| Jezebel |
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| Strengths Weaknesses & Mistakes LifeLessons |
| Jezebel was the wife of Ahab who was the king over Isreal and reigned in Samaria over Isreal for twenty-two years. Her only strengths was her leadership ability, the only thing was, she lead them the wrong way. Jezebel was as cold, coniving and calculating as a woman could be. She lead her husband to worship idols, which in turn, lead the country into idol worship. Ahab was said to have sinned before God more than any other king in history. In order to please Jezebel, Ahab built a temple and an alter to baal, which promoted idol worship throughout the country. She had about four hundred and fifty priests of baal at her beck-oned call any time day or night. Elijah, a prophet that God had sent to Isreal to challenge the priests of baal, ended up proving that baal had no power and the when the people saw this, they fell prostrate and worshipped God. Elijah then commanded the people to capture the priests, they did and then slaughtered all four hundred and fifty of them. Ahab went home and told Jezebel what had happened and she sent a messenger to Elijah to threaten his life. Some time later, Ahab was pouting about a vineyard that he wanted, but the owner wouldn't sell his birthright, and he told Jezebel how much he wanted it. Jezebel scolded him saying, 'Is this howyou act as king over Isreal? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I'll get you that vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.' She sent word a man who sat in a prominent place among the people, telling him to put Naboth in place of the people, but to place two people opposite him who were scoun-drels who would testify that Naboth had cursed both God and the king. All this took place just as she had planned it and Naboth was stoned to death. So, as soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been killed she told Ahab to go down and take possesion of the vineyard. So he was looking around the vineyard, and Elijah walked into the vineyard. Elijah said the Lord sent him to say, 'Have you not murdered a man and seized his property' and 'In the place where dogs licked up Naboth's blood, dogs will lick up your blood- yes, yours!' Then he told Ahab, '...because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord. I am going to bring disaster on you. I will consume your des-cendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Isreal-slave or free...because you have provoked me to anger and have caused Isreal to sin.' Much later, after Ahab's death, the new king Jehu was coming to Jezreel, and Jezebel heard about it and painted her eyes, arranged her hair, and stood looking out the window. As Jehu entered the gate Jezebel asked, 'Have you come in peace, killer of our master?' He looked up at the window and called out,' Who is on my side? Who?' Two or three eunuchs looked down at him. He told them,'Throw her down!' and they did. When they went back later to bury her, there was nothing left but her skull. Wickedness permeates everthing around it. 'Surely wickedness burns like a fire; it consumes briers and thorns, it sets the forest thickets ablaze, so that it rolls upward in a colomn of smoke. '{Isaiah 9:18} Turning from God and refusing Him, especially in a place of authority, can cause others to sin. '..if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear heaven and will forgive their sins and will heal their land.' {2 Chronicles 7:14} |
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