Put your efforts toward what's worthwhile

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Russian novelist, historian and short story writer said: “We always pay dearly for chasing after what is cheap.”

Nowhere are these words truer than when thinking about the wickedness and self-scheming acts of those who are selfish and ruthless in their dealings with others. The sad truth is that wicked and spiteful actions on any level reflect the state of an individual’s heart. In addition, the end results of that scheming are shoddy, shameful, despicable and tawdry.

Wicked schemes come about with planning and a course of action that is very well thought out. Such was the case of a husband and wife team in the Bible. It all began with one man who pouted because he could not have his way and a wife, who schemed to give him at any price what he wanted.

The man’s name was Ahab, King of Israel. The writer of 1 Kings mentions the type man Ahab was: “Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him.” What a legacy. (16:30)

Ahab conceived evil and carried it out on every hand. His wife Jezebel was a partner in his nefarious schemes. The most notorious incident had to do with Naboth, a commoner and good man, who had property close to Ahab’s palace. Ahab decided one day he wanted Naboth’s property for a garden. Therefore, he made an offer to Naboth to either buy his property or exchange some other property for it.

Naboth refused and with good reason. His property had been in the family for years and meant much to him. When the deal fell through, Ahab went home sullen and angry, moved to bed and refused to eat. As he was pouting in a silent tantrum, Jezebel came in the bedroom and saw Ahab in bed, his face next to the wall and he was sulking.

“Why are you so upset? Why won’t you eat?” she asked.

Ahab’s pitiful reply was: “Because I want Naboth’s vineyard and he won’t sell it to me.”

Jezebel asked, “Is this how you act when you are king of Israel? Get up and cheer up. I will give you the vineyard.”

The wheels of evil scheming started rolling in Jezebel’s mind. She wrote letters in Ahab’s name, put his official seal on the letters and sent them to all the powerful men that lived in the city. She instructed them to proclaim a day of feasting. Naboth was to be at the most prominent place in the feast.

The arrangement involved hiring two imposters to sit next to Naboth. They would fabricate a story, testify that Naboth had cursed God and the king and then Naboth would be executed for the manufactured crime.

The powerful and prominent people did as she requested. The dinner started, Naboth was put in the right place, set up by the imposters, accused and then dragged outside the city for stoning. Word was sent to Jezebel: mission accomplished.

As soon as she heard the news, Jezebel told Ahab to get up out of bed, get dressed and take possession of Naboth’s property.

How wicked can two people be? But justice would follow. The two did not languish in victory and “enjoy” the fruits of their scheming. Sometime later while Ahab was in Naboth’s vineyard, Elijah the Prophet was sent by God to meet him. Elijah’s warning to Ahab was “You have sold yourself to do evil in eyes of the Lord. God says He will bring disaster on you.” (1 Kings 21)

Disaster and death both later came to Ahab and Jezebel and they both came down to a pitiful end. And if Solzhenitsyn’s saying is true, then it is an example of this couple’s tragic story. All their scheming for what? Ahab was killed in war and Jezebel was thrown out of a window and the dogs ate her body.

The example of these two, who surely did pay dearly, should further cause us to examine our own personal values and hearts to assess our intentions. The question must be asked: Are our efforts cheap or lasting? Worthless or worthwhile? Selfish or selfless? Sinful or virtuous?

That is the choice we all have.

Judy Brandon is a Clovis resident. Contact her at:

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