Year 4, Day 362: 1 Kings 21

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Appetite

• Appetite: We all have needs that need to be filled.  When we allow ourselves to be filled with the people and things that God brings into our life, we will be satisfied because our In will be in proper focus.  But when we try to fill ourselves with our own desires we end up frustrated by an insatiable hunger.

As we’ve grown accustomed to seeing in political leaders, in Ahab we see appetite at work.  He wants the vineyard of another man.  This is no different than David wanting Bathsheba or Solomon wanting wealth.  Ahab wants something that isn’t his and belongs to another.

Quite simply, this is violating at least three of the Ten Commandments.  Ahab is desiring something more than God, so he’s guilty of idol worship (II) and having something before God (I).  He’s also coveting (X).  So there are three of the ten broken because Ahab chooses his own personal appetite over God.

But it gets worse from there.  Enter Jezebel.  Jezebel schemes against Naboth and entices others to lie (IX).  And then Jezebel gets the community to put Naboth to death through her lies (VI).  There’s another two commandments broken.  That brings the tally up to five.

Finally, Ahab takes Naboth’s vineyard.  Since Naboth is dead, he doesn’t even need to pay for it.  Quite literally, Ahab steals (VIII).  There’s another commandment.  Six of the Ten Commandments broken simply because Ahab’s appetite is out of check.

It makes me wonder how many commandments I break on a daily basis when I let my appetite get out of control.  For that matter, how many commandments can I break when my need for approval or my need for ambition really get going?

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