Inside: why you need to carefully consider your choice of friends
If you’re a Bible reader or a church goer, you’ve probably heard of the big, bad Jezebel.
Just for a recap, though, Jezebel was married to King Ahab of Israel. Jezebel was not a follower of God and convinced King Ahab to allow worship of other gods in Israel.
Ever heard of Baal? That was the god of Jezebel.
Oh, and let’s not forget how she commanded the death of a bunch of prophets. Yeah, that was pretty bad.
Jezebel, a prime specimen of what not to be, is one of the most infamous lady villains in the Bible. Not only did she live a downright evil life, but her demise was pretty gruesome, too. I mean, getting pushed out of the window and essentially becoming dog food is pretty rough.
Chances are, you’re probably not going to meet a true Jezebel in your life. (I dunno, I could be very wrong about that). But, you might meet someone like Jezebel who is just as influential.
The Story of Jezebel, Ahab, and Naboth
In 1 Kings 21, we find a pretty familiar story about King Ahab and Naboth.
Naboth, the owner of a lovely vineyard next to King Ahab’s palace, refused to give his inheritance, the vineyard, to the King. (Right here, my friends, is an important lesson, too, when you think about your faith. Never, ever let anyone take it from you. Ever.) And what happened when Naboth refused to give it up?
King Ahab went home and whined about it in the most dramatic of ways. Two words: hunger strike.
Okay, maybe not a true hunger strike, but King Ahab was extra dramatic and refused to eat because he was just soooo upset.
Enter Jezebel.
Jezebel decided to take matters into her own hands and through some influence and some lying, she concocted an evil plan to have Naboth lied on and stoned to death. Once Naboth was out of the picture, his vineyard was scooped up for the king.
If you want to read more about this account in the Bible, click here.
Jezebel: Friend or Foe?
For whatever reason, King Ahab (and, it seems, everyone else) was easily influenced by Jezebel. She never had a problem getting anyone to do her bidding. She caused trouble for almost everyone. And, she got people into predicaments they probably would have rather not been in.
If I had to guess, she likely had a silver tongue, too. Probably skilled in flattery and deception.
We can learn a lot from Jezebel. One of the most important lessons we can learn from her, though, is we must carefully choose the friends we surround ourselves with.
Because Jezebel and Ahab were married, it is very likely they confided in one another. Actually, we can see a glimpse of this in 1 Kings 21:5-6 when Ahab confessed why he was upsetti spaghetti about Naboth’s refusal to sell that sweeeeet vineyard. And, we can also see Jezebel saying a little something like, “Did you forget who you are? You’re the King! You can do anything!”
Okay, so that is definitely paraphrasing, but the point stands. Jezebel was very good at getting people to open up and spill the beans.
Choose Your Friends Wisely
Sometimes, we have to just spill the beans, though.
But, we must be very careful and picky when choosing who we confide in and tell all of our secrets.
When a friend starts giving you un-truths not aligned with the Word as advice to your troubles, well, that presents a problem.
Sure, you might be able to sort the truth from the un-truths. But if you’re already weary and worn down, it can be hard to see what is going on. If you’re weary, there’s a good chance you might be influenced in the wrong direction and be lead down the wrong path.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad thing to confide in someone else.
Like I said, sometimes we just have to spill those beans. We absolutely cannot let those beans simmer. Because, if we do, eventually the pressure will build up and an explosion is bound to happen. Trust me when I say that it is not a pretty sight. We were not meant to carry burdens on our own.
But, we need to make certain that we are confiding in someone that will give us Biblical truths. Someone who will remind us who we are, Whose we are, and offers biblically sound advice to our worries and our problems.
Who we surround ourselves with is extremely important.
Don’t be like Ahab. Don’t let your relationships and friendships hinder you and lead you astray.
Shine bright!
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Thoughts?