Every person comes into this world for a reason. Before you were born God had already planned for you to be here. He dreamed of who you would be and what your purpose in His creation would be.
Few things in life are as sad and tragic as a person who chooses to turn God’s dream for their life into a nightmare. Ons such person is Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab, who relentlessly tried to kill Elijah, God’s prophet.
She had all the strengths of the Raving Red temperament and quite a few Yappy Yellow characteristics too. She was charming and seductive, had leadership skills, and knew how to argue with and persuade people.
She could have been a leader like Deborah, the prophetess and judge long before her: wise, brave and kind. Instead, she chose to promote idolatry, and worshipped money and power. She was effective and successful in this – until she died a horrible death at the hands of her own people.
Jezebel’s daughter, Athaliah, willingly followed in the bloody footsteps of her parents. She was the only queen to have ever sat on the throne of David in her own right and not as the wife of a king. She impacted the lives of many people over many years and is a woman of note – a very ugly and discordant note.
You can read her story as a cautionary tale of squandered opportunities in 2 Kings 11 and 2 Chronicles 22-23. We meet her as the wife of King Jehoram, son of King Jehosophat. Unlike his father who was godly, Jehoram was wicked.
After his death, his son with Athaliah became king. As Ahaziah was only 22 years old, mommy-dearest guided him in her Baal ways and encouraged him to be a truly cruel monarch.
After only a year he was killed by Jehu, who used to serve in Ahab’s army. Jehu had been anointed by Elisha to be king of Israel and to rid Judah of the evils of Ahab and his family.
When the queen mother heard of the death of her son she immediately took action to kill his sons. Yes, you read that right. Athaliah had her grandsons murdered. She destroyed the royal family so that she could claim the throne.
You may remember that baby Joash and his nanny were helped to escape and he was later returned to restore God’s law and order. But for six years Athaliah was in charge. It was a reign of terror, corruption and moral decline.
Of course she promoted Baal services and built temples and altars. Those who worshipped the Lord were persecuted and killed. The whole country became unstable and filled with dissent. This weakened the economy and defenses. Judah was the complete opposite of the stable, strong and prosperous kingdom it had been under David.
When Joash was seven years old, the high priest Jehoida brought him back and started a rebellion. He had much support despite Athaliah’s protest that this was treason. Troops obeyed the high priest and captured the queen. She remained unrepentant and was executed.
Just as she had been cut down, so the Baal temples were torn down, the idolatrous priests killed, and the altars smashed. Peace and the ways of the Lord returned to the land and the people rejoiced.
Today, Athaliah is remembered as the female queen who had almost destroyed the bloodline of King David. She is remembered for leading her husband and son astray. Her legacy is that of an unjust, heartless and cruel murderess to an extent few of us can comprehend.
Had she chosen to use the strengths God had given her differently, a whole country would have been more prosperous. Many, many people would have lived the full-colour lives God had intended for them.
How much ambition do you have? How much do you love power? Were you taught about the grace of Jesus Christ? Are you teaching this to the next generations?
What does your influence and guidance look like in your marriage and/or workplace? Do you know what righteous leadership is? Are you such a leader and/or do you follow righteous leaders?
Are you brave enough to meet any dark family history with the light of the Word and create your own legacy from the platform of Light? God’s plans always prevail and repentance is always possible. You can always find your way back to His dream for you.
