#21 – The Irony of Idolaters

Published by Ben Stahl on April 20, 2020April 20, 2020

And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.

I Kings 19:1-3 NKJV

I have always found the story in Acts 23:12 very interesting. Certain Jews were so enraged by Paul’s existence they vowed not to eat or drink anything until they had killed Paul. God by His providence protected Paul and he lived several years afterward. What happened to those who made the vow? Did they break it or die of starvation and thirst?

After Elijah and Ahab reached Jezreel, Ahab told his wife Jezebel all that Elijah had done on Mount Carmel (19:1). We should notice that Ahab did not tell what “the Lord” had done on Mount Carmel but what “Elijah” had done. When Jezebel heard the report, including the killing of 450 prophets of her beloved god, she was filled with anger and made a vow to kill Elijah within 24 hours (19:2) or become herself like the dead prophets of Baal.*

Such is the hatred of the wicked against the followers of the only living and true God. They will wish bodily harm on themselves rather than let God’s prophets live. The irony with Jezebel was that the gods she just swore by were the same gods that could not answer 450 prophets on Mount Carmel. The man she promised to murder was the man whose God just defeated all of her prophets and had escaped her treacherous hand for three years. What did she think the probability of success was?

Upon receiving the message from Jezebel, Elijah took his servant and fled to Beersheba, a city at the far southern end of Judah. Beersheba was well south of Jerusalem and under the control and protection of godly King Jehoshaphat. Elijah left his servant in Beersheba, safe from Jezebel’s assassins, and went to be alone with the Lord.  

Great works of the Lord were shown to Ahab and Jezebel and yet seeing and hearing those works did not save either Ahab or Jezebel. Salvation comes only from believing on the Lord Jesus Christ who did all the great works that we read and hear of in Scripture.**

Through Elijah’s escape, the Lord demonstrates to us yet again that the gods of Jezebel were false gods and powerless. They could not bring fire from heaven nor could they deliver one man into the hands of Jezebel. The God who protected Elijah is the Christian’s God. Let us take refuge in Him.

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*Most of the ancient idolaters were polytheists. Jezebel loved Baal most but clearly by her name and background was content to worship many gods. (“Bel” was a Chaldean god.)

** Psalm 78 recounts many works of the Lord: the plagues in Egypt; the crossing of the Red Sea; and the water from the rock to name just a few. But throughout these accounts the Lord tells us things like this: “And they sinned yet more against Him… and they tempted God… Yes, they spake against God… For all this they sinned still…” Jezebel heard about the works of the Lord and spoke against God. The Israelites saw the work of the Lord and spoke against Him. May we who have read and heard the works of the Lord believe in Him.