A MIGHTY KING AND HIS VINEYARD FLING

A MIGHTY KING AND HIS VINEYARD FLING

by Margaret Cagle

King Ahab saw a vineyard so fair.
It was even near his palace there.
It belonged to Naboth, a Zezreelite man.
Ahab said, "I'm going to get it if I can."

"Give me thy vineyard, or sell it to me.
In it, I want a garden of herbs, you see.
I will give you a better one than this,
And this vineyard, you will not even miss."

Naboth said, "The Lord forbids this, O King.
This is really a very unheard-of thing,
That my inheritance, I should give or sell.
It even belonged to my fathers as well."

Ahab went to his house and lay on his bed.
He turned his face away and ate no bread.
Jezebel, his wife, came to his side.
"Thy spirit's sad; you must eat," she sighed.

"I want that vineyard," he began to whine.
Naboth won't sell it. How can it be mine?"
"We'll see about that!" proclaimed Jezebel.
"He won't have to give it or even sell."

"I'll get this vineyard; arise; eat bread.
Let thine heart be merry!" Jezebel said.
Jezebel wrote letters in the name of the king
And sealed them with the king's signet ring.

To nobles she wrote, "Set two men to bring
Witness of Naboth blaspheming God and King.
Then carry him outside the city," she said,
"And stone him with stones until he is dead."

Then Jezebel ordered, "Ahab, arise!
Take thy vineyard! Be gone with your sighs!
The vineyard is thine. Naboth is dead.
Take ye the vineyard just like I said."

Yes, Ahab took the vineyard that night.
Then came Prophet Elijah, that old Tishbite.
"You've sinned; this vineyard you've taken.
Evil befalls you; God's law you've forsaken."

"The dogs licked the blood where Naboth lay,
Where the dogs will lick your blood someday.
One day the dogs will eat Jezebel, your wife
By Jezreel's wall; she took Naboth's life."

What Elijah foretold came to pass one day.
God surely brings justice in His own way.
Let's learn this lesson from Ahab, the King.
Terrible are the results that sin can bring.

Author: MARGARET CAGLE