5 Smooth Stones

sealed them with his seal, and sent the le tt ers to the elders and the nobles who were dwelling in the city with Naboth. 9 She wrote in the le tt ers, saying, Proclaim a fast, and seat Naboth with high honor among the people; 10 and seat two men, scoundrels, before him to bear witness against him, saying, You have blasphemed God and the king. Then take him out, and stone him, that he may die.” This evil plan was carried out and righteous Naboth was stoned as a blasphemer. This is not too di ff erent from the plan that the Pharisees hatched against Jesus, and in the end He too was murdered for the crime of blasphemy (Ma tt hew 26:65, Mark 14:63, 64). This spirit will often succeed if it fi nds a willing partner, as Jezebel did with Ahab. Ahab did not seem to be an unreasonable man at times, but he was evil in his heart. He willingly allowed Jezebel to work through or with him, because he liked the bene fi ts of evil he received. In this one example, Naboth was murdered. While Ahab did not hatch the plan, he was very happy to receive the rewards of iniquity (1 Kings 21:16). Ahab personally is an enabler and Jezebel will seek out such a person with whom to work. When the spirit working through a person fi nds a prophet or servant of God, unwilling to compromise, then witchcraft will be increased. Now witchcraft is not fi rst and foremost spiritual, it is fi rst a work of the fl esh. Galatians 5:19 “Now the works of the fl esh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, [witchcraft] hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, sel fi sh ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Witchcraft is a work of the fl esh, and while it can be energized by a spirit, it originates in the fl esh. In its simplest form witchcraft is manipulation. It is trying to get someone else to do for them what a person should do for themselves, or should not do at all. We see this in the story of Simon the sorcerer who was a high-level sorcerer and very adept in witchcraft and sorcery. When he saw the works of Peter and John, and heard the gospel, he received the Lord, yet had not changed so quickly from his old habits and when he a tt empted to buy the ministry gift of apostle he was rebuked by Peter who said: Acts 8:20 “But Peter said to him, "Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! 21 You have neither part nor portion in this ma tt er, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. 22 Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are 145