The History of Jezebel

Transcription

1 The Jezebel Series The History of Jezebel A look at who, what and why Jezebel was the way she was and How to recognize and combat this very evil spirit A study Guide compiled by Pierre Dungee Version 1, Revision 1 Book 1 of the Jezebel Series

2 Warning This Book Is for Christians Only If you are NOT a Christian, Please put this book down. This book is not for you. 1

3 Introduction This study guide is designed to explain Who Jezebel was and why she has the reputation that she does in Bible History. In doing this, we explore the times that Jezebel lived, and look at who the temples and idols are. The second part of this study guide describes in detail what the Jezebel spirit is, how it works, and what it does to oppress and kill its victims. I took the time to explore all of what jezebel did so we can understand how her spirit works. I have to say that my research brought up quite a few items that I did NOT expect. For example I found the origins of today s strip clubs; I find the origins of today s abortions, and how the process is eerily similar to how things were done in the Old Testament by the Israelites; I find out that the Vatican wears hats that are attributed to Dagon, the Fish God; I found out that Jezebel was the praise leader of Baal s temple, and was probably sodomized as a part of the rituals which she LED; And I found out how really heinous Jezebel really was. I found it humorous as well as fitting that Jehu got Jezebel s eunuchs to throw her out of a window to kill her; I found it ironic and interesting that Jehu, after Jezebel was thrown out of the window by two of her eunuchs, made sure he rolled his chariot over her body a few times and then went inside the palace to get something to eat. I found the LORD got pretty fed up with Jezebel, and he judged her so that she would become dog poop after she was killed. I found Jezebel to be the most stiff-necked, hard-headed, proud, haughty person I have ever read about in the Bible, who thought NOTHING of killing people to get what she wanted. Say what you want about the Old Testament, but it is one of the most interesting books I have ever read. 2

4 Who was Jezebel? Jezebel was a princess from the rich coastal city of Sidon in Phoenicia, where her father was king. He had usurped the throne, and was a force to be reckoned with. Strong men often have strong, ambitious daughters, and Jezebel proved to be just that. Jezebel was the daughter of King Ithobaal I of Sidon. The Bible gives no clue to her date of birth. She married Ahab, son of a famous warrior king of Israel called Omri, who had also usurped the throne, and was one of the great warriors and builders of the ancient world, at least nine years before he acceded to the throne of the Kingdom of Israel of Israel, because their daughter Athaliah was born at that time; she might, however, have married him earlier. She bore Ahab at least two of his seventy sons, named Ahaziah and Joram. History of the Time and Region King David had been absent from the scene of Hebrew history for about 135 years when this story opens. His great kingdom, enlarged and more richly endowed by his son Solomon, had been fractured into two weakened fragments. The southern kingdom of Judah was being ruled by his descendants, while the northern kingdom of Israel suffered under a succession of wicked men at the helm. The wicked man, Ahab, was introduced to the pages of Scripture with these shocking words: 1 Kings 16:30 - And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him. He had the dubious distinction of being the most wicked king who reigned over Israel up until his day. We expect almost anything from a man that degenerate, and are not surprised to read: 1 Kings 16:31- 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 took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him. 3

5 Sidonians was another name for the Phoenicians, that seafaring people on the Mediterranean coast who occupied the great cities of Tyre and Sidon. With the ever-present menace of Syria and the growing threat of Assyria, Ahab decided that he needed an alliance with this neighboring nation, so he made a treaty with the king of Phoenicia and sealed it by marrying his daughter. That is how Jezebel happened to move to Samaria, the capital of Israel, and there is only one way to describe it a whirlwind hit Israel. The king of Phoenicia was not only the political leader of his people, he was also the high priest of their religion, as his name Ethbaal implies. Jezebel had grown up steeped in the worship of Baal and his female consort, Astarte (or Ashtoreth). Baal was considered to be the god of the land. He owned it, they said, and he controlled its weather and the increase of its crops and cattle. Ashtoreth was considered to be the mothergoddess of fertility. So idols of both Baal and Ashtoreth stood side by side in their temples and were worshiped by priests and temple prostitutes with lewd dances and sacred orgies, with the hope that their god and goddess would follow their example and increase the productivity of their agriculture, their animals, and their children. In times of crisis such as famine, they slashed themselves and even sacrificed their children to appease the gods and implore their help. Meaning of the name Jezebel Jezebel (Hebrew:,איזבל ʾÎzéḇel; Greek: Ίεζάβελ, Iezabel; "Baal exists") - is the Anglicized transliteration of the Hebrew איזבל ('Izevel/'Izavel). Attempts to trace the meaning of the name are speculative, since its origin can only be conjectured. The biblical Hebrew 'Izebel may be rooted in a Hebrew word for "prince/nobility" or "husband" (bul/ba'al) combined with the word for "naught/none" ('iy), "there is no prince/nobility/husband," suggesting a lack of character (i.e. implying lack of royal sensibilities) or of morality (i.e. unmarried, implying adultery or fornication). It may also find its root in a Hebrew word for "dung" (from gbl; note here Ba'al-zebul/Ba'al-zebub, "Lord of dung") combined with the word for either "naught/none" ('iy) or "island" ('iyz), thus "no dung" or "island of dung." Other sources find meaning from the character's native Syro-Phoenician language. It may be rooted in the word ba'al (lord), referring either to the Syro-Phoenician god, the "King of Heaven," or simply the royal title "lord." Thus, Iz-ba'al may mean "the Lord (Ba'al) exists/exalts" or "where is the prince," a name known from liturgies of the Syro-Phoenician Ba'al cults. 4

6 Who is Baal? Baal or Ba`al (Hebrew בעל lord or owner) (plural: Ba`alim or Baalim) is the generic name given to any of various local or national "gods" in Canaan, Phoenicia (and its famous Northern African colonycity of Carthage), Syria, and rarely, Philistia. That name appears often in accounts of backsliding on the part of the Israelites at various times in their history. This name never appears in accounts treating the history of the Jewish people during and following the Exile. Baal was the son of El, or Dagon, an obscure deity linked by the Hebrews with the Philistine city of Ashdod. Dagon was perhaps associated with the sea, as a coin found in the vicinity portrays a god having a fish tail. You can see representations of Dagon today in the Vatican, as the Pope wears a hat that is representative of the Fish God Dagon. Although Baal personally overcame Yam, it is uncertain whether or not he fought Lotan, the Leviathan of the Old Testament, but it is known that Anat "crushed the writhing serpent, the accused one of the seven heads." Another echo of the Mesopotamian thought patterns are nestled in these reasons advanced by Baal for needing a "house." His food offerings were too meager for a god "that rides on the clouds." As far apart as Carthage and Palmyra were temples dedicated to Baal-Hammon, "the lord of the altar of incense," whom the Greeks identified with Cronos. On Mount Carmel it was the prophet Elijah who discredited King Ahab's belief in the power of Baal, when at his request "the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice," and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. Afterwards Elijah had the people slay "the prophets of Baal," thereby assuring the survival of the worship of The Lord of Hosts in Israel. The worship of Baal extended from the Canaanites to the Phoenicians who also were partially an agricultural people. Both Baal and his cohort Ashtoreth, or Astarte, who is equivalent to the Greek goddess Aphrodite, were both Phoenician fertility symbols. Baal, the sun god, was fervently prayed to for the protection of livestock and crops. Priests instructed the people that Baal was responsible for droughts, plagues, and other calamities. People were often worked up into great frenzies at the prospects of displeasing Baal. In times of great turbulence human sacrifices, particularly children, were made to the great god Moloch. Since the Phoenicians also were superb ship builders the religion and cults of Baal spread throughout the Mediterranean world. The worship of Baal was found among the Moabites and their allies Midinites during Moses' time. It was also introduced to the Israelites. The religion of the god Baal was widely accepted among the ancient Jews, and although it was put down at times, it was never permanently stamped out. Kings and other royalty of the ten Biblical tribes worshiped the god. The ordinary people ardently worshipped this sun god too because their prosperity depended on the productivity of their crops and livestock. The god's images were erected on many buildings. Within the religion there appeared to be numerous priests and various classes of devotees. During the ceremonies they wore appropriate robes. The ceremonies included burning incense, and offering burnt sacrifices, occasionally consisting of human victims. The officiating priests danced around the altars, chanting frantically and cutting themselves with knives to inspire the attention and compassion 5

7 of the god. In the Bible Baal is also called Beelzebub, or Baalzebub, one of the fallen angels of Satan. Deities Known by This Name In the context of the religious practices of the ancient Near East, Baal can mean either: A "deity" local to a particular city-state or region. Such a "deity" brings fertility, and thus his celebration is inherently sensual. A specific national god. Among the Ammonites he is called Moloch; among the Moabites, Chemosh; among the Syrians, Hadad; in Tyre, Melqart (although Hadad might also be in view); in Carthage, Baal-Hammon, which could be the same as the Philistine god Dagon or the Greco-Roman god known as Cronus or Saturn. The classic Canaanite deity called "Baal" was reputed to be Dagon's son, and the subject of an elaborate myth that has him challenging the power of death itself. Baal is supposed to have had a mate, named Asherah, whose cult included prostitution as a religious observance, an indication of how sensual the cults of both these gods were. Who is Dagon? Dagon, the name means "corn", is an ancient Mesopotamian vegetation god, father of Baal in his father's attributes. He is the god of crop fertility and the inventor of the plough. He passed this knowledge to mankind to let them better till the soil and produce food. Dagon's temples were in Philistine for about 2000 years, although Baal took over in most parts of the Middle East. Dagon is one of the old gods. The Ras Shamra texts describe Dagon as coeval with El, who is the most ancient and senior of all the Semitic gods. Dagon's temple at Ashdod still existed right up until the time of the Hasmoneans [who ruled parts of Palestine in Jesus' days]. Dagon was portrayed half man and half fish. Note the hat the men are wearing it looks eerily familiar to the hat that the Pope wears at the Vatican, with the open fish mouth at the top of the hat. 6

8 Conventions of Baal worship The chief conventions associated with the cult of Baal, and with the parallel cult of Asherah, are: 1. The high place, typically on a hill where people would burn incense to this god or cut themselves so that they bled profusely. The high place was also a venue for: 2. An altar for an animal sacrifice or human sacrifice, especially in the case of Moloch; 3. A carved or engraved wooden pole, often called a grove. This is not a stand of trees. It is, rather, a pole with carved images on it--a direct violation of the Second Commandment against the making of graven images. Idols of both Baal and Ashtoreth stood side by side in their temples and were worshiped by priests and temple prostitutes with lewd dances and sacred orgies, with the hope that their god and goddess would follow their example and increase the productivity of their agriculture, their animals, and their children. In times of crisis such as famine, they slashed themselves and even sacrificed their children to appease the gods and implore their help. Worship at High Places Most worship at high places was of pagan gods, especially before the invasion of Canaan by the nation of Israel. Two historical exceptions existed: in the period between the destruction of Shiloh and the building of the Temple of Jerusalem, Judge Samuel worshiped God Himself at a high place, and David and Solomon worshipped at a Tabernacle re-pitched on a high place. But once the Tabernacle and/or the Temple were in place, worship of God at high places was against God's will. That aside, God had specifically enjoined the Israelites from worshiping even Him at any high places, and even directed them to remove all high places as they took possession of the land. Sadly, they did not do this, and because of this they were tempted continually by the largely sensual worship of the Canaanite gods and often yielded to that temptation. Indeed, King Solomon built many high places himself to accommodate the belief systems of many of his foreign wives. In addition, King Jeroboam I of the Kingdom of Israel set up golden calves, one at each of two high places in his kingdom, as the centerpiece of an alternative religious system that he invented to stop people from going up to Jerusalem to worship God. Those high places would not be removed before the Fall of Samaria more than two centuries later. 7

9 Who was Moloch? The sun god of the Canaanites (Ammonites?) in old Palestine and sometimes associated with the Sumerian Baal, although Moloch (or Molekh) was entirely malevolent. In the 8th-6th century BCE, firstborn children were sacrificed to him by the Israelites in the Valley of Hinnom, south-east of Jerusalem (see also Gehenna). These sacrifices to the sun god were made to renew the strength of the sun fire. This ritual was probably borrowed from surrounding nations, and was also popular in ancient Carthage. Moloch/Molech was represented as a huge bronze statue with the head of a bull. The statue was hollow, and inside there burned a fire which colored the Moloch a glowing red. Children were placed on the hands of the statue. Through an ingenious system the hands were raised to the mouth (as if Moloch/Molech were eating) and the children fell into the fire where they were consumed by the flames. The people gathered before the Moloch were dancing on the sounds of flutes and tambourines to drown out the screams of the victims. Molech was an ancient fire deity, of a common type worshipped throughout Canaan generally, and Phoenicia particularly. Under various names, depending upon the city or country, Molech is essentially identical with Chemosh of Moab, and probably Melqart of Tyre. The general name for this type of fire god used throughout Palestine was Baal, meaning lord. Molech was the national deity of the country of Ammon, east of the Jordan, or the Ammonites. Molech was also worshipped by the Israelites on many occasions, much to the distress of the prophets. Molech was the Canaanite version of the Egyptian god Set. The god Set was a homosexual god of evil. He was worshipped during ceremonies that involved human sacrifice, cannibalism and homosexual orgies. As the god of destruction, he became the god of the Egyptian military. In ancient Rome, he was worshipped as the god Saturn by the Roman military (often with baptism by blood). Thus we see that Satan (Set, Saturn, Molech etc.) was worshipped by Solomon and his wives as he grew old and senile. This involved heterosexual sex orgies (Ashteroth), homosexual sex orgies (Baal, Set, Satan, Molech), human sacrifice (Molech) and even cannibalism (Set, Molech). 8

10 Molech and Astrology in Israel There is evidence to show that astrology was closely allied with the worship of Molech, a god who was sometimes depicted with a bull s head. The bull was worshiped by the Babylonians, Canaanites, Egyptians, and others as a symbol of their deities Marduk, Molech, Baal, and so forth. The bull was one of the most important signs of the zodiac, Taurus. The sun-god was often represented by bulls, the horns signifying the rays, and the bull s strong reproductive power, the sun s power as giver of life. The female, the cow, was given equal honor as a symbol of Ishtar or Astarte, as she was variously called. So when Aaron and Jeroboam introduced in Israel such worship of the bull (calf worship) it was indeed a great sin in Jehovah s eyes. Exodus 32:4-8 - And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 5 And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD. 6 And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. 7 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: 8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. Deuteronomy 9:16 - And I looked, and, behold, ye had sinned against the LORD your God, and had made you a molten calf: ye had turned aside quickly out of the way which the LORD had commanded you. 1Kings 12: Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 29 And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. 30 And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan. 2 Kings 10:29 - Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, to wit, the golden calves that were in Bethel, and that were in Dan. 9

11 The apostate ten-tribe kingdom of Israel was denounced for joining this astrology cult: 2 Kings 17: And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. 17 And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. Why Child Sacrifices? The cruelty and barbarism of such an act is virtually incomprehensible to a rational mind. Why would anyone want to burn up their children?? King Ahaz did this as well: 2 Chron. 28:3 - Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. King Manasseh did the same: 2 Kings 21:6 - And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. Such actions clearly did NOT come from the Lord God. He had never commanded His people to offer up their children as burnt offerings to idols. Indeed, on three occasions in the prophecy of Jeremiah, the Lord makes these points exceedingly clear in the following scriptures: Jeremiah 7:31 - And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart. Jeremiah 19:5 - They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind: Jeremiah 32:35 - And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin. The above three passages seem pretty clear, do they not? They simply declare God's extreme displeasure over the wicked actions of His people, and they make it abundantly obvious that these evil acts did NOT originate with HIM. He never commanded that His people (or anyone else, for that matter) worship idols, and He certainly didn't command that they offer their children as burnt offerings to such pagan deities. Such monstrous acts are unthinkable, both to God and rational men! 10

12 We still have child sacrifices today in the modern world. They are called abortions. There are great similarities with what the Israelites did by burning up their children as a sacrifice to Baal. In an abortion, saline is used to burn out the fetus from the mother s womb. There are also other drugs that are given to prematurely detach the fetus from the uterine wall. Instead of a Priest offering up the child to Molech to be burned alive, we have medical Doctors who act as priests to defile the temple(s) of the women as they destroy their babies by burning them in the womb. The net result is still the same the child is destroyed. The High Place as a Metaphor Today many prominent Christian leaders denounce as "high places" any doctrines that, they say, come not from the Bible but from another source, and especially doctrines that, they charge, others have inserted into the Bible. This would certainly include the paying of any sort of homage to a Godsubstitute figure in popular culture, including extraterrestrial "visitors" to earth. What is relevant here is that those who call any particular doctrine a "high place" mean to imply that the inventor and/or holder(s) of that doctrine are trying to avoid an uncomfortable truth or truths about the Bible or about themselves. They also mean to imply that the doctrine itself is distracting to proper worship, devotion, and Bible study. Ironically, the Hebrew word bamah translated "high place" is very close to the Greek word bema, which means "judgment seat" and is the term used for a court held by a Roman magistrate and also for the Judgment Seat of Christ, before which all believers will one day stand. Part of the evaluation of all the kings of the Kingdom of Judah was whether they did anything about the high places. Only three kings receive credit for removing them completely; these were Jehoshaphat and the two great reformers, Hezekiah and Josiah. Jehoshaphat's role in removing high places receives little notice among commentators today, and yet the Bible says that Jehoshaphat removed the high places during his reign, a thing which only two other Kings of Judah managed to do. Josiah's thoroughgoing removal of high places is, of course, associated with the finding, during his reign, of the "book of the Law in the house of the LORD". 11

13 Worship of Baal in Israel Sadly, the Israelites succumbed repeatedly to the allure of this basically sensual religion. The Bible describes Baal-worship among the Israelites even before they crossed into the Promised Land. The cult of Baal arose repeatedly during the era of the Judges--and in one famous case, Judge Gideon destroyed a Baal altar and cut down the nearby Asherah pole and nearly lost his life as a result. Judges 6: And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it: 26 And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down. 27 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father's household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night. 28 And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built. 29 And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they enquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing. 30 Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die : because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it. 31 And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar. 32 Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar. Baal was the chief male pagan god worshipped by the Canaanites when Israel first came into the land. Mythology states that he was the son of El, the father of 70 gods. He was the god of fertility upon whom increase in every area was dependent and the god of storms, winds, clouds and weather in general. As such he was god of abundant crops. Archaeologists have discovered rock carvings that show Baal holding a club in his right hand and a lightning flash with a spearhead in his left. These symbols identify him as the god of rain and storm. Baal is also known as the rider of the clouds, a term showing his power over the heavens. Psalm 68:1-5 - Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him. 2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God. 3 But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice. 4 Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him. 5 A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation. Extol Him who rides on the clouds, gives this title to the God of Israel a declaration that the Lord, and not the false god Baal, is ruler over the heavens. Baal worship was personalized in each locality by adding the name of the city or place where he was worshipped. Baal-Melqart was worshipped at Tyre. 12

14 Jezebel The high Priestess of Baal When she moved to Israel Jezebel stayed loyal to her own gods and was a High Priestess in the worship of Baal, her most loved god. He was god of storms, rivers and water, and she also worshipped his divine wife Asherah, who personified the fertility of all females and was a fierce champion of the family. When Jezebel presided over worship and sacrifices, she would have worn the ritual make-up and clothing of a priestess - the heavy make-up of Egyptian Pharaohs and their queens give some idea of what this looked like. Leviticus 18:1-6 - And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the LORD your God. 3 After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances. 4 Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God. 5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD. Let s look at this very carefully. Remember - Moloch was represented as a huge bronze statue with the head of a bull. The statue was hollow, and inside there burned a fire which colored the Moloch a glowing red. Children were placed on the hands of the statue. Through an ingenious system the hands were raised to the mouth (as if Moloch were eating) and the children fell into the fire where they were consumed by the flames. The people gathered before the Moloch were dancing on the sounds of flutes and tambourines to drown out the screams of the victims. Note: Jezebel was the high priestess of Baal s temple and presided over the worship and sacrifice rituals in the temple, which means she was the overseer of the male and female temple prostitutes and all that they did in the temple. As we have seen in the above text, Baal worship incorporated both animal and child sacrifices, which the LORD forbade: Leviticus 18:21 - And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD. Here is a warning from the LORD about anyone who sacrifices to Moloch: Leviticus 20:2 5 - Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones. 3 And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name. 4 And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the man, when he giveth of his 13

15 seed unto Molech, and kill him not: 5 Then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people. Note there was ritualistic sensual dancing and sodomy by male and female Baal prostitutes - The Israelites were forbidden by God to do any of these things, as it is written: Leviticus 18:22 - Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Here is where and why the famous sodomy scripture was put in place by the LORD GOD. When reading on, keep in mind what kind of person Jezebel really was and why she absolutely HATED any male authority. I believe it is because Jezebel was conscripted forced to be a high priestess by her father, and this conscription formed her feelings about men and patriarchal authority in general. As the high priestess, she performed and was sodomized as a part of the rituals in the temple. This point is VERY important when you see why the Jezebel Spirit works the way it does. Jezebel Married to Ahab Married to King Ahab for reasons that satisfied the self of both, Jezebel, princess daughter of Ethbaal, Canaanite King of Tyre and Sidon, priest of Astarte the pagan goddess of sensual love and fertility brought Baal-Melqart worship into Israel. 1 Kings 16:33 - And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him. The word grove here is Asherah, the female Canaanite goddess of love and fertility, chief goddess of the city of Tyre (see picture on the right). Asherah, and its plural form, Asherim, from the Hebrew word pronounced ash-ay-raw, refers to a pagan goddess, also known as Astarte to the Canaanites and Ishtar to the Assyrians and Babylonians. The common symbols of the cult were tree trunks with all of their branches removed and images carved into them. These standing tree trunks were the reason that some versions of the Holy Bible translate the actual original word of the Holy Scriptures, Asherah or Asherim, as grove or groves: 2 Chronicles 15:16 - And also concerning Maachah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove: and Asa cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron. The interesting thing about the groves is that we still have them today. These temples of worship are called strip clubs, and instead of worshipping a vagina carved in a tree as a pole, men are worshipping a live vagina on a metal pole. They worship the vagina by stuffing money into the 14

16 dancer s (priestesses) G-strings, and some actually buy the favour of the temple prostitutes by getting a lap dance and sometimes even more. The bottom line is this this is still idol worship that the LORD has stated in his Word that we should NOT do. Jezebel takes over Jezebel was fanatical about her religion. The worship of Jehovah must have seemed dull and commonplace by comparison, and she was determined to change it. She was a headstrong, selfwilled, domineering woman, and with a moral weakling for a husband, she had little trouble getting her way. She got him to build a house for Baal beside the palace in Samaria, as well as an Ashtoreth, that is, an idol of the fertility goddess. Then she brought 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Ashtoreth from Phoenicia, housed them in the palace, and fed them in royal style. Their duties would have been to promote the worship of Baal and Ashtoreth throughout the land. Not satisfied to establish her religion in Israel, Jezebel sought to stamp out every remnant of Jehovah worship and to kill every true prophet of God. She had to have things completely her way, and she almost succeeded. Some prophets survived by compromising their convictions and turning into yes men for Ahab. Another group of 100 were hidden in a cave and fed secretly by a godly servant of Ahab named Obadiah. Of course, Ahab was just as self-willed as Jezebel, but with a different temperament. For one thing, he had willfully entered a marriage that was politically convenient, but contrary to every word from God. But Ahab s self-will becomes even more evident in an incident involving the king and his vegetable garden. Shortly after his marriage to Jezebel, Ahab not only beautified the palace at Samaria so that it came to be called the ivory house : 1 Kings 22:39 - Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he made, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? He also built a second palace in Jezreel, twenty-five miles to the north, in an area of a more moderate climate in the wintertime. Elijah turns Israel back to God Jezebel as an enemy of God who was "killing off the Lord's prophets": 1 Kings 18:4 - For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.) In response, the prophet Elijah accused King Ahab of abandoning the Lord and challenged Jezebel's 450 prophets of Baal and 450 prophets of Asherah to a contest. They were to meet him on the top of Mt. Carmel. Whichever deity is capable of setting a sacrificial bull on fire will be the winner, the one 15

17 true God. It is only then that we learn just how many followers of Jezebel s gods and goddesses are near her at court. Elijah challenges them: 1 Kings 18:19 - Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table. Whether the grand total of 850 is a symbolic or literal number, it is impressive. Jezebel's prophets beseeched their gods to ignite their bull, but nothing happened. Yet their superior numbers can do nothing to ensure victory; nor can petitions to their god. The prophets of Baal performed a hopping dance about the altar and kept raving all day long in a vain attempt to rouse Baal : 1 Kings 18:26 - And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made. They even gash themselves with knives and whoop it up in a heightened emotional state, hoping to incite Baal to unleash a great fire. But Baal does not respond to the ecstatic ranting of Jezebel s prophets. 1 Kings 18: And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. 28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. 29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded. Here is one thing I want to point out here the Bible and the LORD are hilarious sometimes. As you can see in the scripture above, Elijah is mocking the priests of Baal. He sees them jumping around, exhorting Baal, cutting themselves until the blood is gushing out of them, and Elijah snorts: Dudes, REALLY? Is this the best you ve got? Where is your god? Is he is talking to somebody? Perhaps he is travelling and is busy right now, or MAYBE he is asleep! and you gotta wake him up! (What kind of god sleeps when his people need him?) That s some god you ve got That has got to be one of the funniest lines in the Bible. Can you imagine these guys doing all they can to conjure up their god to no avail and have someone make fun of you? I can see Elijah looking at his watch, yawning, tapping his foot and scratching himself while these guys cut themselves up. This is HILARIOUS! 16

18 Standing alone before Jezebel s host of visionaries, Elijah cries out: 1 Kings 18: And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word. At once, fire from the Lord descended and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones and the earth;...when they saw this, all the people flung themselves on their faces and cried out: 1 Kings 18: Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. Elijah s solitary entreaty to The Lord of Hosts serves as a foil to the hours of appeals made by Baal s followers. Upon seeing this miracle the people who were watching prostrated themselves and believed that Elijah's god was the true God. Elijah then commanded the people to kill Jezebel's prophets, which they did. When Jezebel learns of this she declares Elijah an enemy and promises to kill him just as he killed her prophets. At the end of the day, it is Elijah s single plea to God that is answered. Jezebel herself is absent during this all-male event. Nevertheless, her presence is felt and the message is clear - Jezebel s deities and the huge number of prophets loyal to her are powerless against the omnipotent The Lord of Hosts, who is proven by the tournament to be ruler of all the forces of nature. After winning the Carmel contest, Elijah immediately orders the assembly to capture all of Jezebel s prophets. Elijah emphatically declares: 1 Kings 18:40 - And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. Elijah leads his 450 prisoners to the Wadi Kishon, where he slaughters them. Though they will never meet in person, Elijah and Jezebel are engaged in a hard-fought struggle for supremacy. 17

19 Elijah Flees After Elijah s triumph on Mt. Carmel, King Ahab returns home to give his queen the news that Baal is defeated, The Lord of Hosts is the undisputed master of the universe and Jezebel s prophets are dead. Jezebel sends Elijah a menacing message, threatening to slaughter him just as he has slaughtered her prophets: 1 Kings 19:2 - Then Jezebel sent a messenger 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. In other words, Jezebel tells Elijah: I am gonna KILL you! The Septuagint, a third- to second-century B.C.E. Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, prefaces Jezebel s threat with an additional insult to the prophet. Here Jezebel tries to establish herself as Elijah s equal: If you are Elijah, so I am Jezebel. In both versions the queen s meaning is unmistakable: Elijah should fear for his life. These are the first words from Jezebel, and they are filled with venom. Unlike the many voiceless biblical wives and concubines whose muteness reminds us of the women in ancient Israel, Jezebel has a tongue on her. While her verbal acuity shows that she is more daring and independent than most women of her time, her withering words also demonstrate her sinfulness. Jezebel transforms the precious instrument of language into an evil device to blaspheme God and defy the prophet. So frightened is Elijah by Jezebel s threatening words that he flees to Mt. Horeb (Sinai). Despite what he has witnessed on Carmel, Elijah seems to falter in his faith that the Almighty will protect him. Nevertheless, the timing of Elijah s flight south makes him look suspiciously like he is afraid of a mere woman. But Elijah was the only one courageous enough to stand up openly against Jezebel s wickedness. God gave him a great victory when he called down fire from heaven upon Mount Carmel. The prophets of Baal were slain and it looked as though the nation would turn back to God. But Jezebel was not finished with her sinister work. She swore in her rage that she would kill Elijah, and he ran for his life, collapsed in the wilderness under a juniper tree, and pleaded with God to let him die. It was the lowest point in the godly prophet s great career. And Baal worship lived on, dragging the nation to new depths of degradation. This stubborn, headstrong, self-willed wife of Ahab brought disruption and distress to Israel for years to come. 18

20 Naboth, The Jezreelite Although Jezebel is one of many wives, 1 Kings and 2 Kings make it apparent that she wielded a considerable amount of power. Now it came about after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria : 1 Kings. 21:1 - And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. Ahab decided he wanted Naboth s property, so he went to him and said: 1 Kings 21:2 - And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money. Naboth declined the offer, just as he should have done, for God had forbidden the Jews to sell their paternal inheritance: Leviticus 25: The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me. 24 And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land. 25 If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold. 26 And if the man have none to redeem it, and himself be able to redeem it; 27 Then let him count the years of the sale thereof, and restore the overplus unto the man to whom he sold it; that he may return unto his possession. 28 But if he be not able to restore it to him, then that which is sold shall remain in the hand of him that hath bought it until the year of jubile: and in the jubile it shall go out, and he shall return unto his possession. 29 And if a man sell a dwelling house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold; within a full year may he redeem it. 30 And if it be not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city shall be established for ever to him that bought it throughout his generations: it shall not go out in the jubile. 31 But the houses of the villages which have no wall round about them shall be counted as the fields of the country: they may be redeemed, and they shall go out in the jubile. 32 Notwithstanding the cities of the Levites, and the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Levites redeem at any time. 33 And if a man purchase of the Levites, then the house that was sold, and the city of his possession, shall go out in the year of jubile: for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel. 34 But the field of the suburbs of their cities may not be sold ; for it is their perpetual possession. Naboth was simply obeying the law of the Lord. Naboth refused to give his land to the king because it had been in his family for generations. In response, Ahab became sullen and upset. When Jezebel noticed her husband's mood, she inquired after its cause and decided to get the vineyard for Ahab. She did so by writing letters in the king's name commanding the elders of Naboth's city to accuse him 19

21 of cursing both God and his King. The elders obliged and Naboth was convicted of treason, then stoned. Upon his death his property reverted to the king, so in the end Ahab got the vineyard he wanted. At God's command, the prophet Elijah then appeared before Ahab and Jezebel. He proclaimed that because of their actions: 1 Kings 21: And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18 Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it. 19 And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine. He further prophesies that Ahab's male descendants will die, his dynasty will end and that dogs will "devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.": 1 Kings 21: And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. 24 Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat. 25 But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. So Ahab came into his house sullen and vexed because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: 1 Kings. 21:4 - And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread. Can you believe that a grown man would act this childishly? Some do. Weak, vacillating people like Ahab often want their own way just as much as headstrong, domineering people like Jezebel. But they react differently when they do not get it. While the forceful ones rant and rave, strike out at those who stand in their way, throw fits and destroy things, the weak ones sulk and pout and fret like spoiled children. They may refuse to get out of bed and even refuse to eat. They just want to feel sorry for themselves and let everybody know how bad things are for them. All they really succeed in doing is letting people know how self-centered and immature they are. Jezebel found Ahab sulking in his bed and said to him: 1 Kings 21:5-7 - But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread? 6 And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard. 7 So he explained to her how Naboth refused to let him have his vegetable garden. 20

22 She replied: 1 Kings 21:7 - And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. In modern terms, that might sound more like, What are you, a man or a mouse? Squeak up! Don t you know that you are the king? You can take anything you want. With her Phoenician background, Jezebel could not seem to understand that even the king in Israel was subject to the laws of God. We discover how thoroughly this weak and wicked man was dominated by his overbearing wife when she said, Arise, eat bread, and let your heart be joyful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. She planned to commit a hideous crime; she was going to pay two false witnesses to testify that they heard Naboth blaspheme God and the king, so that both he and his sons would be stoned to death and the king would be free to lay claim to his land: 2 Kings 9:26 - Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons, saith the LORD; and I will requite thee in this plat, saith the LORD. Now therefore take and cast him into the plat of ground, according to the word of the LORD. She was going to teach Ahab her philosophy of life: Take what you want and destroy anyone who stands in your way. And Ahab did not have the courage to stop her. Naboth is fully within his rights to hold onto his family plot. Israelite law and custom dictate that his family should maintain their land (nachalah) in perpetuity: Numbers 27: And Moses brought their cause before the LORD. 6 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 7 The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father's brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them. 8 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter. 9 And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren. 10 And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father's brethren. 11 And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it: and it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute of judgment, as the LORD commanded Moses. As a Torah-bound king of Israel, Ahab should understand Naboth s legitimate desire to keep his inheritance. Jezebel, on the other hand, hails from Phoenicia, where a monarch s whim is often tantamount to law. Having been raised in a land of absolute autocrats, where few dared to question a ruler s wish or decree, Jezebel might naturally feel annoyance and frustration at Naboth s resistance to his sovereign s proposal. In this context, Jezebel s reaction becomes more understandable, though perhaps no more admirable, for she behaves according to her upbringing and expectations regarding royal prerogative. 21

23 Without Ahab s direct knowledge, Jezebel writes letters to her townsmen, enlisting them in an elaborate ruse to frame the innocent Naboth. To ensure their compliance, she signs Ahab s name and stamps the letters with the king s seal. Jezebel encourages the townsmen to publicly (and falsely) accuse Naboth of blaspheming God and king. Then take him out and stone him to death, she commands: 1 Kings 21:10 - And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die. So Naboth is murdered, and the vineyard automatically escheats to the throne, as is customary when a person is found guilty of a serious crime. If Naboth has relatives, they are now in no position to protest the passing of their family land to Ahab. The Bible maintains that the elders and nobles who lived in [Naboth s] town...did as Jezebel had instructed them : 1 Kings 21:11 And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them. If the trickster queen is able to enlist the support of so many people, none of whom betrays her, to kill a man whom they have probably known all their lives and whom they realize is innocent, then she has astonishing power. Ahab s demise As a result of this incident, Elijah reappears on the scene. First The Lord of Hosts tells Elijah how Ahab will die: The word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: Go down and confront King Ahab of Israel who [resides] in Samaria. He is now in Naboth s vineyard; he has gone down there to take possession of it. Say to him, Thus said the Lord: 1 Kings 21: And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18 Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it. 19 And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, 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 work evil in the sight of the LORD. 21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, 22 And will make thine 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 made Israel to sin. 22

24 But when Elijah confronts Ahab, the prophet predicts instead how the queen will die: 1 Kings 21: And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. 24 Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat. 25 But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. 26 And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel. The LORD s judgment demanded that Jezebel end up as dog food. Ashamed of what has happened and fearful of the future, Ahab humbles himself by assuming outward signs of mourning, fasting and donning sackcloth: 1 Kings 21: And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly. 28 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 29 Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house. Prayer accompanies fasting, whether the Bible explicitly says so or not, so we may assume that Ahab raises his penitential voice to a forgiving The Lord of Hosts. For once, Jezebel does not speak; her lack of repentance is implicit in her silence. But the story is not over. These two were self-willed to the end. It was several years later when that judgment came on Ahab, and it too is a story of self-will. The incident started over a city east of Jordan called Ramoth-Gilead, which Ahab said belonged to Israel but was still in the hands of Syria. When Jehoshaphat, King of Judah, came to visit Ahab, he asked him if he would go to battle with him for Ramoth-Gilead. Jehoshaphat agreed, but wanted to consult the Lord first. Ahab called his yes men together and they assured him that the Lord would give Ramoth-Gilead into the hand of the king. But Jehoshaphat was still not satisfied. He wanted another opinion: 1 Kings 22:7 And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might enquire of him? And Ahab replied: 1 Kings 22:8 - And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. So Micaiah was called, and although he knew his life was in danger, he spoke what God told him. Israel would be scattered on the mountains like sheep without a shepherd: 23

25 1 Kings 22:17 - And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace. As we might expect, Ahab rejected Micaiah s prophecy and had him cast into prison. He was going to have what he wanted and do what he pleased, regardless of God s will. But it didn t work out quite like he planned. Ahab knew the Syrians would be after him personally, so he removed his royal garments and disguised himself as a regular soldier: 1 Kings 22:34 - And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded. That soldier did not know he was shooting at the king, but his arrow penetrated the narrow slit between the pieces of Ahab s armor. Very few bowmen would have been that accurate. It was obvious that God was guiding that arrow, and Ahab s self-will ended in his untimely death. When Jezebel s name is mentioned again, the Bible makes his most alarming accusation against her. Ahab has died, as has the couple s eldest son, who followed his father to the throne. Their second son, Joram, rules. But even though Israel has a sitting monarch, a servant of the prophet Elisha crowns Jehu, Joram s military commander, king of Israel and commissions Jehu to eradicate the House of Ahab: 2 Kings 9: And he arose, and went into the house; and he poured the oil on his head, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of the LORD, even over Israel. 7 And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master, that I may avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel. 8 For the whole house of Ahab shall perish: and I will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel: 9 And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah: 10 And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her. And he opened the door, and fled. 11 Then Jehu came forth to the servants of his lord: and one said unto him, Is all well? wherefore came this mad fellow to thee? And he said unto them, Ye know the man, and his communication. 12 And they said, It is false; tell us now. And he said, Thus and thus spake he to me, saying, Thus saith the LORD, I have anointed thee king over Israel. 24

26 Ahab and Jezebel s influence lives on And this is often the saddest side effect of lives like Ahab s and Jezebel s. Two sons of Ahab and Jezebel later ruled in Israel. The first was Ahaziah. Of him God says: 1 Kings 22:52-53 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin : 53 For he served Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked to anger the LORD God of Israel, according to all that his father had done. Jezebel ruled Israel through her son, just as she did through Ahab. The spirit of Jezebel must always be in control. Ahaziah was king for two years. After two years he accidently fell from his upper chambers and never recovered from his wounds. Ahaziah had no sons, so after his death, Jehoram his brother reigned in his stead. It was during Jehoram's reign that Elijah was translated off the earth and Elisha received the double portion anointing. Jehoram reigned twelve years in Israel. So at the time God anointed Jehu king over Israel, Ahab had been dead fourteen years, and throughout that time Jezebel ruled Israel through her sons. After some years he was attacked and murdered by Jehu, a man who had once served in Joram's own army. As Jehu rode to execute vengeance on the house of Ahab, Jehoram cried, Is it peace, Jehu? Jehu summed up Jehoram s reign with his reply: 2 Kings 9:22 And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many? Up on the watch tower of Jezreel stood the Queen Mother, Jezebel. Jezebel saw her son die, shot in the heart by Jehu. She watched as her son was shot down and his body dragged away. She knew that Jehu would kill her too. Ahab and Jezebel also had a daughter, Athaliah, and she married another man named Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat, king of the southern kingdom of Judah: 2 Chronicles 21:6 - And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, like as did the house of Ahab: for he had the daughter of Ahab to wife: and he wrought that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD. So it was that the evil influence moved south. 25

27 At Jehoram s death, his son by Athaliah became king of Judah: 2 Chronicles 22:2-4 - Forty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Athaliah the daughter of Omri. 3 He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab: for his mother was his counsellor to do wickedly. 4 Wherefore he did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab: for they were his counsellors after the death of his father to his destruction. And the evil influence lived on! Jezebel's Death Jezebel outlived Ahab by almost fourteen years. Jehu, the captain of Israel s army, was to be the instrument of divine discipline in her case. After slaying King Jehoram, the son of Ahab, he rode to Jezreel. Elijah's prophesy at the end of the vineyard story (above) comes true when Ahab dies in Samaria and his son, Ahaziah, dies within two years of ascending the throne. He is killed by Jehu, who emerges as another contender for the throne when the prophet Elisha declares him King. Here again Jezebel's influence becomes apparent. Though Jehu has killed the king, he has to kill Jezebel in order to fulfill God s word: 2 Kings 9:8 - For the whole house of Ahab shall perish: and I will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel: Jezebel decides to depart from this earth every inch a queen. Now an aging grandmother, it is highly unlikely that she has libidinous designs on Jehu or even entertains the notion of becoming the young king s paramour. As the daughter, wife, mother, mother-in-law and grandmother of kings, Jezebel would understand court politics well enough to realize that Jehu has far more to gain by killing her than by keeping her alive. Alive, the dowager queen could always serve as a rallying point for anyone unhappy with Jehu s reign. The queen harbors no illusions about her chances of surviving Jehu s bloody coup d état. 2 Kings 9: And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window. 31 And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master? She wore a heavy wig of treated human hair, braided and formally arranged - like the wigs on mummified Egyptian bodies and stylized make-up - like the sister-wife of Pharaoh in Egypt, and with the same purpose, to suggest that the wearer was different to ordinary mortals. She had dressed herself in royal regalia, and applied make-up to 26