January 18, 2007

Crazy Evil

2 Kings 9:14-37

She painted her eyes, arranged her hair and looked out of a window. 2 Kings 9:30

— 

There are some insanely evil people portrayed in the Bible, aren't there? Sometimes good Christian people suffer mental illness, and we struggle alongside them, praying for God's grace and peace for them. But this is different. Jezebel displays the kind of insanity caused by full-blown evil.

Have you been dabbling in dangerous things? A little gambling, a little drinking and partying, a little porn? Be wary of sin, because when you open a door even just a crack, wild creatures come rushing in.

Jezebel, having opened that door long ago, was now a woman totally infested with satanic evil. Like jagged sheet metal in hurricane-force winds, she is a free-floating weapon of destruction in Satan's hellish control. There is no warning buzzer in her brain, and there are no brakes.

Jezebel is about to die, and she knows it. Like an impossible scene from a horror movie, she hums to herself and applies her makeup. You've heard the expression, "I wouldn't be caught dead in this!" Well, she figures, "If I'm going to die, I might as well look good."

Guard your heart, mind, and body. "Do not give the devil a foothold" (Ephesians 4:27). In the story of Jezebel, we see what evil can do to us all if we aren't rescued by the grace of God.

Father, deliver me from evil. Protect me when I am too weak to protect myself. Stay near me, Lord, and keep me and my loved ones safe in your care. Through Jesus alone, Amen.

About the author — Keith Mannes

Keith Mannes serves as pastor at Highland Christian Reformed Church in McBain, Michigan. Keith and his wife, Alicia, recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary,
and they are thankful for their three children—Eben, Charis, and Breanna.

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