1 Kings 19:1 – Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.
When King Ahab married Jezebel, she was young, beautiful, sensual, and pure evil. Their marriage united the kingdoms of Israel and Tyre and welcomed the demonic into Israel. Jezebel’s father was the Sidonian King Ethbaal (1). The ancient historian “Josephus, drawing his information from the historian Menander, states that Ithobalus, an alternate form of the name Ethbaal, was a priest of Astarte who gained the throne by assassinating Pheles, king of Tyre…” (2) Jezebel’s father’s name literally means “with Baal”, and “enjoying his favour and protection”. (3)
Jezebel was born into a completely demonic family under a generational curse with a father who was with Baal and worshipped Asherah as a pagan priest (Astarte is another name for Asherah). This explains why she quickly used her position as queen of Israel to destroy the worship of the real God and demand the worship of demonic counterfeit deities.
Jezebel was a fiercely independent woman, adept at controlling and manipulating her passive husband, King Ahab. In the spirit of modern-day feminism, Jezebel’s name means, “‘un-husbanded”, which explains her complete disregard for her husband as she seeks to unseat and usurp in order to be the head of their marriage and household. (4)
Have you heard of the Jezebel Spirit before? If not, have you ever known anyone who acted like her, even if in more subtle ways?
- 1 Kings 16:31
- Pauline A. Viviano, “Ethbaal (Person),” ed. David Noel Freedman, The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 645.
- Charles Fox Burney, “ETHBAAL,” ed. James Hastings et al., A Dictionary of the Bible: Dealing with Its Language, Literature, and Contents Including the Biblical Theology (New York; Edinburgh: Charles Scribner’s Sons; T. & T. Clark, 1911–1912), 777.
- John A. Selbie, “JEZEBEL,” ed. James Hastings et al., A Dictionary of the Bible: Dealing with Its Language, Literature, and Contents Including the Biblical Theology (New York; Edinburgh: Charles Scribner’s Sons; T. & T. Clark, 1911–1912), 656.
For the sermons and study guide that accompany this series on the life of Elijah, visit realfaith.com/elijah or text ELIJAH to 99383.