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Jezebel was a domineering woman

Jezebel was such a domineering person that she soon became master over her weak husband Ahab who was the king of Northern Israel. One of her first acts was to order the extermination of the prophets of the Lord and set up altars to Baal. 

Her idolatrous influence in Israel was so pervasive that Jesus later used her name to refer to a woman who led the church at Thyatira into immorality and the worship of false gods (Revelation 2:20).

Edward B. Coe wrote of her as “the Clytemnestra, the Lady Macbeth of Hebrew history. Though by no means an attractive personage, she was invested by her extraordinary force of character and her appalling fate with a tragic grandeur which belongs to no other woman of the Bible.” 

The Bible does not record that she possessed any of the finer, nobler feminine qualities. Savage and relentless, this proud and strong-minded woman carried out her foul schemes. 

Even though she was a gifted woman, she prostituted all her gifts for the furtherance of evil, and her misdirected talents became a curse. Even though she had the power of persuasion, her influence was wrongly directed. 

Ahab was like a puppet in the hands of his overpowering wife. Because he was pliant and weak, Jezebel found it easy to achieve her murderous designs. How could the worthless and spineless Ahab resist the evil scheming of his unscrupulous partner? 

It was Jezebel who became the feared commander in Israel and not the cowardly husband she could wrap around her little finger. This is a classic codependent relationship. A Jezebel desperately needs an Ahab in order to function, and an Ahab relies on a Jezebel to get what he or she wants. Although she mercilessly controlled her Ahab, anyone who upset him was bound to feel her wrath! And when she saved him time after time, he was rendered powerless and she became firmly in control.

Jezebel was the absolute negation of all God meant a woman to be, namely, a true help-meet of man. 

Jezebel retained her obstinate, unbending character to the very end. Ahab was like a puppet in the hands of his overpowering wife. Because he was pliant and weak, Jezebel found it easy to achieve her murderous designs.

This was because Ahab had abdicated his headship of the home. There are biblical roles for a husband and wife in marriage. The man’s role is to sacrifice for his wife out of love for her. And the woman’s role is to submit to her husband out of respect for him.

But when these biblical roles are not followed, there is invariably a tragedy, as we see in the marriage of Ahab and Jezebel.

Quote: “The ultimate purpose of marriage is not to make us happy but to glorify God.” Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that the idea of marriage originated with You. Help me to study your Word to know what are the roles that you have planned for both huband and wife in order to glorify you in marriage. Amen