Why God Punished This Evil Couple ‘Ahab and Jezebel’

Ahab and Jezebel together represented evil in Israel during the time of Prophet Elijah. Their wickedness against God’s children ended them horribly.

The story of Ahab and Jezebel
JEZEBEL was thrown away from the window. Image from page 166 of “The Bible panorama, or The Holy Scriptures in picture and story” (1891).

The Bible story of Ahab and Jezebel has good lessons for all those who despise the authority of God. This story is in the book of Kings. Obedience to God would make you prosperous in life; just like how Abraham received blessings beyond measure for obeying the Lord.

God wouldn’t spare you the rod of discipline if you rebel against Him in any way. Samson, Jonah, King Saul, and others had their fair share of God’s righteous judgment. As for Ahab; his whole bloodline got wiped off. Yes! God uprooted every descendant of Ahab including his close friends and priests.

This couple(Ahab and Jezebel) had a very bad reputation and are not to be followed by Christians or anyone who want to make the world a better place. They provoked the Lord God Almighty. What happened then? Find out as you read along.

Ahab was the sixth king of Israel, who succeeded his father Omri B. C. 918 and reigned for twenty-two years. His wife was Jezebel, daughter of Ethbaal king of Tyre; an ambitious and passionate idolatress, through whose influence the worship of Baal and Ashtoreth was introduced in Israel.

The name Jezebel became abominable because of her evil deeds and idolatrous life. Just like the name Delilah, the name Samson cursed. No one would like to name their daughters before them.

Ahab erected images of Baal and intensified idolatry. “Idolatry”, which is one thing God hates most. He has said he is a jealous God. “Thou shall not worship any other god before him”. Ahab and Jezebel did exactly what God hates.

Jezebel used her ruling power to kill some of the prophets of God. No wonder, Elijah prophesied her death and it came to pass.

“And of Jezebel the Lord said, Jezebel, will become food for dogs in the heritage of Jezreel.”(1 Kings 21:23).

Their wickedness made God visit the land with three years of drought and famine as a punishment for the sins of Israel, B. C. 908. And at Mount Carmel, God reproved idolatry by fire from heaven, and by the slaughtering of four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal for failing to set their altar on fire. How?

The Fire Contest Between Elijah And The Prophets Of Baal

Ahab and Jezebel agreed to a fair test of whose God is alive and working. Baal against God. Who will show off his power to set ablaze the prepared wooden altar containing the slaughtered bull?

Elijah said:
“Let them bring us two bulls. Let them choose one of the bulls for themselves, cut it up into pieces, and place it on the wood. But they must not set it on fire. I will do the same to the other bull and place it on the wood.

‘But I will not set it on fire. Then you will invoke the name of your god, and I will invoke the name of the LORD. The god who responds with fire will demonstrate that he is the true God.” All the people responded, “This will be a fair test”(1 Kings 18:23).

The prophets of Baal failed to set their altar ablaze. God sent fire down to burn the altar prepared by Elijah proving his Presence and Authority.

Jezebel’s Baalism In Israel Provoked God(1 Kings 16:29-17:24).

As a political alliance arose between King Ahab and Jezebel, they had a grand plan of making Baalism an official form of worship in Israel.

Ahab accepted his wife’s paganism and built a Baal temple in the capital. The kind of Baalism from Jezebel was far more dangerous and evil to Israel’s relationship with God. God raised his mighty hand and did many different miracles to save Israel from this pollution.

Jezebel intensified the worship of the great god Melqart, whose dwelling place was the Tyre-Sidon region of Phoenicia.

The whole thing this evil couple planned was to make the worship of Baal an official form of worship. And this is a very big abomination unto the Lord.

As Baal is said to be the god of nature and fertility, the Almighty God proved his power over all creation by holding back rains for 3 years through Prophet Elijah. Baal was useless against the power of God making the land barren.

This same Prophet prophesied the tragic death of King Ahab and Jezebel. They drank the full wine of God’s wrath.

The Horrible Death Of Ahab And Jezebel

Ahab died in a battle against the King of Aram. He was slain, and dogs licked up his blood at the pool of Samaria as prophesied.

In spite of the several warnings and mercies of Providence given by God, King Ahab continued to sin. His evil deeds extended at length by murdering an innocent man called Naboth; because this man refused to sell or trade his land with him.

Sadly, Naboth was murdered, on a false charge of blasphemy conspired by Jezebel the queen and wife of Ahab.

Ahab’s crimes and abominable idolatries stirred up God’s anger. God then sent Elijah to denounce judgments upon him and his seed. Elijah boldly confronted the king with God’s impending message:

“Thus says the LORD, ‘Look, I will bring disaster on you, and will utterly sweep you away and will cut off from Ahab everyone, slave or free in Israel.” (1 Kings 20:21)

Ahab’s response to God’s pronouncement of terrible judgment was met with mercy and grace because he showed a high level of humility by tearing his clothes, putting sackcloth on his flesh and fasted for some time.

The Death Of Ahab

After beguiling Jehoshaphat, king of Judah to join forces with him to regain Ramoth-Gilead from the Syrians in defiance of Jehovah, he met his untimely death, and dogs licked up his blood at the pool of Samaria. This is recorded in the scriptures —1King 16:29-22:40.

Sins Ahab Committed Against God

Below are are some of the sins Ahab committed to deserve God’s punishment, together with his family and Baal prophets.

• Ahab worshipped Baal and Astarte, whose rites had been brought into Israel by Jezebel.

• Ahab once took Ben-hadad, king of Syria captive after he notoriously invaded and lost to Israel but soon released him —hence incurring the wrath of God.

• He concerned himself with the murder of Naboth.

• He disregard the true prophecy from God that came through prophet Micaiah that they should not go to war against the Syrians.” (1 Kings 22:17)

Punishment Befalls On The Descendants Of Ahab

Instead of Ahab receiving immediate punishment from God, he got himself off the hook because of his humble response to God’s pronounced judgment. Instead, the punishment started with his son Ahaziah who reigned for just two years.

The anointing of Jehu as the new King of Israel with the divine task of destroying the works of Ahab and Jezebel fulfilled the will of God.

Jehu destroyed the royal household of Ahab and Jezebel. When he was in the house of Jezebel, he asked Jezebel’s servant to throw her out of the window. They did just that. They were obsessed with her.

He said, “Throw her down!” So they threw her down, and when she hit the ground, her blood splattered against the wall and the horses, and Jehu drove his chariot over her.”(2 Kings 9:33).

Jezebel’s body was nowhere to be found for burial except her skull, feet, and palms of the hands.

The LORD’s word through his servant, Elijah the Tishbite, has come to pass. He warned, ‘In the plot of land at Jezreel, dogs will devour Jezebel’s flesh.

In conclusion, God always shows love for his children by protecting them from evil people. Ahab and Jezebel were so wicked that they killed God’s anointed prophets, and killed children as a sacrifice for their god “Baal.”

This abomination got them exactly what they deserved. They died a horrible death and their bloodline got wiped off the surface of the earth.