Today is the day.
I’ve been sitting on this blog for about a year, wanting to finish it and share it and reclaim the power I’d given away – but it seems every time she comes around, something happens. Every time she comes around, I resolve to finish this post and slay the beast – but every time, a conflict arises, loss, chaos, distraction in every form. I lose focus, move past the “episode,” pray it away and the blog falls to the wayside once more.
Jezebel, Jehu is coming. It isn’t my sword to wield, but yours. It isn’t mine to cast you out, but it is mine to come against you with all the holy power and violence that lives within me – Christ in me, the hope of glory !
Let’s back up for some context. Have you ever heard of Jezebel ? She’s a riot – in the chaotic kind of way. The manipulative, controlling kind of way.
Jezebel began as a princess, but became the queen when she married Ahab, king of Israel [1 Kings 16]. She immediately began to institute and impose worship of Baal in all of Israel, violently purging the nation of the prophets of Yahweh. She is unrestrained, shameless, controlling – the ruler of Israel after having scared her husband Ahab into silence and submission.
She is a thief who manipulates and fear mongers her way into getting what she wants. In 1 Kings 21, Ahab lusts after a vineyard close to his palace. When Naboth refuses to sell or trade, Ahab goes crying to Jezebel. She falsely accuses the man for blaspheming the king. Naboth is stoned to death. She has no regard for human life or love – stepping on anyone who gets in her way to ultimate power.
During the three year drought in Israel [1 Kings 18], the prophet Elijah confronts Ahab, accusing him of troubling Israel because of Baal worship. He calls for an assembly of 850 prophets of Baal and Asherah at Mount Carmel, presenting an ultimatum to Ahab and the prophets : “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” [1 Kings 18:21] After giving the people a choice, he presents a challenge : let us each sacrifice a bull on the altar of our god[s] and call down fire. Surely, the one who is Almighty will respond.
The worshippers and prophets of Baal cry and shout, sacrifice and dance – but no one answers. After most of the day had passed, Elijah covers his offering and the entire altar in water, soaked through ; and yet, when he calls – the Lord answers. They then slaughtered all of the prophets of Baal in the valley.
Ahab returns home and recalls the happenings to Jezebel. She is humiliated and FURIOUS and sends word to Elijah that will be murdered because of what he has done. Even after everything he had seen by the hand of the Lord, Elijah flees. He runs away, in fear for his life, hiding in the wilderness.
This is the power that Jezebel attempts to claim in our lives. She tries to control, manipulate. She tries to scare us out of our callings, using doubt and fear where there is faith and experience. The spirit of Jezebel is a spirit of control that especially attacks and clings to women – moving them from beauty and empowerment into manipulation, into control. She takes them past being a life bringer, into becoming a life hoarder. She drives them from purpose into power driven and hungry.
The spirit of Jezebel lords over her “Ahab” – a man tamed and shamed into silence and submission. She is violent, aggressive, saying “any who come against me shall perish.”
In a world of empowered women, my beautiful, strong and life-giving fellow females have had to fight to belong to themselves. Somewhere along the way, we’ve fallen into the trap of entitlement. It’s like the opposite of what we’ve done to our men [read about it here] – instead of being life bringers, we begin to control and to lord, far past empowerment. Even feminism has become ugly and twisted – from becoming love and loving ourselves as we’re created – to instead, the aggressive degradation of our male counterparts. We want men who are strong and fierce as lions – but then we turn around and whip them into cages.
In the end, Ahab is killed and dogs lick up his blood. Jezebel continues to reign, Elisha receives a double portion of Elijah’s blessing as he is taken up to Heaven. Elisha moves, spreading the goodness of the Lord in many different lives, eventually anointing Jehu as the next king of Israel [2 Kings 9].
Jehu storms the castle. Jezebel’s men come up to him, asking if he comes in peace – Jehu leads with a ferocity and an anointing that no man dare come against – instead, they fall in behind him. When he arrives in Jezreel, Jezebel has done her makeup and her hair and looks upon Jehu from her window, taunting him.
Jehu has only to ask “who is on my side ? Throw her down !” So [three eunuchs] threw her down, and some of her blood spattered the wall and the horses as they trampled her underfoot. [2 Kings 9:32] Instead of a proper princess burial, there is nothing of her body left but her skull, hands and feet – she was devoured by dogs.
So today is the day. No more living as if I’m entitled to anything. No more aggression toward my men, no more shaming them into silence and submission. No more power hungry, life hoarding days. No more control, but submission. No more unholy anger, but peace and mercy. No more fear, but love.
I’ve been waiting for my Jehu to come and be anointed, blinded to the fact that he lives within me. Jezebel, Jehu is HERE. It isn’t my sword to wield, but yours as you fear for your life and take it.
It isn’t mine to cast you out, but it is mine to come against you with all the holy power and violence that lives within me – Christ in me, the hope of glory !
Women, take back your calling. Take back your purpose, take back your life. The time is now to reclaim and resurrect what Jezebel told you was dead. The time is now, the day is today.
We love all of you with all of us.
XX
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