That Woman Jezebel!

INTRODUCTION-- An unstable period in the history of the Kingdom of Israel (Jeroboam's legacy) led to a period of extreme evil.

1. Baasha was the instrument of God to bring down the dynasty of Jeroboam, but he foolishly adopted Jeroboam's ways.
   
   1. He reigned 24 years, but God determined to remove him from power, just as he had removed the family of Jeroboam.
      
   2. His son Elah reigned only 2 years, before trouble began.
      
2. Zimri revolted, destroyed the family of Baasha, but reigned only 7 days!
   
   1. His rival, Omri, opposed his plan to be king, and fought against Zimri.
      
   2. Zimri retreated into his house, when he saw that he had lost the fight, and set fire to it, killing himself and his family.
      
3. Omri's desire to be king was delayed while he put down his own rival, Tibni, but he finally ascended to the throne.

LESSON--

1. Omri's victories allowed him to have a secure reign, but he was an evil king. 1 Kings 16:25 "And Omri did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and dealt wickedly above all that were before him."
   
   1. He reigned 12 years, and built the city of Samaria.
      
   2. His son Ahab became king after him.
      
      1. Ahab was even more evil than his father. 1 Kings 21:25-26 "(But there was none like unto Ahab, who did sell himself to do that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. 26 And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites did, whom Jehovah cast out before the children of Israel.)"
         
      2. Jezebel helped bring in pagan idolatry, because she was a foreign princess. 1 Kings 16:31-33 "And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he (Ahab) took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidon-ians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him. 32 And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samar-ia. 33 And Ahab made the Asherah; and Ahab did yet more to provoke Jehovah, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him."
         
      3. This had happened before during the reign of Solomon. 1 Kings 11:1-8
         
2. This lesson is not about Ahab, or his wickedness (even though he would be a good study), but about the wickedness of his wife, Jezebel.
   
   1. It is true that Jezebel had evil soil in which to plant her evil seed.
      
      1. People who tend to be evil are easily persuade by those who are worse.
         
      2. Ahab was not only evil, but unstable, and vascillating in character.
         
   2. The evil deeds of Jezebel are many, but we must remember that some of them were done in service to her false gods (inventions of men whose standard of morality was no higher than that of the inventors).
      
      1. We see her first as one who "stirred up" her husband to do evil.
         
      2. She killed the prophets of God. (1 Kings 18:4)
         
         1. Practitioners of false religion do not trust the power of their beliefs enough to allow them to be debated or tested freely.
            
         2. Elijah later repaid her slaughter of the true prophets, but only by defeating them first in the fair contest on Mt. Carmel, then persuading the Israelites to help him put them to death.
            
      3. When she saw that her husband was favorably impressed by Elijah's victory at Mt. Carmel, she determined to kill the prophet. 1 Kings 19:1-2 "And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a mes-senger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to-morrow about this time." (Elijah was protected by God, so Jezebel's prediction failed.)
         
      4. When Ahab coveted Naboth's vineyard, and failed to get it, he pouted.
         
         1. Jezebel used an evil and unjust way to obtain the vineyard for him, but God held Ahab responsible. 1 Kings 21:19-24 (God sent Elijah to meet Ahab, and say) "Thus saith Jehovah, Hast thou killed and also taken possession?.... Thus saith Jehovah, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine. 20 And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee, because thou hast sold thyself to do that which is evil in the sight of Jehovah. 21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will utterly sweep thee away and will cut off from Ahab every man-child, and him that is shut up and him that is left at large in Israel: 22 and I will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and hast made Israel to sin. 23 And of Jezebel also spake Jehovah, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the rampart of Jezreel. 24 Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the birds of the heavens eat."
            
         2. Ahab repented for a while, and God postponed his punishment.
            
         3. Ahab continued to disobey God (in the matter of fighting Syria) and the prediction of his manner of death was fulfilled. 1 Kings 22:37-38 "So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria. 38 And they washed the chariot by the pool of Sa-maria; and the dogs licked up his blood.....according unto the word of Jehovah which he spake."
            
      5. Jezebel evidently corrupted her daughter, and taught her to practice the same sort of evil. ("Like mother, like daughter")
         
         1. The daughter, Athaliah, married a king of Judah, and led him into the worship of idols, just as her mother had done with Ahab.
            
            1. 2 Kings 8:16-19 "And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign. 17 Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 18 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab: for he had the daughter of Ahab to wife; and he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah. 19 Howbeit Jehovah would not destroy Judah, for David his servant's sake, as he promised him to give unto him a lamp for his children alway."
               
            2. 2 Kings 8:25-27 "In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel did Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah begin to reign. 26 Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Athaliah the (grand)daughter of Omri king of Israel. 27 And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, as did the house of Ahab;....."
               
         2. When Athaliah's son was killed by Jehu, God's appointed avenger against the dynasty of Ahab, she usurped Judah's throne for seven years, after killing all the royal heirs (except one, Joash).
            
3. Jehu was so thorough in his mission to destroy the dynasty of Ahab that he killed both the kings of Israel and of Judah. This effectively destroyed the evil influence of Jezebel.
   
   1. Jezebel's death had been predicted. 1 Kings 21:23 "And of Jezebel also spake Jehovah, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the rampart of Jezreel."
      
   2. This was fulfilled in 2 Kings 9:30-37 "And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her eyes, and attired her head, and looked out at the window. 31 And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Is it peace, thou Zimri, thy master's murderer? 32 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. 33 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 trod her under foot. 34 And when he was come in, he did eat and drink; and he said, See now to this cursed woman, and bury her; for she is a king's daughter. 35 And they went to bury her; but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands. 36 Wherefore they came back, and told him. And he said, This is the word of Jehovah, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall the dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel; 37 and the body of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel, so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel."

APPLICATION--

1. What was Jezebel's chief sin?
   
   1. She was not content to be evil, she "stirred up" others to do evil.
      
   2. No wonder that Jesus calls a wicked woman in the church at Thyatira by the hated name of Jezebel. Revelation 2:18-23 "And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like unto burnished brass: 19 I know thy works, and thy love and faith and ministry and patience, and that thy last works are more than the first. 20 But I have this against thee, that thou sufferest the woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess; and she teacheth and seduceth my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 And I gave her time that she should repent; and she willeth not to repent of her fornication. 22 Behold, I cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of her works. 23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he that searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto each one of you according to your works."
      
2. It is noteworthy that Christ says He gave her time to repent, because He is a merciful judge.
   
   1. He is patient, but there may come a time when patience is at an end, due to the intransigence of the sinner.
      
   2. We should treat the longsuffering of Christ and God as an opportunity to be saved. 2 Peter 3:8-15a "But forget not this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
      

      9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
      

      11 Seeing that these things are thus all to be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy living and godliness, 12 looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, by reason of which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for these things, give diligence that ye may be found in peace, without spot and blameless in his sight. 15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation;...."