1 Kings 21:1-16
Psalm 5:2-7
Matthew 5:38-42
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NOT FOR SALE
" 'The Lord forbid,' Naboth answered him, 'that I should give you my ancestral heritage.' " —1 Kings 21:3
It was unthinkable for Naboth to give up his ancestral heritage (see Nm 36:7). The land upon which his garden lay belonged to his tribe, and would pass on to his children. Naboth could not sell his vineyard according to the law of Moses (see Lv 25:23).
An Israelite delighted in his heritage (see Jer 3:19). The Promised Land was not for sale, just like Esau’s birthright should not have been eligible for sale to Jacob (Gn 25:31-33). Naboth was correct in not selling his ancestral heritage to the king. Ahab was not a holy, law-abiding king.
We are the Lord’s heritage. Additionally, the Lord has blessed us with a spiritual heritage, an inheritance of His fatherly kingdom. This heritage is precious, holy, and glorious. Often we are tempted to sell our heritage. A person is pressured to have sex outside of marriage, to sell their holy body. A person is tempted to defile their body, their heritage, by taking drugs, alcohol, or caving in to ungodly peer pressure. A person steals or cheats and treats the heritage as a child of God as something “pointless” (Gal 2:20).
Our spiritual heritage is not for sale. Naboth stood firm in the law of the Lord. May we do the same when tempted to abandon our spiritual heritage.
Prayer: Father, I trust in Your providence. Help me hold fast to righteousness.
Promise: "To You I pray, O Lord, at dawn You hear my voice." —Ps 5:3-4
Praise: Even though she was constrained by being homebound, Isabel used her situation as an opportunity to intercede for many.
(This teaching was submitted by a member of our editorial team.)
(Intimacy with God is a retreat July 1-3 that focuses on the Sacraments and the joy that flows from them. Deepen your understanding of these mysteries. Call 513-373-2397 or see www.presentationministries.com to register.)
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