Bible Studies
From the very beginning, before the first sin was committed, God desired a fellowship with man not shrouded by coverings of any sort. After the fall, that direct contact and communion was no longer possible but still he sought to have a relationship with the people He had created. Thus was born the role of the prophet and with the exception of David, few if any kings at all, had that one-on-one with Him. But not even David was exempt from the influence of the prophet who, though not officially crowned, was to co-rule as it were (as the adviser [if co-rulership is considered too strong] upon whose word the king was to act).
It is important to note that the only reason the Lord gave Israel a king was because of their incessant cries to be like the nations around them. They wanted “a king who would go before us in battle…” The scripture testifies to the evil of this demand from the people- Samuel tried in vain to persuade them otherwise and mourned for Israel before giving them the king the Lord had chosen. Thereafter the evil of choosing for themselves a human king was given in the description of the demands the king would place on them, splitting their families and so forth. The Lord, through Hosea, says, “ They have set up kings but not by me: they have made princes and I knew it not…” (8:4) This text confirms the establishment of the monarchy, “but not by Me” clearly declaring that it wasn’t His idea. It was love for them that took over the duty choosing kings for Israel. However, the flaws of Saul highlighted that while he had granted their wish for a king to lead them into war, this was not the most important attribute of a king. Following Saul, the Lord chose for Himself a king for His people and in him was exalted what was really important: that he had “a heart after God’s own heart.” Considering this and marrying it with the presence of a prophet whose primary purpose was to communicate to the people the will and word of God, all doubt is dissipated concerning the place of the king whoever that was to be. (See also Isaiah 32:1) Reading the 17th chapter of Deuteronomy, from verse 14 to the end of the chapter highlights the areas the rulers failed in. While mentioning (in passing) that not only did God have for foreknowledge concerning the people’s future desire for a king and therefore set about laws to govern them, I’d like to place special emphasis on the last three verses of chapter seventeen. This, Ahab paid no attention to whatsoever…
If nothing else will stir Christians to action today, let it be the condition of the world that we claim belongs to the God of both Heaven and Earth. Jezebel has, with so much ease escaped the pages of ancient Israel’s history pages and is running rampant now as she did then. Allow me to illustrate.
As Elijah enters the scene in I Kings 17, he arrives with a death sentence for many by way of the drought. It is fairly significant that he should announce the verdict of the heavenly Judge and jury in the courts of Ahab and his queen Jezebel. The two were really the guilty parties and perhaps the main culprits that deserved the Lord’s sentence. Yet the entire region would bear the weight of the judgement, a hint precaution we should take when selecting leadership, even in government. Immediately after speaking, Elijah left. (We may assume the people were so shocked by such an abrupt and blatant announcement that he managed to walk right through them.)
The next time he has contact with the royal couple, Jezebel has taken it upon herself to put to death all of the Lord’s priests and she would have succeeded had it not been for Obadiah. But this state of affairs is not only shocking but also unacceptable in the least. We demand to know what happened to Ahab’s restraint and authority as both king and man of the house? Could he not see that his wife was going too far? How is it that the servants of God are dying or else living in fear of a heathen woman, living in caves and surviving on stolen food? (Jezebel would certainly killed them all and Obadiah had she known he was feeding them.) Poverty has been, and for a long time, very incorrectly made synonymous with humility. Although we don’t live in caves today, many of us are barely getting by in whatever housing we have. These are the works of the modern day Jezebel, just as she orchestrated millennia ago. How is it she was/is so powerful?
I believe this question has several answers, the first and most obvious being that the devil is real and underestimated. And the way he is underestimated is the same way God is underestimated (and marginalized) today. Put in another way, relationship. Chapter 18 alludes to a total of 850 prophets doing Jezebel’s bidding in their worship and these are said to have gotten so involved that they would chant (prophesy?) whatever they had to say while in a frenzy or state of ecstasy. In their normal minds, even if seconds thereafter, they had absolutely no idea what they had just said. They would have mutilated themselves in the process and the devil was brought to the forefront in this way. Hardly done as blatantly today, he still has worshippers and his presence is accentuated in the vacuum Christians have floating above, around and in them. In comparison, Daniel was so dedicated, even heathens said he had an “excellent spirit in him.” And because they too believed in deity explained to one another that he had “the spirit of the gods.” I could go on and site example after example just to show that those who are close to the Lord are powerful beyond measure and are able to, again like Daniel draw confessions out of non-believer as well as have, through their ministry and presence, lead to the conversion and salvation of men like Nebuchadnezzar. Its about time we put away the covering cloaks, abandoned the closets and fought back, reclaiming what God has so freely given to us.
Secondly, Jezebel knew she had back-up, powerful people to support her cause. (Her father was a priest-king back at home and Ahab’s connivance is by his lack of stomach to rebuke her.) Knowing somebody’s got your back can give you confidence and Jezebel became very commanding apart from this. Can we not learn to trust in the One who’s got our back as believers and take back? He is both High Priest and King and has, through the ages, set His angels to “encamp around those who fear Him to protect them.”
Another reason for Jezebel’s overwhelming success was, stemming from her ability to command her followers, the ability to keep them united. Throughout Scripture, the incidence of false prophets is hardly in a single representation. In his most triumphant move, the enemy has successfully led Christians to fight one another. “A house that is divided against itself will not stand.” We have got to come together yesterday if we will have an end to wars, justice in the courts etc. How ironic that the followers of the Prince of Peace are at war with one another! It was beautiful to see the church galvanise themselves and resources, putting denominational differences to be of help after 9/11, the great tsunami and in other areas tormented by disasters. But where are we when there is no disaster? When the Katrinas are at bay, why do we withdraw into the caves again? Would the world not know of Christ, His love, willingness and power to save if more of us lived as Christ did? We have the example of Mother Theresa who opened a leprosarium and ministered not only to the dying to but the living, those orphaned and in the streets. One person really can make a difference. I shudder to imagine what should happen if we all did that, each shining wherever the Lord has positioned him/her at this very moment.
I am truly amazed at the lengths to which Jezebel went to make Israel her own and frankly shocked at how easily we have allowed her to do so. It is not impractical to give the presidency to someone who is dedicated to our Lord. If this cannot be done, cannot the senate members be the like Daniel and Isaiah whose heavenly counsel directed the ways of the kings? And as much as Jezebel overran every facet of life, can we not by our influence cause the moment of silence be a moment of prayer?
Jezebel’s classroom extends to chapter 19….
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