Jezebel's Plot

Jezebel's Plot

I Kings 21:8-10 NKJV

[8] And she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who were dwelling in the city with Naboth. [9] She wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and seat Naboth with high honor among the people; [10] and seat two men, scoundrels, before him to bear witness against him, saying, “You have blasphemed God and the king.” Then take him out, and stone him, that he may die.

I was so tempted to title this vignette: High Honour, Accusations and Death. That is the summary of Jezebel's plot to take Naboth's Vineyard. Brittannicca summarises her actions  as tampering "... with the exclusive worship of the Hebrew God, Yahweh, by disregarding the rights of the common people, and by defying the great prophets Elijah and Elisha, she provoked the internecine strife that enfeebled Israel for decades. She has come to be known as an archetype of the wicked woman". Her greatest wickedness was the killing of Naboth. She demonstrated she was willing to do anything just to have her way. 

   She impersonated the husband, stole the nation's seal and planted men to lie against an innocent man. If anyone deserved punishment, it should have been Jezebel. Its not tgat the husband was not aware. He was, but as we said in our earlier post, he was a Man Child. Momma had come to fight for him. So he kept quiet. Guzik says that Alexander  McLaren observed three types of character in the rising action. "...: (1) Ahab, who was wicked and weak. (2) Jezebel, who was wicked and strong. (3) The Elders of Jezreel, who were wicked and subservient". Wherever these set of factors intersect in a nation, the " Man Dies ". Naboth died. What do you do when evil is taking over your town and cities. We dont just aquiese, we pray, intense prayers before we act. No one prayed for Naboth. Jezebel's influence had become a religion. May God raise you as a part of the generational intercessors that will pray for the survival of people like Naboth. It's the reason Christ came to set men free, and free indeed. Good morning.