Jezebel

He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him.

~I Kings 16:31

Many Israelite kings married foreign princesses in order to strengthen Israel's alliances with other countries, but Ahab's marriage to Jezebel gets special mention here.  What does this tell you about Jezebel?

• possibly that Jezebel is manipulative

Jezebel's reputation in scripture is one of sheer wickedness and selfishness.  What sort of reputation do you have with your family?  With your church family?  With your coworkers?  With your friends?  What can you do to make sure your reputation is one that honors God? 

• I would say that I have a good reputation with all of those people
• by praying to Him and giving Him praise

While Jezebel was killing off the LORD’s prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.)

~I Kings 18:4

What does Jezebel's action in this verse tell you about her devotion to Baal?

• that she was possessed to get ride of the true religion

What makes it obvious to people you meet that you serve the Lord?

• I wear a cross necklase

When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The LORD—he is God! The LORD—he is God!”

So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”

~I Kings 18:39; 19:2

Compare Jezebel's and the Israelites' reactions to the Mount Carmel duel.  What do you think Made Jezebel so dedicated to Baal?

• Jezebel though that the Israelites had blasphemed and that Baal was the only true god to be trusted

How dedicated are you to the Lord?  What might cause you to rethink that dedication?

• I am very dedicated and there is no way that I will be rethinking that dedication

Some time later 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 a 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.”

~I Kings 21:1-7

What does this story tell you about Jezebel and Ahab?  Who do you think was really ruling the nation?  Compare I Kings 21:25

• They are spoiled rotten rulers
• It seems that Jezebel is moreso the ruler of the nation
• This is what I Kings 21:25 says:
  

  (There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, urged on by Jezebel his wife. 

  This verse confirms that Ahab was only submitting to Jezebel's wantings

Then Jehu went to Jezreel. When Jezebel heard about it, she put on eye makeup, arranged her hair and looked out of a window.  

~II Kings 9:30

What is significant about the fact that the Bible mentions that Jezebel "painted her eyes" and "arranged her hair"?  What do you think Jezebel was getting ready for?

• She could have been getting ready for an important event
• I think she was getting ready to seduce soneone

How do you get ready for a difficult situation?  For conflict"

• In either situatoin, I usually pray to God to give me the right words to say to someone if I must confront them and stand up for myself

As Jehu entered the gate, she asked, “Have you come in peace, you Zimri, you murderer of your master?”

  He looked up at the window and called out, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three eunuchs looked down at him.  “Throw her down!” Jehu said. So they threw her down, and some of her blood spattered the wall and the horses as they trampled her underfoot.

  Jehu went in and ate and drank. “Take care of that cursed woman,” he said, “and bury her, for she was a king’s daughter.”  But when they went out to bury her, they found nothing except her skull, her feet and her hands.  They went back and told Jehu, who said, “This is the word of the LORD that he spoke through his servant Elijah the Tishbite: On the plot of ground at Jezreel dogs will devour Jezebel’s flesh.  Jezebel’s body will be like dung on the ground in the plot at Jezreel, so that no one will be able to say, ‘This is Jezebel.’”

~II Kings 9:31-37

The story of Jezebel's demise is a disturbing one.  She eventually got what we think she deserved, but consider: What do any of us truly deserve?  And what, if we're followers of Christ, will we get instead?

• God's forgivness, and if we ask for that forgiveness, we will receive grace from Him