Oct. 31, 2008
Jezebel: The Power of Influence
Introduction
Most women named in the Bible are admirable. Jezebel is one enormous exception to this general rule. She comes through as cold, scheming, ruthless, wicked, and every other possible negative. Her sad life teaches some practical truths.
I. The Sad Story of Jezebel
A. Wife of a wicked king
I Kings 16:28-33
28 Omri rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. And Ahab his son succeeded him as king.
29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel for twenty-two years.
30 Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him.
31 He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him.
32 He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria.
33 Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him.
1. Jezebel was the daughter of a heathen king. Sidon was in present-day Lebanon. Ahab’s marriage topped all of his other sins. This marriage would have been good economically for Israel. It created an economic alliance with the Phoenicians. The alliance was very bad spiritually. Jezebel’s negative influence on Ahab began immediately after their marriage
a. v. 31-33 Ahab began serving Baal and Asherah.
B. Jezebel was the enemy of the servants of the Lord.
I Kings 18:3,4
3 and Ahab had summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of his palace. (Obadiah was a devout believer in the LORD.
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.)
1. Jezebel did not adopt her husband’s religion. There are numerous examples of women who grew up in heathen nations, who as adults,converted to Judaism. Ruth and Rahab are two of those. Instead, Jezebel sustained the prophets of Baal in place of the Jewish priests, and at the cost of the Jewish taxpayers. She persecuted the prophets of God at every opportunity.
C. Jezebel usurped Ahab’s power and authority.
1. “My God’s Bigger Than Your God!” skit
http://www.dramatix.org/archive/Biblestories/MyGod.html
I Kings 19:1, 2, 3a
1 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.
2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, "May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them."
3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life.
1. Left alone, a weak Ahab might have listened to Elijah and turned to God. Her ability to make Elijah afraid and run for his life shows her enormous power.
2. Of interest is the ritual performed by the prophets of Baal.
a. They slashed their bodies with knives until blood gushed out in order to show Baal how he should pour rain upon the fields.
b. This ritual is strangely similar to behavior which occurs at some rock concerts.
D. Jezebel was a master psychologist, and used her abilities for evil influence.
1. From I Kings 21:1-16
“Jezebel Gets Land for Ahab, No Money Down” skit
http://www.thewestcoast.net/bobsnook/stg/ot/jezebel.htm
1. Jezebel knew how to control Ahab by playing on his desires. She despised the laws of God. She didn’t care about following God’s laws about inheritance.
Numbers 36:7
No inheritance in Israel is to pass from tribe to tribe, for every Israelite shall keep the tribal land inherited form his forefathers.
2. On the other hand, Jezebel used the laws of God when it was to her own advantage. In accordance with Deut. 17:6 which reads, “On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but no-one shall be put to death on the testimony of only one witness,” Jezebel staged a mockery of a trial, which resulted in the stoning of Nabal. She did all of this in Ahab’s name, with his royal seal, making Ahab responsible for this atrocity.
E. Jezebel was guilty of other violations of God’s law.
I Kings 21:25
There was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, urged on by Jezebel his wife.
1. Jezebel continually stirred her husband, to do evil. The ancient rabbis taught that the way Jezebel “urged on “ or “stirred” Ahab up was by having pornographic images painted in his chariot. This is believable. Ahab was involved with many women. II Kings 10:6 indicates Ahab had 70 sons, something impossible with only one wife. This is also in keeping with Baal-worship.
2. II Kings 9:22 indicate Jezebel’s involvement in *****doms and witchcraft. Jezebel was the epitome of evil. She was totally sold out to Baal-worship, and embraced its lewd practices. Another similarity between Baal-worship and contemporary culture today is the use of drugs. During some rituals of Baal-worship, women would make themselves “drunk by concoctions of herbs and wine.” This was drug use of the ancient world. The only difference between the herb and wine concoctions of these Baal-worshipping women and the meth cooked up in rural areas is that the Baal-worshippers were not breaking the law.
F. Jezebel was known by God for her evil.
1. Prophecies were made against her.
a. I Kings 21:23
“And also concerning Jezebel the LORD says: ‘Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’”
b. Her death fulfilled this prophecy. Her death was a story of judgment by God.
II. The Negative Factors of Jezebel
A. She was a continual influence for evil.
1. She caused Ahab to be more evil than he otherwise might have been, supporting and encouraging him in his wrong desires. She encouraged him to defy God.
B. She often usurped her husband’s place.
1. She dealt harshly with God’s prophets. She threatened Elijah, showing no regard for God’s anointed prophet. She had Naboth killed. She had no normal womanly characteristics (compassion, concern, femininity), but lived a life of rebellion that grew worse as the years went on.
III. The Influence of Jezebel
A. Over Ahab
1. She influenced him by words, wishes, desires, and goals.
2. She influenced him openly and covertly.
3. She influenced him away from God.
B. Over her children
1. Her influence did not end with her husband.
2. Her influence extended to her children. Her daughter, Athaliah, married the king of Judah and negatively influenced him. Athaliah usurped the throne of Judah, reigning six years.
Conclusion
Jezebel is not a fit role model for anyone. She does provide an example of the things women should avoid. Every one of us, whether we believe it or not, influences each of our families, as well as others around us. May our influence be godly.
Hebrews 10:24
And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds.
Most women named in the Bible are admirable. Jezebel is one enormous exception to this general rule. She comes through as cold, scheming, ruthless, wicked, and every other possible negative. Her sad life teaches some practical truths.
I. The Sad Story of Jezebel
A. Wife of a wicked king
I Kings 16:28-33
28 Omri rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria. And Ahab his son succeeded him as king.
29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel for twenty-two years.
30 Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him.
31 He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him.
32 He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria.
33 Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him.
1. Jezebel was the daughter of a heathen king. Sidon was in present-day Lebanon. Ahab’s marriage topped all of his other sins. This marriage would have been good economically for Israel. It created an economic alliance with the Phoenicians. The alliance was very bad spiritually. Jezebel’s negative influence on Ahab began immediately after their marriage
a. v. 31-33 Ahab began serving Baal and Asherah.
B. Jezebel was the enemy of the servants of the Lord.
I Kings 18:3,4
3 and Ahab had summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of his palace. (Obadiah was a devout believer in the LORD.
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.)
1. Jezebel did not adopt her husband’s religion. There are numerous examples of women who grew up in heathen nations, who as adults,converted to Judaism. Ruth and Rahab are two of those. Instead, Jezebel sustained the prophets of Baal in place of the Jewish priests, and at the cost of the Jewish taxpayers. She persecuted the prophets of God at every opportunity.
C. Jezebel usurped Ahab’s power and authority.
1. “My God’s Bigger Than Your God!” skit
http://www.dramatix.org/archive/Biblestories/MyGod.html
I Kings 19:1, 2, 3a
1 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.
2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, "May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them."
3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life.
1. Left alone, a weak Ahab might have listened to Elijah and turned to God. Her ability to make Elijah afraid and run for his life shows her enormous power.
2. Of interest is the ritual performed by the prophets of Baal.
a. They slashed their bodies with knives until blood gushed out in order to show Baal how he should pour rain upon the fields.
b. This ritual is strangely similar to behavior which occurs at some rock concerts.
D. Jezebel was a master psychologist, and used her abilities for evil influence.
1. From I Kings 21:1-16
“Jezebel Gets Land for Ahab, No Money Down” skit
http://www.thewestcoast.net/bobsnook/stg/ot/jezebel.htm
1. Jezebel knew how to control Ahab by playing on his desires. She despised the laws of God. She didn’t care about following God’s laws about inheritance.
Numbers 36:7
No inheritance in Israel is to pass from tribe to tribe, for every Israelite shall keep the tribal land inherited form his forefathers.
2. On the other hand, Jezebel used the laws of God when it was to her own advantage. In accordance with Deut. 17:6 which reads, “On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but no-one shall be put to death on the testimony of only one witness,” Jezebel staged a mockery of a trial, which resulted in the stoning of Nabal. She did all of this in Ahab’s name, with his royal seal, making Ahab responsible for this atrocity.
E. Jezebel was guilty of other violations of God’s law.
I Kings 21:25
There was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, urged on by Jezebel his wife.
1. Jezebel continually stirred her husband, to do evil. The ancient rabbis taught that the way Jezebel “urged on “ or “stirred” Ahab up was by having pornographic images painted in his chariot. This is believable. Ahab was involved with many women. II Kings 10:6 indicates Ahab had 70 sons, something impossible with only one wife. This is also in keeping with Baal-worship.
2. II Kings 9:22 indicate Jezebel’s involvement in *****doms and witchcraft. Jezebel was the epitome of evil. She was totally sold out to Baal-worship, and embraced its lewd practices. Another similarity between Baal-worship and contemporary culture today is the use of drugs. During some rituals of Baal-worship, women would make themselves “drunk by concoctions of herbs and wine.” This was drug use of the ancient world. The only difference between the herb and wine concoctions of these Baal-worshipping women and the meth cooked up in rural areas is that the Baal-worshippers were not breaking the law.
F. Jezebel was known by God for her evil.
1. Prophecies were made against her.
a. I Kings 21:23
“And also concerning Jezebel the LORD says: ‘Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’”
b. Her death fulfilled this prophecy. Her death was a story of judgment by God.
II. The Negative Factors of Jezebel
A. She was a continual influence for evil.
1. She caused Ahab to be more evil than he otherwise might have been, supporting and encouraging him in his wrong desires. She encouraged him to defy God.
B. She often usurped her husband’s place.
1. She dealt harshly with God’s prophets. She threatened Elijah, showing no regard for God’s anointed prophet. She had Naboth killed. She had no normal womanly characteristics (compassion, concern, femininity), but lived a life of rebellion that grew worse as the years went on.
III. The Influence of Jezebel
A. Over Ahab
1. She influenced him by words, wishes, desires, and goals.
2. She influenced him openly and covertly.
3. She influenced him away from God.
B. Over her children
1. Her influence did not end with her husband.
2. Her influence extended to her children. Her daughter, Athaliah, married the king of Judah and negatively influenced him. Athaliah usurped the throne of Judah, reigning six years.
Conclusion
Jezebel is not a fit role model for anyone. She does provide an example of the things women should avoid. Every one of us, whether we believe it or not, influences each of our families, as well as others around us. May our influence be godly.
Hebrews 10:24
And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds.