Love letter to the church in Thyatira: The church that tolerate Jezebel

As we indicated in a previous post, women often represented the religious systems revealed in Revelation. Jesus’s letter to the bride in Thyatira mentions a popular Old Testament figure; Jezebel. We shall consider the general letter to the church in Thyatira and then focus on the woman Jezebel. Like all of the letters to the churches, the introduction is very significant. Jesus begins this letter this way: “To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.” (‭‭Revelation‬ ‭2:18‬). Jesus is revealed as fire and bronze and we know the attributes ‭of these. Fire burns and bronze resists heat. Thus, the introduction is a judgement on all those who have deviated from the faith but also an encouragement to those who have held onto the truth.
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Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. ‭‭(Revelation‬ ‭2:20‬)

Jesus told them that: “I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.” (‭‭Revelation‬ ‭2:19‬). This statement indicates that the church was indeed doing something for the Lord. But, right after this recommendation was this warning: “Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.” ‭‭(Revelation‬ ‭2:20‬). We identified in a previous post that Jezebel was the representation of false religion systems. Our study of 1 and 2 Kings revealed the poignant worship of Baal promoted by Jezebel. As a foreigner and the wife of Ahab, the king of Israel, Jezebel imported to Israel the worship of Baal which was in contrast to the words and commands of God. The first commandment of the Law or the first of the 10 commandments state this clearly: “You shall have no other gods before me.‭‭” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭5:7‬). Through the introduction and promotion of Baal worship, Jezebel raised a rebellion against God.

In Revelation, there was such an affront against God in the church in Thyatira: The promotion of false religious systems. Whether Jezebel referred to the people who promoted these false religious systems or the person who spearheaded this false religion, God was not pleased and warned the church about the consequences of this rebellion. According to Jesus, this Jezebel was given time to repent but it did not so both her and her children (followers) were destined to death and suffering. This punishment was necessary so that “all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds” ‭‭(Revelation‬ ‭2:23‬).

In the midst of this false religion were those who held onto the right gospel. This is the message of Jesus to them: “Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’” (‭‭Revelation‬ ‭2:24‭-‬25‬). And these are the rewards for the victorious: “To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give that one the morning star. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (‭‭Revelation‬ ‭2:26‭-‬29‬). The victorious believers would receive power over nations, will destroy the evil religious systems and will receive the morning star. Christ Himself is the morning star. ‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭1:19‬ state that, “We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”

Unfortunately, we still have Jezebel-powered religious systems and some of these have infiltrated even to the ranks of the church deceiving gullible people. God’s judgement on Jezebel and her children has not changed. He will surely repay them with fire for their disobedience and for misleading the nations. How can we identify a Jezebel-led congregation? Know your scriptures and be prayerful. If they are teaching something other than the word of God, and promoting things that the Bible is against, know that you are not in church. You are in Jezebel’s congregation. Run for your life before you have a share in her punishment.

Love letter to the church in Pergamum: The compromised bride

Pergamum was a commercial city in present day Turkey that was quite known for the worship of idols. The city boasts of temples for Zeus, Dionysius, a temple for Caesar as well as many other pagan gods. Associated with idolatry was the obsession for sex which was part of the idol worship. In such a poignantly idolatrous city was the church of Pergamum. The things happening in the city somehow got entangled with their faith. Thus, even though they believed in Christ, some of the members also compromised and took part in idol worship, sexual immorality associated with the idol worship and all the vices that come with it. As serious as this may sound, the church in Pergamum was no different from the 21st compromised church. The things that caused Jesus to write to this church are the things that are glorified, exalted and encouraged in some congregations. Let’s consider the words of Jesus:

Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. (‭‭Revelation‬ ‭2:14‭-‬15‬)

‭“To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword.” (‭‭Revelation‬ ‭2:12‬). The introduction presents Jesus as one with the double-edged sword. The double-edged sword cut at both sides. Thus, Jesus’ judgement was ready to be poured on this church. He continues by saying that “I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.‭‭” (Revelation‬ ‭2:13‬). Satan’s throne probably refers to all the idols that are found in the city of Pergamum. Antipas could have been a believer killed for his faith in Pergamum. Jesus recommended the church for remaining true to His name even in the midst of idolatry and martyrdom.

Yet, Jesus had few things against this compromised bride: “Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. [15] Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.” (‭‭Revelation‬ ‭2:14‭-‬15‬ ). The teachings of Balaam as recorded in Numbers 31:16 enticed the Israelites to be unfaithful to the Lord through sexual immorality and eating food sacrificed to idols. The church in Pergamum had members who propagated the teachings of Balaam and succeeded in encouraging some of the members to engage in idolatry and sexual immorality. To add to this, there were others who held onto the teachings of the Nicolaitans; possibly a false doctrine.

The Lord calls his bride in Pergamum to repent, “otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.‭‭” (Revelation‬ ‭2:16‬). The punishment for the failure to repent will be destruction. The letter ends with this: “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.” ‭‭(Revelation‬ ‭2:17‬). Unfortunately, like the other churches, the words of Jesus were not obeyed and the compromised church in Pergamum was lost in history.

The compromised bride left her Lord and shamelessly flirted with idols and committed sexual immorality. Whenever the church infiltrates its doctrine with other strange ideas and worldliness, it is an open invitation for the Lord to call the church into order. Unfortunately, there are many of such churches that have been infiltrated with so much idolatry that the Lord is no longer present in such congregations. Whenever we make allowances for worldliness in the church, it is an open message that we no longer want the Lord.

The Queen mother of Belshazzar: Light in the darkness

The book of Daniel has two parts: the narration of Daniel’s life in different palaces and an apocalypse of the end time. We don’t find many people mentioned in the book outside the palaces. Daniel served different kings from different kingdoms and Belshazzar was one of them. Belshazzar was not a godly king. Although he might have lived through the era of Nebuchadnezzar or at least heard of the many ways God revealed Himself to Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar did not follow the ways of God. He was pompous and lived to satisfy his own cravings. He cared less about the things of God and He was very proud.  He forgot the lesson that pride took Nebuchadnezzar to the forest. Whether by negligence or forgetfulness, Belshazzar did all the evil that God condemned Nebuchadnezzar for. Belshazzar’s sheer neglect of the righteous living cost him his life. Like many of the kings in Persia and Media, Belshazzar was also a party man. The story about Belshazzar begins with a party: “King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them.” (Daniel 5:1).

The queen, hearing the voices of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. “May the king live forever!” she said. “Don’t be alarmed! Don’t look so pale! (Daniel 5:10)

During his party, the king gave a horrendous request: “While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them.” (Daniel 5:2). What was the king thinking? Did he forget that God humbled Nebuchadnezzar, his predecessor? Was he trying to mock God? Whatever his intentions were, he got more than what he bargained for. After they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem,  the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone (Daniel 5:3‭-‬4). The sheer insolence and disrespect for God cost the king a whole kingdom. For as they continued their party, “suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote.” (Daniel 5:5). Imagine the fear and the anxiety of seeing a finger writing on a wall. The king’s face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking (Daniel 5:6). None of the enchanters, astrologers and diviners of the king could neither read nor explain. The king was terrified. Then, “the queen, hearing the voices of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. “May the king live forever!” she said. “Don’t be alarmed! Don’t look so pale!” (Daniel 5:10).

Now the question is, why was the queen not at the party? Did she avoid the unholy gathering because she feared God? Why would she stay away from what was an affront to God? Now, that is one holy person in the midst of a sinful family. The queen was no doubt a personal friend to the man of God. She said, “There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners. He did this because Daniel, whom the king called Belteshazzar, was found to have a keen mind and knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.” (Daniel 5:11‭-‬12). This nameless queen knew the man of God but her pompous king did not acknowledge the presence of Daniel. When Daniel was called, he gave a vivid account of what happened to Nebuchadnezzar and said, “But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this.” (Daniel 5:22). Belshazzar was doomed and this doom was irrevocable. Daniel 5:30-31 states this, “That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.”

The takeover of the kingdom by the Medes might have resulted in the death of all members of the royal family. The queen might have been slain but she fulfilled righteousness. She knew that godly living was relevant even in a state of poignant idolatry and evil. She knew that value of Godliness. Many women lived in the Palace but none knew what to do. The queen distinguished herself and led the king to the man of God.

As ladies, whenever we find ourselves in compromising situations, we tend to blend in and forget our values. This story teaches us that we can live right even when all around us have chosen the path of evil. The single righteous queen pointed the whole royal family to the truth. You are also the light of the world. Jesus made this profound statement in Matthew 5: 14-15:
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Is your light leading men to the Father? Are you a stumbling block to the Father? You have an assignment and call to fulfill. Don’t turn off your light because others are in darkness. Let your light lead them to the Father!

Oholah and Oholibah: The two adulterous sisters

The book of Ezekiel is full of different imagery depicting the state of the nation’s of Israel and Judah. Women were mentioned in different places referring to real women such as the enchantresses or women depicting the character of societies. All throughout scripture, the people of God have been given feminine attributes and are sometimes referred as the bride of God, the bride of Christ, daughters of God, daughters of Zion among many others. These feminine attributes include positive characteristics such as compassion, empathy, caring, loving,respectful, appreciative etc. However, some of the feminine depictions of the people of God demonstrate characters that show the weaknesses of the females. For example, we see greed, susceptibility, physical and emotional weakness among many others. Two such feminine depictions are mentioned in the book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel 23:1 states this: “The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother. They became prostitutes in Egypt, engaging in prostitution from their youth. In that land their breasts were fondled and their virgin bosoms caressed.”

The older was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. They were mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem. (Ezekiel 23:4)

The verses 2-3 of Ezekiel 23 explain the moral state of these women: they were prostitutes. These women were born by one mother and their moral decadence was the same. Their prostitution was done in Egypt. The verse reveals this truth: “The older was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. They were mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.” These women are not nameless. Oholah and Oholibah were daughters of the most high God. This revelation implies that the book is referring to symbolic daughters. Oholah and Oholibah refer to the nation’s of Israel and Judah. The very detailed description of their prostitution in Ezekiel 23:5-23 shows how the nations of Israel and Judah forsook God and chased after all the foreign gods in the lands they dwelt. They lusted after gods without power. They defiled themselves with the high and mighty. Oholah’s sin led to her deliverance to the Assyrians. The Assyrians stripped her naked, took away her sons and daughters and killed her with the sword. She became a byword among women, and punishment was inflicted on her (Ezekiel 23:10).

Even with all these, her sister Oholibah was not moved. She even carried her prostitution further to the Assyrians, the Chaldeans, the Babylonians. Then a prophecy was given against Oholibah: “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to deliver you into the hands of those you hate, to those you turned away from in disgust. They will deal with you in hatred and take away everything you have worked for. They will leave you stark naked, and the shame of your prostitution will be exposed. Your lewdness and promiscuity have brought this on you, because you lusted after the nations and defiled yourself with their idols. You have gone the way of your sister; so I will put her cup into your hand.” (Ezekiel 23:28‭-‬31). The detestable practices of Oholah and Oholibah attracted God’s judgement. In Ezekiel 24:36-39, The Lord said to Ezekiel: “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then confront them with their detestable practices, for they have committed adultery and blood is on their hands. They committed adultery with their idols; they even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to me, as food for them. They have also done this to me: At that same time they defiled my sanctuary and desecrated my Sabbaths. On the very day they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my sanctuary and desecrated it. That is what they did in my house.”

If we are appalled by Oholah and Oholibah, imagine God! As much as we might want to condemn these two symbolic sisters, we should reflect on our own lives as believers. Has anything taken the place of God in our lives? Do we care more about things of the world as compared with the things of God? Do we desire or even covet the “gods” of the world? God doesn’t want us to lack, but He warns us to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:33). If God is not enough for us, nothing will satisfy our insatiable needs. If our desire is to be like others and attain things, we might be drawn away from God and drawn towards those things we crave for. Satisfaction and contentment in God is relevant for our Christian journey.

Huldah: The prophetess who spoke the mind of God

Throughout the history of Judah (Southern Kingdom) and Israel (Northern Kingdom), the sins of the people against the commands of God were repeated from generation to generation. In fact, the Northern Kingdom,  that is Israel, was carried away into captivity or exile in 2 Kings 17. The reason for the exile was given in 2 Kings 17:7-8: “All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods and followed the practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced.” The people in the Southern Kingdom (Judah) had their own share of sinful practices until they were also carried into exile. However before the captivity of Judah, there were some kings who were interested in the things of God and did what was right before the Lord. One of such Kings was Josiah. He was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. The name  of Josiah’s mother was Jedidah, daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath. Josiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left (see 2 Kings 22:1‭-‬2).

Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Akbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the prophet Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the New Quarter. (2 Kings 22:14)

In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah (when he was around twenty-six years), he commissioned the repairs of the temple of the Lord. As the work was ongoing, Hilkiah the high priest found the Book of the Law in the temple. Thus, even the high priest did not have access to the Book of the Law until they started work on the temple. So one will ask, “what was the high priest teaching the people?” Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan the secretary and then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king (2 Kings 22:10). When the Book of the Lord was read, the king  tore his robes (2 Kings 22:11). The people were living differently from the Law of God. The king was sad and commissioned the high priest and a few other people to “Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us” (2 Kings 22:13). Thus, Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Akbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the prophet Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the New Quarter (2 Kings 22:14). 

Huldah was the prophet of God, she was the wife of Shallum and she lived in Jerusalem. Thus in the midst of the poignant idolatry and evil, there was a prophet of God. A woman who had the ability to hear the words of God. As long as the people continued their ways, they didn’t hear the mind of God. However,  when the king saw the need for repentance, the mind of God was heard. Huldah didn’t miss words, she went straight to the point. She said to the messengers of the king,
“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book the king of Judah has read. Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and aroused my anger by all the idols their hands have made, my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.’ Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people—that they would become a curse and be laid waste—and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you, declares the Lord. Therefore I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.”
The messengers took her answer back to the king (2 Kings 22:15‭-‬20).

King Josiah was proactive about the feedback from Huldah. He immediately began a consecration of the nation. He got rid of the idols, the mediums and spiritists. He cleansed the nation and removed all foreign gods. This is how the Bible describes Josiah: “Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did—with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses”  (2 Kings 23:25).

From this story, we can learn a few lessons. The wages of sin is death and God was ready to destroy the nation for their sins. We can also see that repentance brings mercy. When Josiah repented, the doom was averted during his reign. We can also learn that the presence of a priest and a prophet does not make an automatic sinless nation. The people must be taught the word of God and the people must be ready to live for God. Further, Huldah teaches us that we can still be in ministry and still be a virtuous wife. Huldah also teaches us that the unadulterated word of God carries power. Even the king was afraid of the words of the prophet. Josiah did not look down on Huldah because she was a woman. God can use both men and women to bring His agenda on earth. Imagine, if Huldah had abandoned her calling because of the evil on the land, no one would have heard from God. It is possible to live right even in the midst of great evil. Be intentional, spend quality time with God and He will definitely speak to you even in the most unlikely situation. Woman, be intentional! You are also a vessel of God!

Jezebel: The fearless evil woman

There are people who are permanently bound on doing evil and even if everyone around them changes for the better, these people still continue their evil and wicked  ways of life. They are stiff-necked, unmoved and unchanged by times and seasons. In fact, if evil was a person, such people would have been known as Evil. The Bible perfectly depicts human nature. We see the good, better, best and the bad, worse, worst. Jezebel, as we saw in our previous post, was one person who promoted, supported and sponsored idolatry in Israel. Idolatry promotes evil and vile lifestyles. Jezebel was a full-blown depiction of idolatry. She did not just serve the gods, she pushed others to serve them and she lived such a heartless and evil lifestyle. No wonder Ahab, her husband, partnered with her in idolatry. Jezebel was a bad influence and she doesn’t stop until she gets whatever she wanted. Even after the miracle the prophet Elijah did by commanding fire from heaven, Jezebel still didn’t fear God but she desired to kill the prophet. Elijah fled for his life.

Jezebel his wife said, “Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” (1 Kings 21:7)

One more time, Ahab desired to have the vineyard of his neighbour known as Naboth. The king of Israel said to Naboth, “Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth” (1 Kings 21:2). But Naboth refused to part away his ancestral inheritance (1 Kings 21:3). Ahab went home sad and refused to eat. Ahab was coveting another’s property and yet he went home like he was the one that had been cheated. If Ahab had read the Ten Commandments, he would have known that the tenth commandment was about his unholy crave for the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. Exodus 20:17 states that, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” In other words, Ahab broke the law by his actions. Ahab went home sullen but Jezebel was not impressed. When she heard the reason for Ahab’s sadness, she said, “Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite” (1 Kings 21:7).

Jezebel doesn’t take “No” for an answer. In the world of Jezebel,  the king must have everything he wanted. She therefore set up an evil agenda using Ahab’s name and authority. Jezebel 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” (1 Kings 21:8‭-10). The elders did exactly as Jezebel’s letter had commanded and they killed Naboth. After this, the elders sent word to Jezebel: “Naboth has been stoned to death” (1 Kings 21:14). Without shame, fear or remorse,  Jezebel said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead” and Ahab “got up and went down to take possession of Naboth’s vineyard (1 Kings 21:15‭-‬16). See how Jezebel and Ahab partnered in evil. But, their actions did not go unnoticed. 

The word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: “Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth’s vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?’ Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!” (1 Kings 21:17‭-‬19). These were God’s words to Ahab and his family:
“I am going to bring disaster on you. I will wipe out your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel—slave or free. I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have aroused my anger and have caused Israel to sin.’ “And also concerning Jezebel the Lord says: ‘Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’ “Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds will feed on those who die in the country” (1 Kings 21:21‭-‬24). Ahab was convicted and he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly. Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: “Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son” (1 Kings 21:27‭-‬29). The just God is also merciful to the humble. 

Jezebel on the other hand did not repent. She outlived Ahab and was queen mother when Ahaziah and Joram became kings. When Jehu overthrew and killed Joram, he went to Jezreel to destroy the rest of the house of Ahab. When Jezebel heard about it, fearlessly put on eye makeup, arranged her hair and looked out of a window (2 Kings 9:30) as if she was not scared for her life. Jezebel asked Jehu, “Have you come in peace, you Zimri, you murderer of your master?” Jehu looked up at the window and called out, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three eunuchs looked down at him.  Jehu commanded that they throw Jezebel down. So they threw her down, and some of her blood spattered the wall and the horses as they trampled her underfoot. But when they went out to bury her, they found nothing except her skull, her feet and her hands. They went back and told Jehu, who said, “This is the word of the Lord that he spoke through his servant Elijah the Tishbite: On the plot of ground at Jezreel dogs will devour Jezebel’s flesh. Jezebel’s body will be like dung on the ground in the plot at Jezreel, so that no one will be able to say, ‘This is Jezebel” (2 Kings 9:31‭-‬33‭, ‬35‭-‬37)

Jezebel used her influence to do evil but she died like a mere animal. There are lots of Jezebels in our world today. Men and women who have no fear for God and neither have any form of regard for humanity. If they don’t change, their end would be like Jezebel. They would face the wrath of God. If the sinner repents like Ahab, God shows mercy. But, if the sinner does not repent, God’s judgement would befall the sinner. 

“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood” (Revelation 22:14‭-‬15).

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!

The wife of Jeroboam: The bearer of bad news

The nation of Israel was divided into two after the death of Solomon. Rehoboam’s refusal to listen to the wise men but take instructions from his fellows led to the division (1 Kings 12). Prior to that God had warned Solomon that as a result of his apostasy, the kingdom will be divided (1 Kings 11:11). The two kingdoms that came out of the nation of Israel were the Southern Kingdom consisting of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and the Northern Kingdom consisting of the other ten tribes. Rehoboam ruled the Southern Kingdom which was referred to as Judah in the Bible. Jeroboam, the rebel leader, ruled over the Northern Kingdom which was referred to as Israel in the Bible. Jeroboam was a wicked king. He did so much evil that his name became the household name for apostasy throughout the history of Israel. What was Jeroboam’s apostasy? He made  two golden calves and said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” He set up one in Bethel, and the other in Dan. The people came to worship the one at Bethel and went as far as Dan to worship the other. He built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites (see 1 Kings 12:28‭-‬31).

and Jeroboam said to his wife, “Go, disguise yourself, so you won’t be recognized as the wife of Jeroboam. Then go to Shiloh. Ahijah the prophet is there—the one who told me I would be king over this people. (1 Kings 14:2)

With such a track record, Jeroboam was definitely not in good standing with God. God through his prophet declared the doom of Jeroboam. In the course of time, Jeroboam’s son Abijah became ill. Then Jeroboam said to his wife, “Go, disguise yourself, so you won’t be recognized as the wife of Jeroboam. Then go to Shiloh. Ahijah the prophet is there—the one who told me I would be king over this people.” (1 Kings 14:2). Jeroboam’s wife was commissioned to inquire from the prophet. This woman knew the state of her husband’s heart and evil things he had done. She was sent to inquire from the same God her husband had rejected by making idols for the people. Of all the people she could have been sent to, she was sent to a prophet who truly hears from God. As a mother, Jeroboam’s wife might have had concerns for her son. He was dying and needed to be helped. The woman embarked on this journey hoping to get answers. She didn’t know what was in store for her. Even before she arrived at the house of Prophet Ahijah, the Lord prompted the prophet of her visit and told him what to say to her.

Prophet Ahijah was blind but as soon as Jeroboam’s wife got to the door of the prophet, the prophet called her and asked, “why this pretense?” Before the woman could state her mission, the prophet told her that the kingdom will be taken away from her husband. Further, Ahijah told her that “As for you, go back home. When you set foot in your city, the boy will die. All Israel will mourn for him and bury him. He is the only one belonging to Jeroboam who will be buried, because he is the only one in the house of Jeroboam in whom the Lord, the God of Israel, has found anything good.” (1 Kings 14:12‭-‬13). Jeroboam’s wife was sent as the bearer of bad news: the death of her son and an end to their family’s reign over Israel. She left the house of the prophet carrying bad news. She might have been horrified and scared. She knew the power in the words of Ahijah. She got up and went to Tirzah. 1 Kings 14:17-18 states that “as soon as she stepped over the threshold of the house, the boy died. They buried him, and all Israel mourned for him, as the Lord had said through his servant the prophet Ahijah.”

The wife of Jeroboam witnessed the massive apostasy of her husband. She lived in the Palace and saw the name of God brought low and evil reigning in the hearts of the people. She experienced and possibly worshipped her husband’s idols. She was a source of authority and a leader but together with her husband, they led a whole nation to sin. Even if she might not have publicly declared it, she abandoned God just as all the others who worshipped Jeroboam’s idols. There are many things we seem to do with good intentions but they are evil in the sight of God. If we fail to point out evil, the consequences of the sinful acts of others would befall on all people including the silent watchers.

Solomon’s thousand women

Imagine attending an all-women conference in a very distinguished conference room. Seated in the auditorium were a thousand women of different nations. Majority of these women were of royal birth (princesses), some were beauty pageants, others were brand ambassadors, few others were business owners and yet others were well-known media influencers. As you stand before these different classes and shades of women, you see the glamor, the fashion sense, the exquisite appearances and their outward display of wealth. These women are from different cultures with different belief systems, different family systems, different ways of dressing, different gods, different types of foods, different languages, different experiences and different understanding of worship. However, there is a commonality between all these women: they are all women of one man. In other words, these thousand women are wives and concubines to just one human being. Like me, you might be shocked. How can one person manage so many women and still go by? How does he keep a thousand women? Does he remember their names? Is he able to spend time with them? Just how? Even if the women look happy, you might be confused about how just one man is keeping a thousand women for himself. 

He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. (1 Kings 11:3)

King Solomon, the heir of David is well-known for his wealth and wisdom. However he is also famous for his ability to keep a thousand women as wives and concubines. According to 1 Kings 11:1-2, Solomon “loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.” When the average man is still learning how to manage one woman, Solomon was managing a thousand! His women were of these categories: seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines (1 King 11:3). How can you keep your spiritual fervency in the midst of such a chaotic spiritual environment? No wonder the wives of Solomon led him astray to worship other gods (1 Kings 11:3). The different wives all came with their own gods and “as Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been” (1 Kings 11:4).

Solomon’s wisdom and wealth attracted people of all caliber. Many nations sealed their alliances with him through royal marriages. But, if Solomon had considered the laws of God, he might have saved himself from being led away. In Deuteronomy 17:17, God told Moses to tell the Israelites that the king they choose to rule over them should not do the following: he must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray;  he must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold. Solomon failed in these two, he accumulated so much wealth that he became the richest man in his generation. With the wealth came royal and business alliances that resulted in a thousand women. Ultimately, the heart of Solomon was led astray. Imagine living with an Egyptian Princess, a Moabite Princess, an Ammonite Princess, an Edomite Princess, a Sidonian Princess and a Hittite Princess among other hundreds of princesses.

The consequences of these different marriages were these: 
1 Kings 11:5, 7-8 state that Solomon followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.
In 1 Kings 11:6, we are told that Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.
1 Kings 11:9 states that the Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.
1 Kings 11:10 states that although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the Lord’s command. 
As a result of Solomon’s disobedient and apostasy (abandoning God), the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates.” (1 Kings 11:11).
After the death of Solomon his successor (Rehoboam) foolishly caused the division of the kingdom of Israel (1 Kings 12). Rehoboam’s action was in fulfillment of the prophecy against his father.

You might not have a thousand women but there are many things that could trigger disobedience and apostasy. Never allow the things you possess to draw your heart away from God. If it is not leading you to a better relationship with God, it is potentially leading you away from God. Check the state of your heart and be sure that in all things, God is glorified.