Jezebel said to Ahab,” Is this how you act as the King of Israel? Get up and eat! I will get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”(1 kings 21:7)

What kind of influence are you to your family and the people around you? Are you a positive influence to lead a good virtuous life like Naomi or are you like Jezebel who misled her family and spread evil at every turn?

Proverbs 31:10-31 gives the attributes of a virtuous woman (also referred to as wife of noble character) The virtuous woman represents a model for inspiration for women to be all that they can be. She has a lot of wisdom, resourcefulness, all manner of skills, compassion, and integrity. She takes good care of her family and neighbours. But her major strength and dignity comes from her fear of the Lord.

Jezebel was a Phoenician queen who had a politically arranged marriage with King Ahab of Israel. She is depicted in the Bible as the most wicked woman and a synonym of evil. She is shown as scheming and manipulative. Even though like the virtuous woman, she had a strong character and appears to have been dedicated to her husband and family, she led them to sin. And unlike Ruth who forsook her gods to worship the God of her new family, Jezebel led her new family from the true God they worshipped to worshipping of the  gods she knew. Maybe she meant well, but that is why it is said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. The Bible in 1^st..  Kings 21:25 says,” There was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself  to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife”

Unlike many other women in the Bible, Jezebel had power and a voice. However she used her high position, strength and determination for evil rather than good. She pressurized her husband to assume tyrannical rule and assert himself like a Phoenician monarch whose whims were often tantamount to the law. She completely rejected God and wanted to ensure that everybody in Israel worshipped her gods. She influenced Ahab to build temples for her gods Baal and Asherah and had the prophets of God killed.

Jezebel was a person to be feared. After the prophet Elijah won a contest between himself and four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal proving that his god was God, he had the people of Israel seize and kill them. This enraged Jezebel and her threats caused Elijah to run for his life.

The most heartrending story concerning Jezebel was that of Naboth and his vineyard.   King Ahab wanted Naboth’s vineyard which was adjacent to his palace so that he could grow vegetables, but Naboth refused to sell it saying that it was an inheritance of his fathers. As a result of his disappointment, Ahab sulked and refused to eat.

Jezebel who believed it was the king’s right to possess anything he wanted, told him,

“Is this how you act as the King of Israel? Get up and eat! I will get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”

(1 kings 21:7)

Naboth was stoned and killed at the instigation of Jezebel so that the King could acquire the land. She twisted the law and legal procedures by having scoundrels bring charges against Naboth saying that he had cursed both God and the King.  The punishment for blasphemy was death by stoning.

As a result of the murder and seizure of Naboth’s property, the Lord told Elijah to say to Ahab:

“ in the place where the dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick up your blood – yes, yours” 1 Kings 21:19

And concerning Jezebel the Lord also said “Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel” 1 Kings 21:19

Even after her husband Ahab died, Jezebel ruled through her sons Ahaziah and Joram. Ahaziah ruled for two years and then he died. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord just like his father and mother. His brother Jorum succeeded him but he was also killed following a divine commission for revolution led by Jehu. Subsequently, Jezebel was thrown out of the window by her eunuchs and her body left on the streets to be eaten by dogs. Only her skull, feet and hands remained for burial.

Moral - While there is nothing wrong with being independent and strong, we need to use our gifts for the Glory of the Lord.

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked.”Proverbs:1:1

Jezebel’s story is told in 1^st and 2^nd Kings.