Satan’s Tactics to Deceive the World Part 2 „Jezebel”

Hello. In today’s material, we will continue the topic, focusing on the key tactics used by Satan and the characters who have become his tools in these actions.

We will explore biblical figures who, unlike Job, became famous for their actions against God and His prophets. We are talking about Ahab and his wife Jezebel, whose actions brought much harm, both spiritual and physical, to many people. We will take a closer look at their influence and the crimes they committed, analyzing their destructive role in the history of Israel.

Already in the first verses in which Jezebel and her husband Ahab (the king of Israel at that time) are mentioned, we read about their sinister activities towards God.

𝟭 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝟭𝟲:𝟮𝟵-𝟯𝟰. „In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri began to reign over Israel, and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him. And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took for his wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and worshiped him. He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. And Ahab made an Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation at the cost of Abiram his firstborn, and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.”

Satan cleverly used a tactic that we can see with the naked eye in our times. „Direction through corrupt leadership”, a tactic that he uses we see in particular in the national leaders of our times, who fulfill the will of their ruler. By placing his representative at the head of the chosen nation, Satan gained a lot and could allow himself to act that with the help of an average person he would not be able to achieve. From the above verses it is already clear that Satan used a few other tactics through Ahab, who took Jezebel as his wife, who was of Phoenician origin and a staunch worshiper of Baal. As we read in 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐰 𝟕:𝟏-𝟒 God clearly instructs the Israelites not to enter into marriages with the inhabitants of the lands they entered, because such unions could lead to turning away from God by imposing customs considered disgusting in the eyes of God, by their partners. Through this marriage, not only did Satan have his representative on the throne, but he could also „infiltrate” the nation chosen by the high-ranking woman from the pagan nations and introduce „idolatry cults” into it, which is also one of the tactics that Satan uses to distract the Israelites from their faith in God YHWH by creating many other cults. Looking at today’s world and the number of belief systems, especially Christian ones, we see how people, despite their desire to worship God the Father and His Anointed One, fall into the trap set by Satan, placing their beliefs in cults that are considered by the Holy Scriptures to be disgusting to God. An example is „idolatry” which many Christian sects consider holy.

𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝟮𝟬 gives us more details about the abominations that the people of the nations did, which God condemns in the following verse.

𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝟮𝟬:𝟮𝟯.”And you shall not walk in the customs of the nation that I am driving out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I detested them.”

What were these customs that filled God with disgust? I invite you to read the entire chapter 20 of Leviticus.

The following verses show us a little more of Jezebel’s activities.

𝟭 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝟭𝟴:𝟯-𝟰. „And Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly, and when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water.”

Here we see another tactic that Satan used through Jezebel. The „persecution of the prophets” was aimed at strengthening the worship of Baal in Israel, where the prophets of God YHWH were a great obstacle to this worship. This verse also reveals the attitude that Jezebel represented, because it was she who committed this crime, there is no mention of Ahab committing this crime as well. However, he allowed this crime to his wife, from which we conclude that Satan worked more through Jezebel. Her persecution was an attempt to „stifle the voice of resistance” and strengthen her power in the kingdom by „intimidating” and „eliminating” spiritual leaders who could oppose her plans. Another tactic that is used in our times, is best seen in the media, where only content consistent with the narrative that is imposed from above on the media is talked about, however, when something does not fit the narrative, or is not beneficial to it, it is passed over in silence, to put it mildly.

𝟭 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝟭𝟵:𝟭-𝟮. „Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.””

Jezebel tries to „intimidate” Elijah by sending him a deadly threat, which as the next verse says, Elijah „was afraid of” and used to flee. Another verse confirming that it was Jezebel who was led by Satan to carry out his orders, mainly in introducing the worship of Baal and eliminating the prophets, and Ahab only allowed it. The threat is also a desire to carry out „revenge” on Elijah for his actions against the prophets of Baal. „Scare” tactic have been used by Satan recently, to a very large extent, where people were intimidated in various ways into taking a drug that was supposed to help them.

In chapter 21 we read about Jezebel’s next shameful activity.

𝟭 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝟮𝟭:𝟮-𝟰. „And after this Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near my house, and I will give you a better vineyard for it; or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its value in money.” But Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And Ahab went into his house vexed and sullen because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had said to him, for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and would eat no food.”

Ahab, despite being a king and having access to all wealth, desires Naboth’s vineyard, which adjoins his palace. When Naboth refuses to sell, citing the law of God, Ahab reacts with anger, discouragement, and a lack of control over his emotions. He returns home distressed and angry, goes to bed, turns his face away, and refuses to eat, expressing his deep irritation at Naboth’s refusal. He does not even think of what comes to his wife without any problems.

𝟭 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝟮𝟭:𝟳-𝟭𝟬. „And Jezebel his wife said to him, “Do you now govern Israel? Arise and eat bread and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal, and she sent the letters to the elders and the leaders who lived with Naboth in his city. And she wrote in the letters, “Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth at the head of the people. And set two worthless men opposite him, and let them bring a charge against him, saying, ‘You have cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.””

Jezebel, through „manipulation, deceit and lies, using authority, violence and ruthlessness”, causes the death of Naboth in order to gain his vineyards. Once again, she shows us how much influence Jezebel has on her husband, who gives her a free hand to do such cruel things in order to gain material goods. The main tool was Jezebel, and Ahab was to give her his power to do evil. In our times, Satan uses all the previously mentioned tactics, and this tactic is also used on a large scale, through wars that mainly serve to take over deposits, for example, oil, or install their government in a given country.

As we read further, they are predicted to be punished for their actions.

𝟭 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝟮𝟭:𝟭𝟵-𝟮𝟱. „And you shall say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Have you killed and also taken possession?”’ And you shall say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your own blood.”’” Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” He answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the Lord. Behold, I will bring disaster upon you. I will utterly burn you up, and will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel. And I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the anger to which you have provoked me, and because you have made Israel to sin. And of Jezebel the Lord also said, ‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel within the walls of Jezreel.’ Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone of his who dies in the open country the birds of the heavens shall eat.”(There was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord like Ahab, whom Jezebel his wife incited.”

As we read in the final words, „whom Jezebel his wife incited.”, once again the Holy Scripture speaks about through whom Satan worked.

The prophecy is repeated when one of Elijah’s disciples anoints Jehu as the new king of Israel.

𝟮 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝟵:𝟲-𝟭𝟬. „So he arose and went into the house. And the young man poured the oil on his head, saying to him, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, I anoint you king over the people of the Lord, over Israel. And you shall strike down the house of Ahab your master, so that I may avenge on Jezebel the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel. And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah. And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and none shall bury her.” Then he opened the door and fled.”

And a fragment speaking about the fulfillment of the prophecy about Jezebel:

𝟐 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝟗:𝟑𝟎-𝟑𝟕. „When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it. And she painted her eyes and adorned her head and looked out of the window. And as Jehu entered the gate, she said, “Is it peace, you Zimri, murderer of your master?” And he lifted up his face to the window and said, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three eunuchs looked out at him. He said, “Throw her down.” So they threw her down. And some of her blood spattered on the wall and on the horses, and they trampled on her. Then he went in and ate and drank. And he said, “See now to this cursed woman and bury her, for she is a king’s daughter.” But when they went to bury her, they found no more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands. When they came back and told him, he said, “This is the word of the Lord, which he spoke by his servant Elijah the Tishbite: ‘In the territory of Jezreel the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel, and the corpse of Jezebel shall be as dung on the face of the field in the territory of Jezreel, so that no one can say, This is Jezebel.’””

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟬 𝗼𝗳 𝟮 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 almost entirely describes how Jehu dealt with the house of Ahab, which is confirmation of the fulfillment of the prophecy.

Certain biblical characters are not worth imitating. However, we can learn a lot from the examples of Ahab and Jezebel, both about the actions we should not do and about the versatile tactics of Satan that he uses through his followers. Another important lesson is that all who commit crimes against God will sooner or later be punished and that we should not always do everything that someone tells us to do. Satan still uses all of the above tactics in our times and it is good to know them so that we can protect ourselves from them.

There are many more examples from the Old Testament that show how Satan works through his followers against God. We have discussed the most interesting ones for me, but in the next material we will talk about the changes that Satan had to introduce after the Savior came into the world.

I invite you to the next episode of the „Satan’s tactics” series, where we will learn how Satan uses his tactics against our Lord Yeshu Christ.

Thank you for your commitment and valuable support! I am glad that the material I have prepared was helpful and interesting. Your comments and sharing of the content help to reach a wider audience, and every like shows that what we do matters. I encourage you to follow the next publications, where we will explore more of Satan’s deceptive tactics and how we can protect ourselves from them. Thank you for being part of our community, and I look forward to more discussions!