Ahab and Naboth

Ahab and Naboth

From The Holy Bible

Powerful rulers are wicked and cruel but the gods are more powerful than them. As a result even the powerful rulers can't escape from the god's punishment and supreme judges who can easily recognize the sin and virtue In this story the queen misuses her power to kill Naboth. However at the end, the king can't escape from the curse of the god.

b. Write the four levels of interacting with the text "Ahab and Naboth."

Literal Comprehension: The story "Ahab and Naboth" has been taken from "The Holy Bible". Once Ahab, king of Samaria went with Naboth to ask to let him his vineyard. He said he would give Naboth a better vine-yard or its worth. Naboth refused to give it pointing that the Lord would be angry to give away one's inheritance. Being sad and heavy, king Ahab came home and lay in bed Jezebel, Ahab's wife asked him about the reason. He told her everything that had happened with Naboth. Jezebel encouraged Ahab not to worry and she promised that she would provide him the Vineyard by any cost. Then Jezebel wrote a letter giving order to the elders and the nobles of Naboth. She said they should put Naboth in high among the people. With the witness of two daughters of Belial they should stone him to dead. He should be accused of doing disrespect to king and the God. Elders and nobles did as she ordered in the litter and sent the message of Naboth's death to King Ahab's. Jezebel told Ahab to go Naboth's vineyard because Naboth was already killed. When King Ahab went to the vineyard the God suggested Elijah to go to vineyard warning Ahab that he had done wrong. The God commanded that the place where dogs lick Naboth's blood would lick Ahab's blood. Elijah informed Ahab that in the eyes of God he had done evil deed for that he must be punished.

Interpretation: This religious story might be trying to say that powerful people are always trying to enjoy in the absolute power dominating the powerless people. It is also meant to give a clear picture of absolute power. King Ahab has used his absolute power to get Naboth's vineyard. The power of so called kingship has used to snatch away others possessing. His wife Jezebel is also assisting him to use this evil power. Again, the story might also be telling that how far we dominated others and control with personal power, God is watching everything. We can’t be more powerful then God. So, we have to accept the punishment for our misdeeds. It is human greed that makes him want to possess other property. While ruling over others or controlling others we have to at least be afraid of almighty god. The absolute power neither gives benefit to users, not the used ones either.

Critical Thinking :Ahab and Naboth is a story full of moral lesson that we have to bear the result of our evil deeds. It teaches about human greed that has ever-negative results. Besides, we can't agree with some ideas presented in this story. (a) Do people of present world have faith on god ? (b) Is it possible to be Ahab like absolute king at present ? (c) Isn't it natural desire of human to possess new things? (d) Doesn't a faithful wife help her tensed husband? etc.

Still we come to the idea that evil or bad actions should be avoided, and we must be fully satisfied that we have, is acceptable moral part of this story.

Assimilation: After going through this story I got new idea that we must be fully happy and satisfied what we have possessed. If we are greedy and loot others, god is ever watching our misdeeds. We shouldn't use our absolute power because we will be punished for that sooner or later. I have also learnt to give of my habit of greediness and theft.

c) Retell the plot of the story "Ahab and Naboth" in one paragraph.

Ahab, king of Samaria wanted to have a Vineyard that belongs to Naboth. Ahab asked Naboth to give the Vineyard but Naboth didn’t give the Vineyard to Ahab telling that it was his inheritance and god would be angry. Ahab became sad and didn’t eat anything but just lying on bed. Ahab‘s wife Jezebel knew the reality and convinced Ahab to give him the Vineyard. She wrote a letter with seal and warned the nobles to witness what Naboth would reply. They should accuse him not doing respect to King and God. They should stone him to death. The nobles of Naboth land went there and did as Jezebel order them and he was killed. When Ahab was about to take the vineyard, God told to Elijah to catch Ahab. God also warned that in Naboth’s blood would be licked by dog in the same place. As Ahab started to take vineyard Elijah saw him and informed him about God was angry of his sin.

d. King Ahab of  Isreal enjoyed near-absolute power. Is absolute power a good thing? Why? Why not?

When a rich and powerful persons misuse their power that becomes absolute power. In other words, when personal desires and wishes are fulfilled using the power that becomes absolute use of power because there is domination to someone or powerless persons.

King Ahab wanted to have the vineyard possessed by Naboth. When Naboth disagreed to give him the vineyard, King and Queen Jezebel used their absolute power on Naboth. With their power and command of kingship they ordered elders of Naboth land to stone him to death. They made Naboth to have guilt on not having respect to king and God. After the murder of Naboth Ahab went to bring vineyard but God gave warning him for his evil deeds. Ahab as the king should have asked why Naboth was killed rather grabbed the vineyard. This action shows that King Ahab used near-absolute power.

No, absolute power is not, in any cost, a good thing. Having such excessive misuse of power becomes undemocratic that can’t be acceptable to present world people. If we see the world’s political histories, we can find that absolute power is always cruel, corrupt and inhuman. To some extant such power holder can enjoy upon powerless ones with their absolute power but sooner or later they are kicked out by the subjects. In this 21^st century such power can’t be useful at all nor that can exist any longer because it is the time of true democracy, freedom, liberty, equality, human rights, etc.