Growing up I can remember my Granny using the term, "jezebel" with a lower case "J". All I knew was you did not want to be a jezebel! Jezebel was so bad that her name also became a word for a morally corrupt woman. According to Merriam Webster, a lower case jezebel is "an impudent, shameless, or morally unrestrained woman." In a study, I read, if "Jezebel strolled into a boardroom today, she'd be hired in a heartbeat. Intelligent, courageous, and assertive, she was a born leader with considerable influence who boldly took on the competition and got things done." If that woman, above, used all of her strengths to honor the Lord great things would have happened but she did not. I am thinking differently about Jezebel in the Bible now. I realized we have a lot more in common than I care to admit.
Jezebel was married to an evil husband, Abah, the king of Israel. She was born rich and in charge, the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians. Their marriage was a political alliance between two nations. She grew up worshipping Baal and her agenda was to rid Israel of their God and bring in Baal and Asherah. She ordered sexual immorality, temple prostitution and even the sacrifice of children to promote her religious beliefs. She loved power and not the kind God gives! 1 kings 18: 4, "While Jezebel was killing off the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water." While Jezebel never pledged allegiance to God, Abah turned his back on God.
Jezebel used her courage, leadership, personality and royal lineage to do bad things. Her husband wanted the land across the street and the owner would not sell it for any amount of money. 1 Kings 21:4, "I will not givbe you the inheritance of my fathers." And then he pouted. When he told Jezebel she asked in 1 Kings 21:7, "Is this how you act as king over Israel?" She saw her husband as weak. She was a domineering wife. 1 Kings 21: 7, "I'll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite." Knowing the Mosaic law, she set up testimonies of two witnesses who would falsely sear to naboth's guilt. She was successful in Naboth's execution. 1 Kings 21: 10, "Then take him out and stone him to death." As Abah went to claim his land, Elijah spoke to him. 1 Kings 21: 19, "this is what the Lord says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?....This is what the Lord says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth's blood, dogs will lick up your blood - yes, yours!" In the end Abah repented. 2 Kings 9: 33, "'Throw her down!' Jehu said. So they threw her down..." to her death. 2 Kings 9: 33, "...and some of her blood spattered the wall and the horse as they trampled her underfoot."
Jezebel was a revengeful woman. How many times have I seeked revenge on someone for acting against my family or I? A lot. Often times, while not acting on it, I think about it. These actions are against the will and teachings of God.
Jezebel loved her power and it was her idol! How many times have I loved having power? Even the power to do little things or go places? We don't have to be famous or wealthy to have power. Idolatry is anything we put above our relationship with Christ. Colossians 3: 5, "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry." Idolatry can come as greed, intimidation and even beauty.
She had a sharp tongue and put her husband down. It hurt to think that I have put my husband down before when things did not go my way. Even if we have a strong personality we can learn to bite our tongue. We should be urging our husbands on and not listening to the world's demands. 1 Peter 3:1, "Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives."
Don't be a jezebel! Destroy the jezebel spirit with the sword of the Holy Spirit!
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