She's got quite a reputation! Love or hate her?
JEZEBEL
LOVE OR
HATE HER?
What’s the difference between Queen Jezebel and Rahab, or Delilah, Potiphar’s wife, and the Samaritan woman who met Jesus at Jacob’s well? Why did God bless Rahab, but let the dogs strip the flesh from Jezebel’s bones?
Did God love the prostitute and hate the queen?
Jezebel married King Ahab, the king of Israel.
After she enticed him away from Jehovah, he built a temple to Baal and erected
a pole to Asherah, the fertility goddess. Jezebel entertained nine hundred and
fifty prophets of Baal and Asherah at her table. She killed the Lord’s
prophets, and her evil deeds drove Elijah to challenge Ahab on Mount Carmel.
Elijah asked the king to gather Baal’s prophets and the people to a sacrifice
where he confronted them about their allegiance to Jehovah.
And this is what he said:
“If the
Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” 1 Kings 18:21.
God showed his mighty power. After Elijah laid
the sacrifice on Mount Carmel, he asked Jezebel’s prophets to call down fire
from heaven. They danced around the altar, and called to their gods, to no
avail. Elijah poured water over it three times and prayed. God sent fire from
heaven, which consumed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the soil, but
Elijah’s powerful witness fell on deaf ears. Neither Baal’s prophets nor
Jezebel would believe in Jehovah. In righteous anger, Elijah ordered the
massacre of Baal’s prophets, and Jezebel retaliated by threatening to slay the
prophet. The people repented, turned to the Lord, and he sent rain to break the
Samarian drought. [i].
Ahab was a weak king who pleased himself and
others rather than God. [ii].
He wanted Naboth’s vineyard because it was next to his palace, but Naboth
refused to sell his land to the king since it was his God given inheritance.
Ahab sulked and complained to his wife, who bolstered his ego.
“You’re the king. Why don’t you exert your
authority? Cheer up, I’ll get it for you.”
Jezebel, on the king’s behalf, arranged a feast
for the city nobles and invited Naboth. She employed two malicious men to
accuse Naboth of cursing God and the king. They followed her instructions and
stoned him to death. Later, the eunuchs in the palace tossed Jezebel from a
palace window into Naboth’s vineyard. Before the servants removed her body, the
dogs had already consumed her flesh. [iii].
Did God hate Jezebel, grieved by her malicious
character? Or anyone else who ignored his grace?
You may recall Joseph was Potiphar’s overseer. He left his affairs in
the handsome Joseph’s capable hands, and God blessed the entire household.
Every time Potiphar’s wife watched Joseph moving about the palace, she burned
with unbridled passion until she tried to seduce the young servant. When he
fled from her, leaving his cloak behind, she accused him of molesting her.
Joseph spent years in prison without an opportunity to defend himself. Did she
ever ask herself why everyone liked Joseph? He worshipped the
God of his fathers. [iv].
Why did God allow Joseph to suffer
injustice?
Samson
loved women, and when he met Delilah, he fell head over heels in love with her.
Since he was the strongest man alive, the Philistines could not subdue him.
He’d already had several altercations with them. They called on the sexy
Delilah to wheedle the secret of Samson’s strength from him, each of the
Philistine rulers offering her thirteen kilos of silver, a very generous
reward. Samson knew her game, and he lied to her so she would leave him alone.
If no one had ever beaten him, why worry now? She tied him with fresh ropes,
wove with fabric his Nazirite hair into a loom while he slept, and nagged him
relentlessly until he was sick of listening to her pleadings.
Emotional blackmail and guilt were her ultimate weapons.
“You don’t love me. This is the third time you’ve made me look foolish.
Tell me your secret.”
He caved in.
“My strength will go if my hair is cut.”
She’d
worn him down, and as she stroked his head on her lap, he fell asleep. She
called a man to cut off his long braids, and the Philistines handed her the
silver loot. When Samson awoke, he thought he could overpower his enemies, but
the Lord had left him. They blinded him and took him to Gaza. [v].
Greed, selfishness, notoriety, and power motivated Delilah. Samson knew
the Lord, but he listened to the voice of lust and used his God given strength
for his own ends.
Jesus
met the Samaritan woman in the Samaritan town of Sychar. He sat by Jacob’s
well, tired after his long journey. The woman drew near, and he asked her for a
drink of water. He surprised her, since Jews didn’t associate with Samaritans.
Why would a Jew acknowledge her? Why didn’t he walk away? Jesus knew who she
was, a woman who found personal
relationships confusing and disastrous. Her heartache outstripped his need for
water by far, and he offered her living water to cleanse her broken heart. When
he asked her to find her husband, she confessed she didn’t have one.
“You’re right. You’ve had five and the man you’re living with isn’t your
husband.”
She changed the topic. The truth was too confronting, but Jesus wasn’t
fazed. Instead of condemning her, he drew her attention to worshipping God with
a true heart. When she spoke about the Messiah, he revealed he was the Messiah,
and his quiet demeanor pierced her defenses. She left her water jars to tell
her neighbors about the man who knew all about her life and yet would talk to
her regardless of her history. She was ready to believe in him.[vi].
Lust, greed, seduction, deceit, murder. Who inspires this list of
dastardly behavior? And whose voice do we heed?
When
Satan whispered in Eve’s ear, he deceived her because he’s the most cunning of
demons. Genesis 3, 2 Corinthians 11:3. His agenda is to draw everyone away from
God’s love and protection. Pride is his talisman, and arrogance, his weapon.
Despite his lies, Eve had a choice.
What’s the difference in God’s eyes
between Jezebel and Rahab?
Do we accept God’s offer? When we ask Jesus to forgive us, he gives
eternal life, and he lives in us. His Holy Spirit directs us, and we belong to
him forever. Satan will whisper in our ear, but he can’t claim us. Jesus
promised to never leave us, and he guides us as we listen to his voice. ‘My
sheep hear my voice, and no one can take them from my hand.’ John 10:27,28.
In God’s eyes, we’re all sinners. (Romans 3:23.) Jesus loved the
Samaritan, just as he loves us. We’re no more worthy of heaven than Jezebel, but once we belong to
Jesus, he extends his abiding love to others through us, even to our
enemies. We hate evil and offer his love to the same perpetrators, not by
criticism, but by showing kindness and genuine care. When we grasp God’s love,
destructive lifestyles fall away.
In the name of justice and purity, God disciplines. He abhors evil
because he is righteous, the source of truth. Since Christ’s goal for the
Christian is perfection, he will complete our sanctification when we enter
heaven. While we’re earth dwellers, Satan has access to our lives. He’ll tempt
us and we’ll fall for his deception. He’ll manufacture disaster, and turn
people against us, but our Father will redirect it to test our faith.
Everything works together for the good of those who love him, whom he calls
according to his purpose. Romans 8:28. To the disciples, Jesus’ crucifixion was
a monumental disaster, his promises gone horribly wrong. Yet, despite this same
sadism and treachery, Jesus rose again to offer salvation to the world.
Why did Joseph suffer injustice in
Egypt, or Mary watch her Son die? Why does God allow the murder of his
missionaries or pain to his children? God has the ultimate victory because,
regardless of its proportions, evil is never the end of the story. He will
cause a superior purpose to arise from our pain and suffering.
‘I will punish the world for its
evil, the wicked for their sins. I will end arrogance and humble the pride of
the ruthless.’ Isaiah 13:11.
Jezebel’s story teaches us two valuable lessons.
When we know our shepherd’s voice,
listen to him, and heed his words, he will walk with us through life and death.
While God is love, he is also just.
Evil has its day, but the victory belongs to the Lord. There will be a new
heaven and new earth where righteousness reigns forever. Hallelujah!
Comments
Post a Comment