Onward to another passage from the Bible that seems very peculiar to many. The way I understand it, I find it appropriate and amusing. It is about when the LORD wanted judgment to fall on King Ahab.
1 Kings 22:20 And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner.
21 And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him.
22 And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.
This should get your attention. What is spirit doing asking to act as a lying spirit in the mouth of all the prophets of Ahab in order to deceive him and to bring about his death?
The Jews say this was the spirit of Naboth. Do not think too unkindly of Naboth. I don't think he was seeking revenge in a personal way to gratify spite. No, it was something else: Here is the patience of the saints. Recall what John wrote about that?
Revelation 13:10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
You will recall, I'm sure, that Naboth's death was brought about by lies. Ahab was happy to have to have it so, glad to have a lying wife who knew how to finagle things to get him Naboth's vineyard. Well then, if Ahab was to reap what he had sown, it would be very just to have Naboth act as a lying spirit in order to remove this evil king from the earth.
God keeps careful records. Those who sin, and especially those who sin against a saint who is innocent in the matter, get black marks in God's books. If the sinner does not repent, God may decide it's better to remove him than to allow him to continue living -- and Gods' motive is Love since a truly abhorrent person can do great harm to many people. A ruler like Pharaoh who ordered babies killed needed to be taken out. God would not be loving if He permitted the guilty to offend against the innocent perpetually.
It is a wonderful thing then for the saints who have suffered unjustly in this world to be in Heaven ready to balance the scales of justice when God decides it is time to eradicate incorrigible evils.
Revelation 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
At first glance, this doesn't seem to make sense. It looks as if the saints are complaining about how they were killed and God says He'll avenge them after other people are killed. It starts to make more sense if we see God extending Mercy to some of the worst sinners, hoping to see them repent. Some do, some don't. It is up to God to judge when someone has crossed a line of being so incorrigible, it's more dangerous to let him live than to bring him to justice for his crimes against the innocent.
I do not think Naboth had a selfish motive for wanting to be a lying spirit. I think he wanted to stop Ahab who was a bad king.