Jezebel was a daughter of a Sidonian king who worshiped Baal. She later became the wife [the woman] of the most wicked king in Israel’s history, Ahab the son of Omri, and she led him into serving and worshiping Baal.
Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of Yehovah, more than all who were before him. And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as woman Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him. Then he set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built-in Samaria. And Ahab made the wooden image [האשׁרה, the Asherah]. Ahab did more to provoke Yehovah, God [the Elohim – the lawmaker and judge] of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. (1Ki 16:30-33)
It was during the reign of Ahab that Elijah came on the scene.
And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As Yehovah, Elohim of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.” (1Ki 17:1)
Jezebel rarely seems to act in accordance with Ahab’s desires. Instead she did things independently of her man (her master) and even killed many men of Elohim because Elijah had stopped the rain.
For so it was, Jezebel massacred the prophets of Yehovah … (1Ki 18:4)
After 3 Years Elijah comes back and Ahab speaks with him.
Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of Yehovah and have followed the Baals. Now therefore, send and gather all Israel [men, not women] to me on Mount Carmel, the four hundred and fifty prophets [האשׁרה, male prophets] of Baal, and the four hundred prophets [האשׁרה, male prophets] of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.” 1Ki 18:17-19)
These men were eating at “Jezebel’s table,” not Ahab’s. These men were serving her! Eating regularly with a ruler makes you dependent on him and a servant of him. When you receive a privilege, you owe a duty.
When you sit down to eat with a ruler, consider carefully what is before you; and put a knife to your throat if you are a man given to appetite. Do not desire his delicacies, for they are deceptive food. (Pro 23:1-3)
In Torah a woman does not even have a table; since the house and she and the table belong to her man. We can see this very clearly in the 10th commandment.
“Thou [The commandments are given to each of His sons, Ezrach men] shall not covet thy neighbor’s house; thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s woman nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s.” (Exo 20:17)
So Israel’s seed and all the prophets were gathered together on Mt Carmel. All these men were created to serve Yehovah but now they are all committing harlotry by serving Baal and the Asherah. Elijah puts a choice before them. Remember: women are each to serve their man and a woman NEVER calls Yehovah “adoni,” my master.
And Elijah came to all the people [the men], and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If Yehovah is the Elohim [the lawmaker and judge], follow Him; but if the Baal is, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word. Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of Yehovah; but the Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. (1Ki 18:21-22)
The 450 prophets of the Baal failed to get the job done; but as the time for Elijah’s olah (peace or rising offering) came near he rebuilt the altar in the name of Yehovah and used 12 stones for each of Jacob’s sons who were renamed “Israel.”
Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of Yehovah that was broken down. And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of Jacob’s sons, to whom the word of Yehovah had come, saying, “Israel shall be your name.” Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of Yehovah … (1Ki 18:30-32)
Well, the day ended well for Yehovah and His kingdom. All the people (men) decide that Yehovah is their lawmaker and judge.
And it came to pass, as the time of the olah [burnt] offering came near, and Elijah the prophet said, “Yehovah, Elohim of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel [all men], let it be known this day that You are Elohim in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, Yehovah, hear me, that this people may know that You are Yehovah Elohim, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.” Then the fire of Yehovah fell and consumed the burnt offering, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “Yehovah, He is Elohim! Yehovah, He is Elohim!” (1Ki 18:36-39)
Woo whoo – let all glory go to you my Master, Yehovah!
Yehovah tells us [His spiritually born sons] to destroy those who lead His men away from Him.
“If your brother, the son of your mother, your son or your daughter, the woman of your bosom [He is not talking to women], or your friend who is as your own soul, secretly entices you, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other elohim,’ which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers. The elohim of the people who are all around you, near to you or far off from you, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth. You shall not consent to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him or conceal him; but you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people [other men, Yehovah’s woman don’t kill men]. (Deu 13:6-9)
And that is what we did.
And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there. (1Ki 18:40)
Next, Jezebel received word concerning what happened on Mt Carmel from Ahab and then sent a message to Elijah. As I said, there were no women on Mt Carmel with Elijah, not even Jezebel.
And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the elohim do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them [the prophets whom Elijah killed] by tomorrow about this time.” (1Ki 19:1-2)
This sounds like a vow to me; a vow her husband could have annulled (see Numbers 30). Since Elijah was kept safe, it sounds like Jezebel may have decreed her own death. Yehovah did much “more” to her. We will see what became of this woman at the end of part 2.
Jezebel Spirit
Like Jezebel, a woman with a Jezebel spirit has no controlling male authority over her and does what she pleases. She presumes to lead and teach men; but she is a woman who is acting outside of her created purpose. Our world today, unlike even 100 years ago, is filled with women like this. We have all, men and woman alike, turned away from how we were created to live and the only remedy is repentance. A man must leave the king and kingdom of his birth and join himself (and his family) to a new king (Yehovah) and His kingdom. While a woman must get back under her man’s, or a man’s, covering.
The next time we read Jezebel’s name is two chapters later in 1 Kings 20; again she is acting outside of Yehovah’s instructions for a woman.
But, that story is found in Jezebel Spirit Part 2.