Summary: I don’t want to be too hard on Jezebel this morning, so let me tell you that she was born with some great abilities and qualities. However, she elected to use them in the wrong fashion.

TITLE: THE ROOSTER MAY CROW BUT THE HEN DELIVERS THE GOODS

SCRIPTURE: I KINGS 21:25

I must admit to you this morning that preaching a sermon on Mother’s Day with Jezebel anywhere in the topic may not seem like a wise idea. Mothers are revered – Mother’s are respected - Mother’s are Held in esteem. When I was young as well as in my parent’s generation - Mother’s were in the Church and taking care of the Children - Important for Mothers to make the house a home. Even if Mother worked outside of the home, she would take care of the home and make sure children were taken care of and participating in the life of the church. Taught to be respectful and kept the children from the streets.

We need to be real this morning – our society has changed. Mothers of this new generation are different and beginning motherhood at a much younger age then when I was coming up. I remember when Elect Lady and I became parents, she was 19 and I was 22 years of age, and yes, young folks, we were married at the time. We were responsible for a new life that totally depended upon us.

• Going to the Club was no longer important

• Partying was no longer important

• Hanging out with the fellas was no longer important

• We had a little life that we bought into this world that needed all of our attention

Seems like this next generation doesn’t make those same transitions as quickly, if at all. Young parents argue and fight over who is going to change the babies diapers. Argue and fight over who has to stay home with the baby, while the other goes out to party. Heard a young parent complain they could not go out because they had to stay home and babysit. You don’t babysit your own child, It’s your Child!!!!! So I want to help this next generation of mothers this morning and it may be uncomfortable. So, we continue this morning with our month long series on BAD GIRLS OF THE BIBLE. Ever come across any Bad Girls in your life? Now don't go pointing at any one sitting around you this morning.

I remember the year that I graduated High School in 1979 – it was the same year that DONNA SUMMER came out with her hit – BAD GIRLS – back in the Disco era. The song talked about some Bad Girls in the street and how they handled their business. I will leave it right there. None the less, I want to talk this morning about perhaps the #1 Bad Girl found in the pages of the Holy Writ.

Now it is interesting in our culture, sometimes you kind of expect fellows to be the bad guys. I never could understand when young ladies raised in the Church, grow up and pursue a Bad Boy - that still doesn’t make sense to me. But when there is a woman who is evil, boy, it seems all the more difficult to deal with, because they don't seem to take that role quite as naturally. Today, this woman that we'll talk about certainly is one of the most wicked women recorded in the pages of the scripture.

• What lessons can we learn from the life of Jezebel?

• She is mentioned for the first time in the book of KINGS

• She is mentioned for the final time in the Book of REVELATION

I could go many different directions this morning and each would be enriching. I want to ensure that I provide us with the tools that we need to do better, to face ourselves and with the help of God become all that God has called us to be. The direction we will move in this morning has to deal with relationships – not only with Husband and Wife – but also our relationships with one another. Can I tell you that IF WE ARE NOT IN RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH ONE ANOTHER, YOU BETTER BE SURE WE ARE NOT IN RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.

The PHOENICIAN PRINCESS Jezebel was born RICH and developed early in life a “TAKE CHARGE – TAKE NO PRISONERS ATTITUDE.” This is not a bad thing in general. We want to teach our Daughters how to take charge and SHATTER THE GLASS CEILING. We can appreciate women like:

• Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher

• Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

• Secretary of State Dr. Condelissa Rice

• Oprah Winfrey - First African American Female Billionaire

• Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Harvard Educated and President, Liberia

• Bishop Vashita McKenzie, first female Bishop elected in AME denomination

• Rosa Parks, Mother of the Civil Rights Movement

• And certainly the list goes on

Jezebel was the daughter of ETHBAAL, the King of the SIDONIANS. Remember with me that her marriage to KING AHAB was strictly a political alliance between the two nations. It would quickly become obvious that it was her PERSONALITY and her PAST, not her Position as the new Queen of Israel that made her a dangerous woman:

• She grew up a worshipper of Baal

• Determined to drive Jehovah God out of Israel

• Filled the palace with images of false gods

• Paid out of the Royal Treasury 450 Priests of Baal and 400 woman diviners

• I KINGS 18:4 - Jezebel was killing off the Lord’s prophets, if it took murdering a few hundred holy men to push her personal agenda – She Did Not Care!

The author LIZ CURTIS HIGGS said about Jezebel – “WHEN JEZEBEL SPOKE, IT PAID TO WEAR FLAME-RESISTANT LONG JOHNS.” Whenever this woman spoke she was always Spitting Fire! This Queen VERBALLY and PSYCHOLOGICALLY beat her husband King Ahab into Submission – he was afraid to make a move without her.

• I know a few Husband-Wife relationships like that today

• Wives you must be careful not to Hen Peck and Nag

• Jezebel had to control everything and everyone around her

Listen Mothers, if you don’t have neighbors, church sisters stopping by every now and then, have a cup of coffee or tea, children’s friends don’t even want to come over and Play – this is a first sign that you need to do a self-evaluation. If people have the tendency to stay away from you, it most likely has to do with Control Issues. This is a Spirit that we can trace all the way back to the pages of the Old Testament.

• This is an issue we must deal with

• Must face the fact that we have control issues

• Don’t even like going to Church

• We can’t control and pick the sermon

• We can’t control and pick the Bible Study lesson

• We can’t control and select how long the Pastor Preachers

• Come up with all kind of excuses why we can’t make it to Church and Bible Study

• Bottom line is it is a Control Issue

• If we can’t control the environment, we stay away from the environment

King Ahab was simply abused to the point that all he would do is whin over an issue, and that is all the Queen needed to Take Charge. She would tell him – “HONEY, GO LAY DOWN, I GOT THIS.” When Queen Jezebel handled the King’s business – you better get out of her way. She was one of those women that you might admire for her courage, but never invite her to your dinner table. When it came to Jezebel’s actions, leaders just looked in opposite direction. With Jezebel:

• It was not MURDER – Downsizing

• It was not STEALING – Acquisition

• It was not LYING – Fabrication

• It was not CHEATING – Improvising

• It was not CONTROLLING – Strategic Planning

Jezebel certainly was a different kind of Biblical woman:

• Never told that she was beautiful or alluring

• She loved make-up and jewelry

• She was the MARY KAYE of her times

• Never told that King Ahab loved her

• Never told that she loved him or anyone else beyond herself

• POTIPHAR’s Wife loved Men

• LOT’s Wife loved Worldliness

• JOB’s Wife loved Comfort

• HOSEA’s Wife loved Affection

• DELILAH loved Money

• The WOMAN AT THE WELL loved Companions

• SAPPHIRE loved Riches and Wealth

• EVE loved Curiosity

• But JEZEBEL loved Power

I don’t want to be too hard on Jezebel this morning, so let me tell you that she was born with some great ABILITIES and QUALITIES. However, she elected to use them in the wrong fashion. You ever see a child and you can tell they are GIFTED, born and blessed with natural ability given by God. You can tell the hand of God is on their life. The tragedy is that as time goes on you watch them grow up, as gifted as they are, they go from ONE MISTAKE AFTER ANOTHER. Spend years of hardships bought upon themselves and string of Poor Decisions and Choices. Never living up to the special ability that lies within them, it is almost tragic to watch them throw their lives away. This is how it was with Jezebel:

• She had a Finely Tuned Mind

• She had Boldness and Courage

• She had Strong Leadership Abilities

• She had an Assertive Personality

• She had a Royal Lineage

Jezebel recognized in herself, just as others had, that she was blessed with some natural abilities that others had to work overtime to achieve. But with this recognition, she used it in the wrong way.

• She used her Bright Mind to Devise Evil Schemes

• She used her Courage to Commit Murder

• She used her Leadership Skills to Take over the Throne

• She used her Assertiveness to Draw People Away from God

• She used her Queenship to Manipulate her Subjects

• She was a Queen with Attitude!

• She was Very Proud of her Pride

You Bible readers will recall that one particular morning King Ahab rose up from bed and walked out on his balcony with LONGING in his Eyes, they were transfixed across the courtyard. His eyes were not fixed on a beautiful woman like Bethsheba – that drew David into a spiral of Sin. This was not the King’s Weakness – must understand our weakness.

• Understand our Weakness – devil sure knows what it is

• Weakness is Just have to have a man – that’s why life messed up

• Weakness is Drugs or Alcohol – keep you falling and in rehab and recovery

• Weakness is Food – Lose other areas of discipline in your life

• Weakness is Pride – Destruction is around the corner

This King had another type of Weakness. King Ahab had a thing for land and vegetation, he looked at his neighbors piece of property and was Whining because his neighbor Naboth would not sell him the land. Naboth said it was an inheritance therefore, he desired to keep it in the family. So when he didn’t get his way, the stunned Ahab – who was used to getting everything he wanted because he was king – went to his bedroom, fell on his bed, turned his face to the wall, refused to eat, and pouted because he had not gotten what he wanted.

To be refused by a common man like Naboth was a slap in the face to Ahab. Despite the fact that he was king over Israel, this PETTY LITTLE INCIDENT ILLUMINATED HIS WEAKNESS. To be perfectly honest, most of our weaknesses are nothing more than petty. This King thought, “Just wait until the leaders of the neighboring countries hear about this. They will laugh at me, realize just how powerless I am, and no doubt take political advantage of it.” So he fell on his bed and POUTED LIKE A SULKY TEENAGER.

Look….that should have been the end of the story. The story could have ended right there. The story should have ended right there. Naboth would go on about the business of tending to his vineyard, and Ahab would learn to be happy with what he had. But it didn’t work out that way because Ahab’s wife, Jezebel strides into the picture.

• Jezebel did not know the God of Israel

• She knew nothing of sacred trusts or ethics

• She knew nothing of Levitical law or provisions of Jubilee

• She was a Princess

• She was the daughter of a Phoenician king

• She only knew how to operate according to the example set before her

• She only knew what she had witnessed in her royal household

• She only knew that when a person of power wanted something, they just took it

When Jezebel heard this she chastised King Ahab and set a plan and had Naboth killed and she took his property since he had no living willing effect:

• This cowardly King Ahab just allowed those kind of antics from his wife

• Until God finally had enough

• King David had a neighbor killed because he lusted after the man’s wife

• Queen Jezebel had a neighbor killed because her husband lusted after the man’s land

• She loved asserting her husband’s Power

Ahab's natural impulse was to sulk, but Jezebel's natural impulse was to take the bull by the horns. She knew only one way to get what she wanted – do whatever it takes! She knew how to get things done in her world, and was willing to go to any measure to get the job accomplished.

• "Do you now govern the kingdom of Israel?" she said to her husband

• It's as if she were saying, "Are you a man or a mouse?"

• Then she said, "Arise, and eat bread, and let your heart be merry

• I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite"

There are many relationship lessons that can be learned from the life of Jezebel. Ultimately King Ahab was held responsible for leading Israel, however, he allowed his wife to turn his head from heaven – don’t allow anyone to hold that kind of Power over you. We must be careful and guard our relationship with God, cannot allow anyone to sever our relationship. King Ahab began as a good strong leader over Israel – then came Jezebel. Relationship is not right at home – not right with God.

• Every time you change boyfriends no longer find you in the church

• Every time you are between jobs can’t find you in the church

• Allow things and people to disconnect us from God

• Your relationship with God is not based on Me – Neighbor – Significant Other - Husband – Wife – Mom – Dad

This is what Paul addressed in ROMANS 8:35 “WHO SHALL SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF CHRIST? SHALL TRIBULATION, OR DISTRESS, OR PERSECUTION, OR FAMINE, OR NAKEDNESS, OR PERIL, OR SWORD?”

He went on to answer his own question in VS 38-39 “FOR I AM PERSUADED, THAT NEITHER DEATH, NOR LIFE, NOR ANGELS, NOR PRINCIPALITIES, NOR POWERS, NOR THINGS PRESENT, NOR THINGS TO COME, NOR HEIGHT, NOR DEPTH, NOR AN OTHER CREATURE, SHALL BE ABLE TO SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD, WHICH IS IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD.”

I have often heard the phrase – LIKE FATHER LIKE SON - Jezebel was just like her Father, she followed in his footsteps – my brothers and sisters you can break the vicious Cycle this morning – you can choose to live Godly. Don’t care if your parents were not Godly, break the tradition right now and resolve to establish a new inheritance for you and your loved ones. Even your own past does not have to Hold you down – nothing so terrible that you could have done that God is not able to forgive.

Sisters, some of you may not like this but I am going there anyway - RULING YOUR COUNTRY IS ONE THING – RULING YOUR HUSBAND IS ANOTHER. I know some of you are already thinking well….my husband needs me to rule him, or he would not get anything done! Can I remind us how God has structured Marriage – Thou we are equal in God’s eyes and co-laborers in the Kingdom, in the home the Husband is the Head of the Wife – providing he is willing to die for her.

I have read the text over and over and noticed something very interesting – THE ONLY PERSON WHO SAW AHAB AS WEAK WAS JEZEBEL.

• All of Jezebel’s cosmetics could not make up for her Ugly Attitude toward her husband

• Some men may be viewed as competent and capable in every setting but their own home

• Sisters it might be your strong willed nature not your Husbands weak one

I see too many women in our society that are vicious towards their husbands. Sisters, even when you are Right it does not necessarily make your Husband Wrong. Do any of Jezebels traits match your own this morning?

• Strong Willed

• Domineering

• Quick to Criticize

• Eager to Take Charge

• Slow to Relinquish Control

• Sharp Tongues

• Stubborn

• Impatient

• Unwilling to Admit your Wrong

--I stopped by on this Mother’s Day to let you know that God is able to use your strong personality for the Advancement of His Kingdom

--If your relationship is not right with your family and your neighbors, it cannot be right with God

--God created you just like you are, knew you before you were placed in your mother’s womb

--Created to Give God the Glory First

--God did not create us to Rule over one another

--Created us to be in relationship with Him and one another

--Our relationship with God starts with our relationship with one another