July 13, 2008

Friends in Low Places

Posted in Bad Girls of the Bible at 8:33 pm by diannsi

She’s Got Big, Bad Bette Davis Eyes: Jezebel

Her marriage to Ahab was strictly a political alliance between two nations. But it was her personality and her past – not her position alone – that made her dangerous. Ahab, as king of Israel, turned his back on the Lord and embraced his wife’s religion.

“Jezebel was killing off the Lord’s prophets.” (I Kings 18:4)

(Note: a great drought came upon the land as punishment for Jezebel’s actions. Famine follows drought. Yet Elijah is blamed, though he was only the messenger. Ahab agrees to Elijah’s invitation to speak publicly, possibly anticipating that Elijah will renounce the drought and bless the land.)

Elijah demonstrated the power of the God of Israel by inviting the 450 prophets of Baal to prepare a sacrifice and call on Baal to set fire to their altar. They called on Baal all day. No show. That evening Elijah built an altar, prepared the sacrifice, poured water on it three times, and called upon the Lord God. The fire of the Lord fell down from heaven and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, the soil and the water. The people fell prostrate before the Lord and did the bidding of Elijah by killing all 450 of Jezebel’s prophets.

“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 19:2)

King Ahab wanted to buy his neighbor’s vineyard. The man turned him down insisting the land was his inheritance. Such a real estate transaction was prohibited by Mosaic law. Ahab pouted. 

“Jezebel his wife said, ‘Is this how you act as king over Israel? I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.’ ” (I Kings 21:7) She didn’t offer any advice or seek it – she simply took control.

“Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death.” (I Kings 21:9-10)

A day of fasting – how religious. A place of honor. Two witnesses as require by Mosaic law. The elders and nobles executed her commands to the letter.

Confronted by Elijah over his part in the murder, Ahab didn’t initially acknowledge the prophet’s dire words until he indicated that dogs would devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. Ahab repented.

(Note: God’s merciful response to Ahab’s repentance was that he would not live to see these consequences come upon his household – all his descendants would be wiped out and Jezebel would die and be eaten by dogs. In fact he dies in battle and is buried on Naboth’s property as Elijah predicted.)

Even when she was no longer on the throne, Jezebel’s influence prevailed. Proud, vain, and defiant to the end, “she painted her eyes, arranged her hair and looked out of a window.” (2 Kings 9:30)

Jehu “looked up at the window and called out, ‘Who is on my side? … Throw her down … and the horse trampled her underfoot … But when they went to bury her, they found nothing except her skull, her feet and her hands.” (2 Kings 9:32-35)

Torn asunder by her fall, trampled by horses, eaten by dogs, left as garbage, the woman called Jezebel was summarily wiped off the face of the earth. 

“There was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife.” (I  Kings 21:25)

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