Topical Bible: Revenge by Jezebel

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Introduction:
Jezebel, the infamous queen of Israel, is a prominent figure in the Old Testament known for her idolatry, manipulation, and acts of revenge. Her account is primarily found in the books of 1 Kings and 2 Kings, where she is depicted as a powerful and malevolent force against the prophets of Yahweh and the people of Israel.

Background:
Jezebel was the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians, and became the wife of Ahab, king of Israel. Her marriage to Ahab marked a significant turning point in Israel's history, as she introduced the worship of Baal and Asherah, leading the nation into idolatry. Jezebel's influence over Ahab and her determination to eradicate the worship of Yahweh set the stage for her acts of revenge.

Revenge Against the Prophets:
One of Jezebel's most notorious acts of revenge was her campaign against the prophets of Yahweh. In 1 Kings 18:4, it is recorded, "While Jezebel was killing off the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water." Her relentless pursuit to destroy the prophets demonstrated her deep-seated hatred for the worship of Yahweh and her desire to establish Baal worship as the state religion.

The Naboth Incident:
Jezebel's revengeful nature is further illustrated in the account of Naboth's vineyard. Ahab desired Naboth's vineyard, but Naboth refused to sell it, adhering to the laws of inheritance given by God. In 1 Kings 21:7-10, Jezebel took matters into her own hands, orchestrating a plot to have Naboth falsely accused and executed: "Jezebel his wife said, 'Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I will get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.' So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city with him. In those letters she wrote: 'Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them bring charges that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death.'"

Revenge Against Elijah:
Jezebel's animosity towards the prophet Elijah is another significant aspect of her vengeful character. After Elijah's triumph over the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, Jezebel vowed to take his life. In 1 Kings 19:2, she sent a message to Elijah, saying, "So may the gods do to me, and even more, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like the lives of those you killed." Her threat forced Elijah to flee for his life, highlighting her determination to exact revenge on those who opposed her.

Legacy of Revenge:
Jezebel's legacy of revenge ultimately led to her downfall. Her actions provoked the wrath of God, and her violent end was prophesied by Elijah. In 2 Kings 9:30-37, Jezebel met her demise when Jehu, anointed by God to destroy the house of Ahab, confronted her. She was thrown from a window, and her body was consumed by dogs, fulfilling Elijah's prophecy: "On the plot of ground at Jezreel dogs will devour Jezebel’s flesh" (2 Kings 9:36).

Conclusion:
Jezebel's account serves as a cautionary tale of the destructive power of revenge and idolatry. Her actions not only brought about her own ruin but also had lasting consequences for the nation of Israel. Her life and deeds are a stark reminder of the dangers of turning away from God and the inevitable judgment that follows.

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1 Kings 19:2
Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not your life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.
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Library

Royal Murderers
... to a king, than be one of his stoners, who killed their innocent neighbour to pleasure
Jezebel! ... 'Surely the bitter wormwood of divine revenge grew abundantly ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/royal murderers.htm

How Jehu was Anointed King, and Slew Both Joram and Ahaziah; as ...
... him to be king, in order to his destroying the house of Ahab, and that he might
revenge the blood of the prophets that were unjustly slain by Jezebel, that so ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 6 how jehu was.htm

The Sixth Commandment
... Mordecai because he would not bow to him, and presently sought revenge, by getting ...
Thus, though Jezebel did not lay her own hands upon Naboth, yet because she ...
/.../watson/the ten commandments/2 6 the sixth commandment.htm

The Martyrdom of John
... carelessness of human life, she is the sister of Jezebel, and curiously ... in her character,
her hot animal passions, her cool inflexible revenge, her cynical ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/the martyrdom of john.htm

Herod --A Startled Conscience
... singularly like the other triad in the Old Testament, of Ahab, Jezebel, and Elijah ...
for the malignant gloating of the woman over her gratified revenge, the event ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture d/heroda startled conscience.htm

Chrysostom as Patriarch of Constantinople. AD 398-404.
... or rather his prime minister, the eunuch Eutropius, and nursed his revenge for a
more ... language in the pulpit, and spoke on Elijah's relation to Jezebel in such ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/chapter vii chrysostom as patriarch of.htm

Chrysostom and Theophilus. His First Deposition and Banishment.
... whom he had reluctantly consecrated, set every instrument in motion to take revenge. ...
alone and bathed alone, that he had compared the empress to Jezebel. ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/chapter viii chrysostom and theophilus his.htm

The Martyrdom of John
... Herodias, the Jezebel to this Ahab, was his brother's wife, and niece to both her ...
kept him safe' (not ob- but pre-served him); that is, from Herodias' revenge. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture d/the martyrdom of john.htm

Knox and Queen Mary (Continued), 1564-1567
... against God "in all the actions of her life." Ahab and Jezebel were again ... make them,
not merciful Calvinists, the objects of the fear and revenge of Catholic ...
/.../lang/john knox and the reformation/chapter xvii knox and queen.htm

The Second Part.
... and glebes, unlawfull, because they are loth to forgo them: If Jezebel proclaime
a ... with malicious Doegs, to make it a stalking horse for revenge against the ...
/.../ward/a coal from the altar to kindle the holy fire of zeale/the second part.htm