Episode 6, “The Unplanned Fast: Elijah and Jezebel
Hello and welcome to Episode 6, in our “Empowerment Through Fasting Series.” Today’s episode is entitled, “The Unplanned Fast: Elijah and Jezebel.” Today we are going to learn the significance of an unplanned fast and how Elijah’s fast played an integral role in fulfillment of the prophecy concerning King Ahab’s kingdom and Queen Jezebel’s downfall. Let’s talk about Empowerment Through Fasting.
Before we get started, if you have not already listened to Episode 1, in this series entitled, “Nothing is Impossible with God,” please do so. It provides scriptures, some basic foundational principles, contemporary examples of fasting with prayer, and caveats on how to fast. We encourage you to email us with your personal testimonies on fasting. We will give details on how to contact us and how to access past episodes referenced in today’s presentation. My name is Stephanie Wright. Let’s begin today’s episode with an introduction of Elijah and Jezebel.
Elijah was one of the most well‑known prophets of the Old Testament. He performed many miracles in the Old Testament (stopped the rain and started it again; provided endless food for a widow; brought a child back to life; called down fire on his enemy). All of these accounts are found in 1 Kings 17 and 18; 2 Kings 1 and 2; and James 5. Also, this prophet was so close to God that he was translated from earth to heaven, meaning, he did not die but was taken directly to heaven – in Elijah’s case, he was taken to heaven in a whirlwind. 2 Kings 2.
Queen Jezebel became the wife of King Ahab of Israel around 874 BC. She brought to the marriage heathen practices and idol worship most notably worship of a heathen god, Baal. As stated in the beginning of this presentation, she was one of the most, if not the most, evil woman in the Bible. She brought 450 of her Baal‑worshipping prophets into the kingdom and then ordered the murder of the prophets of the Lord (I Kings 18:4, 13). She engineered the murder of an innocent man named Naboth because he would not sell his vineyard to her husband, King Ahab. I Kings 21. For this heinous act, Elijah prophesied that she would be eaten by dogs by the wall of Jezreel, the city where the king and queen reigned. I Kings 21:23.
Today’s presentation occurred in I Kings 18, and details the conflict between Elijah and Queen Jezebel leading to Elijah’s forced fast. So, what led to the showdown between Elijah and Queen Jezebel is this, basically God got fed up with all the Baal worship so he told Elijah to go to King Ahab and set up the showdown on Mount Carmel. Long story short, in the interest of time, Elijah defeats Jezebel’s prophets.
Out of Elijah’s forced fast came a greater fast, the results of which led to the destruction of an evil queen who controlled an evil kingdom. What is important is that we see the power of fasting, whether small or great, planned or unplanned. We see how God uses fasting to destroy evil and to have his will fulfilled.
We close here by remembering another person who was driven into the wilderness not by evil, but by the Holy Spirit, to fast 40 days and 40 nights. That person, of course, was Jesus. He emerged from His fast and commenced to destroy the works of devil. But, more important, Jesus empowered us through the Holy Spirit to des
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Episode 6, “The Forced Fast: Elijah and Jezebel
We’re going to a showdown today, one man versus 450 men, that is the Prophet Elijah against Queen Jezebel’s 450 prophets. Today’s Episode 6, is entitled, “The Unplanned Fast: Elijah and Jezebel. Thank you for joining us today.
Have you ever woken up in the morning or in the course of your day, felt the Holy Spirit leading you to fast. It’s not your regular fast day, you hadn’t planned on fasting but you know this is from the Lord. Well, that’s what we are going to talk about today, “The Unplanned Fast.”
Today we are going to learn the significance of the unplanned fast and how Elijah’s fast played an integral role in fulfillment of the prophecy concerning King Ahab’s kingdom and Queen Jezebel’s downfall. My name is Stephanie Wright. Let’s talk about Empowerment Through Fasting.
Before we get started, if you have not already listened to Episode 1, in this series entitled, “Nothing is Impossible with God,” please do so. It provides some basic foundational principles about fasting scriptures, contemporary examples of fasting with prayer, and caveats on how to fast. We encourage you to email us with your personal testimonies on fasting. We will give details on how to contact us and how to access past episodes referenced in today’s presentation. Let’s begin today’s episode with an introduction of Elijah and Jezebel.
Elijah was one of the most well‑known prophets of the Old Testament. He performed many miracles in the Old Testament (stopped the rain and started it again; provided endless food for a widow; brought a child back to life; called down fire on his enemy). All of these accounts are found in 1 Kings 17 and 18; 2 Kings 1 and 2; and James 5. Also, this prophet was so close to God that he was translated from earth to heaven, meaning, he did not die but was taken directly to heaven – in Elijah’s case, he was taken to heaven in a whirlwind. 2 Kings 2.
Queen Jezebel became the wife of King Ahab of Israel around 874 BC. She brought to the marriage heathen practices and idol worship most notably worship of a heathen god, Baal. As stated in the beginning of this presentation, she was one of the most, if not the most, evil woman in the Bible. She brought 450 of her Baal‑worshipping prophets into the kingdom and then ordered the murder of the prophets of the Lord (I Kings 18:4, 13). She engineered the murder of an innocent man named Naboth because he would not sell his vineyard to her husband, King Ahab. I Kings 21. For this heinous act, Elijah prophesied that she would be eaten by dogs by the wall of Jezreel, the city where the king and queen reigned. I Kings 21:23.
Today’s presentation occurred in I Kings 18, and details the conflict between Elijah and Queen Jezebel leading to Elijah’s unplanned fast. So, what led to the showdown between Elijah and Queen Jezebel is this, basically God got fed up with all the Baal worship so he told Elijah to go to King Ahab and set up the showdown on Mount Carmel. Those of you who know me know I love cowboy shows and movies especially the fight between the good guys and bad guys. So, here we have the showdown between Elijah and Queen Jezebel’s Baal worshipping prophets on Mount Carmel. Long story short, in the interest of time, Elijah defeats Jezebel’s prophets. Queen Jezebel’s false prophets called on Baal to burn up the sacrifice of a bullock placed over a barbecue pit (okay, just kidding) but it was an altar with wood and Baal didn’t show up to the fight. God did show up to the fight and brought down fire on the sacrifice, burned it up even after Elijah had three barrels of water poured on the altar and a barrel poured in a trench surrounding the altar.
After Jezebel’s prophets are humiliated, Elijah then has them all killed. Ahab tells Jezebel what happened, Jezebel sends a message to Elijah that she is going to kill him and this powerful man of God who was victorious over Baal and the Baal worshipping prophets – runs for his life into the wilderness. I Kings19:4. He takes no food with him he just runs. So, this is why I call it a forced fast. We are not going to spend time talking about why Elijah ran because the bottom line is, it was fear. Fear will kill you which is what it almost did to Elijah because while he was on his forced fast, he told God he did not want to live. (We have three earlier podcasts on fear and conquering fear that we will tell you how to access at the end of this presentation.) This heathen queen had Elijah scared to the point of wanting to die. But he did not die. Instead, God sent an angel to feed him, then Elijah slept, the angel fed him once more and Elijah ate. Then guess what? That forced fast led to a fast of 40 days and 40 nights. I Kings 19:8. That 40‑day‑and‑night fast led to three people being anointed who would eventually be critical to fulfilling prophecy that King Ahab’s kingdom would be destroyed and Queen Jezebel would be put to death. Those three people were Hazael who would be king over Syria, Jehu who would be king over Israel, and Elisha who would replace Elijah. But note that scripture records the actual anointing of Hazael and Jehu occurred while Elisha not Elijah was prophet. So, it is not clear that Elijah actually followed through with the command to anoint Hazael and Jehu. Nevertheless, God’s plan to destroy King Ahab’s kingdom was set in motion after Elijah fasted. You can read about these events in 2 Kings, Chapters 8 and 9.
Here is how it played out. In I Kings 21:23, after Queen Jezebel has Naboth murdered so her husband can take Naboth’s vineyard, Elijah prophesies that she would be eaten by dogs by the wall of Jezreel, the city where the king and queen reigned. Then in 2 Kings 9:22‑37, Jehu enters Jezreel, having been anointed king over Israel and ordained to destroy King Ahab’s house. By this time Ahab is dead but his son, Jehoram also called Joram, rules. Joram seeks peace but Jehu replies, “What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?” He then kills Joram and has his body cast into the field that Ahab and Jezebel stole from Naboth. And that proves, when God says vengeance is his, He means it. Romans 12:19. Then Jehu proceeds to find Queen Jezebel looking at him mockingly from an upper window. Jehu directs Jezebel’s eunuchs to throw her down from the window which they do. Jehu later tries to retrieve her body because she was a queen but Elijah’s prophecy was fulfilled for when they looked for the queen’s body all that was found were her skull, feet, and the palms of her hands.
2 Kings 9:35. Elijah’s prophecy is fulfilled.
Out of Elijah’s forced fast came a greater fast, the results of which led to the destruction of an evil queen who controlled an evil kingdom. There is so much more depth to Elijah’s fasts, but time does not allow us to dive any further. What is important is that we see the power of fasting, whether small or great, planned or unplanned. We see how God uses fasting to destroy evil and to have his will fulfilled.
We close here by remembering another person who was driven into the wilderness not by evil, but by the Holy Spirit, to fast 40 days and 40 nights. That person, of course, was Jesus. He emerged from His fast and commenced to destroy the works of devil. But, more important, Jesus empowered us through the Holy Spirit to destroy the evil found in the earth, in principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6:12. More about Jesus’ Holy Ghost encounter and the works that He did can be heard in the series, “Empowered by the Holy Ghost.”
Now, let’s listen as Apostle Charles gives details on how to contact us and listen to those past episodes on fear that I referenced. And please send an email to cgmpresents@gmail.com with your accounts of how fasting has helped you. And remember, if the Holy Spirit calls you to an unplanned fast, plan on some great victories.