Rev. Sudha Mehta©
Photo on Pixabay by xusenru
Jezebel was a Prickly Princess who married Ahab the Pouty Prince.
The Books of 1 and 2 Kings tell the story of this wicked queen. It reads like a plot for a movie with palace intrigue, back stabbing, murders, a pouty/ sulky king, and his queen whose wickedness knew no bounds. This queen met her own horrid demise in a way that makes Isis leaders look like choir boys.
While Ahab was a boy who never really grew up, once married to him, Jezebel took over as “mama” to give the “boy” all he wanted.
Photo on Pixabey by Victoria Borodinova
She was a priestess of Baal, and Ahab joined right in. Remember the story of Elijah and the priests of Baal under the ruler-ship of Jezebel? Her mission was to eradicate Jehovah worship from the land. She did all she could to accomplish that, and may have succeeded except for God’s hand on men like Elijah.
Pouty Prince Ahab decided to sulk and pout because Naboth refused to sell him his family land (1 Kings 21). Prickly Princess Jezebel decided to satisfy her Pouty Prince by getting the land the “dirty political way.” Even though it took a false trial, with false accusations from false witnesses, leading to the destruction of innocent lives in order do the land grab, she did. Murder – no problem, corruption – no biggie; this woman designed the “Immanent Domain” law to suit herself. She even had Naboth’s two sons killed (2 Kings 9:26) so no one could contest the family claim later.
Well, the Lord was not pleased and in the end Prickly Princess was eaten by dogs, yes . . . dogs that were so hungry that by the time the palace clean-up crew arrived at the scene, there wasn’t much left to bury (2 Kings 9:35).
Fast forward to the New Testament in the book of Revelation, a woman with the same name shows up. Jesus said this in the letter He sent to the Church of Thyatira:
Rev. 2: 20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against you, because you suffer that woman Jezebel, which calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.(MKJV)
Both Jezebels share the same character traits. This Jezebel is not a Princess, but she is a self proclaimed prophetess, she teaches falsehood in the Church, and since she has the respect of a prophetess, she is able to seduce the servants of God into committing fornication, which in this case would be “spiritual fornication,” meaning worshiping false gods and eating food offered to idols. This false prophetess was bringing in false teachings. So, the charge that Jesus brings against the church of Thyatira is that the church was tolerating this abomination in their midst. The judgment pronounced would be harsh for those that go her way, they would end up going through the tribulation and risking their eternity.
Photo on Pixabey by Victoria Borodinova
Not fun.
That was then, this is now 2018. Does this sort of thing happen today? Certainly! Prickly Princesses like Jezebel show up in different places, even churches. So do men like Ahab. Remember, they were quite a pair. She was a woman with evil intent and carried out evil plans, and she had a man who longed for evil and ill gotten gains.
All this brings me to a very popular topic today. The Jezebel Spirit! I find the words “Jezebel Spirit” are thrown around too much and generally without an explanation. Often, I have seen people understand this as being an evil spirit called Jezebel that plagues people and churches. It is a spirit that can be exorcised and many have attempted it. However, I don’t see Jesus calling out a woman with the Jezebel spirit (Rev. 2:20), I see him calling a woman named Jezebel.
Truth is, in the Bible there is the story of two women, both evil, both wicked with many matching traits, but there is no mention of the Jezebel spirit in the Bible. Perhaps it’s me, but I am not crazy happy about putting this label on most everything that goes wrong. Someone gossips and it spreads like fire . . . it has to be the Jezebel spirit!
There is division in the church . . . it must be the Jezebel spirit!
Some one backslides . . . it has to be the Jezebel spirit!
I find things like rage, anger, sexual sin in particular, lying, cheating, gossip, all are being blamed on this same Jezebel spirit.
Websites abound, sermons abound on the topic of the Jezebel Spirit. I found a sermon listing 40 traits of the Jezebel spirit. Another video gives 10 traits of the Jezebel spirit. There are all kinds of teachings on the subject. If all this teaching be true, it stands to reason that every single one on my clients (remember I am a counselor) over the years has been plagued by the Jezebel spirit. Not Ahab, just Jezebel! No personal responsibility . . . just “Jezebel made me do it!” Perhaps I should not have focused on anything else including teaching on walking holy, behaving righteously, or self control, instead I should just have blamed it on the spirit Jezebel!
Also why don’t I see anyone calling out an Ahab spirit, am I missing something? I thought Ahab was just as guilty as Jezebel was, or am I wrong? Is there no spirit named Ahab? Should we give Ahab a free pass? the Bible says:
1 Kings 16: 30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him.(ESV)
I have treated many that have dealt with and have been guilty of all kinds of sin, or have been victimized by someone who committed atrocities against them. Whereas I am very comfortable with warfare, binding and casting out, I am not at all comfortable taking away all personal responsibility for holy living and growth form the person. Besides, sometimes a sin is just that, a sin and account must be given for just that, it isn’t a “devil made me do it” situation or in this case, “Jezebel made me do it!”
When we give account before God this will not be on the chart. Adam tried blaming God and Eve tried blaming the serpent, but it didn’t work for them and it won’t for us. If I lie, cheat, gossip, or worse, I must repent of it and be free. I have a role to play, I am not simply a hapless victim of the enemy of my soul. I have a responsibility to walk holy and to turn from sin. I must learn from my “How to Manual” the Bible to do so. If I am girded and prayed up I will not be a victim of any spirit, Jezebel or Ahab or any other, I will be fully trained and equipped for battle and rise to be a victor.
1 Peter 1:15 but like as he who called you is holy, be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of living;(ASV)
Just think about it . . . Selah!
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