- [Narrator] Two kings in the Bible that were cursed.
Number one, Nebuchadnezzar, from a king to an animal.
There are many curses in the Bible,
given that the word curse appears almost 200 times.
It is clear that it is an important matter
for us to investigate.
This tragic story starts with a mysterious dream.
As you read the Bible, you'll come across several kings.
One of the most mighty kings mentioned in the Old Testament
is King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
He lived a dramatic, exciting life.
In an ancient time,
Nebuchadnezzar was the most powerful monarch.
During that time, he united the Babylonian Empire,
the world's largest kingdom.
The capitol city of Babylon,
surrounded by great walls and deep canals,
was considered unassailable.
Nebuchadnezzar constructed a magnificent hanging garden
for his wife, as well as the Temple of Marduk,
which contained golden images of the pagan gods
Bel and Ishtar.
Babylon was a City of Gold
because Nebuchadnezzar used so much gold
in his building projects.
In addition to being a skilled builder and military leader,
King Nebuchadnezzar was also a skilled builder.
To expand his empire, he fought neighboring nations.
Under his leadership,
Babylon became one of the most famous cities of its time.
In honor of pagan gods,
he built hundreds of temples and altars.
However, Nebuchadnezzar had one trait
that was going to threaten all his greatness.
King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream
that his own wise men could not interpret,
so he sent for Daniel and told him about the dream.
Nebuchadnezzar had seen a tree high, beautiful, fruitful.
Daniel 4:10-18 New American Standard Bible.
"Now these were the visions in my mind as I lay on my bed:
I was looking, and behold,
there was a tree in the middle of the Earth
and its height was great.
The tree grew large and became strong
and its height reached the sky,
and it was visible to the end of the whole Earth.
Its foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant,
and in it was food for all.
The animals of the field found shade under it,
and the birds of the sky lived in its branches,
and all living creatures fed from it.
I was looking in the vision of my mind as I lay on my bed,
and behold, an angelic watcher,
a holy one, descended from heaven.
He shouted out and spoke as follows:
'Chop down the tree and cut off its branches,
shake off its foliage and scatter its fruit;
let the animals flee from under it
and the birds from its branches.
Yet leave the stump of its roots in the ground,
but with a band of iron and bronze around it
in the new grass of the field.
And I let him be drenched with the dew of heaven,
and let him share with the animals
in the grass of the Earth.
Let his mind change from that of a human
and let an animal's mind be given to him,
and let seven periods of time pass over him.'
This sentence is by the decree of the angelic watchers,
and the decision in a command of the holy ones,
in order that the living may know
that the most high ruler over the realm of mankind,
and he grants it to whomever he wishes
and sets over it the lowliest of people.'
This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen.
Now you, Belteshazzar, tell me its interpretation,
since none of the wise men of my kingdom
is able to make known to me the interpretation;
but you are able,
because the spirit of the holy gods is in you."
Daniel explained to the king
that the tree represented him and his worldwide empire.
The stump symbolized the restoration of Nebuchadnezzar,
not his destruction.
Daniel also counseled the king to change his ways.
However, the dream came to pass
after 12 months of impenitence on the king's part.
Daniel 4:28-36.
"All of this happened to Nebuchadnezzar the king.
12 months later he was walking on the roof
of the royal palace of Babylon.
The king began speaking and was saying,
'Is this not Babylon the Great,
which I myself have built as a royal residence
by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?'
While the word was still in the king's mouth,
a voice came from the heaven saying,
'King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared:
Sovereignty has been removed from you,
and you will be driven away from mankind,
and your dwelling place
will be with the animals of the field.
You will be given grass to eat like cattle,
and seven periods of time will pass over you
until you recognize that the most highest ruler
over the realm of mankind
and bestows it on whomever he wishes.'
Immediately the word
concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled;
and he was driven away from mankind
and began eating grass like cattle,
and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven
until his hair had grown like eagles' feathers
and his nails like birds' claws.
But at the end of that period,
I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes towards heaven
and my reason returned to me,
and I blessed the most high and praised
and honored him who lives forever.
For his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
and his kingdom endures from generation to generation.
All the inhabitants of Earth are of no account,
but he does according to his will among the army of heaven
and among the inhabitants of Earth;
and no one can fend off his hand
or say to him, 'What have you done?'
At that time my reason returned to me.
And my majesty and splendor were restored to me
for the honor of my kingdom,
and my state counselors and my nobles began seeking me out;
so I was reestablished to my sovereignty,
and surpassing greatness was added to me."
We have Nebuchadnezzar's recovery
and his return to his right mind at the end.
King Nebuchadnezzar established himself
as one of the most arrogant leaders in history,
so self-centered and prideful
that God dealt with him most unusually.
God removed him from his position
and drove him into the wilderness to live like an animal.
God's discipline worked, fortunately.
As soon as the king returned to the palace,
he changed completely.
No longer did he claim sovereignty or wisdom.
His greatness was seen as a gift from God.
The source of all good things was God, not him.
Several Proverbs warn against pride as a dangerous sin.
Proverbs 16:18-19.
"Pride goes before destruction,
and a haughty spirit before stumbling.
It is better to stumble in spirit with the needy
than to divide the spoils with the proud."
As this passage clearly explains,
pride leads to humiliation.
The honor comes from humility, the opposite of pride.
Pride sets us down an ill-fated path.
To choose pride is to set oneself up for a fool.
The pedestal we make for ourselves proves a shaky footing.
Fearing the Lord involves respect,
reverence, and submission.
Since the Lord is infinitely wiser than we are,
we acknowledge our desperate need for him.
Proverbs 3:7.
"Do not be wise in your own eyes.
Fear the Lord and turn away from evil."
Number two, Elijah curses King Ahab.
King Ahab had the moniker of the evilest king in the Bible.
1 King 16:30.
"Ahab, the son of Omri, did evil in the sight of the Lord
more than all who were before him."
Ahab got himself cursed
through a notable event in the Bible.
We must look to the Bible
for a correct understanding of these laws.
In Proverbs 26:2,
Solomon shows this principle concerning curses.
A curse without cause shall not alight,
behind every curse there is a cause.
Proverbs 26:2.
"Like a sparrow in its flitting,
like a swallow in its flying,
so a curse without cause does not come to rest."
One of the key events in Ahab's life that led to his curse
was his marriage to the evil woman Jezebel,
who had a particular hatred for the people of God.
Ahab's curse began with an innocent man.
1 Kings 21.
"Now it came about after these things
that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard
which was in Jezreel, beside the palace of Ahab,
the King of Samaria.
And Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying,
'Give me your vineyard
so that I may have it for a vegetable garden,
because it's close beside my house,
and I will give you a better vineyard in place of it.
If you prefer, I will give you what it is worth in money.'
But Naboth said to Ahab,
'The Lord forbid me that I would give you
the inheritance of my father!'
So Ahab entered his house sullen and furious
because of the answer that Naboth the Jezreelite
had given to him, since he said,
'I will not give you the inheritance of my father.'
And he laid down on his bed and turned his face away,
and ate no food.
But Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him,
'How is it that your spirit is so sullen
that you are not eating food?'
So he said to her,
'It is because I was speaking to Naboth the Jezreelite
and saying to him, 'Give me your vineyard for money;
or else, if it pleases you,
I will give you a vineyard in place of it.'
But he said, 'I will not give you my vineyard.'
Jezebel his wife said to him,
'Do you now reign over Israel?
Arise, eat bread, and let your heart be joyful;
I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.'
So she wrote letters in Ahab's name
and sealed them with his seal
and sent the letters to the elders and to the nobles
who were living with Naboth in his city.
Now she had written in the letters, saying,
'Proclaim a fast and seat Naboth at the head of the people;
and seat two worthless man opposites him,
and have them testify against him, saying,
'You cursed God and the king.'
Then take him out and stone him to death.'
So the men of this city,
the elders and the nobles who lived in his city,
did just as Jezebel had sent word to them,
just as it was written in the letters
which she had sent them.
They proclaimed a fast,
and seated Naboth at the head of the table.
Then the two worthless men came in and sat opposite him;
and the worthless men testified against him,
against Naboth, before the people, saying,
'Naboth cursed God and the king.'
So they took him outside the city
and stoned him to death with stones.
Then they sent word to Jezebel, saying,
'Naboth has been stoned and is dead.'
And when Jezebel heard
that Naboth had been stoned and was dead,
Jezebel said to Ahab,
'Arise, take possession of the vineyard
of Naboth, the Jezreelite,
which he refused you for money;
for Naboth is not alive, but dead.'
When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead,
Ahab got up to go down to the vineyard
of Naboth the Jezreelite to take possession of it.
Then the word of the Lord
came to Elijah the Tishbite saying,
'Arise and go down to meet Ahab King of Israel,
who is in Samaria.
Behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth,
where he has gone to take possession of it.
And you shall speak to him, saying,
'This is what the Lord says:
Have you murdered and also taken possession?'
And you shall speak to him, saying,
'The Lord says this:
In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth,
the dogs will lick up your blood, yours as well.'
And then Ahab said to Elijah,
'Have you found me, enemy of mine?'
And he answered, 'I have found you,
because you have given yourself over to do evil
in the sight of the Lord.
Behold, I am bringing disaster upon you,
and will utterly sweep you away,
and will eliminate from Ahab every male,
both bond and free in Israel,
and I will make your house
like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat,
and like the house of Baasha, the son of Ahijah,
because of the provocation
with which you have provoked me to anger,
and because you have misled Israel into sin.
The Lord has also spoken of Jezebel,
saying, 'The dogs will eat Jezebel
in the territory of Jezreel.'
The one belonging to Ahab, who dies in the city,
the dogs will eat; and the one who dies in the field,
the birds of the sky will eat.'"
There certainly was no one like Ahab
who gave himself over to do evil in the sight of the Lord
because Jezebel, his wife, incited him.
He also acted very despicably in following idols,
conforming to everything that the Amorites had done,
whom the Lord drove out of the sons of Israel.
Yet it came about, when Ahab heard these words,
that he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and fasted,
and lay in sackcloth and went about despondently.
Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite,
saying, "Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before me?
Because he has humbled himself before me,
I will not bring the disaster in his days;
I will bring the disaster upon his house in his son's days."
Ahab headed out to fetch his new toy,
the land gained by betrayal, lies, and slaying,
only to encounter God's prophet.
Few men in history dared to take on this wicked, brutal,
immoral king and queen of Israel quite as Elijah did.
He charged them with the two offenses
of slaying and theft of Naboth's land.
The first person to be slain was Ahab.
God used Ahab's false prophets
to entice him into going to the battle of Ramoth-Gilead,
where he was hit by a random arrow
and slowly bled to death in his chariot.
Ahab once more chose to go against the clear warning
God had given him
and instead followed the way of wicked rebellion.
Because Ahab continued to put more stock in the lies
told by his false prophets
than in the truth revealed by God's prophets,
it was God who used the false prophets
to accomplish his purpose.
As a result of the great atrocity of Ahab,
his son Jehoram was also slain.
Bible commenter Adam Clark noted,
"And see how literally the prediction
concerning his son was fulfilled.
See 2 Kings 9:25, where we find that the body of Jehoram,
his son, was then slain by an arrow
that had passed through his heart,
was thrown into the portion
of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite,
and there, doubtless, the dogs licked his blood,
if they did not even devour his body."
Jezebel was also slain.
Prophet Elijah's mentee Prophet Elisha anointed Jehu,
and after Ahab's death, Jehu slayed Jezebel
and all of Ahab's descendants.
2 Kings 9:30-37.
"When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard about it,
and she put makeup on her eyes and adorned her head,
and looked down through the window.
As Jehu entered the gate, she said,
'Is your intention peace, Zimri, his master's murderer?'
Then he raised his face towards the window and said,
'Who is with me, who?'
And two or three officials looked down at him.
Then he said, 'Throw her down.'
So they threw her down
and some of her blood splattered on the walls
and on the horses, and he trampled her underfoot.
When he came in, he ate and drank;
and he said, 'See now to this cursed woman and bury her,
for she is a king's daughter.'
So they went to bury her,
but they found nothing of her except the skull and feet
and the palms of our hands.
Therefore, they returned and informed him.
And he said, 'This is the word of the Lord,
which he spoke by his servant Elijah the Tishbite saying,
'On the property of Jezreel
the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel;
and the corpse of Jezebel will be like dung
on the face of the field in the property of Jezreel,
so they cannot say this is Jezebel.'"
Because King Ahab disobeyed the direct command of the Lord,
he abused his responsibility as Israel's king,
and he led God's people right into idolatry.
God justly judged King Ahab.
In the end, there was never anyone like Ahab
who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord,
urged on by Jezebel his wife.
He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols.
1 Kings 21:25-26.
"There certainly was no one like Ahab
who gave himself over to do evil in the sight of the Lord,
because Jezebel his wife incited him.
He also acted very despicably in following idols,
conforming to everything that the Amorites had done,
whom the Lord drove out from the sons of Israel."
Here are several lessons that can be taken
from this tragic story sown of idle greed and force.
First, our Lord is not rushed.
God is perfectly content to let things play out
over a long time.
Many years after Naboth's death, justice was finally served.
Second, God is not mocked.
What God says is true and must be followed.
His law and precepts are precise and intentional,
and Ahab ignored Naboth's God-given obedience.
Third, God deals with evil and disobedience.
All evil and rebelliousness
are eventually dealt with by God,
even if it is not constantly in our timing, manner,
or to our liking.
There is no way around it, and he is the final authority.
Ahab's entire family was slain.
As a result, Naboth's vengeance was exacted.