For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.

To answer this, we have to think about the culture and the significance of land ownership in Old Testament times. We also have to remember that there is no way for us to know whether Ahab really would have honored his words and given Naboth money or another vineyard in exchange. But for Naboth, the land was more than just a thing to be bought and sold. It was his inheritance—it was the portion that God had allowed him to have. In a sense, for Naboth the land wasn’t even his to give away—it belonged to his family and, ultimately, to God.

Ahab said he wanted to have a vegetable garden, but it seems pretty unlikely that Ahab wanted to turn in his crown to become a farmer. However, let’s imagine an alternate world in which evil King Ahab has a vegetable gardening show. What varieties of vegetables would he like to grow? Killer Kale? Evil Eggplant? Imagine what an episode of Gardening with Ahab might be like. If you want, go the whole way and record your show for your friends or family!