The tragedy of sin

Therefore they came back and told him. And he said, "This is the word of the LORD, which He spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 'On the plot of ground at Jezreel dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel; and the corpse of Jezebel shall be as refuse on the surface of the field, in the plot at Jezreel, so that they shall not say, "Here lies Jezebel." ' " – 2 Kings 9v36-37

This story makes me sad. One day Ethbaal, king of rhe Sidonians, had a daughter. He named her Jezebel. He was, as apparent from his name, a Baal worshipper. Her name meant ‘chaste.’ I wonder what went through his mind when he named her that. Anyway, she grew up to marry the wicked king Ahab. The two of them were incredibly wicked. Her name is one of those that you just can’t imagine naming a daughter.

Jezebel had plenty of contact with the men of God, especially Elijah. She was violently opposed to him. She went about killing the prophets of God. She put a death sentence on Elijah’s head. There is just nothing good to say about her.

In this situation she saw Jehu coming to Jezreel to meet her. She fixed her hair and put on her makeup and asked him if he came in peace. It is obvious that she was going to use her ‘womanly wiles’ to try and get her way.

He called to the tower and asked who was there. Two of her eunuchs responded. Jehu told them to throw her out of the tower, and they did. Her defenestration was a violent and bloody death. Her blood splattered on the walls. The horse trampled her body. Jehu felt no remorse and went in to the tower and ate a meal.

Eventually he sent men out to bury her. All they could find was her skull and parts of her hands and feet. There was no place to be able to say, ‘Here lies Jezebel.’ Elijah’s prophecy of her end came true.

We might well say, ‘Good, she deserved it!’ And, in truth, she did. She was a true enemy of God and His work. She was a murderess. Nothing good can be said.

But isn’t tragic to think that one day she was just a little girl? I think of our Beth and Morgann and Maddie. I think of the little girl in our Kids’ Klub. Jezebel was like them one day.

It is tragic that sin took hold. It is even more tragic that she had chances to interact with the men of God and turn to Him.

Sin is really sad, isn’t it?