Jezebel was a daughter of King Ethbaal from Sidon (modern Lebanon). Her father was a king and priest of Asherah who was commonly worshipped in conjunction with Baal, revered by his followers as the most powerful god who provided fertility in crops and children. Sidonians performed ritualistic immoral sexual acts, self-mutilation and the sacrifice of children in the course of their worship of these and other false gods.
Ahab was the son of King Omri and lived in Samaria located in the Northern Kingdom of Israel about 30 miles north of Jerusalem. His reign as king lasted for about 22 years from 874-853 B.C. His King father Omri foolishly arranged the marriage of Ahab and Jezebel to form a diplomatic alliance between the regions of Israel and Sidon and most of Phoenicia. Moses had warned the Israelites not to intermarry with foreign nations and God’s law condemned the worship of any other god(s). The first two commandments taught them not to have any other gods and not to make any idols. Monotheism should have been a pillar of Jewish dynasties but Ahab was known for following in the sin of Jeroboam, which is idolatry. Under the influence of Jezebel, he actually built a temple to Baal in Samaria.
“Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to arouse the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of Israel before him.“
1 Kings 16:33
Jezebel dominated the relationship with her husband and forced the worship of Baal in Israel. She ordered the execution of the prophets of Israel’s God while accumulating over 850 prophets of Baal and Asherah and feeding them daily at the queens table (1 Kings 18:19). Elijah, the great prophet of the Lord, finally came and had them all executed after humiliating them with a challenge on Mount Carmel. However, Jezebel’s power and influence was so great that even after slaughtering all the false prophets, Elijah feared Jezebel and hid after hearing of her threat on his life. The Lord protected Elijah and instructed him to appoint three others to assist in bringing down the idolatrous reign of Jezebel and Ahab. Elijah anointed Hazael as king over Syria, Jehu as king of Israel and Elisha as a God fearing prophet to succeed Elijah.
“And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death.”
1 Kings 19:17
Though their doom was certain, Ahab and Jezebel continued to reign for some time. There was a field near the King’s property in Samaria which belonged to a man named Naboth. King Ahab asked Naboth to sell or trade it so it could be used to raise vegetables near his palace. Naboth reminded the king that the field was part of his family inheritance which should not be sold according to the law of Moses and that he intended to pass it along to his sons. The king was distraught and Jezebel noticed and interjected her evil influence on the situation. She took Ahab’s seal and drafted a letter to the leaders of the city where Naboth lived. The letter explicitly told them to have this innocent man falsely accused of breaking one of God’s commandments and to have him put to death in accordance with the Law of Moses. Upon the fulfillment of her evil scheme, Ahab received the field he so coveted.
The doom of Ahab, Jezebel and their posterity was prophesied by the prophet Elijah. In time Ahab was killed in a Syrian battle. Jezebel was tracked down by Jehu who had her thrown from a window to her death and her body was eaten by dogs. A disgraceful end to a disgraceful life.
“Ahab said to Elijah, ‘So you have found me, my enemy!’
‘I have found you,’ he answered, ‘because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord. He says, I am going to bring disaster on you. I will wipe out your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel—slave or free. I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have aroused my anger and have caused Israel to sin.’
“And also concerning Jezebel the Lord says: ‘Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’
‘Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds will feed on those who die in the country.’
” (There was never anyone like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the Lord drove out before Israel.)”
1 Kings 21:20-26
In the book of Revelation, there was apparently a woman in the church of Thyatira who lured the believers to idolatry and immorality. Christ refers to her as “Jezebel” which was an obvious reference to the Jezebel of the Old Testament times who would have been well known to the converted Jews of Thyatira. He warns them-with strong words-that their fate would be as disgraceful as was the fate of Jezebel, perhaps the most evil woman mentioned in the Bible. Idolatry at its core is the worship of Satan (1 Corinthians 10:14-22). Christians should have no part of it. Christ’s warning included suffering and death to those who refused to repent. The background story of Jezebel served as a meaningful warning to his call to repentance.
“Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.”
Revelation 2:20
The story of Jezebel and Ahab can be found in 1 Kings 16:31 – 2 Kings 9:37.
All Scripture quoted from:
New International Version (NIV)
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