- [Speaker] Jezebel was
the wife of King Ahab, who ruled the kingdom of Israel in the Old Testament. Ahab was regarded as a horrific king, the worst of all the kings according to the Book of Kings. He ruled for 22 years, enough time to cause a lot of havoc. He outdid all his
predecessors in wickedness. Now Ahab, the son of Omri, became king over Israel in the 38th year of Asa, King of Judah. And Ahab, the son of Omri, reigned over Israel in Samaria 22 years. And Ahab, the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who were before him. And it came about as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, that he married Jezebel,
the daughter of Ethbaal, King of the Sedonians, and went to serve Baal and worship him. So he erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal,
which he built in Samaria. And Ahab also made the Asherah, thus Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of
Israel who were before him. 1 Kings 16:29-33 This was the man that
Jezebel was married to. Jezebel was the daughter
of the priest-king Ethbaal, ruler of the Phoenician
cities of Tyre and Sidon. Her name in Phoenician meant primrose, but the same name in Hebrew, Jezebel, meant garbage and this
was how she was known. It was clear that she used Ahab to achieve her own evil ends and that he needed little persuading. This was the first time
that a king of Israel had allied himself by marriage with a heathen princess. The rule of Jezebel. Jezebel persuaded Ahab to accept Baal, a nature God, after they married. As a woman desiring greater power, she wanted to eliminate those who dared to question her. And she had most of Yahweh's
prophets slain at her request. She is the first and
most powerful agitator of persecution against God's saints. She spared no pains to keep her idolatry in all its glory around
her guided by no principle, controlled by no fear of either God or man and fervent in her allegiance
to her heathen worship. 450 prophets ministered
under her care to Baal, besides 400 prophets of the groves or Asherah, Astarte, a Phoenician goddess which ate at her table. 1 Kings 18:19 Now therefore send and
gathered to me all Israel unto Mount Carmel and
the prophets of Baal 450, and the prophets of the groves 400, which eat at Jezebel's table. Her conduct in many
respects, very disastrous to the kingdom of both Israel and Judah. These evil and tyrannical work stirred the righteous vengeance of Elijah, who correctly predicted the encounter of a severe drought as divine retribution against Jezebel. Elijah was regarded as one of
Israel's greatest prophets. Despite the fact that no
book has been published in his name, the Book of Kings covers more of his life
than most of the kings. Elijah was most famous
for his confrontation with the Baal prophets, whom Jezebel had brought to the palace. This was to see the victor between the forces of Jezebel
and the force of God. This is a well-known story. Elijah constructed an altar and dared the prophets of Baal to construct their own altars beside his and call on their gods for fire to consume the sacrifice. It was a clever task. We now know that beneath Baal's altars was a tunnel where a priest would hide and set fire to the wood as the people cried out to the god. Elijah cleverly requested them to build their altar in the open and then promised to build his alter in the same manner. Only he would also add water to make the challenge greater. His arrogance led him to mock the priests to the point where, if
his experiment failed, he would have been executed. He pushed them to shout even louder, implying that their god was on vacation or needed to relieve himself. It was a critical moment in
the northern tribes history. The fire was sent by God,
Elijah sacrifice was consumed and Israel saw who was truly powerful. Baal's prophets were defeated. There's an unlikely sequel
to this great story. Jezebel threatened Elijah after learning of his victory and the
deaths of her prophets. Despite his victory over
Baal's 400 prophets, Elijah fled to Horab for his life. God sent an angel to cook him a supper since the prophet was emotionally and spiritually exhausted, and afterwards assured him of His presence and provision for Israel's future. God had already set aside a colleague for Elijah to continue the work. Elisha, the plowman, took over the prophetic
function from Elijah. He sought a double portion
of his spirit from Elijah. Elisha was requesting the right to be his heir and successor so that he could take over the
business in a sense. Other brutal act attributed to Jezebel is written in 1 Kings. Next to Ahab's home was a vineyard, which he coveted and desired. A civilian owned it
named Naboth of Jezreel. When Naboth refused to
part with his vineyard, as the inheritance of my father's, Jezebel falsely accused him
of cursing God and the king, which led to the stoning of Naboth. Elijah confronted Ahab in the vineyard, prophesying over their lives. The case of a vineyard owned by Naboth showed the true behavior of Jezebel and a relationship with Ahab. Sometime after, there
was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to
Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of
Ahab, King of Samaria. Ahab said to Naboth, "Let
me have your vineyard to use for my vegetable garden since it is close to my palace. In exchange, I will give
you a better vineyard, or if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth." But Naboth replied, "The Lord forbid that I should give you the
inheritance of my ancestors." So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, "I will not give you the
inheritance of my ancestors." He lay on his bed sulking
and refused to eat. His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, "Why are you so sullen?
Why won't you eat?" He answered her, "Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, 'Sell me your vineyard, or if you prefer, I will give you another
vineyard in its place.' But he said, 'I will not
give you my vineyard.'" Jezebel his wife said, "Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat, cheer up. I'll get you the vineyard
of Naboth the Jezreelite." So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, placed a seal on them and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth's city with him. In those letters she wrote, Proclaim a day of fasting and see Naboth in a prominent place among the people. But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them bring charges that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death. So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth's city did as Jezebel directed in the letter she had written to them. They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth in a prominent place among the people. Then two scoundrels came
and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people saying, "Naboth has cursed both God and the king." So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death. Then they sent word to Jezebel, "Naboth has been stoned to death." As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, "Get
up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead." When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth's vineyard. Then the word of the Lord
came to Elijah the Tishbite, "Go down to meet Ahab, King of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth's vineyard, where he has gone to
take possession of it. Say to him, 'This is what the Lord says, 'Have you not murdered a man
and seized his property?' Then say to him, 'This
is what the Lord says, 'In the place where dogs
licked up Naboth's blood, dogs will lick up your blood. Yes, yours'" Ahab said to Elijah, "So you have found me, my enemy!" "I have found you," he answered, "because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord. He says, 'I am going to
bring disaster on you. I will wipe out your descendants and cut off from Ahab
every last male in Israel, slave or free. I will make your house
like that of Jeroboam, son of Nebat and that of
Baasha, son of Ahijah, because you have aroused my anger and have caused Israel to sin.' And also concerning
Jezebel, the Lord says, 'Dogs will devour Jezebel
by the wall of Jezreel. Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city
and the birds will feed on those who die in the country. There was never anyone like Ahab who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord urged on by Jezebel, his wife. He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols like the Amorites the Lord drove out of Israel.'" When Ahab heard these
words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth
and went around meekly. Then the word of the Lord
came to Elijah the Tishbite, "Have you noticed how Ahab
has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son." 1 Kings 21:1-29 Jezebel is thrown over and overthrown. Ahab perished in a battle with the Syrians a few years later and Jezebel reigned for nearly another 10 years. Elisha the prophet, Elijah's heir, continued to Elijah's mission
to eradicate Baal worship. He installed a militant
commander named Jehu to be king of Israel, an order that prompted civil war as Jeroboam, Ahab and
Jezebel's son then ruled. Jehu was a commander of
chariots for the king of Israel, Ahab and his son Jehoram
on Israel's frontier facing Damascus and Assyria. 2 Kings 9. The prophet Elisha summoned
a man from the company of the prophets and said to him, "Tuck your cloak into your belt. Take this flask of olive oil with you and go to Ramoth-Gilead. When you get there, look for Jehu son of Jehosaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go to him, get away from his companions, and take him into an inner room. Then take the flask and pour the oil on his head and declare, 'This is what the Lord says, I
anoint you king over Israel.' Then open the door and run, don't delay." So the young prophet
went to Ramoth-Gilead. When he arrived, he found the army
officers sitting together. "I have a message for
you commander," he said. "For which of us?' asked Jehu. "For you commander," he replied. Jehu got up and went into the house. Then the prophet poured the oil on Jehu's head and declared, "This is what the Lord,
the God of Israel says, 'I anoint you king over
the Lord's people, Israel. You are to destroy the
house of Ahab your master, and I will avenge the blood
of my servants, the prophets, and the blood of all the Lord's
servants shed by Jezebel. The whole house of Ahab will perish. I will cut off from Ahab
every last male in Israel, slave or free. I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the house of
Baasha, son of Ahijah. As for Jezebel, dogs will devour her on the plot of ground at Jezreel, and no one will bury her.'" Then he opened the door and ran. Jehu then slew Jehoram from
and plotted to depose Jezebel and take his position as Israel's king. She suited herself in nice
dresses for the occasion, anticipating his arrival. She mocked him from her window
and Jehu ordered her eunuchs to toss her out of the window. He ordered that she be buried as a king's daughter
after her fall and death, but it was discovered the dogs had devoured the majority of her body just as Elijah had predicted. Jezebel has become known as
a model of a wicked lady, exemplifying the traits of
cruelty, greed, and vanity. And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it and
she painted her face and tired her head and
looked out a window. And as Jehu entered in
at the gate she said, "Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?" And he lifted up his face
to the window and said, "Who is on my side, who?" And there looked out to
him two or three eunuchs. And he said, "Throw her down." So they threw her down
and some of her blood was sprinkled on the
wall and on the horses. And he trode her under foot. But when he was come
in, he did eat and drink and said, 'Go, see now this cursed woman and burry her for she
is a king's daughter." And they went to burry her but they found no more
of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands. Wherefore, they came again and told him. And he said, "This is
the word of the Lord, which he spake by his servant
Elijah the Tishbite saying, 'In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel.'" 2 Kings 9:30-36 Significance of Jezebel in the Bible. This was the first time
that a king of Israel had allied himself by marriage with a heathen lady and
the combination was, in this case, of an
especially disastrous kind. Jezebel has gone down in history as the embodiment of all that is crafty, devious, nasty vengeful, and cruel. As Jehu wrote into the gates of Jezreel, she looked out the window
of the palace and said, "Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?" He raised his head and
signal her chamberlains who hurled her out the window. She was quickly consumed
by the dogs of the street, according to the word
of Elijah the Tishbite after the incident of
Naboth and his property. 1 Kings 21:19. And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, "Thus saith the Lord, has thou killed and also taken possession? and thou shalt speak under him saying, Thus saith the Lord, in the place where dogs
lick the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine." Her name afterward came to be used as the synonym for a wicked woman. "Nevertheless, I have this against you. You tolerate that woman Jezebel who calls herself a
prophet. By her teaching, she misleads my servants
into sexually immorality and the eating of food
sacrificed to idols." Revelation 2:20
