| Day 321: Read today's devotional on Bible Gateway. A Promise FulfilledWhen Jezebel, the queen mother, heard that Jehu had come to Jezreel, she painted her eyelids and fixed her hair and sat at a window. When Jehu entered the gate of the palace, she shouted at him, "Have you come in peace, you murderer? You're just like Zimri, who murdered his master!" Jehu looked up and saw her at the window and shouted, "Who is on my side?" And two or three eunuchs looked out at him. "Throw her down!" Jehu yelled. So they threw her out the window, and her blood spattered against the wall and on the horses. And Jehu trampled her body under his horses' hooves. Then Jehu went into the palace and ate and drank. Afterward he said, "Someone go and bury this cursed woman, for she is the daughter of a king." But when they went out to bury her, they found only her skull, her feet, and her hands. When they returned and told Jehu, he stated, "This fulfills the message from the Lord, which he spoke through his servant Elijah from Tishbe: 'At the plot of land in Jezreel, dogs will eat Jezebel's body. Her remains will be scattered like dung on the plot of land in Jezreel, so that no one will be able to recognize her.'"
(2 Kings 9:30-37) ReflectBecause of the wickedness of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, the prophet Elijah predicted that both would die horribly (1 Kings 21:20-24). Why did Jezebel refer to Zimri? Zimri was an army commander who, some forty years earlier, had killed Elah and then had declared himself king of Israel (1 Kings 16:8-10). Jezebel was accusing Jehu of trying the same treachery. Jezebel's skull, feet, and hands were all that remained of her evil life—no power, no money, no prestige, no royal finery, no family, no spiritual heritage. In the end, her life of luxury and treachery amounted to nothing. Power, health, and wealth may make a person feel invincible. But death strips everyone of all external security. RespondWhat spiritual legacy are you preparing to leave? This legacy can be seen through your priorities. Perhaps like your parents you make sure your children worship God and provide the means for them to learn more about God. Or, perhaps you're building into the lives of others through charitable works or by supporting missionaries. Ask God to help you continue to build on this legacy as you invest in his kingdom work. |
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