Goal:

Side-by-side review of the physical story of Ahab and Naboth compared to the spiritual battle between Satan and Christ.

Objectives:

Children will learn that there are spiritual lessons to the “stories” of the Bible.
Children will recognize that Christ and Satan do fight spiritual battles.
Children will recognize the key concepts in 1Kings 21.

Relevant Scriptures:

Romans 1:20; 1Kings 21; Matthew 4:8-10; Leviticus 25:23

Moral:

From the physical things we learn of the spiritual things (Rom. 1:20).

Resources:

List of names and meanings of corresponding characters:

Naboth – (SHD 5022 means fruits which God has sown) – Christ the Jezreelite (3158: sown of God): Fruits God has sown.

Ahab – (256 from 251 and 1: companion or friend of his father) – Satan. Satan and Messiah were and still are brothers.

King of Samaria – (8157: watch mountain) – Rulership of planet given by God to Satan. Satan is prince of the power of the air (Eph. 2:2); he is god of this age of the world (2Cor. 4:3-4).

Vineyard in Jezreel – (3157: God sows) – Rulership of the Church. God/Eloah is the vinedresser, Christ is the vine (Jn. 15:1-11) and we are grafted into the vine (Rom. 11:16-21); the vineyard of the Lord is the whole House of Israel (Isa. 5:7). We are not to sell our inheritance (Lev. 25:23).

Jezebel – (348 from 336: ee or not as a question, and 2083: residence or dwelling, hence ‘Iyzebel not my dwelling (Strong’s holds it implies chaste) – The false system or Mystery Babylon the Great (Rev. 17:5) that makes war with the saints (Rev. 13:7).

Seal – authority as Day Star given to Satan; he is god of this age (2Cor. 4:3-4).

Two sons of Belial (1100: wickedness or naughtiness). Men of wickedness that bear false witness and bring false testimony. This represents the false witness against Christ (Mat. 36:59; Mk. 14L56,57).

Elijah – (452: my God is Yahovah or Yaho is God) the Tishbite (8664: captivity), therefore: Yaho is God of Captivity. True Church acting as collective prophet.

Format:

Open with prayer.
Review the characters in the story and who they represent.
Read through the play.
Allow for discussion and questions as needed.
Close with prayer.

Activity

Read through the play.
Assign parts.
Allow the children to make puppets, scenes or get costumes for the puppet show or play.
Practise the play.
Continually review the symbolism.
If possible allow the children to perform and explain the play.

If doing a puppet show, pre-cut the basic body outline for the children. Allow the children to clothe their puppets with construction paper, use yarn for hair, and use markers to decorate the faces. An option that has worked well in times past is to have the name of character on the front of the puppet and its symbolic name below their name on the front or back of the puppet. Another option is to have the names, their meanings and symbolic counterparts posted for the audience.

Highlighted copies of the parts for each speaker are helpful.

Typically the children speak very quietly, especially the young ones, so microphones in the area are helpful. If it is a puppet show and they are below the table with sheets on, their voices are even more muffled. A few copies of the play in the audience are helpful if microphones are not available. The children would really enjoy seeing their performance if someone has a video recorder.

Play

Characters in order of appearance:

Narrator:

Ahab - Satan

Naboth – Christ

Jezebel – False Churches

Two sons of Belial

Elijah

Backdrop for entire play is King Ahab’s palace including a bedroom and window looking at the vineyard of Naboth.

1Kings 21. Play

Narrator: King Ahab was the king of Samaria. He owned a vast amount of land and had many people in his kingdom. The king really was not satisfied with the responsibilities and the things he had. Here we see that Satan is the god of this world (2Cor. 4:3-4) and is in charge of the entire planet.

Near King Ahab's palace in Jezreel there was a vineyard owned by a man named Naboth. Naboth in 1Kings 21 is actually Christ. Christ has responsibility for his Father’s vineyard. This pictures the guardianship or rulership of the Church. The vineyard of the Lord is the whole house of Israel (Isa. 5:7).

Currently there are only a few of us but with time, all on the Earth will come to know God. God/Eloah is the vinedresser, Christ is vine (Jn. 15:1-11) and we are grafted in (Rom. 11:16-21) or become part of the vine if we repent, become baptized and keep the commandments. Christ has responsibility for us and to look after us.

We are not to sell our inheritance (Lev. 25:23). The King had much land but also wanted the land owned by Naboth. Though Satan was in charge of the entire Earth and had God’s Laws, he chose to rebel, disobey and not follow God’s Laws. Now Satan wants to try to get the Church away from Christ in any way possible.

Ahab: Let me have your vineyard. It is close to my palace, and I want to use the land for a vegetable garden. I will give you a better vineyard for it or, if you prefer, I will pay you a fair price.

Naboth: No, King Ahab. I inherited this vineyard from my father’s ancestors. The LORD forbid that I should let you have it!

Narrator: We see that the King (Satan) wanted to turn the vineyard into something else. It shows that the vine that pictures Christ would have been pulled up by the roots and thrown out and that something completely different would have been planted there.

What that pictures is the removal of Christ and the Church from God’s vineyard. It shows us that if God allowed the Kings (Satan and the fallen Host) of this Earth to rule His vineyard, they would destroy the Church of God and His Law. Satan and his supporters would turn it into something completely different.

We see that now with the religions of the world. They celebrate birthdays, Christmas, Easter and worship false gods on the wrong days. False religions of the day do not teach us who the One True God is, or how to keep God’s Laws.

In these simple sentences: “No, King Ahab. I inherited this vineyard from my father’s ancestors. The LORD forbid that I should let you have it!" – we see the temptation of Christ that Matthew tells us about. Three times Satan tries to tempt or trick Christ; each time Christ quotes scripture. On the third request Christ reinforces who is the One True God that is to be worshipped and tells Satan to leave.

Matthew 4:1-11

Verse 2 talks of the temptation of offering rulership of the planet a little early on.

Matthew 4:8-9 “Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’" (KJV)

Satan is in charge of the planet now. Satan has tried for ages to get people and spiritual beings to worship him. One third of the Host followed Satan in his rebellion against God the Father (Rev. 12:4).

Matthew 4:3 Then Jesus said to him, "Begone, Satan! for it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'" (RSV)

Then Ahab went home, depressed, sad, and angry over what Naboth had said to him. Ahab lay down on his bed facing the wall, and would not eat. Here we see Satan continuing to rebel against God’s Laws. He is coveting, or wanting something that is not his, and he is breaking God’s Commandments in doing so. He is upset that he could not get what he wanted. His wife Jezebel went to him

Jezebel: Why are you so depressed? Why won't you eat?

Ahab: Because of what Naboth said to me. I offered to buy his vineyard or, if he preferred, to give him another one for it, but he told me that I couldn't have it!

Jezebel: Well, are you the king or aren't you? Get out of bed, cheer up, and eat. I will get you Naboth's vineyard!

Narrator: Though spirit beings do not marry, in 1Kings 21 Ahab (or Satan’s wife, Jezebel) represents the false churches that lead people away from God’s Laws.

Jezebel wrote some letters, signed Ahab's name to them, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the officials and leading citizens of Jezreel. The letters said: "Proclaim a day of fasting, call the people together, and give Naboth the place of honour. Get a couple of scoundrels or liars to accuse him to his face of cursing God and the king. Then take him out of the city and stone him to death." Jezebel received a message that the job was done.

(May add 2 sons of Belial if 2 more speaking parts are needed.)

At times, false churches and Satan try to trick or tempt people any way they can. Sometimes they try to lie to people about God’s Laws being done away with or changed. At other times the false churches actually try and succeed in killing the saints of God. We have nothing to fear, for as long as we are obeying God He will not let anything happen to us that would hurt us.

At times God will allow one of His saints to be killed because that person has already qualified for the First Resurrection. Romans 8:28 tells us God works everything for our good as long as we obey and serve Him.

In 1Kings 21 we see Jezebel, or the false churches, use the seal of Ahab or Satan. God put Satan over the Earth when his name was still Lucifer, which means “Day Star”. 2Corinthians 4:3-4 tells us that Satan is the god of this world – this power is given to the false churches. These false churches use the pseudo-logon or false witness in imitation of the power of the Holy Spirit to deceive and destroy people.

Jezebel: Naboth is dead. Now go and take possession of the vineyard, which he refused to sell to you.

Narrator: Then the LORD said to Elijah, the prophet, "Go to King Ahab of Samaria. You will find him in Naboth's vineyard, about to take possession of it. Tell him that I, the LORD, ask him, 'After murdering the man, are you taking over his property as well?' Tell him that this is what I say: 'In the very place that the dogs licked up Naboth's blood they will lick up your blood!'”

He goes to find Ahab in the vineyard. Frequently the way people try to kill the elect of God is the same way the murderer is killed (2Kgs. 1:10-15; 2:23,24).

Ahab: Have you caught up with me, my enemy?

Elijah: Yes, I have. You have devoted yourself completely by doing what is wrong in the LORD's sight. So the LORD says to you, “I will bring disaster on you and Jezebel, because you have stirred up my anger by leading Israel into sin”.

Narrator: Here we continue to see Ahab (Satan) accusing the Church. We see that the truth finally catches up with Satan. Satan will not be allowed to continue to destroy this planet and tempt or trick people to disobey God. Satan will be bound in the pit for 1,000 years. God will do nothing unless He warns the people first (Amos 3:7).

When Elijah finished speaking, Ahab tore his clothes, took them off, and put on sackcloth. He refused food, slept in the sackcloth, and went about gloomy and depressed. In ancient days this was a way of showing one had repented.

The LORD said to the prophet Elijah, "Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself and repented before me? Since he has done this, I will not bring disaster on him during his lifetime; it will be during his son's lifetime that I will bring disaster on Ahab's family”.

We know from God’s Plan of Salvation that God does not want any to perish (2Pet. 3:9). At the end of the 7,000 years or the end of the Millennium, Satan will once again be released from the pit and he will go about and deceive the nations again. At this final battle he will die (Isa. 14:16). His spiritual existence will be taken from him.

Satan too will have a second chance just like all the people who ever lived and have not known the One True God and His Laws. Satan, just like Ahab in the story, will probably repent during the Great White Throne judgment. Due to Satan’s rebellion he will forfeit or give up his position as Covering Cherub and god of this world, but due to God’s unending love and mercy He will give Satan a new name after he changes, and another role or job in His creation.

Always remember, “You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.”

PO Box 369, WODEN ACT 2606, AUSTRALIA

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