She glared, the full force of her hate seething through her eyes. Elijah had to die--and not only Elijah, but all of those God-babbling fools who constantly stood in the way of her plans. Ahab was weak. She came to realize just how weak and spineless he was when he couldn't even get a lowly citizen, Naboth, to sell his vineyard to him. He was the King, for crying out loud! Ahab has sulked for almost a week, not eating, barely sleeping over that thing. She had to step in and handle the situation then--just like she was about to do now.It hadn't rained for 3 and 1/2 years. Drought had ravaged the land at Elijah's word. There had not so much been a clap of thunder in Israel for over three years. Her gods did not have that kind of power. She did not have that kind of power. Ahab certainly did not have that kind of power. But the God of Elijah, now HE had that kind of power. His word stopped up heaven. And then to add insult to injury, this prophet has the audacity to show his face and challenge her prophets on Mt. Carmel--and then slaughter them all! 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Ashera who ate at her table and prophesied before her, dead. Oh how she hated Elijah and his God.
More than anything, she hated God's Word. And she'd made it her life's mission to silence His voice among the people of Israel.
I often laugh when people use the title "Jezebel" in the context of sexual immorality. To be sure, Jezebel put in place sexually immoral practices of Baal worship which included sexual rituals as part of temple worship; as a Canaanite princess, that was in line with what queens before her had done and those who would succeed her would do. It was a part of the Canaanite culture. Sex was a footnote in the bigger context of her legacy.
The true "Spirit of Jezebel" is a manipulative, deceptive and controlling spirit that desires to rule and control everything and everyone in their environment without the input or sound counsel of others. Jezebel's typically find the opposite gender to be weak and lesser intellectual beings than themselves. Therefore, they feel the need to insert themselves and take control of situations and circumstances.
Jezebel's always have an agenda, and their agenda is to be in charge of the situation because they think their way is the only way forward. Jezebel had slaughtered hundreds of Israelite priests. Obadiah, the administrator of the King's house and servant of God had hid and fed 100 prophets in caves to help them avoid massacre. All because they spoke out against her husband, Ahab's disobedience to God.
Ahab. Poor, pathetic Ahab.
Every Jezebel needs an Ahab, someone who will capitulate to their demands and turn a blind eye to their wrongdoing because it saves them from meeting the same fate as the challengers. Ahabs love Jezebels because they don't have to get their hands dirty and many times can claim culpable deniability in the situation. They blame their bad behaviors on Jezebel's influence all the while using it to their own profitable end. Some Ahabs simply feel helpless when facing a Jezebel, and may leave the relationship because they tire of the manipulation. Many an Ahab, however, meet the same fate as their biblical namesake--they die. Maybe not a physical death, but a spiritual, emotional and psychological one. Their dreams die. Their passions die. The leader in them dies. They die at the hand of their Jezebel. And we wonder where have all the strong men gone.
Sadly, Jezebel met the same fate as her husband. She, too, died. Hers was a ghastly death at the hands of two eunuchs whom she emasculated, and who, at Jehu's command, pushed her from her window to her death. Dogs ate her flesh, and all that was left was her skull which housed her evil manipulative mind, her hands that carried out murderous and treacherous acts against God's prophets, and her feet which she used to carry her to her evil deeds.
Ironically, it is those same things that God requires us as His children to use everyday to shine our light in the world pointing people to His son, Jesus. Our minds, which Paul urges us to transform and renew each day by the Word of God; our hands, which we extend to God in prayer, praise and worship, and our feet, which are called to carry the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
So, the question is, ladies, are you a Jezebel? Do you feel the need to manipulate others to get your own way, and when manipulation tactics fail, do you go into all-out war mode like Jezebel? Or are you an Ahab, enabling a Jezebel's bad behavior or worse, allowing them to manipulate others to your own desired end as Ahab did.
So what can we learn from this woman who, in the end, met her demise at the hand of those in her own house and whose flesh was eaten by wild dogs in the street?
1. Our way is not always right. Proverbs 14:12 and 16:14 tells us, "There is a way that seems right to man, it's path leads to death". The only way to know what is right is to listen to the voice of the One who is Righteous. Be willing to admit that we don't have all the answers. Seek the One who does.
2. We must be willing to listen to sent men and women of God. We must be willing to hear the truth, even when it hurts. James 1:19 tells us to be "quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger". My father always told me, "God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. We should listen twice as much as we talk."
3. Stop enabling. To all my Ahab's out there, get a backbone! Don't capitulate to wrongdoing and more importantly, don't become passive aggressive and use to situation for your benefit. That makes you just as bad as Jezebel. Stop going along to get along. Some times, it is better to go against the flow for the benefit of what is right.
We can learn a lot from Jezebel and her tragic husband, Ahab. The question is, will we be honest with ourselves and own the Jezebel or Ahab in our personality and ask God to deal with us in these areas.
There is freedom in relinquishing control. I should know. I am a recovering Jezebel.
Until we talk again, may the mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, may your hands be instruments of love, strength and compassion, and may your feet take you to places you never imagined for the cause of Christ.
Sincerely,
Jabaria
The Divine Diva
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