Jezebel: An Introduction - Tuesday Praise & Pray (for others) December 20, 2022

What do you know of Jezebel? She was a Biblical queen who married one of the kings of the Northern Kingdom of Israel - Ahab. A non-Israelite, she did not worship Jehovah and in fact, brought the gods, idols and practices of her nation, entrenching them in her husband's land. She was a devious woman and was identified as an idolater and witch (2 Kings 9:22). She murdered God's prophets, so much so that at a point, only 100 remained and they hid in caves (1 Kings 18:4).

She schemed to kill a man simply because he refused to sell his inheritance - a vineyard - to her husband (1 Kings 21). Jezebel also threatened Prophet Elijah's life after he killed 850 of her false prophets (1 Kings 19:2). Her promise to kill the servant of God sent him running into the wilderness in fright (1 Kings 19:3). Her reputation for evil was enough to scare the prophet though he was a courageous man who spoke God's word - palatable or not - boldly.

Given the modern love for villains, it's no surprise that the term 'Jezebel' doesn't carry as strong a stench to it anymore. There are even websites named after the sadistic queen and nowadays, being a 'Jezebel' seems to have a bit of a 'cool' edge to it. Yet, God used Jezebel and her story as a warning to those of us who would come many centuries after she lived. A cautionary tale to not follow in her footsteps so as not to end up like her. In fact, the main issue Jesus had with the Church of Thyatira involved a 'Jezebel'. Revelation 2:20 - Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.

We shall examine this queen, paying close attention to the hallmarks of individuals with a similar attitude - the Jezebel spirit. These individuals can be male or female, young or old. Their end is always the same - they are cast down from their high place and trampled underfoot (2 Kings 9:33). They exemplify what happens to those who do not walk in the fear of the Lord, are murderous, thieving, rebellious, who worship other gods and lead people away from the Lord.

May the good Lord Almighty guide us as we turn to this study at the end of the year. May we submit to Him and be stripped of the parts of ourselves where we have allowed the Jezebel spirit to take root and dwell, IJMN Amen.