MORAL LESSONS FROM THE LIFE OF QUEEN JEZEBEL OF SAMARIA
By Ezekiel Kimosop
INTRODUCTION
Jezebel is first introduced to the Bible reader in 1Kings 16:31. She was the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians. Ahab son of Omri married her in violation of Genesis 34:27 (also cf. Ezra 9:2) and knowingly permitted her to entrench the worship of Baal in the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
The Sidonians were known for their worship of Baal, one of the famous Canaanite gods that, together with Chemosh, the Moabite god, were classified as the most detestable deities in the eyes of the God of Israel (2 Kings 23:13). It is instructive that the Hebrew meaning of the name Jezebel is "Baal exalts" while her father's name Ethbaal means "with Baal". Interestingly, Chemosh means "subduer", a reference that we shall encounter in this article in relation to the covert actions of Jezebel, who is perhaps reckoned as the most wicked queen that ever set foot in the royal courts of Israel.
How did the union between Ahab and Jezebel come about?
It was a common practice among ancient Middle Eastern kings to exchange daughters as a show of friendship and goodwill. The Jews were however forbidden from intermarrying or engaging in political or military alliances with Canaanite kings (Ezra 9:12). There was a godly reason for this prohibition. The idolatrous Canaanites would desecrate the monotheistic worship of the God of Israel and the intermarriage would ultimately pollute the holy seed (Ezra 9:2).
This happened in Solomon's case as well. The Bible says in 1 Kings 11:1 "But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites."
One does not require a PhD in theology to discover the theological dissonance and incongruence behind this variety of heathen women. They were all from idol worshipping Canaanite groups and nations whose association with God's covenant people had been forbidden in Scripture. This foreign influence is illustrative of the moral decline among sections of God's people who choose to mingle and intermarry with the heathen and unbelieving people today. They end up in ridicule and moral ruin. Samson is perhaps another classic example of an unholy dalliance and riotous living with heathen women. The rest, as the say, is history (see Judges 14-16).
THE RISE OF JEZEBEL
In 1Kings 18:4, the Bible records that Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD. This was in reference to her vicious and systematic persecution of God's prophets in an effort to entrench Baalism in Israel. She first destroyed the covenant worship of the God of Israel and establish her idolatry. She later fought off the prophetic voices that condemned her wickedness. Ahab never condemned or restrained Jezebel. He was possibly a victim of her systemic manipulation and coercion.
Jezebel drew great fear among the remnant of God's true worshippers who had to escape for their lives or hide in caves (1Kings 18:13,19:1-4). After Elijah killed the 450 prophets of Baal in his spirited moral reformation, Jezebel sent him a threatening message, swearing by her gods to take his life in revenge. Elijah was shaken. He was forced to flee Israel for his life but God preserved him along with 7,000 others who had never bowed down to Baal or kissed him in worship (1 Kings 19:18). We learn from Elijah's experience that God always preserves His remnant of faithful people in every generation of human civilization, even under the worst scale of persecutions.
THE RISE OF JEZEBEL
In 1Kings 18:4, the Bible records that Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD. This was in reference to her vicious and systematic persecution of God's prophets in an effort to entrench Baalism in Israel. She first destroyed the covenant worship of the God of Israel and establish her idolatry. She later fought off the prophetic voices that condemned her wickedness. Ahab never condemned or restrained Jezebel. He was possibly a victim of her systemic manipulation and coercion.
Jezebel drew great fear among the remnant of God's true worshippers who had to escape for their lives or hide in caves (1Kings 18:13,19:1-4). After Elijah killed the 450 prophets of Baal in his spirited moral reformation, Jezebel sent him a threatening message, swearing by her gods to take his life in revenge. Elijah was shaken. He was forced to flee Israel for his life but God preserved him along with 7,000 others who had never bowed down to Baal or kissed him in worship (1 Kings 19:18). We learn from Elijah's experience that God always preserves His remnant of faithful people in every generation of human civilization, even under the worst scale of persecutions.
Are you a remnant of God in your generation?
JEZEBEL'S MANIPULATION
One of the most pronounced attributes of Jezebel was perhaps her manipulative power by which she fraudulently seized Naboth's vineyard after falsely accusing him of blaspheming God and the king and having him stoned to death with his sons (1Kings 21:1-16). Naboth, a godly man, had refused to sell to Ahab his parcel of land situated in Jezreel, next to the palace, citing Jewish custom on generational land inheritance (1 Kings 21:3). Jezebel usurped the instruments of royal authority and wrote letters in the name of the king, and constituted a kangaroo court to hear false accusations against Naboth. Jezebel's intention was to eliminate Naboth and take over his land. She succeeded in her evil scheme. God sent Elijah to proclaim judgement upon Ahab and Jezebel. Notice that Ahab gladly took over the land even after he learned about the death of Naboth, a fact that did not make the land available to anyone except his sons or in their absence, his immediate close relatives [see the illustration in Ruth 4:1-12 concerning Elimelech's inheritance].
It is perhaps instructive to note that Jezebel was feared above the king. She was the real power behind the throne yet no royal authority was vested in her. She was merely an imposter. This is a common feature amongst powerful royals and rulers the world over. A few powerful people, usually members of the immediate family or close relatives of the leader would exercise undefined powers, often eclipsing the ruler. Some African dictators today are ringfenced by a cabal of family power barons who call the shots on critical issues of national importance. Some sit in key state organs courtesy of their influence in the corridors of power. Those who cross their paths will live to regret it.
How did Jezebel manage to accomplish her evil schemes with such boldness?
Jezebel had mastered the art of manipulation and control which is common with witchcraft and high occult. She had completely subdued Ahab, rendering him powerless despite the trappings of royal authority. This is the unwritten script of the power and modus operandi of the Jezebel spirit when left unchecked. In her context, it appears that Ahab was weakened by his lack of godly zeal for moral justice. His was perhaps a laid-back and rotten monarchy. He ought to have restrained the wicked Sidonian woman but he miserably failed to do so. It was a fait accompli.
THE FALL OF JEZEBEL
God's judgement on Ahab and Jezebel was swift and devastating. He decreed that Ahab will suffer for his evil, saying, "in the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine" (1 Kings 21:19, KJV). Ahab's offspring would not be spared God's judgment either. They would be cut off from Israel and those who will die in the city shall be eaten by dogs while those dying in the field shall be eaten by the fowls of the air (1Kings 19:24). Ahab, like Adam, took the moral responsibility for the excesses of his wife that ultimately brought him down.
A similar judgment was reserved for wicked Jezebel. God decreed that dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. This prophecy came to pass with divine precision (see 1Kings 21:21-24). Surprisingly, and unlike Jezebel, Ahab expressed remorse for his transgression. He tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and mourned. On this account, God graciously decreed that the judgment on his house would not come in his lifetime but will definitely fall on his sons after him. It was justice deferred but not mitigated. The prophecy on Ahab was finally fulfilled after he was killed in war. The death of Ahab is recorded in 1Kings 22:34-38. It is instructive that dogs licked his blood upon his death. The wages of sin is death.
Amaziah son of Ahab reigned after Ahab but he was equally wicked. He followed the ways of his wicked mother Jezebel and worshipped Baal and other Canaanite gods (1Kings 22:51-53-2:1). Amaziah reigned only two years in Samaria before he lost the throne (1Kings 22:51-53). Again this is evidence of God's displeasure on Ahab's lineage.
The death of Jezebel is recorded in 2 Kings 9:30-37, indicating that it may have come long after Ahab's death. She suffered a violent death under the Jehu uprising, a well deserved end for her heinous murders and her desecration of the moral foundation of God's covenant people. In fulfilment of God's judgement, Jezebel was thrown from a window facing the Valley of Jezreel and, as was prophesied concerning her, dogs ate her body and only the skull and legs and the palms of her hand were left (2 Kings 9:35). This was a royal disgrace by any standards! God's word was ultimately fulfilled.
Ahab's sons were later massacred in fulfillment of God's decree on Ahab's family (2 Kings 10:1-17).
God finally destroyed Baal worship by the hand of Jehu who unfortunately went into disobedience thereafter. His heart was not fully committed to the LORD and he went after Canaanite gods. God reduced the size of territory of Israel in Jehu's day. He strengthened the hand of Hazael king of Syria and caused him to strike the coasts of Israel (2 Kings 10:31-32). The moral decline of a people or nation is always evidenced by spiritual and physical ramifications.
A manipulative false teacher or dictator may appear popular and smart and may even enjoy his share of fame for a season. When God finally exposes them for who they truly are, the world will reel back in shock! Adolph Hitler's Third Reich was driven by the Jezebel spirit. It mercilessly massacred millions of Jews simply because they hated their sociocultural and economic influence on German life. Kim Jong, a modern world despot, sits at the helm of the North Korean authoritarian regime that has employed extreme manipulation and brainwashing in controlling his people since taking over from his father in 2011. He is literally worshipped as a deity by the hapless masses! Any resistance to state authority is swiftly crushed and state defectors are pursued and eliminated.
Jezebel excelled in cowering and silencing a whole nation by usurping the instruments of the throne from its legitimate holder. We need to watch out lest the Jezebel spirit creeps into our church congregations and state institutions and fosters strife, defiance and rebellion. Notice that the Jezebel spirit is always belligerent, seductive and will not repent of its misdeeds. It is symbolic of spiritual rebellion per excellence! (see Rev. 2:21-23).
The Jezebel spirit covertly seeks to be worshipped and exalted. It defies legitimate authority and exalts itself in the place of God. It is an Antichrist spirit, utterly ferocious and cruel. It seeks the centre-stage as its altar where it goes for the jackpot. Its ultimate mission is to dethrone the true agents of God and to plant its counterfeit systems in their place.
This is the spirit that Jesus warned the church of Thyatira about saying in Revelation 2:20-21, "Nevertheless, I have a few things against you because you allow that woman Jezebel who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce my servants to commit sexual immorality..." The mention of Jezebel in this text is a metaphoric reference to a counterfeit or apostate teacher or group within the Thyatira Christian community and their polluted teachings that misrepresented the Person of Jesus Christ and His finished works of the cross.
False teachers may sound mystical and authoritative by their claim to the prophetic mantle and special revelation but these are tools of deception. Their objective is to seduce the minds of their subjects into total submission and silence. Those who ultimately fall away from the true faith are perhaps their first-fruit (1Timothy 4:1). My view is that these false teachers are not part of God's covenant people. They must be unmasked and condemned by Biblical Christianity for what they truly are - counterfeit forces that seek the downfall of God's people.
There are several moral lessons that can be drawn from the rise and fall of Jezebel. We shall conclude our study with seven lessons outlined below.
1) God's people should always resist the Jezebel spirit and its agents.
God's people will face persecutions in this world by reason of their spiritual and moral convictions in Christ. Jesus said in Mark 13:13 "And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved." God will finally vanquish all evildoers and consign them to eternal damnation in the lake of 🔥.
6) God is exceedingly merciful and compassionate beyond measure.
The Bible proclaims that God's compassions never fail (Lam.3:22). He was touched by Ahab's remorse despite the gravity of his sin and evil. God reached out to us in Christ while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8). No sin is beyond God's forgiveness. The sinner must genuinely repent and forsake his wicked ways in order to receive God's pardon (2 Chronicles 7:14).
CONCLUSION
Let me conclude by saying that the spirit of Jezebel is an embodiment of evil per excellence. It is a counterfeit religion and system that countermands the worship of the true God. It is the high priesthood of Satan hiding under the cover of Christianity or state power. It must be unmasked and condemned. Only those who are watchful in the Spirit can discern this demonic force and the works of its agents whenever they arise. This is not to suggest that those who hold opposing views in our churches or institutions are necessarily under the Jezebel spirit. We need wisdom in handling legitimate criticism and to examine and rectify our failings under the fear of the Lord because no person is ever perfect.
JEZEBEL'S MANIPULATION
One of the most pronounced attributes of Jezebel was perhaps her manipulative power by which she fraudulently seized Naboth's vineyard after falsely accusing him of blaspheming God and the king and having him stoned to death with his sons (1Kings 21:1-16). Naboth, a godly man, had refused to sell to Ahab his parcel of land situated in Jezreel, next to the palace, citing Jewish custom on generational land inheritance (1 Kings 21:3). Jezebel usurped the instruments of royal authority and wrote letters in the name of the king, and constituted a kangaroo court to hear false accusations against Naboth. Jezebel's intention was to eliminate Naboth and take over his land. She succeeded in her evil scheme. God sent Elijah to proclaim judgement upon Ahab and Jezebel. Notice that Ahab gladly took over the land even after he learned about the death of Naboth, a fact that did not make the land available to anyone except his sons or in their absence, his immediate close relatives [see the illustration in Ruth 4:1-12 concerning Elimelech's inheritance].
It is perhaps instructive to note that Jezebel was feared above the king. She was the real power behind the throne yet no royal authority was vested in her. She was merely an imposter. This is a common feature amongst powerful royals and rulers the world over. A few powerful people, usually members of the immediate family or close relatives of the leader would exercise undefined powers, often eclipsing the ruler. Some African dictators today are ringfenced by a cabal of family power barons who call the shots on critical issues of national importance. Some sit in key state organs courtesy of their influence in the corridors of power. Those who cross their paths will live to regret it.
How did Jezebel manage to accomplish her evil schemes with such boldness?
Jezebel had mastered the art of manipulation and control which is common with witchcraft and high occult. She had completely subdued Ahab, rendering him powerless despite the trappings of royal authority. This is the unwritten script of the power and modus operandi of the Jezebel spirit when left unchecked. In her context, it appears that Ahab was weakened by his lack of godly zeal for moral justice. His was perhaps a laid-back and rotten monarchy. He ought to have restrained the wicked Sidonian woman but he miserably failed to do so. It was a fait accompli.
THE FALL OF JEZEBEL
God's judgement on Ahab and Jezebel was swift and devastating. He decreed that Ahab will suffer for his evil, saying, "in the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine" (1 Kings 21:19, KJV). Ahab's offspring would not be spared God's judgment either. They would be cut off from Israel and those who will die in the city shall be eaten by dogs while those dying in the field shall be eaten by the fowls of the air (1Kings 19:24). Ahab, like Adam, took the moral responsibility for the excesses of his wife that ultimately brought him down.
A similar judgment was reserved for wicked Jezebel. God decreed that dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. This prophecy came to pass with divine precision (see 1Kings 21:21-24). Surprisingly, and unlike Jezebel, Ahab expressed remorse for his transgression. He tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and mourned. On this account, God graciously decreed that the judgment on his house would not come in his lifetime but will definitely fall on his sons after him. It was justice deferred but not mitigated. The prophecy on Ahab was finally fulfilled after he was killed in war. The death of Ahab is recorded in 1Kings 22:34-38. It is instructive that dogs licked his blood upon his death. The wages of sin is death.
Amaziah son of Ahab reigned after Ahab but he was equally wicked. He followed the ways of his wicked mother Jezebel and worshipped Baal and other Canaanite gods (1Kings 22:51-53-2:1). Amaziah reigned only two years in Samaria before he lost the throne (1Kings 22:51-53). Again this is evidence of God's displeasure on Ahab's lineage.
The death of Jezebel is recorded in 2 Kings 9:30-37, indicating that it may have come long after Ahab's death. She suffered a violent death under the Jehu uprising, a well deserved end for her heinous murders and her desecration of the moral foundation of God's covenant people. In fulfilment of God's judgement, Jezebel was thrown from a window facing the Valley of Jezreel and, as was prophesied concerning her, dogs ate her body and only the skull and legs and the palms of her hand were left (2 Kings 9:35). This was a royal disgrace by any standards! God's word was ultimately fulfilled.
Ahab's sons were later massacred in fulfillment of God's decree on Ahab's family (2 Kings 10:1-17).
God finally destroyed Baal worship by the hand of Jehu who unfortunately went into disobedience thereafter. His heart was not fully committed to the LORD and he went after Canaanite gods. God reduced the size of territory of Israel in Jehu's day. He strengthened the hand of Hazael king of Syria and caused him to strike the coasts of Israel (2 Kings 10:31-32). The moral decline of a people or nation is always evidenced by spiritual and physical ramifications.
THE JEZEBEL SPIRIT UNMASKED
How can we identify the Jezebel spirit?
The spirit of Jezebel is the most dangerous force behind the apostasy that is prevalent today. This spirit is manipulative, coercive, vindictive and vengeful. It employs fear, threats and intimidation in order to have its way at whatever cost. It breaks all moral restraints in its quest for the usurpation of the throne or any seat of power. The Jezebel spirit subscribes to the evil notion that the end justifies the means. Make no mistake; this corrupting spirit can manifest itself in men and women and is not restricted to the Christian community context. It can rear its ugly head in homes, workplaces, political systems and in any place where power or authority is exercised. It requires a "palace platform" to effectively operate. It is always meticulous and ruthless, restless and viciously fights those opposed to its evil schemes in order to preserve its manipulation and control over the rest of the people. It seeks to silence the courageous voices that oppose its tactics and tools of trade.
How can we identify the Jezebel spirit?
The spirit of Jezebel is the most dangerous force behind the apostasy that is prevalent today. This spirit is manipulative, coercive, vindictive and vengeful. It employs fear, threats and intimidation in order to have its way at whatever cost. It breaks all moral restraints in its quest for the usurpation of the throne or any seat of power. The Jezebel spirit subscribes to the evil notion that the end justifies the means. Make no mistake; this corrupting spirit can manifest itself in men and women and is not restricted to the Christian community context. It can rear its ugly head in homes, workplaces, political systems and in any place where power or authority is exercised. It requires a "palace platform" to effectively operate. It is always meticulous and ruthless, restless and viciously fights those opposed to its evil schemes in order to preserve its manipulation and control over the rest of the people. It seeks to silence the courageous voices that oppose its tactics and tools of trade.
A manipulative false teacher or dictator may appear popular and smart and may even enjoy his share of fame for a season. When God finally exposes them for who they truly are, the world will reel back in shock! Adolph Hitler's Third Reich was driven by the Jezebel spirit. It mercilessly massacred millions of Jews simply because they hated their sociocultural and economic influence on German life. Kim Jong, a modern world despot, sits at the helm of the North Korean authoritarian regime that has employed extreme manipulation and brainwashing in controlling his people since taking over from his father in 2011. He is literally worshipped as a deity by the hapless masses! Any resistance to state authority is swiftly crushed and state defectors are pursued and eliminated.
Jezebel excelled in cowering and silencing a whole nation by usurping the instruments of the throne from its legitimate holder. We need to watch out lest the Jezebel spirit creeps into our church congregations and state institutions and fosters strife, defiance and rebellion. Notice that the Jezebel spirit is always belligerent, seductive and will not repent of its misdeeds. It is symbolic of spiritual rebellion per excellence! (see Rev. 2:21-23).
The Jezebel spirit covertly seeks to be worshipped and exalted. It defies legitimate authority and exalts itself in the place of God. It is an Antichrist spirit, utterly ferocious and cruel. It seeks the centre-stage as its altar where it goes for the jackpot. Its ultimate mission is to dethrone the true agents of God and to plant its counterfeit systems in their place.
This is the spirit that Jesus warned the church of Thyatira about saying in Revelation 2:20-21, "Nevertheless, I have a few things against you because you allow that woman Jezebel who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce my servants to commit sexual immorality..." The mention of Jezebel in this text is a metaphoric reference to a counterfeit or apostate teacher or group within the Thyatira Christian community and their polluted teachings that misrepresented the Person of Jesus Christ and His finished works of the cross.
False teachers may sound mystical and authoritative by their claim to the prophetic mantle and special revelation but these are tools of deception. Their objective is to seduce the minds of their subjects into total submission and silence. Those who ultimately fall away from the true faith are perhaps their first-fruit (1Timothy 4:1). My view is that these false teachers are not part of God's covenant people. They must be unmasked and condemned by Biblical Christianity for what they truly are - counterfeit forces that seek the downfall of God's people.
MORAL LESSONS FROM THE LIFE OF JEZEBEL
1) God's people should always resist the Jezebel spirit and its agents.
God's people have no fellowship with apostates. Their destiny is sealed (see Jude 1:16-19). The Jezebel spirit can aptly be described as an embodiment of spiritual apostasy that is evident in sections of Christendom that have departed from the authority of God's word. Jezebel polluted the worship of the true God of Israel through official idolatry that was sanctioned from the highest office in Israel. She was an icon of apostasy among God's covenant people.
Apostates are people or groups whose ultimate objective is to drive God's people away from the worship of the one true God of Scripture. Some apostates surreptitiously creep into unsuspecting Christian congregations or communities and teach error using sweet sounding words. They finally gravitate towards heresy and full blown apostasy, a point of total departure from all that Scripture stands for. One notable apostate in Scripture is Balaam the son of Beor who led the children of Israel into idolatry. He was killed under God's judgement in Numbers 31:1-11. In 21st century Christianity, several counterfeit groups have wreaked havoc on Biblical Christianity by denying the foundational and fundamental truths of God's word including the divinity and offices of Jesus Christ and His finished works of the cross.
Apostates are agents of Satan that are out to destroy the religious life of God's people through explicit and covert means but God will ultimately expose them for what they truly are.
Apostates are people or groups whose ultimate objective is to drive God's people away from the worship of the one true God of Scripture. Some apostates surreptitiously creep into unsuspecting Christian congregations or communities and teach error using sweet sounding words. They finally gravitate towards heresy and full blown apostasy, a point of total departure from all that Scripture stands for. One notable apostate in Scripture is Balaam the son of Beor who led the children of Israel into idolatry. He was killed under God's judgement in Numbers 31:1-11. In 21st century Christianity, several counterfeit groups have wreaked havoc on Biblical Christianity by denying the foundational and fundamental truths of God's word including the divinity and offices of Jesus Christ and His finished works of the cross.
Apostates are agents of Satan that are out to destroy the religious life of God's people through explicit and covert means but God will ultimately expose them for what they truly are.
2) True followers of Jesus Christ should keep away from the abominations of the Jezebel spirit.
Jezebel's marriage to Ahab was an abomination engineered by Satan. It was the case of holy seed adulterated by wickedness and rebellion. A follower of Jesus must be on guard, praying in the Spirit lest the Jezebel spirit subdues them. The Bible asks in 1 Corinthians 6:14 "...what communion hath light with darkness?". God's people must keep their garments unsoiled by the dissipations of this passing evil world. Ecclesiastes 9:8 says "Let your garments always be white..." This is a reference to moral chastity for God's covenant people.
Besides, Scripture cautions us in 1 John 4:1-3, saying "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world."
Where do you draw your spiritual inspiration from? Who is your prophet?
3) Dereliction of moral responsibility attracts God's wrath.
3) Dereliction of moral responsibility attracts God's wrath.
Christian leaders should not delegate their moral responsibility assigned to them by God. God will hold us to account. Ahab was held personally liable for the evil schemes that Jezebel executed in his name and under his watch. People who exercise spiritual or legal authority are personally answerable to God for the excesses that are committed by those under their watch. Eli the priest was punished by God for failing to take action against his wicked sons (1 Samuel 2:27-36). Ahab and other wicked leaders in Israel were destroyed under God's righteous judgment.
Are you exercising full command and diligence over the assignment that God has placed under your stewardship?
4) God will punish evil no matter how high it is committed.
Are you exercising full command and diligence over the assignment that God has placed under your stewardship?
4) God will punish evil no matter how high it is committed.
Royal authority or high office cannot insulate a person from God's sovereignty and justice. Ahab's case serves as a warning to the high and mighty that the consequences of their evil actions would catch up with them at God's appointed time in this world or in the world to come. The great and the small alike shall ultimately stand before the great white throne in judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). The Bible warns in Galatians 6:7, saying, "Do not be deceived; God is not mocked: whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he reap".
5) There will be a price to pay for our Christian convictions.
5) There will be a price to pay for our Christian convictions.
God's people will face persecutions in this world by reason of their spiritual and moral convictions in Christ. Jesus said in Mark 13:13 "And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved." God will finally vanquish all evildoers and consign them to eternal damnation in the lake of 🔥.
6) God is exceedingly merciful and compassionate beyond measure.
The Bible proclaims that God's compassions never fail (Lam.3:22). He was touched by Ahab's remorse despite the gravity of his sin and evil. God reached out to us in Christ while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8). No sin is beyond God's forgiveness. The sinner must genuinely repent and forsake his wicked ways in order to receive God's pardon (2 Chronicles 7:14).
7) God's word will come to pass no matter how long it takes.
It took a number years before Ahab and Jezebel were punished for their evil. It took several generations of Eli's lineage before his priesthood was finally terminated when Abiathar the priest was defrocked by Solomon and placed under a royal decree (see 1 Kings 2:26-27). The Bible says in Numbers 23:19:
"God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
Has He said, and will He not do?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?"
CONCLUSION
Let me conclude by saying that the spirit of Jezebel is an embodiment of evil per excellence. It is a counterfeit religion and system that countermands the worship of the true God. It is the high priesthood of Satan hiding under the cover of Christianity or state power. It must be unmasked and condemned. Only those who are watchful in the Spirit can discern this demonic force and the works of its agents whenever they arise. This is not to suggest that those who hold opposing views in our churches or institutions are necessarily under the Jezebel spirit. We need wisdom in handling legitimate criticism and to examine and rectify our failings under the fear of the Lord because no person is ever perfect.
© Ezekiel Kimosop 2019
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