Jezebel

Description

Jezebel

It was once wisely observed that “our Heavenly Father is…more boundless in His mercies, than we are ready to believe or receive, and at the same time, more terrible to the workers of iniquity, more awful in the executions of His punishments…” than we are apt to suppose Him to be.

By the time of Hosea, Israel had sunk to such wickedness that they were only days away from awful destruction at the hands of Assyria. What had brought them to such a moment? It began years before when Israel’s king, Ahab, married Jezebel. This is the story of Jezebel.

Jezebel was a Phoenician Princess. She married Ahab and introduced the worship of Baal in Israel. She “stirred up” her husband to all manner of the grossest wickedness. Ahab went along, and as Ahab went, so went the nation of Israel. The people halted between two opinions.

Great struggles such as these not only illuminate terrible villains—Jezebel—but they also glorify great heroes. These were the days of Elijah.

In addition to introducing idolatry, Jezebel also slew the prophets of the Lord, and few things anger the Lord more than that. She even tried to kill Elijah, causing him to have to run for his life.

Theft, adultery, murder and the like was the way of Jezebel. Finally the Lord had had enough. “Thus saith the Lord…” he said through Elijah, “the dogs shall eat Jezebel, by the wall of Jezreel.”

Some time later, the Lord sent Jehu to fulfill His word upon her. He entered Jezreel. Jezebel taunted him from a second story window. At Jehu’s command, Jezebel’s servants tossed her from the window. Jehu and his men rode their horses over her body again and again until the Queen was dead. When they returned later to bury her, nothing remained. The dogs had devoured her. In fulfillment of the Lord’s decree, Jezebel was dung in the field.

Why does the Bible preserve such a gruesome story? Because, yes, the Lord is merciful, but do not forget that He is also just, and His punishments can be terrible. Never, ever trifle with Him—ever!