Jezebel: The promoter of Idolatry

Certain women in Biblical history are seen as evil, manipulative and wicked. Their presence gave birth to more wickedness and evil and their evil ways of life led the nation astray. One of such women is Jezebel. The lifestyle of Jezebel and the influence she had over her husband and the nation cannot be overemphasized. Who is Jezebel and why is she relevant in Biblical history? Jezebel was a Sidonian Princess who later became the wife of king Ahab. Sidon was a pagan nation and they did not worship the Lord. Jezebel grew up serving Baal, Asherah and the many gods of the Sidonians. Ahab brought her to Samaria, the capital of Israel (Northern Kingdom). There, Jezebel established herself and used her authourity to promote idolatry in Israel.  No wonder God warned the Israelites against marrying foreign women so their hearts are not drawn to follow foreign gods. 

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)

Ahab was not any other king. He followed the evil ways of all the evil kings that had come before him. According to 1 Kings 16:31, Ahab 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). In other words, Jezebel was not the only one who worshipped her gods, Ahab was also led astray and he promoted the worship of Baal and Asherah: “He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to arouse the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of Israel before him” (1 Kings 16:32‭-‬33). Jezebel’s evil influence on Israel led the prophet Elijah to prophecy against Israel. Elijah said, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word” (1 Kings 17:1). The whole nation lived in famine for three years because of Jezebel’s evil influence.  When Elijah returned to Samaria after three years, he won the “Power contest” against the prophet of Baal (1 Kings 18:16-40). 

Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done in the Power Contest and how Elijah had killed all the prophets of Baal with the sword (1 Kings 19:1), Jezebel was angry and sent this message to Elijah: “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them” (1 Kings 19:2). The prophet fled for his life. Elijah had killed 450 prophets of Baal, but he feared one woman and took to his heels. Thus, even the prophet of God knew how influential and manipulative Jezebel was. God Himself had to send his angel to encourage Elijah and to send the prophet food to eat (1 Kings 19:5-9). Jezebel’s idolatry was so pungent that she is seen as an image of Idolatry even in the book of Revelation (Revelation 2:20). Jezebel represents the relationship with strange women that led to the turning of the hearts of the people of God to follow foreign gods. She was resolute and her corrupting influence led the whole nation away from God. Her husband became her biggest sponsor and he built altars for Baal and Asherah all across his kingdom. 

Jezebel was not repentant even when the prophet Elijah miraculously prayed for fire and destroyed the prophets of Baal. She rather became poised for more evil. She would rather kill Elijah than serve God. Even when her husband Ahab fasted and prayed and God forgave him (1 Kings 21:27-29), Jezebel refused to change. In the New Testament, Jezebel is the spirit of idolatry. In the letter to the church of Thyatira, Jesus Himself accused the church for tolerating that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet and who through her teaching misleads God’s servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols (Revelation 2:20).

Jezebel reminds us that whoever you marry can make or unmake you. An unbelieving, evil, manipulative, idolater, wicked spouse can make you a partner in evil. Ahab’s partnership with Jezebel led to all the evil he committed. He was schooled, trained, nurtured and ultimately graduated into idolatry. Before you say “I do”, say “I don’t” to any lifestyle that is contrary to the word of God. You cannot marry someone to change them. Are you God?

Naamah and Maakah: Royal wives

The family line of David ultimately became the rulers of Judah. Our previous post mentioned the division of the kingdom into two. The Southern Kingdom consisting of Judah and Benjamin remained committed to the house of David. The family line of David produced women who either worked for the successful reigns of their husbands or worked against the reigns of their husbands. Because of the marriage pattern of Solomon, women from other nations were introduced to the royal family. These different women brought along with them their religion and their gods. Most of these women had lived experiences of wickedness and managed to extend their evil into the lives of God’s people. In both the Southern and Northern Kingdoms, women from other nations who were married into the royal family fueled idolatry and became personal sponsors of the worship of foreign gods. In this post, we shall consider two women: Naamah and Maakah.

Rehoboam son of Solomon was king in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in which to put his Name. His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite. (1 Kings 14:21)

Solomon’s thousand women included an Ammonite Princess known as Naamah. The Ammonite wife of Solomon was a worshipper of Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. Solomon in his quest to satisfy his wives built a high place for Molek in Jerusalem (see 1 King 11). Naamah gave birth to Rehoboam who succeeded Solomon. 1 Kings 14:21 states that “Rehoboam son of Solomon was king in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in which to put his Name. His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite.” Rehoboam’s refusal to listen to the words of counsel from the elders was the trigger to the division of the kingdom. Naamah’s religion would have been known to Rehoboam. He might have followed his mother to offer sacrifices to Molek.

and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maakah daughter of Abishalom. (1 Kings 15:2)

Another woman who became influential and ultimately led the people astray is Maakah. She was the wife of Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 11: 20-22) and the daughter of Abishalom (variant of Absalom). Maakah was the mother of Abijah, the successor of Rehoboam. Her son Abijah reigned for only three years in Jerusalem (1 Kings 15:2). 2 Chronicles 11:20‭-‬22 gives more details about Maakah: “Then he [Rehoboam] married Maakah daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza and Shelomith. Rehoboam loved Maakah daughter of Absalom more than any of his other wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maakah as crown prince among his brothers, in order to make him king.” Maakah was the beloved wife of Rehoboam and because of his love for Maakah, Rehoboam made Maakah’s son the heir. Unfortunately, Abijah’s short reign was a culmination of evil and wickedness. Abijah might have been influenced greatly by his mother Maakah who was into idolatry. 

and he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother’s name was Maakah daughter of Abishalom.1 Kings 15:10 NIV

When Maakah’s grandson Asa became the king, he changed the narrative. Unlike his father Abijah, “Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father David had done” (1 Kings 15:11). Asa did something his father Abijah couldn’t do. Asa deposed his grandmother Maakah from her position as queen mother, because she had made a repulsive image for the worship of Asherah. Asa cut it down and burned it in the Kidron Valley (1 Kings 15:13). Thus, the evil worship of Asherah was fueled by Maakah. 

Naamah and Maakah were women of influence but their religious orientation led the people of Israel away from God. They welded power, control and support of their husbands and used that power to promote the worship of other gods. Both Molek and Asherah were detestable gods and promoted vile and wicked lifestyles. 

Whoever you marry will ultimately become your ministry partner. If you marry a man or woman on fire for God, you become a man or woman on fire for God. If you marry someone who is cold and lacks passion for the things of God, you might end up cold and without passion for the things of God. If you marry a worshipper of idols, your entire generation and beyond would be baptized into idolatry until there is a saviour. Choose wisely… marriage is not for fun, it is for life or death!