“You are to destroy the house of Ahab your master, and I will avenge the blood of my servants the prophets and the blood of all the LORD's servants shed by Jezebel. The whole house of Ahab will perish. I will cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel—slave or free. I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah. As for Jezebel, dogs will devour her on the plot of ground at Jezreel, and no one will bury her.' " Then he opened the door and ran.”

Jezebel: Judgment Day is Coming!

We might think we “got by with it” for awhile. Eventually, it will come back to kick us in the head. When we do something wrong or evil, eventually we will have to pay for it.

 It may be a long time in coming, but judgment day eventually will arrive.  That’s true in our dealings with one another, and even more in our dealings with God.  Today let’s consider Jezebel, one of the most wicked women ever to live on this earth and learn that, eventually, judgment day is coming.

What does the name “Jezebel” mean? It means, “Chaste”, which is partly defined as: pure in thought and act. Talk about your basic “misnaming”

 Her father was king of Sidonia (Zidonia)  He was king of all of Phoenecia – which means her home country was wicked Canaan.  As such, she was brought up in all the wickedness and idolatry of that country.

 He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. 1 Kings 16:31

“…and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, for they will turn your sons away from following me to serve other gods, and the LORD's anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you.” Deuteronomy 7:2-4

 Behind every wicked man is a more wicked woman?  1 Kings 16:30-33 traces Ahab’s fall into the idolatry and wickedness of his wife.

 Her idolatries:  She worshipped Baal – the chief god of the Canaanite pantheon. He was seen as the storm god.  She worshipped Asherah – Baal’s consort, a fertility goddess.  Idolatry practices included ritual prostitution, human sacrifice, drunkeness, shrines and high places.

 She tried to kill off all of the Lord’s prophets, while personally feeding 850 prophets of Baal and Asherah  1 Kings 18:4 -- While Jezebel was killing off the LORD's prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.)

 Arranges for the death of Nabaoth, by consorting with the elders and nobles of his city. ( 1 Kings 21)  Has false witnesses say Nabaoth cursed God, and has him stoned to death.  This was done because Ahab was pouting since Nabaoth would not sell Ahab his vineyard.

 The prophecy of her end: 1 Kings 21:24  The tools of God’s judgment:  1 Kings 22 – a random arrow in battle kills Ahab and his blood is licked up by the dogs.  2 Kings 9 – Jehu anointed by God as king, and charged with destroying Ahab’s decendant (Joram) and Jezebel.

 The death of Joram:  Jehu shoots an arrow through Joram’s shoulders, pierces his heart and he dies. (2 Kings 9)  Jehu goes to Jezebel:  She paints her face and fixes her hair  Jehu has her thrown off the balcony. She is eaten by dogs.

 2 Peter 3:10-12: “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.”