Jezebel was still on a war path to display just how evil and wicked she truly was.

Elijah then ordered the killing of all Baal prophets.ĥ Sneaky Idols Destroying Dating Today Who Is Naboth and Why Does Jezebel Kill Him? When the people witnessed the validity of the Lord, they fell on their faces and proclaimed, “he is the God: the Lord, he is the God” ( 1 Kings 18:39). Immediately, “the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench” ( 1 Kings 18:38). Answer me, LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, LORD, are God and that you are turning their hearts back again” ( 1 Kings 18:36-37). He instructed this to be done at least three times, causing water to surround the altar and fill the trench.Įlijah summoned the Lord and petitioned, “LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. He then called for the crowd to pour four barrels of water onto the sacrifice and wood. Then he added 12 stones to the altar to represent the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob and dug a deep trench around the altar. When it was Elijah’s turn, he cut up the bull and laid it upon the wood without any assistance of fire. “So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom until their blood flowed” ( 1 Kings 18:28). The prophets of Baal called upon their god for hours without any type of response. Elijah requested the prophets call upon Baal to provide the fire, and he would call upon the Lord. The bulls were to be cut into pieces and laid on wood as an altar without the usage of fire. The prophets of Baal numbered 450.Įlijah requested two bulls, one for himself and one for the Baal prophets. At the gathering, Elijah proclaimed himself to be the only remaining prophet of the Lord following the execution of the others. Elijah pronounced the punishment of God upon Israel in the form of a drought that lasted three years ( James 5:17 A confrontation ensued between Elijah and King Ahab, which resulted in a gathering of all the prophets at Mount Caramel. Jezebel's greatest enemy was the prophet Elijah, who refused to worship Baal. Animosities were so heightened that Jezebel ordered the death of the Lord’s prophets while she fully supported the prophets of Baal and Asherah. Jezebel's commanding personality quickly led her to establish control over her husband and thus lead Israel away from God and toward idolatry.ĭuring Ahab’s reign in Israel, the people were deeply divided into either worshiping and serving Baal or the Lord. Since she was a Phoenician, Jezebel more than likely had a role that was more active than what was normal in Hebrew rule. In this case, Jezebel required the installation of a temple and an altar for Baal, which was built in Samaria. During this era of kingdoms, it was common for the king to establish worship facilities for foreign wives.

This influence led to the promotion of false gods among the people of Israel.Īs detailed in 1 Kings 16:31-32, Jezebel persuaded her husband to promote the worship of deities Baal and Asherah among the people of Israel. Jezebel’s father, Ethbaal, was politically connected to King Ahab in Israel, which could explain the marriage between the two. According to Easton’s Bible Dictionary, Ashtoreth was “frequently associated with the name of Baal, the sun-god, chief male deity.” Astarte is what the Phoenicians called her. Before becoming king, Ethbaal was noted to have been a priest of Astarte, which was the Greek form of the moon goddess Ashtoreth.

Character study of elijah in the bible