers 36:7

" So, the land could not be permanently sold. Look, if you would, in the book of Numbers, chapter 36. Turn over just a few pages. Numbers 36, and look at verse 7. Numbers 36. And verse 7, look what God says. So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel removed from tribe to tribe. For every one of the children of Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his father. So Naboth then, like I said, was not being stubborn or rebellious or recalcitrant. He just simply was going to obey God. It should be noticed, and I'm hoping that you're taking note, that natural enemies are manifested when one is going to try to do what's right and the other is going to do that which is wicked and wrong. There's always then this natural enmity that surfaces.

Do you remember when we read 2 Corinthians chapter 6 verses 14 through 18 where God said Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. He's writing that to believers. Do you know why God forbids a Christian to marry a non-Christian? Because of the natural enmity. It will not work. That's why God forbids Christians from entering into covenants and contracts with non-Christians. Inevitably. The non-Christian is going to want to do something that's contrary to the Word of God. And the Christian is going to want to do something that's in line with the Word of God. And there's going to be a fuss and a fight. There's going to be a natural enmity that manifests itself. It will always happen. It always happens when you have one that's willing to do what's right and one that's willing to do what's wrong. I've often said this. in marriage counseling? I've had people ask me, can you help me? And my response is always, that depends. It depends on whether or not you want to do what's right.

Point 2: Natural Enemies Manifested by Lawful vs. Unlawful Use of the Law

Weaver analyzes 1 Kings 21:4-11, detailing how Jezebel used religion, law, and justice unlawfully to confiscate Naboth's property and murder him, contrasting with Naboth's lawful stance.

So, let's begin reading with verse 4. and read through verse 11. 1 Kings chapter 21 verse 4. Watch carefully. And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him. For he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed and turned away his face and would eat no bread.

Now you're talking about childish. But Jezebel his wife came to him and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad that thou eatest no bread? And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money, or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it. And he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard.

Now that's not exactly what he said. He said, The Lord forbid it me. But watch Jezebel, verse 7, And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? Arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry. I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. And so she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with a seal, and sent the letters unto the elders, and to the nobles that were in the city dwelling with Naboth. And she wrote in the letter saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. and set two men, sons of Belial, before him to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king, and then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die. And the men in the city, even the elders of the nobles who were in the habitants of the city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them."

Notice if you would, Jezebel, is going to do that, which is unlawful, but she's going to do it legally. I want you to understand something. There's a lawful use of the law, and there's an unlawful use of the law. In 1 Timothy 1 and verse 8, the Apostle Paul said this, but we know that the law is good if a man use it lawfully. The law is good if a man use it lawfully, which indicates it may be used unlawfully. Do you understand that law is designed for justice? However, when it is used unlawfully, it produces injustice. I want you to note something else. This is important.

Ahab had absolutely no regard for Naboth for his position. He did not admire Naboth for standing clearly and unequivocally upon the Word of God. He did not admire Naboth because Naboth wanted to obey God and maintain his family inheritance. He did not admire Naboth for being a Christian. What happened when Naboth said, The LORD forbid me? Verse 4, And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him. For he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers.

And he laid him down upon the bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread. Now Ahab the king was not accustomed to being denied his way. You know it is kind of fun, in a perverse sense of the word, to really displease someone like Ahab. It's got to be. And so, he's not used to being denied. And so he throws himself down upon the bed. He becomes morose and melancholic. He would not eat. He would not entertain company. He could not personally digest the affront that he supposed that Naboth had given unto him. His proud spirit aggravated the indignity of Naboth when Naboth denied him his property. And Ahab thought that probably this is something that is not to be allowed. I want you to note Ahab was a king. He had plenty of land. He had plenty of money.

He had whatever he wanted. Ahab was kind of like old Haman. You remember, Haman was promoted over and over in the kingdom. But Mordecai would not bow to him. And when Haman bragged of everything that he had, he had to say this in Esther 5 and verse 3, Yet all this availeth me nothing, As long as I see Mordecai sitting in the king's gate, Mordecai wouldn't get up and bow to him. So he said, all of this avails me nothing. Everything that Ahab possessed was insufficient for lack of this one little piece of property. Ahab had more than enough. Yet he coveted, he wanted, he desired, and he determined he had to have Naboth's Vineyard or everything else was insufficient.

We need to learn another lesson. Are you listening? Tyrants are never satisfied. They always want more. More property, more control, more submission, more recognition. You cannot please a tyrant. It's impossible. So what happens? Well, Jezebel enters the picture. And by the way, Jezebel is the most vile and wicked queen in the Old Testament. So she begins to inquire as to why her husband is not eating and why he is so morose and melancholy. Look in verse 5.

But Jezebel's wife came to him and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad that thou eatest no bread? And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money, or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it. And he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard. And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? Arise and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry, I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. Wow. I want you to listen. Jezebel implies. She does more than implies. She says to Ahab, if you had the courage and the will and the backbone, you would just take it. Because you're the king. And since you're the king, you're a wall unto yourself. You may do whatever you please. What's wrong with you? I want to give you a quote from Matthew Henry on this verse. I think it's wonderful. He's interpreting what Jezebel said and means when she asked us, Thou now govern Israel. Listen to what he said. Dost thou govern Israel? And shall any subject thou hast deny thee anything thou hast a mind to? Art thou a king? It is below thee to buy and pay, much more to beg and pray. Use thy prerogative and take by force what thou canst not accomplish by fair means.

Instead of resenting the affront, revenge it. If thou knowest not how to support the dignity of a king, let me alone to do it. Give me but leave to make use of thy name, and I will soon give thee the vineyard of Naboth. Right or wrong, it shall be thine own shortly, and cost thee nothing. And that's basically what she said. Art not thou a king? Dost thou not govern?

We should understand, when the law is used unlawfully, it becomes lawlessness. What Jezebel is about to do amounts to legal confiscation and legal murder. Each act is contrary to law, but I'm going to show you it's done under the color of law. I saw and it's on YouTube, about a 90 second statement by Jerry Spence. Jerry Spence, you remember the attorney? He said this, in 60 years of practice, I've never had one case against the government where they did not cheat. and lie. He said, yes they have a 98% success rate, but it's only because they violate everything imaginable.

John Trapp said this, listen men, woman was first given to man for a comforter, But if sometimes for a counselor, yet not at all for a controller as this wicked woman took upon herself to be. So she's no longer a comforter or a counselor, she's now a controller. So Jezebel literally took control. She commits crimes with the approval and in the name of her lame and emasculated husband.

So she said in verse 8, So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with a seal, and sent the letters to the elders and to the nobles that were in the city dwelling with Naboth. So, her plan is very exacting. I want you to note, she does not merely ask the elders and the nobles to falsify a deed. All they'd have to do is draw up a piece of paper, get someone to witness it, and then declare Naboth's useless and no good. That's simple. And those cowardly elders and nobles would have done exactly that.

But it's not just now the property that she wants. It's revenge. Now, I'm trying to show you how, when one party uses the law unlawfully, and one party wants to use the law lawfully, you're going to find natural enemies are manifested. What did Naboth said? The Lord forbid it me. God's law forbids me.

Now, what Jezebel says is, give me your name, give me your seal, and I'll take care of it. I want you to understand the three elements of her crime. First of all, her crime must be committed under the color of religion. Look in verse 9, and she wrote in letters saying, proclaim a fast and set Naboth on high among the people. Why proclaim a fast? Why not a feast? Well, let me tell you why. A fast is indicative that some great crime or some heavy load of guilt rests upon the city and therefore it is absolutely necessary that everyone humble themselves before God. Let me just read some scriptures just to show you this and yet to save a little time. In Ezra 8 in verse 21, Ezra said, Did I proclaim to fast there at the river of Ahavah that we might afflict ourselves before our God to seek of Him a right way for us and our little ones and all our substance? But notice what he said, We proclaimed to fast that we might afflict ourselves. In Joel 1 verses 14 and 15, the Word of God says, Sanctify ye fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land and of the house of the Lord your God, and cry unto the Lord, blow the trumpet and sign, sanctify fast, call a solemn assembly. Why? Because the judgment of God was upon the land. Then finally, you remember in Jonah, when he went through the land of Nineveh preaching, yet forty days in Nineveh shall be overthrown?

And Jonah 3 and verse 5, the Bible says, so the people of Nineveh believed God and proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest of them even to the least of them. So when she says proclaim a fast, she is saying, act like there's some heavy burden, some extreme load of guilt laying upon this city and cry to God." In other words, under the color of religion. Matthew Henry again says this, Proclaim a fast. Signify to your city that you are apprehensive of some dreadful judgment coming upon you, which you must endeavor to avert only by prayer, but by finding out and by putting away the accursed thing, pretend to be afraid that there is some great offender among you undiscovered, For whose sake God is angry in your city? Charge the people, if they know of any, on that solemn occasion to inform against him as they regard the welfare of this city.

And at last, let Naboth be fastened upon as a suspected person, probably because he does not join with his neighbors in their worship, nor is he not a Baal worshiper. This may serve for a pretense to set him on high among the people and to call him to the bar. And that's exactly what Jezebel did. Jezebel, the wicked queen, pretends to be religious. And she pretends to be afraid of offending God and desires that the offense be taken away by the deaths of Naboth and his sons. Such hypocrisy is evidenced multitudinous times even in our land today. It had to be done under the color of religion. Secondly, it had to be done under the color of law. Look in verse 10. She says, and set two men, sons of Belial, before him to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king, and then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.

It's important to note that she commanded the elders and the nobles of the city. By the way, it's these elders and nobles who were responsible for justice. And she commands them to get two witnesses to come up and testify against Naboth. Do you know why? She wanted two witnesses? And the answer is, because of the law of God. Look in your Bibles, hold 1 Kings 21, but look in your Bibles, first of all to Deuteronomy chapter 17. Deuteronomy chapter 17, and let's look at verses 6 and 7. Deuteronomy 17, verses 6 and 7. Deuteronomy 17 verse 6, look what God says. At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death, but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death. The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people, so shalt thou put the evil away from among you. So God demands two witnesses. Look in Deuteronomy chapter 19 and verse 15.

Again God says this, One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth, at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established. So it's interesting now, how the wicked and the ungodly endeavor to use scripture Endeavor to use God's law to camouflage their sins and their crimes. Now listen carefully. Jezebel did not believe in the one true and living God at all. She was a wicked, vile, reprobate. She had no regard for God. But she's willing to use Him. And she's willing to use His law to cover her wickedness.

Now remember, there were still some people left in the land that were worshippers of God. So in all probability, our reasoning is like this. If I at least use biblical law to execute Him, then those that still believe in it won't have any grounds to oppose me. Because obviously, I'm following God's law. Remember what I told you earlier? When the law is used unlawfully, it becomes lawlessness. So she covers her actions, not only under the color of religion, but under the color of law.

Thirdly, it must be done under the color of justice. Look in verse 10. She says, "...and set two men, sons of Belial, before him to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king, and then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die." Obviously, Naboth did not blaspheme either God or the king. His answer to Ahab cannot be construed as blasphemy under any imagination. He simply refused to have the king confiscate his property. However, Jezebel pretends this is blasphemy. She charges him with treason and blasphemy and demands the death penalty. Now the penalty for blasphemy and seduction into idolatry was death by stoning. If you would look back in your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 13 beginning there with verse 8. Deuteronomy 13 verse 8. Watch this. Deuteronomy 13 verse 8. Look what God says. Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him, Neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him, but thou shalt surely kill him. Thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people.

And thou shalt stone him with stones that he die, because he is sought to thrust thee away from the Lord by God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage. And all Israel shall hear and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you." She says, take him out in stoning. It not only has to be on religion, it has to be done in the color of law, it has to be done in the color of justice. So, blaspheming the king here is not necessarily taken to be a second crime attached to blaspheming God. But according to Jezebel's interpretation, blaspheming the king was the same as blaspheming God, because he was ruling by divine right. And he was the representative of God, and therefore, he deserved the death penalty.

Let me put it like this. He that blasphemed God deserved to die. And he that blasphemed the king, who is supposed to be the representative of God, of course, deserved to have his property confiscated. I hope you're beginning to see a picture that there is a natural enmity between, number one, someone who wants to do what's right and someone who wants to do what's wrong. Secondly, there's a natural enmity between a man who wants to use the law lawfully and someone who wants to use the law unlawfully.

Applications and Warnings

Weaver applies the lessons: some sins are hidden but will be judged; natural enemies seek to disarm and conquer; believers must be wise as serpents and harmless as doves, recognizing that something can be legal but not lawful.

Now let me try to make some applications. The first one is this. The sins of Naboth and Jezebel are open and public in the sense that everything was done before the eyes of men. But do you realize, sometimes, there are some sins and some crimes that are so secretive, they're never found out. There was a young woman murdered in Irwin County, probably, what, 7, 8, 10 years ago now? No one's ever been called to account. Her body's never been found. And ever who took care of her may die a natural death, and His hand will never be discovered in this life. I want you to turn to 1 Timothy chapter 5 and look at verse 24. 1 Timothy chapter 5. Verse 24. 1 Timothy chapter 5, verse 24, the Bible says this. Watch carefully. God says, some men's sins are opened beforehand, going before to judgment, and some men they follow after. Likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand, and they that are otherwise cannot be hid." So God said some men's sins are open beforehand, going before the judgment.

Some folks get judged here in time and history, but not necessarily just everybody. But God says, oh they will be judged, because their sins follow them. We're going to see that Ahab and Jezebel got judged in time and in history. Some may escape that judgment in time and history, but they will not escape that judgment in eternity. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 5 and verse 8, just listen, If thou seest the oppression of the poor and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the manner, for he that is higher than the highest regardeth, and they be higher than they. In other words, God is taking note. And just because someone escapes judgment in this life, does not mean that he will escape judgment in the next life.

I'm almost through with the book. I've got one last chapter in it. I've enjoyed reading it this week. The title of the book is Outlaws with Badges. Outlaws with Badges. And you'd be amazed at the sheriffs, the deputies, the marshals, who not only had an outlaw passed, but even wearing a badge they were outlaws as well. And so many murders and so many thefts were done by these men with badges in the Old West. And I could not help but think, the badge may have protected them, Temporarily. But not in eternity. And I got news for you folks.

Those people in positions of power who are prosecuting, persecuting, stealing, murdering, confiscating property and destroying people in their lives and their freedoms. They may not be called into account in this life. I hope they are. But I can assure you one thing, God will nail them in eternity. And I thought about this, when I read how wicked some of these men were, I thought to myself, I sure don't want to be in their shoes. I've got enough sins to answer for without doing all of that. So let's mark her down. Some men's sins are opened beforehand, going before to judgment. Some men they fall after.

Secondly, listen carefully, natural enemies are always seeking to disarm, outmaneuver, and conquer each other. Now do you understand that which is happening today? Why do you think there's such a push against the Second Amendment? Governments never disarm criminals. They just disarm honest citizens who then can't fight back. But listen carefully. Natural enemies are always seeking to disarm, outmaneuver and conquer each other. Years ago, I went deer hunting and I had a little seat that I sat on the ground and there was a little pine tree just about this big around that I sat behind, watching about a 300 yard strip, hoping a deer would come out. But I sat there, and I got to looking at that pine tree.

I was probably only a foot away from it. And I got to look, and here was a praying mantis. And below the praying mantis was a granddaddy longlegs. I watched them for an hour. Because each one of them would maneuver. Praying mantis, one of the granddaddy longlegs. Granddaddy Longlegs didn't want to be eaten. And so they would keep maneuvering back and forth, back and forth. I finally had to leave before I don't know who won.

But notice what, they were natural enemies. And they were seeking to outmaneuver each other. The inevitable result of all such posturing usually ends in death for one or the other. So in order then to fulfill our responsibilities, we must know our enemies, their tactics, strategies, and we must understand that they're willing to use the law unlawfully in order to cover their wickedness. They're willing to use religion unlawfully. They're willing to use justice unlawfully. I hope you understand what our Lord meant when He said in Matthew 10 and verse 16, Be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Listen carefully.

Something may be legal, but not lawful. Legal and lawful are two different concepts. Something may be done in authority, but may be not done according to law or according to that which is right. Do you realize that book, Outlaws with Badges, many of those sheriffs just literally shot people. They had the authority. But it was not right. What Ahab and Jezebel did was done under the color of law, the color of religion, the color of justice, and done in authority. But it was not right. It was not lawful.

And you're going to see how God nailed their hides to the barn door. Thus may it be, always to tyrants. As the motto of Virginia, Sic Semper Tyrannis. Thus, always to tyrants. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to thee this day. We're thankful for your word. We're thankful for your truth. And we do ask, Lord, that you would teach us Help us to be as wise as serpents, harmless as doves, and yet, Lord, understand tyranny and wickedness and ungodliness, that we may, Lord, be able to fight the good fight of faith and honor Thee in every area of our lives. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Natural Enemies in Every Realm

Summary: The concept of natural enemies is universal, seen in animals, insects, and the spiritual realm, where opposing forces cannot coexist.

Evidence: Weaver gives examples of mongoose and cobra, king snake and rattlesnake, ladybugs and aphids, dragonflies and mosquitoes, then applies it to spiritual realities.

Righteousness vs. Wickedness as Natural Enmity

Summary: When one party desires to act righteously and the other wickedly, natural enmity surfaces, as seen in Ahab's covetousness and Naboth's obedience to God's law.

Lawful vs. Unlawful Use of the Law

Summary: The law can be used lawfully for justice or unlawfully for injustice; Jezebel's scheme used religion, law, and justice as a cover for murder and theft.

Tyranny and the Abuse of Power

Summary: Ahab and Jezebel represent tyranny, using their authority to confiscate property and destroy the innocent, illustrating that tyrants are never satisfied.

Divine Judgment on Hidden Sins

Summary: Some sins are open and judged in this life, but others are hidden; however, God sees all and will bring judgment in eternity.

Believers Must Be Wise and Discerning

Summary: Christians must understand their enemies' tactics, including the misuse of law and religion, and be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

Key Arguments

Natural enemies are inherent in the spiritual realm

Summary: Just as in nature, spiritual forces are opposed; righteousness and unrighteousness, light and darkness, Christ and Belial cannot coexist.

Evidence: Weaver cites 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 and John 8:42-45 to show the enmity between believers and unbelievers.

Naboth's refusal was based on God's law, not stubbornness

Summary: Naboth refused to sell his vineyard because God's law forbade permanent sale of inheritance; his stand was righteous, not rebellious.

Evidence: Weaver references Leviticus 25:23,28 and Numbers 36:7 to show the biblical basis for Naboth's refusal.

Jezebel's plot was a misuse of religion, law, and justice

Summary: Jezebel proclaimed a fast, demanded two witnesses, and charged blasphemy to give a legal appearance to her murderous scheme.

Evidence: Weaver explains the elements of her crime: under color of religion (fast), law (two witnesses), and justice (stoning for blasphemy).

Tyrants are never satisfied and will use any means to get what they want

Summary: Ahab had plenty but coveted Naboth's vineyard; Jezebel manipulated the system to seize it, showing the insatiable nature of tyranny.

Evidence: Weaver compares Ahab to Haman in Esther 5:13 and quotes Matthew Henry on Jezebel's manipulation.

Something can be legal but not lawful

Summary: Actions done under authority or with a veneer of legality can still be unjust and contrary to God's law.

Evidence: Weaver states that Ahab and Jezebel's actions were done under color of law but were not right, and cites examples from 'Outlaws with Badges'.

Scripture References

1 Kings 21:17-20

Context: The Lord sends Elijah to confront Ahab; Ahab calls Elijah his enemy.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18

Context: Believers are not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers; righteousness and unrighteousness have no fellowship.

Romans 16:20

Context: The God of peace will bruise Satan under your feet shortly.

Revelation 12:11

Context: They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.

Romans 8:37

Context: We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.

John 8:42-45

Context: Jesus tells the Jews they are of their father the devil and cannot hear His word.

John 15:18-20

Context: If the world hates you, it hated Me first; the servant is not greater than the master.

1 Kings 21:1-3

Context: Ahab offers to buy or trade for Naboth's vineyard; Naboth refuses, saying the Lord forbid it.

Ezekiel 46:18

Context: The prince shall not take the people's inheritance by oppression.

Leviticus 25:23,28

Context: The land shall not be sold forever; it returns in the Jubilee.

Numbers 36:7

Context: The inheritance of the children of Israel shall not remove from tribe to tribe.

1 Kings 21:4-11

Context: Ahab sulks; Jezebel plots to have Naboth killed under false charges.

1 Timothy 1:8

Context: The law is good if a man use it lawfully.

Esther 5:13

Context: Haman says all his wealth avails nothing as long as Mordecai sits in the gate.

Deuteronomy 17:6-7

Context: At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall the death penalty be executed.

Deuteronomy 19:15

Context: One witness is not enough; a matter is established by two or three witnesses.

Deuteronomy 13:8-10

Context: The penalty for enticing to idolatry is stoning.

1 Timothy 5:24

Context: Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; some follow after.

Ecclesiastes 5:8

Context: If you see oppression, marvel not; God is higher than the highest.

Matthew 10:16

Context: Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

Historical References

Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Kings 21

Context: Weaver quotes Matthew Henry's interpretation of Jezebel's words to Ahab, highlighting her manipulation.

Jerry Spence, attorney

Context: Weaver mentions a YouTube statement by Jerry Spence about government cheating and lying in cases.

John Trapp, commentator

Context: Weaver quotes John Trapp on Jezebel being a controller rather than a comforter or counselor.

Book: Outlaws with Badges

Context: Weaver references a book about lawmen in the Old West who were also outlaws, illustrating hidden sins.

Motto of Virginia: Sic Semper Tyrannis

Context: Weaver quotes the Latin phrase meaning 'Thus always to tyrants' in his closing prayer.

Important Quotes

Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?

Significance: Ahab's words to Elijah encapsulate the theme of natural enemies between the wicked king and God's prophet.

The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.

Significance: Naboth's righteous refusal based on God's law, which sparked the conflict.

Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? Arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry. I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.

Significance: Jezebel's manipulative challenge to Ahab, showing her willingness to use unlawful means.

Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people.

Significance: Jezebel's use of religion as a cover for her murderous plot.

Some men's sins are opened beforehand, going before to judgment, and some men they follow after.

Significance: A key verse warning that hidden sins will eventually be judged.

Be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

Significance: Jesus' instruction for believers to navigate a world of natural enemies with wisdom and innocence.

Discussion Questions

How does the concept of 'natural enemies' in the animal kingdom help us understand spiritual conflicts?

Context: Weaver uses examples from nature to introduce the idea that enmity is inherent in the spiritual realm.

In what ways do we see the enmity between righteousness and unrighteousness play out in our daily lives?

Context: Based on 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, Weaver argues that believers and unbelievers are natural enemies.

What can we learn from Naboth's refusal to sell his vineyard about standing on God's law in the face of pressure?

Context: Naboth's response was based on Leviticus 25 and Numbers 36, not stubbornness.

How does Jezebel's plot illustrate the danger of using religion, law, and justice as a cover for wickedness?

Context: Weaver details the three elements of her crime: color of religion, law, and justice.

Why is it important to distinguish between something being 'legal' and something being 'lawful' according to God's standards?

Context: Weaver emphasizes that actions can be done under authority but still be unjust.

How should the reality that some sins are hidden but will be judged affect our response to injustice?

Context: Weaver cites 1 Timothy 5:24 and Ecclesiastes 5:8 to encourage trust in God's ultimate justice.

Applications

Distance yourself from tyranny when possible

Summary: Weaver suggests that the farther we can distance ourselves from tyrants and tyranny, the safer we will be, as seen in Naboth's proximity to the palace.

Evidence: Weaver notes that if Naboth's vineyard had been far from the palace, his life might have been preserved.

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers

Summary: Because of natural enmity, Christians should avoid binding partnerships, marriages, or contracts with non-believers to prevent inevitable conflict.

Evidence: Weaver applies 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 to marriage and business, stating it will not work.

Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves

Summary: Believers must understand the tactics of their enemies, including the misuse of law and religion, and respond with wisdom and innocence.

Evidence: Weaver cites Matthew 10:16 and the example of Jezebel's cunning.

Trust in God's ultimate justice

Summary: Even when evildoers escape judgment in this life, God sees all and will bring justice in eternity; believers should not be discouraged.

Evidence: Weaver references 1 Timothy 5:24 and Ecclesiastes 5:8.

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T14:00:20Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T01:51:16Z

Clean Transcript

Natural Enemies - Part 1 of 2

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

The message that I'm going to be bringing today, I will have to finish it next Lord's Day. So, you have to understand this is in two parts, and I hope that you'll be interested enough to make sure that you are here next Lord's Day as well. 1 Kings chapter 21, the title of the message is Natural Enemies. Natural Enemies. 1 Kings chapter 21 beginning there with verse 17.
#1 | 0:15 to 0:49 | cleaned
And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria. Behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it. And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, hast thou killed, and hast thou also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, in the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine. And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee, because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord. Natural enemies. Everyone understands the concept of natural enemies. All you have to do is look around in the animal world, first of all, and you will see natural enemies on every hand.
#2 | 0:49 to 1:40 | cleaned
If you were to place a mongoose and a cobra together, there's going to be a fight, and a fight to the death. And usually the mongoose is going to win. I never will forget as a boy, going out early one morning into the fields to work, I happened to look in the ditch, I was walking, and here was a king snake fighting with a rattlesnake. Now I don't know how long they had already been fighting, but this was probably 6, 6:30 or something like that in the morning. When I came back in at dinner, they were still fighting. When I went back after dinner about 1 o'clock to go back to the field, the king snake had just killed the rattlesnake. When I came back in from the field that evening about 7 o'clock, the king snake had him halfway down.
#3 | 1:40 to 2:31 | cleaned
It took him, I guess, 24 hours to kill and eat that snake, but they are natural enemies. You find natural enemies in every realm, even in the insect realm. Let me just mention two of those. Did you realize that ladybugs are very important? In particular, their larvae, which are active during May through July, are voracious predators concerning aphids and also they'll consume mites and scale insects and caterpillars as well.
#4 | 2:34 to 3:03 | cleaned
And then of course there's dragonflies. Did you know that dragonflies eat mosquitoes? Even their naiads in the water live off the mosquito larva and in the air the dragonfly catches the mosquito and eats them as well. So we could just simply say that every sphere of life has what you and I would refer to as natural enemies. In fact, every organism has a natural enemy. I suppose that we could correctly state that death is the natural enemy of life. The truth of the matter is, there are natural enemies in every realm and in every sphere, and that is also true in the spiritual realm.
#5 | 3:04 to 3:48 | cleaned
I want you to hold 1 Kings chapter 21, but look in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 6. 2 Corinthians chapter 6, and let's begin reading there with verse 14. And I want you to understand this concept of natural enemies. Notice 2 Corinthians 6, beginning there with verse 14. I think you will see the application of this before we close today. 2 Corinthians 6, verse 14. Look what God says.
#6 | 3:48 to 4:20 | cleaned
Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God, as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
#7 | 4:20 to 4:47 | cleaned
Wherefore, come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you. and will be a father unto you, and you shall be my sons and my daughters, saith the Lord God Almighty." So I want you to understand that righteousness is the natural enemy of unrighteousness. Righteousness and unrighteousness cannot coexist together. One is going to dispel and displace the other. Likewise, light and darkness are natural enemies. Either the light will dispel the darkness or the darkness will dispel the light. And God says right here that the temple of God, which of course refers to Christians, has no agreement with idols. They are natural enemies. Truth is the natural enemy of error. The true God is the natural enemy of all false gods. And in this text right here, the Bible also teaches us that Christ and Belial, or Satan, are natural enemies. Satan seeks to overthrow and conquer Christ even though Christ has already overthrown and defeated Satan. Theologically, you could say that Satan is indeed a defeated enemy.
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The Bible in Romans chapter 16 and verse 20 says this, Paul writing to the Roman Christians said, And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. Notice he said the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet. Satan is already defeated and therefore he says those Roman Christians are going to walk all over him. So in Revelation 12 and verse 11 the Bible says this, And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto death. So it is only through the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God that we have victory over the evil one and forces of evil. It is Christ who gives us victory in time and in history. That's why in Romans 8 and verse 37, the Apostle Paul said it like this, Nay, in all these things we're more than conquerors through Him that loved us. Now I must hasten also to point out that those who follow Christ are natural enemies to those who follow Satan.
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And the reverse is also true. Those who follow Satan are natural enemies to those who follow Christ. Do you know what our Lord said to those Jews who rejected Him in John 8, verses 42 and 45? Listen carefully. Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, you would love me. For I proceeded forth and came from God Neither came I of myself, but he sent me.
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Why do you not understand my speech? Even because you cannot hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and the lust of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh his own, for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, you believe me not.
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So our Lord here says, here are followers of Christ, followers of Satan. Here's children of Christ and children of Belial, or children of the evil one. And he says, yeah, we're enemies. You don't believe me, you won't listen to me, because you are of your father the devil. I've quoted this passage often, but I hope you remember the passage in John 15 verses 18 through 20, where our Lord says, If the world hate you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love his own. But because you're not of the world, but I've chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than the master.
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If they've persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they've kept my saying, they'll keep yours also. So what is our Lord doing? He says, here's some natural enemies. They are antagonistic toward each other. So, marker down, Satan, the world, the flesh, and those that hate Christ are natural enemies to the saints of God. Therefore, it should not surprise us to find that there are natural enemies, not only to God's saints, but to God's preachers as well.
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If you look back in our text in 1 Kings chapter 21 and verse 20, I want you to notice what Ahab said to Elijah. 1 Kings chapter 21 verse 20, and Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? Here you have an excellent example of natural enemies. And we find and we discover that example is one of tyranny versus freedom. or one of governmental power versus spiritual power.
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I can boil it down a little more succinctly. I can say it is the king versus the preacher. Or I can say it is God versus man. Or I could say it is a theocracy versus an autocracy. Self-law. Self-rule. Tyranny is the natural enemy of freedom. Theft is the natural enemy of private property. Murder is the natural enemy of life. Deception is a natural enemy of openness and truth.
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Now in 1 Kings chapter 21, we have the background for the message that I'm going to be really emphasizing next week. But I want you to understand that Ahab was the most wicked and vile king of all Israel. And Ahab wanted to possess the vineyard and the land that belonged to Naboth. Naboth refused to sell or to give the land to Ahab. So let's read the first three verses. 1 Kings 21 verse 1, And it came to pass after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hired by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs.
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because it is near unto my house. And I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it, or if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money. And Naboth said unto Ahab, The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.
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Now, I'm only going to cover two points this morning. Here's my first point. Listen carefully. Natural enemies are manifested when one desires to act wickedly and the other desires to act righteously in these first three verses you have Ahab the king of Israel who desired to act wickedly you have secondly Naboth who was just a ordinary regular believer who desired to act righteously you know it's interesting that
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the enmity And the wickedness that exists in unbelievers and the enmity that exists between non-believers and believers should manifest itself in something so common and so average as a garden or piece of land. But I want you to stop and think about something. That is usually the way it works. It does not have to be something complex. It does not have to be something hard to grasp.
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Here it is very simple. Naboth had a garden. Naboth had a vineyard. Naboth had a piece of property. And of course, the king wanted it. Now, I want you to understand that God's law forbade the king from taking the property of the people. I want you to hold 1 Kings 21, but look in your Bibles to the book of Ezekiel chapter 46 and verse 18. Ezekiel 46 and verse 18. Watch this carefully. Ezekiel chapter 46 and verse 18.
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I guess you could say here is a passage against imminent domain. First, Ezekiel chapter 46 verse 18. God says moreover, the prince shall not take of the people's inheritance by oppression to thrust them out of their possession, but he shall give his son's inheritance out of his own possession that my people be not scattered, every man from his possession. So God then forbids the king or the prince from obtaining or confiscating the possessions of his people. Now God says if the king wants to give his children a possession, fine. Give it out of his possession, not out of his people's.
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So Ahab then coveted his neighbor's vineyard which lay close to the palace and it was very convenient for Ahab to have it as an herb garden. Ahab set his eye on the vineyard, he wanted it. He determined he must have it. He was not interested in leasing it, he wanted it for his own. His covetousness was a violation of the 10th commandment. Now originally, stop and think about this, Naboth may have been pleased to have a vineyard that was so close to the royal palace. It may have also given him not only easy access to the palace, but even an opportunity to sell the fruits of his vineyard there. However, in this instance, the nearness to the palace proved fatal. for Naboth and his sons. If the vineyard had been a long way off from the palace, his life may have been preserved. But since it was close by, Naboth coveted. I think we can learn a simple truth right here.
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The farther we can distance ourselves from tyrants and tyranny, humanly speaking, the safer we're going to be. I want you to notice something about Ahab. As wicked, as vile, and as cruel as he was, he at least did offer to buy the vineyard or to swap Naboth another piece of property for the vineyard.
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Now whether the buying price would have been reasonable or not, I do not know. Or if the swap would have been reasonable, I do not know. Whatever the offer, Naboth immediately rejected it because it was his right to so do. Let me point this out about Naboth. When Naboth rejected the king's offer, he was not fishing for a better price. He was not holding out for a better deal.
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He was not being recalcitrant, stubborn, or rebellious. He simply spoke the truth. He said, the Lord forbid it me, that I should give thee the inheritance of my fathers. Now I want you to note, He said, the Lord forbid it me, or Yahweh forbid it me. Naboth was a worshipper of the one true God. He was not a worshipper of Baal. And since he worshipped the one true and the living God, He considered it unlawful for him to comply with the king's request. He understood it was a violation of the law of God.
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So his refusal then did not arise out of stubbornness, or rebellion, or even sentimentality based upon ancestral estates. No! His refusal was based squarely upon the law of God.
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Now let me point something out about Naboth. Naboth understood government. And more particularly, he understood wicked government. Because he realized that if Ahab ever got his hands upon this property, it would never revert back to his family. Therefore, out of regard for God and His law, and for the good of his family, Naboth was not willing to part with his property at any rate. I want you to stop and think about this. Ahab and Jezebel and most of the people in the land now are worshipers of Baal.
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You remember when Elijah fled and desired that the Lord would take his life because he only was left? What did the Lord say? I have 7,000 that have that I've reserved that have not bowed the knee to Baal." So the vast majority of the people had gone into Baal worship. And Ahab and Jezebel were doing absolutely everything they could to exterminate all of the true preachers of God as well as the people of God.
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So Naboth now is one of those seven thousands. He's one of those few individuals that still worships the One True and the Living God and honors God And therefore, it is his faith that singles him out to be a martyr.
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Now I want to ask you this question. Why did Naboth say to Ahab when Ahab said, sell me the property or I'll trade your bed of peace for it? Why did Naboth say, the Lord forbid it me? And the answer is found in God's law. I want you to hold 1 Kings 21, but look back in your Bibles to the book of Leviticus chapter 23. Leviticus 23 and look at verse 28. Leviticus 23 and verse 28. I'm sorry, it's Leviticus 25. Leviticus 25 and verse 28.
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Well, let's go to verse 23 in Leviticus 25. Then we'll go to verse 28. Leviticus 25, look in verse 23. God says, the land shall not be sold forever, for the land is mine for your strangers and sojourners with me. So God says you cannot permanently sell the land. Now, the land was not to leave the tribe or the family. It was the inheritance that had been given to the fathers when the land of Canaan was divided into the twelve tribes.
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Now the fruits of the land could be sold, or the fruits of the land could be leased or rented, but it had to go back to the rightful owner in the year of Jubilee. Now look in verse 28. Leviticus 25 verse 28. But if he be not able to restore it to him, then that which is sold shall remain in the hand of him that hath bought it unto the year of Jubilee, and in the Jubilee it shall go out, and he shall return unto his possession." So, the land could not be permanently sold. Look, if you would, in the book of Numbers, chapter 36.
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Turn over just a few pages. Numbers 36, and look at verse 7. Numbers 36. And verse 7, look what God says. So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel removed from tribe to tribe. For every one of the children of Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his father. So Naboth then, like I said, was not being stubborn or rebellious or recalcitrant. He just simply was going to obey God. It should be noticed, and I'm hoping that you're taking note, that natural enemies are manifested when one is going to try to do what's right and the other is going to do that which is wicked and wrong. There's always then this natural enmity that surfaces.
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Do you remember when we read 2 Corinthians chapter 6 verses 14 through 18 where God said Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. He's writing that to believers. Do you know why God forbids a Christian to marry a non-Christian? Because of the natural enmity. It will not work. That's why God forbids Christians from entering into covenants and contracts with non-Christians. Inevitably. The non-Christian is going to want to do something that's contrary to the Word of God. And the Christian is going to want to do something that's in line with the Word of God. And there's going to be a fuss and a fight. There's going to be a natural enmity that manifests itself. It will always happen. It always happens when you have one that's willing to do what's right and one that's willing to do what's wrong. I've often said this. in marriage counseling? I've had people ask me, can you help me? And my response is always, that depends. It depends on whether or not you want to do what's right.
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If you want to do what's right, I can help you. But if you have a husband and a wife, and one wants to do what's right, and the other wants to do what's wrong, one wants to save the marriage, and the other could care less, I can only help the one that wants to do what's right. I can't help the one that wants to do what's wrong. So natural enemies then always manifest themselves when one wants to do what's right and the other wants to do that which is wrong. Secondly today, natural enemies are manifested, listen carefully, when one uses the law unlawfully and the other uses the law in a lawful manner.
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So, let's begin reading with verse 4. and read through verse 11. 1 Kings chapter 21 verse 4. Watch carefully. And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him. For he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed and turned away his face and would eat no bread.
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Now you're talking about childish. But Jezebel his wife came to him and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad that thou eatest no bread? And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money, or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it. And he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard.
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Now that's not exactly what he said. He said, The Lord forbid it me. But watch Jezebel, verse 7, And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? Arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry. I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. And so she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with a seal, and sent the letters unto the elders, and to the nobles that were in the city dwelling with Naboth. And she wrote in the letter saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. and set two men, sons of Belial, before him to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king, and then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die. And the men in the city, even the elders of the nobles who were in the habitants of the city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them."
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Notice if you would, Jezebel, is going to do that, which is unlawful, but she's going to do it legally. I want you to understand something. There's a lawful use of the law, and there's an unlawful use of the law. In 1 Timothy 1 and verse 8, the Apostle Paul said this, but we know that the law is good if a man use it lawfully. The law is good if a man use it lawfully, which indicates it may be used unlawfully. Do you understand that law is designed for justice? However, when it is used unlawfully, it produces injustice. I want you to note something else. This is important.
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Ahab had absolutely no regard for Naboth for his position. He did not admire Naboth for standing clearly and unequivocally upon the Word of God. He did not admire Naboth because Naboth wanted to obey God and maintain his family inheritance. He did not admire Naboth for being a Christian. What happened when Naboth said, The LORD forbid me? Verse 4, And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him. For he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers.
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And he laid him down upon the bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread. Now Ahab the king was not accustomed to being denied his way. You know it is kind of fun, in a perverse sense of the word, to really displease someone like Ahab. It's got to be. And so, he's not used to being denied. And so he throws himself down upon the bed.
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He becomes morose and melancholic. He would not eat. He would not entertain company. He could not personally digest the affront that he supposed that Naboth had given unto him. His proud spirit aggravated the indignity of Naboth when Naboth denied him his property. And Ahab thought that probably this is something that is not to be allowed. I want you to note Ahab was a king. He had plenty of land. He had plenty of money.
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He had whatever he wanted. Ahab was kind of like old Haman. You remember, Haman was promoted over and over in the kingdom. But Mordecai would not bow to him. And when Haman bragged of everything that he had, he had to say this in Esther 5 and verse 3, Yet all this availeth me nothing, As long as I see Mordecai sitting in the king's gate, Mordecai wouldn't get up and bow to him. So he said, all of this avails me nothing. Everything that Ahab possessed was insufficient for lack of this one little piece of property. Ahab had more than enough. Yet he coveted, he wanted, he desired, and he determined he had to have Naboth's Vineyard or everything else was insufficient.
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We need to learn another lesson. Are you listening? Tyrants are never satisfied. They always want more. More property, more control, more submission, more recognition. You cannot please a tyrant. It's impossible. So what happens? Well, Jezebel enters the picture. And by the way, Jezebel is the most vile and wicked queen in the Old Testament. So she begins to inquire as to why her husband is not eating and why he is so morose and melancholy. Look in verse 5.
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But Jezebel's wife came to him and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad that thou eatest no bread? And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money, or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it. And he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard. And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? Arise and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry, I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. Wow.
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I want you to listen. Jezebel implies. She does more than implies. She says to Ahab, if you had the courage and the will and the backbone, you would just take it. Because you're the king. And since you're the king, you're a wall unto yourself. You may do whatever you please. What's wrong with you? I want to give you a quote from Matthew Henry on this verse. I think it's wonderful. He's interpreting what Jezebel said and means when she asked us, Thou now govern Israel. Listen to what he said. Dost thou govern Israel? And shall any subject thou hast deny thee anything thou hast a mind to? Art thou a king? It is below thee to buy and pay, much more to beg and pray. Use thy prerogative and take by force what thou canst not accomplish by fair means.
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Instead of resenting the affront, revenge it. If thou knowest not how to support the dignity of a king, let me alone to do it. Give me but leave to make use of thy name, and I will soon give thee the vineyard of Naboth. Right or wrong, it shall be thine own shortly, and cost thee nothing. And that's basically what she said. Art not thou a king? Dost thou not govern?
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We should understand, when the law is used unlawfully, it becomes lawlessness. What Jezebel is about to do amounts to legal confiscation and legal murder. Each act is contrary to law, but I'm going to show you it's done under the color of law. I saw and it's on YouTube, about a 90 second statement by Jerry Spence. Jerry Spence, you remember the attorney? He said this, in 60 years of practice, I've never had one case against the government where they did not cheat. and lie. He said, yes they have a 98% success rate, but it's only because they violate everything imaginable.
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John Trapp said this, listen men, woman was first given to man for a comforter, But if sometimes for a counselor, yet not at all for a controller as this wicked woman took upon herself to be. So she's no longer a comforter or a counselor, she's now a controller. So Jezebel literally took control. She commits crimes with the approval and in the name of her lame and emasculated husband.
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So she said in verse 8, So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with a seal, and sent the letters to the elders and to the nobles that were in the city dwelling with Naboth. So, her plan is very exacting. I want you to note, she does not merely ask the elders and the nobles to falsify a deed. All they'd have to do is draw up a piece of paper, get someone to witness it, and then declare Naboth's useless and no good. That's simple. And those cowardly elders and nobles would have done exactly that.
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But it's not just now the property that she wants. It's revenge.
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Now, I'm trying to show you how, when one party uses the law unlawfully, and one party wants to use the law lawfully, you're going to find natural enemies are manifested. What did Naboth said? The Lord forbid it me. God's law forbids me.
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Now, what Jezebel says is, give me your name, give me your seal, and I'll take care of it. I want you to understand the three elements of her crime. First of all, her crime must be committed under the color of religion. Look in verse 9, and she wrote in letters saying, proclaim a fast and set Naboth on high among the people. Why proclaim a fast? Why not a feast?
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Well, let me tell you why. A fast is indicative that some great crime or some heavy load of guilt rests upon the city and therefore it is absolutely necessary that everyone humble themselves before God. Let me just read some scriptures just to show you this and yet to save a little time. In Ezra 8 in verse 21, Ezra said, Did I proclaim to fast there at the river of Ahavah that we might afflict ourselves before our God to seek of Him a right way for us and our little ones and all our substance? But notice what he said, We proclaimed to fast that we might afflict ourselves. In Joel 1 verses 14 and 15, the Word of God says, Sanctify ye fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land and of the house of the Lord your God, and cry unto the Lord, blow the trumpet and sign, sanctify fast, call a solemn assembly. Why? Because the judgment of God was upon the land. Then finally, you remember in Jonah, when he went through the land of Nineveh preaching, yet forty days in Nineveh shall be overthrown?
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And Jonah 3 and verse 5, the Bible says, so the people of Nineveh believed God and proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest of them even to the least of them. So when she says proclaim a fast, she is saying, act like there's some heavy burden, some extreme load of guilt laying upon this city and cry to God." In other words, under the color of religion. Matthew Henry again says this, Proclaim a fast.
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Signify to your city that you are apprehensive of some dreadful judgment coming upon you, which you must endeavor to avert only by prayer, but by finding out and by putting away the accursed thing, pretend to be afraid that there is some great offender among you undiscovered, For whose sake God is angry in your city? Charge the people, if they know of any, on that solemn occasion to inform against him as they regard the welfare of this city.
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And at last, let Naboth be fastened upon as a suspected person, probably because he does not join with his neighbors in their worship, nor is he not a Baal worshiper. This may serve for a pretense to set him on high among the people and to call him to the bar. And that's exactly what Jezebel did. Jezebel, the wicked queen, pretends to be religious. And she pretends to be afraid of offending God and desires that the offense be taken away by the deaths of Naboth and his sons.
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Such hypocrisy is evidenced multitudinous times even in our land today. It had to be done under the color of religion. Secondly, it had to be done under the color of law. Look in verse 10. She says, and set two men, sons of Belial, before him to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king, and then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.
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It's important to note that she commanded the elders and the nobles of the city. By the way, it's these elders and nobles who were responsible for justice. And she commands them to get two witnesses to come up and testify against Naboth. Do you know why? She wanted two witnesses? And the answer is, because of the law of God. Look in your Bibles, hold 1 Kings 21, but look in your Bibles, first of all to Deuteronomy chapter 17. Deuteronomy chapter 17, and let's look at verses 6 and 7. Deuteronomy 17, verses 6 and 7. Deuteronomy 17 verse 6, look what God says. At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death, but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death. The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people, so shalt thou put the evil away from among you. So God demands two witnesses. Look in Deuteronomy chapter 19 and verse 15.
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Again God says this, One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth, at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established. So it's interesting now, how the wicked and the ungodly endeavor to use scripture Endeavor to use God's law to camouflage their sins and their crimes. Now listen carefully. Jezebel did not believe in the one true and living God at all. She was a wicked, vile, reprobate. She had no regard for God. But she's willing to use Him. And she's willing to use His law to cover her wickedness.
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Now remember, there were still some people left in the land that were worshippers of God. So in all probability, our reasoning is like this. If I at least use biblical law to execute Him, then those that still believe in it won't have any grounds to oppose me. Because obviously, I'm following God's law. Remember what I told you earlier? When the law is used unlawfully, it becomes lawlessness. So she covers her actions, not only under the color of religion, but under the color of law.
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Thirdly, it must be done under the color of justice. Look in verse 10. She says, "...and set two men, sons of Belial, before him to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king, and then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die." Obviously, Naboth did not blaspheme either God or the king. His answer to Ahab cannot be construed as blasphemy under any imagination. He simply refused to have the king confiscate his property. However, Jezebel pretends this is blasphemy. She charges him with treason and blasphemy and demands the death penalty. Now the penalty for blasphemy and seduction into idolatry was death by stoning. If you would look back in your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 13 beginning there with verse 8. Deuteronomy 13 verse 8. Watch this. Deuteronomy 13 verse 8. Look what God says. Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him, Neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him, but thou shalt surely kill him. Thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people.
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And thou shalt stone him with stones that he die, because he is sought to thrust thee away from the Lord by God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage. And all Israel shall hear and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you." She says, take him out in stoning. It not only has to be on religion, it has to be done in the color of law, it has to be done in the color of justice. So, blaspheming the king here is not necessarily taken to be a second crime attached to blaspheming God. But according to Jezebel's interpretation, blaspheming the king was the same as blaspheming God, because he was ruling by divine right. And he was the representative of God, and therefore, he deserved the death penalty.
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Let me put it like this. He that blasphemed God deserved to die. And he that blasphemed the king, who is supposed to be the representative of God, of course, deserved to have his property confiscated. I hope you're beginning to see a picture that there is a natural enmity between, number one, someone who wants to do what's right and someone who wants to do what's wrong. Secondly, there's a natural enmity between a man who wants to use the law lawfully and someone who wants to use the law unlawfully.
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Now let me try to make some applications. The first one is this. The sins of Naboth and Jezebel are open and public in the sense that everything was done before the eyes of men. But do you realize, sometimes, there are some sins and some crimes that are so secretive, they're never found out. There was a young woman murdered in Irwin County, probably, what, 7, 8, 10 years ago now?
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No one's ever been called to account. Her body's never been found. And ever who took care of her may die a natural death, and His hand will never be discovered in this life. I want you to turn to 1 Timothy chapter 5 and look at verse 24. 1 Timothy chapter 5. Verse 24. 1 Timothy chapter 5, verse 24, the Bible says this. Watch carefully. God says, some men's sins are opened beforehand, going before to judgment, and some men they follow after. Likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand, and they that are otherwise cannot be hid." So God said some men's sins are open beforehand, going before the judgment.
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Some folks get judged here in time and history, but not necessarily just everybody. But God says, oh they will be judged, because their sins follow them. We're going to see that Ahab and Jezebel got judged in time and in history. Some may escape that judgment in time and history, but they will not escape that judgment in eternity. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 5 and verse 8, just listen, If thou seest the oppression of the poor and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the manner, for he that is higher than the highest regardeth, and they be higher than they. In other words, God is taking note. And just because someone escapes judgment in this life, does not mean that he will escape judgment in the next life.
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I'm almost through with the book. I've got one last chapter in it. I've enjoyed reading it this week. The title of the book is Outlaws with Badges. Outlaws with Badges. And you'd be amazed at the sheriffs, the deputies, the marshals, who not only had an outlaw passed, but even wearing a badge they were outlaws as well. And so many murders and so many thefts were done by these men with badges in the Old West. And I could not help but think, the badge may have protected them, Temporarily. But not in eternity. And I got news for you folks.
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Those people in positions of power who are prosecuting, persecuting, stealing, murdering, confiscating property and destroying people in their lives and their freedoms. They may not be called into account in this life. I hope they are. But I can assure you one thing, God will nail them in eternity. And I thought about this, when I read how wicked some of these men were, I thought to myself, I sure don't want to be in their shoes.
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I've got enough sins to answer for without doing all of that. So let's mark her down. Some men's sins are opened beforehand, going before to judgment. Some men they fall after.
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Secondly, listen carefully, natural enemies are always seeking to disarm, outmaneuver, and conquer each other. Now do you understand that which is happening today? Why do you think there's such a push against the Second Amendment? Governments never disarm criminals. They just disarm honest citizens who then can't fight back. But listen carefully. Natural enemies are always seeking to disarm, outmaneuver and conquer each other. Years ago, I went deer hunting and I had a little seat that I sat on the ground and there was a little pine tree just about this big around that I sat behind, watching about a 300 yard strip, hoping a deer would come out. But I sat there, and I got to looking at that pine tree.
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I was probably only a foot away from it. And I got to look, and here was a praying mantis. And below the praying mantis was a granddaddy longlegs. I watched them for an hour. Because each one of them would maneuver. Praying mantis, one of the granddaddy longlegs. Granddaddy Longlegs didn't want to be eaten. And so they would keep maneuvering back and forth, back and forth. I finally had to leave before I don't know who won.
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But notice what, they were natural enemies. And they were seeking to outmaneuver each other. The inevitable result of all such posturing usually ends in death for one or the other. So in order then to fulfill our responsibilities, we must know our enemies, their tactics, strategies, and we must understand that they're willing to use the law unlawfully in order to cover their wickedness. They're willing to use religion unlawfully. They're willing to use justice unlawfully. I hope you understand what our Lord meant when He said in Matthew 10 and verse 16, Be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Listen carefully.
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Something may be legal, but not lawful. Legal and lawful are two different concepts. Something may be done in authority, but may be not done according to law or according to that which is right. Do you realize that book, Outlaws with Badges, many of those sheriffs just literally shot people. They had the authority. But it was not right. What Ahab and Jezebel did was done under the color of law, the color of religion, the color of justice, and done in authority. But it was not right. It was not lawful.
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And you're going to see how God nailed their hides to the barn door. Thus may it be, always to tyrants. As the motto of Virginia, Sic Semper Tyrannis. Thus, always to tyrants. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to thee this day. We're thankful for your word. We're thankful for your truth. And we do ask, Lord, that you would teach us Help us to be as wise as serpents, harmless as doves, and yet, Lord, understand tyranny and wickedness and ungodliness, that we may, Lord, be able to fight the good fight of faith and honor Thee in every area of our lives. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T14:00:20Z

Natural Enemies - Part 1 of 2

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

In this sermon, Pastor John Weaver introduces the concept of 'natural enemies' from 1 Kings 21, showing that enmity exists in every realm, including the spiritual. He focuses on the conflict between King Ahab and Naboth, illustrating how natural enemies are manifested when one desires to act wickedly and the other righteously, and when one uses the law unlawfully while the other uses it lawfully. The sermon sets up a second part to follow.

Introduction: The Concept of Natural Enemies

Weaver introduces the topic of natural enemies, using examples from the animal and insect world, and states that natural enemies exist in every realm, including the spiritual.

Spiritual Natural Enemies in Scripture

Ahab and Elijah: A Case Study in Natural Enemies

Weaver points to 1 Kings 21:20 where Ahab calls Elijah his enemy, showing the conflict between the king and the preacher, tyranny and freedom, God and man.

Point 1: Natural Enemies Manifested by Righteous vs. Wicked Desires

Weaver examines 1 Kings 21:1-3, showing Ahab's wicked desire for Naboth's vineyard and Naboth's righteous refusal based on God's law, leading to enmity.

Scripture Reading — Numbers 36:7

" So, the land could not be permanently sold. Look, if you would, in the book of Numbers, chapter 36. Turn over just a few pages. Numbers 36, and look at verse 7. Numbers 36. And verse 7, look what God says. So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel removed from tribe to tribe. For every one of the children of Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his father. So Naboth then, like I said, was not being stubborn or rebellious or recalcitrant. He just simply was going to obey God. It should be noticed, and I'm hoping that you're taking note, that natural enemies are manifested when one is going to try to do what's right and the other is going to do that which is wicked and wrong. There's always then this natural enmity that surfaces.

Point 2: Natural Enemies Manifested by Lawful vs. Unlawful Use of the Law

Weaver analyzes 1 Kings 21:4-11, detailing how Jezebel used religion, law, and justice unlawfully to confiscate Naboth's property and murder him, contrasting with Naboth's lawful stance.

Applications and Warnings

Natural Enemies - Part 1 of 2

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	vz179z7OJ2E
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Revelation Themes and Eschatological Applications
Genre	Sermon
Date	2013-11-01
Dictation Name
Book	Book 150: Natural Enemies — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	75

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Concept of Natural Enemies: Weaver introduces the topic of natural enemies, using examples from the animal and insect world, and states that natural enemies exist in every realm, including the spiritual.
Spiritual Natural Enemies in Scripture: Reading 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, Weaver explains that righteousness and unrighteousness, light and darkness, Christ and Belial are natural enemies, and that believers and unbelievers are natural enemies.
Ahab and Elijah: A Case Study in Natural Enemies: Weaver points to 1 Kings 21:20 where Ahab calls Elijah his enemy, showing the conflict between the king and the preacher, tyranny and freedom, God and man.
Point 1: Natural Enemies Manifested by Righteous vs. Wicked Desires: Weaver examines 1 Kings 21:1-3, showing Ahab's wicked desire for Naboth's vineyard and Naboth's righteous refusal based on God's law, leading to enmity.
Point 2: Natural Enemies Manifested by Lawful vs. Unlawful Use of the Law: Weaver analyzes 1 Kings 21:4-11, detailing how Jezebel used religion, law, and justice unlawfully to confiscate Naboth's property and murder him, contrasting with Naboth's lawful stance.
Applications and Warnings: Weaver applies the lessons: some sins are hidden but will be judged; natural enemies seek to disarm and conquer; believers must be wise as serpents and harmless as doves, recognizing that something can be legal but not lawful.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Natural enemies are inherent in the spiritual realm

Just as in nature, spiritual forces are opposed; righteousness and unrighteousness, light and darkness, Christ and Belial cannot coexist.

Weaver cites 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 and John 8:42-45 to show the enmity between believers and unbelievers.

Naboth's refusal was based on God's law, not stubbornness

Naboth refused to sell his vineyard because God's law forbade permanent sale of inheritance; his stand was righteous, not rebellious.

Weaver references Leviticus 25:23,28 and Numbers 36:7 to show the biblical basis for Naboth's refusal.

Jezebel's plot was a misuse of religion, law, and justice

Jezebel proclaimed a fast, demanded two witnesses, and charged blasphemy to give a legal appearance to her murderous scheme.

Weaver explains the elements of her crime: under color of religion (fast), law (two witnesses), and justice (stoning for blasphemy).

Tyrants are never satisfied and will use any means to get what they want

Ahab had plenty but coveted Naboth's vineyard; Jezebel manipulated the system to seize it, showing the insatiable nature of tyranny.

Weaver compares Ahab to Haman in Esther 5:13 and quotes Matthew Henry on Jezebel's manipulation.

Something can be legal but not lawful

Actions done under authority or with a veneer of legality can still be unjust and contrary to God's law.

Weaver states that Ahab and Jezebel's actions were done under color of law but were not right, and cites examples from 'Outlaws with Badges'.

Scripture References

1 Kings 21:17-20: The Lord sends Elijah to confront Ahab; Ahab calls Elijah his enemy.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18: Believers are not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers; righteousness and unrighteousness have no fellowship.
Romans 16:20: The God of peace will bruise Satan under your feet shortly.
Revelation 12:11: They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.
Romans 8:37: We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.
John 8:42-45: Jesus tells the Jews they are of their father the devil and cannot hear His word.
John 15:18-20: If the world hates you, it hated Me first; the servant is not greater than the master.
1 Kings 21:1-3: Ahab offers to buy or trade for Naboth's vineyard; Naboth refuses, saying the Lord forbid it.
Ezekiel 46:18: The prince shall not take the people's inheritance by oppression.
Leviticus 25:23,28: The land shall not be sold forever; it returns in the Jubilee.
Numbers 36:7: The inheritance of the children of Israel shall not remove from tribe to tribe.
1 Kings 21:4-11: Ahab sulks; Jezebel plots to have Naboth killed under false charges.
1 Timothy 1:8: The law is good if a man use it lawfully.
Esther 5:13: Haman says all his wealth avails nothing as long as Mordecai sits in the gate.
Deuteronomy 17:6-7: At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall the death penalty be executed.
Deuteronomy 19:15: One witness is not enough; a matter is established by two or three witnesses.
Deuteronomy 13:8-10: The penalty for enticing to idolatry is stoning.
1 Timothy 5:24: Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; some follow after.
Ecclesiastes 5:8: If you see oppression, marvel not; God is higher than the highest.
Matthew 10:16: Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

Historical References

Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Kings 21: Weaver quotes Matthew Henry's interpretation of Jezebel's words to Ahab, highlighting her manipulation.
Jerry Spence, attorney: Weaver mentions a YouTube statement by Jerry Spence about government cheating and lying in cases.
John Trapp, commentator: Weaver quotes John Trapp on Jezebel being a controller rather than a comforter or counselor.
Book: Outlaws with Badges: Weaver references a book about lawmen in the Old West who were also outlaws, illustrating hidden sins.
Motto of Virginia: Sic Semper Tyrannis: Weaver quotes the Latin phrase meaning 'Thus always to tyrants' in his closing prayer.

Important Quotes

Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?

Ahab's words to Elijah encapsulate the theme of natural enemies between the wicked king and God's prophet.

The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.

Naboth's righteous refusal based on God's law, which sparked the conflict.

Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? Arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry. I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.

Jezebel's manipulative challenge to Ahab, showing her willingness to use unlawful means.

Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people.

Jezebel's use of religion as a cover for her murderous plot.

Some men's sins are opened beforehand, going before to judgment, and some men they follow after.

A key verse warning that hidden sins will eventually be judged.

Be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

Jesus' instruction for believers to navigate a world of natural enemies with wisdom and innocence.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

How does the concept of 'natural enemies' in the animal kingdom help us understand spiritual conflicts?

[Context]

Weaver uses examples from nature to introduce the idea that enmity is inherent in the spiritual realm.

[Question]

In what ways do we see the enmity between righteousness and unrighteousness play out in our daily lives?

[Context]

Based on 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, Weaver argues that believers and unbelievers are natural enemies.

[Question]

What can we learn from Naboth's refusal to sell his vineyard about standing on God's law in the face of pressure?

[Context]

Naboth's response was based on Leviticus 25 and Numbers 36, not stubbornness.

[Question]

How does Jezebel's plot illustrate the danger of using religion, law, and justice as a cover for wickedness?

[Context]

Weaver details the three elements of her crime: color of religion, law, and justice.

[Question]

Why is it important to distinguish between something being 'legal' and something being 'lawful' according to God's standards?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes that actions can be done under authority but still be unjust.

[Question]

How should the reality that some sins are hidden but will be judged affect our response to injustice?

[Context]

Weaver cites 1 Timothy 5:24 and Ecclesiastes 5:8 to encourage trust in God's ultimate justice.

Applications

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T01:51:16Z