The Book of James tells about certain men who grew rich by defrauding the workers who harvested their fields. These selfish land owners thought they had fatten themselves for a life of ease, but what happened? The scripture tells us that their wealth rotted and their gold and silver crumbled away.
There was one thing these men forgot; they forgot that there is a law of retribution; they forgot there is a God. "Another Biblical story about wicked King Ahab teaches the same truths", writes columnist John R. Gunn. "This king allowed the selfish coveting of his evil heart to drive him to the murder of Naboth in order to get possession of his vineyard. Then he went down into the vineyard to take possession of it, but right there in the midst of the coveted garden, with startling abruptness, Elijah, the prophet of God, stood before him. Thus God perpetually confronts the evil doer and spoils for him the gain of his wrongdoing."
One can imagine the mixture of terror and anger in the voice of Ahab as he exclaimed to Elijah, "Hast thou found me, o mine enemy?" He can almost see this proud king totter as Elijah's voice rings out with Holy satire, "Hast thou killed and also taken possession?"
That which is gained by fraud is never possessed. Ahab never possessed the vineyard of Naboth; he held it, but the very sight of it became to him a torment. However fine the vintage, for him the grapes were bitter and had the taste of poison.
Men may outwit their fellow men; may deceive and wrong them; may even kill them to rob them, but God cannot be outwitted or decieved and the last word is always with God.