The Zeal of Jezebel

Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

1 Kings 18:19

Do you know what an influencer is? You know... those people who have millions of followers on social media. We call them influencers because they wield a LOT of influence over people. They have an outsized impact.

I think the villain Jezebel was kind of an Old Testament influencer. Like the influencers of today, Jezebel had an outsized impact. Where she led, people followed. And there can be little doubt that from the time she married King Ahab, and for many years afterward, Jezebel had an outsized influence on the kingdom of Israel. Sadly, her influence wasn't for the good. 

One example of Jezebel's influence is found in the verse above. It says that Jezebel had 450 prophets of Baal and 400 hundred prophets of Asherah who ate at her table. She personally fed 850 false prophets. Why? Because she was zealous to feed the growth of Baal worship in Israel.

And Jezebel didn’t just oppose worship of the One True God; Scripture tells us that she was so zealous about this that she tried to kill ALL the prophets of the Lord. And if it weren't for a faithful man named Obadiah who hid a hundred of God’s prophets in two caves, Jezebel probably would’ve very nearly succeeded. (1 Kings 18:4)

What I want you to take not of here is Jezebel's zeal. She was highly motivated to lead Israel into Baal worship and sin. She went to great lengths to feed the growth of her false religion all over Israel. 

Which raises an interesting question... Are you as zealous for the Lord as Jezebel was for Baal? Are you as zealous a supporter of the church and of Christianity as she was of Baal worship? Are you as motivated to see people come to Jesus as she was to see them come to Baal? Don’t let Jezebel outdo you for zeal!!! Why should she be more zealous for her false god than you are for the One True God?!

Taking the Credit

Twelve months later, as [King Nebuchadnezzar] was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?”

Daniel 4:29-30

Nebuchadnezzar took credit for what God had done. He was walking on the roof of his palace in Babylon looking out over the majesty of his kingdom and in his pride, he took credit for all of it.

From a human perspective we can understand how Nebuchadnezzar made this mistake. History tells us that Nebuchadnezzar was a great builder. He built temples and shrines to his gods. He built the very palace whose roof he was walking on when he made this statement. He built walls and moats and gates for his city. He dug deep canals and built impressive dams.* He rebuilt nearly every city and every temple in his kingdom. And we know that Nebuchadnezzar did all this because nearly all the ancient bricks archeologists have found in this region from that time are stamped with Nebuchadnezzar’s name! How’s that for humble?**

Most notably, Nebuchadnezzar is credited with creating the hanging gardens of Babylon which was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.*** 

So, you can understand why Nebuchadnezzar took the credit. The problem was that he actually believed he had done all this by himself. In his arrogance, he believed he had done it by his own mighty power. And, of course, in his pride, Nebuchadnezzar undertook it all for his own glory.

Aren’t we sometimes guilty of the same? Don’t we sometimes look around at all that God has done through us and for us and think “I did this!”

Don’t take credit for what God has done. Even the things that God has done through you, were done in His power, not your own. And God deserves the credit for doing such mighty works through such a weak instrument. And don't forget how great a danger pride is. It’s easy for us to start living a life that is all about ourselves and start building monuments to our own glory. But ultimately, that way of life is empty. It is less than what we are called to as humans and as Christians. So, humble yourself before the Lord. Give him the glory. And spend your life building His kingdom, not your own.

* Wilson, Dick R. “Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadrezzar.” In The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, edited by James Orr, John L. Nuelsen, Edgar Y. Mullins, and Morris O. Evans. Vol. 1–5. Chicago: The Howard-Severance Company, 1915.

** Easton, M. G. Illustrated Bible Dictionary and Treasury of Biblical History, Biography, Geography, Doctrine, and Literature. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1893. 

*** Ritzema, Elliot. “Nebuchadnezzar.” In The Lexham Bible Dictionary, edited by John D. Barry, David Bomar, Derek R. Brown, Rachel Klippenstein, Douglas Mangum, Carrie Sinclair Wolcott, Lazarus Wentz, Elliot Ritzema, and Wendy Widder. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016.

**** Easton, M. G. Illustrated Bible Dictionary and Treasury of Biblical History, Biography, Geography, Doctrine, and Literature. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1893.

Look Up (W.o.W. Rewind)

 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever.

Daniel 4:34

The great King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon stood atop the world in the sixth century B.C. But when he became too full of thoughts of himself and his own glory, God disgraced him. He took his mind from him and He humbled him and caused Nebuchadnezzar to live like an animal in the field. How fitting it is that his sanity should return the moment he lifted his eyes up off the grass, beyond himself, and up toward heaven. 

There are many times in my life when casting my gaze on heaven seems like the only sane act in this crazy world. Like Nebuchadnezzar, I sometimes find myself with my head down eating the grass of daily existence. Caught up in the mundane and never-ending routines that take up so much of our time and that the great teacher of Ecclesiastes called "meaningless." It is only as I lift my eyes toward heaven that sanity and meaning are given to the things that drive me crazy. 

Sometimes I look up to laugh at the insanity of our world. Sometimes to cry. At other times I look up in worship and at others to plead for help. But always the Lord lifts my gaze up toward Himself. As long as my eyes rest on heaven, my troubles don't seem big enough to crush me, nor do my successes shine bright enough to distract me. 

So, cast your eyes on the Lord today! Look to Him and plead, pray, mourn, laugh, or worship. Look to Him in whatever way is fitting for you and your circumstances, only be careful to never lower your gaze. 

A Day of Division

“Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them. But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty.

Malachi 4:1–3

These verses talk about the Day of the Lord. What is that? It’s the day of God’s judgment. Now, the Day of the Lord can refer to moments of judgment within human history, such as the Exodus or the Babylonian exile, but the ultimate fulfillment of the Day of the Lord will come on that great and final judgment day at the end of human history.

And I want to draw your attention to the great contrast that is presented in these verses between the expectation of the wicked and the righteous on that day. For the wicked, that day “will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire… Not a root or a branch will be left to them.”

Notice the dominant image here is a furnace or an oven. God’s judgment doesn’t burn out of control, but it does burn hot. And the wicked are ripe for His judgment. They are described as dry stubble or straw, which always lights easily and burns quickly. Though the wicked seem to have deep roots in our world, though they seem to branch out in every direction and prosper, God says that not a root or branch will be left to them. They will be utterly destroyed and removed from our world on that final day.

By contrast, for those who revere God’s name, that day will not burn like an oven but will soothe like the warmth of the rising sun that causes stiff limbs to loosen and work again. Whereas the wicked might run in terror on that day, the righteous are described as frolicking and celebrating. It says that they will go out skipping like calves that have been pent up in their stalls all winter now set free in a green meadow. And the wicked will be trampled under their feet on that day of victory.

What we dare not miss here is that there will be a great division. A distinction will be made between the wicked and the righteous when God’s judgment finally comes. Jesus affirms this. He says the wicked and the righteous will be separated one from the other like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And the experience of the two will differ greatly. For God’s sheep, the Day of the Lord will be a day of deliverance and celebration. But for the wicked, it will be their doom... a great and terrible day of judgment.

Which side will you be on, when God draws that final line of separation? Are you ready for that Day? Do you look forward to it? Or do you tremble at the thought of it? If you tremble, it isn’t too late to make ready. If you aren't sure how, then keep reading below. 

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The Gospel in a nutshell: We are all sinners. Every one of us has rejected God's way and gone our own way. We have all rebelled against the one true King. Our sin deserves punishment. In fact, so great a sin against so great a God deserves Hell. But God, because of His great love for us, has offered us His forgiving grace. For God to be just, our sin had to be punished though. So, God, in His wisdom, took the punishment for our sin on Himself in Jesus. Jesus died to pay the price for your sins and then rose from the dead beating the power of sin over you. He ascended into heaven to prepare a place for those who believe in Him. So that now those who place their faith in Him can be forgiven and spend eternity in Heaven with their Savior. If you would like to do that today, here is what you need to do.

• A- Admit that you are a sinner and in need of God's grace (Romans 3:10 and 3:23).
• B- Believe that Jesus is God's Son, that He died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sin, and that He was raised from the dead (Romans 6:23 and 5:8).
• C- Confess Jesus as Lord of your life. Turn from sin (from living life your way) and commit to live your life for God (Romans 10:9).

It's as easy as ABC. Follow these steps and find a Bible preaching church to plug into and grow in your faith.