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??Suzy whined as she pointed to the new shoes in the store window, "But all the other girls have them, why can't I？" Her mother sighed as she watched Suzy's face turn into an ugly pout. Have you ever pouted because you wanted something you couldn't have？
??The Bible tells about a rich king who had everything that a king could possibly need. But he wanted more. King Ahab wore a beautiful crown, had expensive clothes, the best of horses and chariots, servants to care for him, lots of land and a beautiful palace. But King Ahab's wicked heart was always wanting more. He had been looking over a piece of land right next to his palace grounds, and the more he looked, the more he wanted it. Did King Ahab have lots of land？Yes, but he was not satisfied. He thought he could not be happy until he had this particular piece of land which belonged to Naboth, the Jezreelite. As our story begins today, King Ahab has gone to ask Naboth about his land.
??"Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near to my house：and I will give you a better vineyard for it, or if you had rather, I will buy the land from you." This sounds like a pretty good bargain, don't you think？You could trade your piece of land for a better piece, or the king, who has lots of money, will pay you the price you ask. You may be surprised to hear Naboth's quick answer：??"The LORD forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you." Naboth knew God had a law forbidding him to sell his land to someone from outside his family tribe. Numbers 36：7 says that the inheritance of the people of Israel shall not remove from tribe to tribe：for every one of the children of Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. Simply stated, the Jewish people were not to sell their land to someone from outside their family tribe. So even to King Ahab Naboth had to say "No."
??You can imagine how angry King Ahab was when he didn't get what he wanted! The Bible says that when he went back to his house, he went to bed, turned his face to the wall, and refused to eat. This big adult king was pouting!
??Main Truth：Have you ever pouted because you wanted something you couldn't have？Wanting what belongs to others is called coveting. Instead of being satisfied with the things God has given you, you want what others have, and feel you cannot be happy until you get those things. Coveting is a sin, and it is the very opposite of another "c" word：being "content" or satisfied. The last of the ten commandments in Exodus 20 says, "You shall not covet." Our Bible verse for today tells us what God wants us to do：Hebrews 13：5, "Be content with such things as you havea？|" If you are a child of God, be satisfied and thankful for what God has given you. You belong to God and when you have a need, you can ask your Heavenly Father Who promises to supply all your need. But coveting what others have is displeasing to God and will make you a pouting, selfish person.
??Even though King Ahab had so much, here we find him pouting and selfish because he couldn't have Naboth's land. When wicked Queen Jezebel heard that her husband was upset and refused to eat, she came to find out why. "What has made you so sad that you are not eating？" "Because I wanted to trade or buy Naboth's vineyard and he says no." Boys and girls, is the king acting like a spoiled child？??Yes, he is, but his wicked wife was even worse. "Aren't you the king in Israel？Get up, eat, and be happy. I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite."
??Then Jezebel went quickly to work with her evil plan. She wrote letters to the town rulers in the name of the king and even sealed them with his special seal. In the letters Jezebel commanded the rulers to call a special assembly of all the people in Jezreel. At this assembly they were to especially honor Naboth. Then Jezebel instructed that two men should come up and start falsely accusing Naboth of saying wicked things about God and the king. The rulers were to pretend they believed the two witnesses. Then they were to take Naboth outside the city, and stone him to death. Jezebel commanded it, and the rulers deliberately carried out her plan. They murdered innocent Naboth. Soon the news came back to Jezebel, "Naboth is dead."
??Gospel："It isn't fair!" you and I want to shout! An innocent man killed by selfish, covetous, lying people. Does this remind you of how our Lord Jesus died？He was the perfect Son of God, and even as a child He never once sinned. The Bible says, "He went about doing good." Yet evil men full of hatred and jealousy, lied about the Lord Jesus, had Him beaten, spit on, and nailed to a cross made of wood. Naboth had no power to stop those who murdered him, but the Lord Jesus as God had the power to stop His murder. Why didn't He call His mighty angels to come and help Him？Because Jesus knew that the world needed a Savior from sin, and He must die to pay for our sin before He could be our Savior from sin. Acts 4：10-12 says, "a？|Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the deada？|is become the heada？|Neither is there salvation in any other：for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." When we break God's laws, He calls that sin, and says that everlasting death is what every person deserves for sin. But God our Creator loves us, and sent His Son to save us from what we deserve. God allowed an innocent person to suffer for the guilty.
??Naboth reminds us of Jesus in that he was innocent yet wicked men killed him. Did God see all that happened？Oh yes, boys and girls, for the Bible says, "The eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good." Proverbs 15：3.
??When Jezebel heard the news, she could hardly wait to tell her husband："Now go claim the vineyard that Naboth refused to let you have, for Naboth is dead." There were no questions asked as King Ahab immediately jumped out of bed to go claim Naboth's vineyard. But someone else was also on their way to Naboth's vineyard! I Kings 21：17 says, "And the word of the LORD came to Elijah saying, a？|go down to meet Ahab king of Israela？|he is in the vineyard of Naboth about to claim it as his own." God had a dreadful message for Ahab, and Elijah must deliver it. Perhaps King Ahab was walking over the grounds of that lovely vineyard thinking, "It's mine! It's all mine!" when suddenly he saw Elijah coming. "Have you found me, O my enemy？" Ahab cried out.
??"I have found you, " Elijah said. Then Elijah delivered God's dreadful message that Ahab would have to die, his children would all be killed, and wicked Jezebel also. Do you think Ahab could enjoy that vineyard now？He had what his wicked heart had coveted, but what a price he would pay.
??Main Truth If you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior, watch out for coveting. When you recognize that you are wanting what belongs to someone else, do these three things：
??1)Name that sin. "Why do I want that bike, or those clothes？That is coveting!"
??2) Say your Bible verse for today. "Be content with such things as you have, for he has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you." Hebrews 13：5. Thank God for the things you already have.
??3)Show kindness to the person who has the things you want. Don't resent them or be jealous because they have things you don't have.
??Coveting, if it is not stopped, leads to jealousy, resentment, lying, even stealing, and sometimes murder. If you know the Lord Jesus, watch out for coveting! Ahab's entire family would suffer for his coveting.
??Ahab returned home very grieved that day. The Bible tells us he tore his clothes and fasted, went without food, and wore scratchy sackcloth. Those were all things people did in Bible days to show they were sorry for their sin and deeply upset. God saw Ahab's humility and told Elijah that because of Ahab's humility, He would delay the punishment. But eventually it came, just as Elijah had said.
??If you know the Lord Jesus, watch out for coveting! If you refuse to be content with what you have, coveting could lead you to do other terrible things. A coveting person is never happy or satisfied when they get what they thought they wanted. Happiness and contentment come from knowing the Lord Jesus and thanking Him for what you already have.
??Do you know the Lord Jesus Who promises He will never leave you, and promises He will supply all your needs？Go to "How To Be a Child of God" now and see how you can know Him! He is the only One Who can save you from sin and the only One Who can bring true contentment to your heart.
