Honesty time. I dread writing about this letter. Sexual sin…Ugh. My generation generally does not discuss the “s”word and dealing with this subject matter can be difficult. So I pray and dive in head first.
Who was Jezebel? There is a reason not many women today name their precious baby girls Jezebel. Merriam-Webster defines a jezebel as an impudent, shameless, or morally unrestrained woman. Yikes! If you have ever been called a jezebel, it was not a compliment.
The story of Jezebel can be found in 1 and 2 Kings. Ahab reigned as king of Israel/Samaria from around 874-853 BCE. His counterpart in the land of Judah was King Asa. Ahab's reign lasted twenty-two years. So what did Ahab accomplish? “But Ahab son of Omri did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, even more than any of the kings before him.” 1 Kings 16:30 To be called the most wicked king in the history of Israel is a scathing accusation. What did Ahab do to earn this reputation in the eyes of God?
Ahab’s heart must have been pretty rotten in the first place. His choice of bride created a marriage truly based on self-aggrandizement. Jezebel was the daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians, and also the high priestess dedicated to Asherah worship. Ahab built a temple to Baal in his own homeland of Israel/Samaria and then erected an Asherah pole. The devotees to Baal and the practitioners of Asherah worship engaged in all kinds of animal sacrifices, human sacrifices, and sexual promiscuity. As the high priestess of Asherah worship, Jezebel literally was impudent, shameless and morally unrestrained sexually.
So what did the Lord do? He sent Elijah to warn Ahab regarding God’s anger over the idol worship tolerated in Israel. Elijah remained faithful to God even when the entire country was corrupt. He continually warned Ahab to repent and return to God. What did Ahab do? Nothing. The Bible describes Ahab as “angry and sullen” multiple times. His anger led him to listen to the advice of Jezebel and kill an innocent man, Naboth, simply because he wanted Naboth’s land. Jezebel continued to treat the people of Israel with contempt. Many were killed on her orders, and Elijah lived in continuous danger of execution by Jezebel. She also shamelessly promoted Baal worship which include all sorts of things involving the "s" word. Because of Jezebel and her rejection of God, the northern kingdom of Israel ultimately fell.
So what does any of this have to do with the Letter to the Church at Thyatira?
Background on Thyatira
Thyatira was a small community about 35 miles east of Pergamum. Thyatira existed as a workhorse for the Roman Empire. No wealthy merchants or royals lived in Thyatira. This city and its people labored day in and day out. One of the most interesting archeological findings at the ruins of Thyatira was a list of all the guilds that operated within the community. To date, this list represents the largest concentration of guilds located in one area. A guild was a group of commonly skilled workers who basically unionized in order to guarantee appropriate training and quality of workmanship from its members. The guilds also served as social clubs and a support network for its members and their families. Guilds remained extremely important well into the modern era.
Thyatira’s most famous export was burnished bronze. The people of the day did not have the technology to produce mirrored glass, so burnished bronze substitued as the closest equivalent of the day.
So how does Jesus greet the Church at Thyatira? “Write to the angel of the church in Thyatira: Thus says the Son of God, the one whose eyes are like a fiery flame and whose feet are like fine bronze” Revelation 2:18. Jesus comes to the church in a recognizable form. How is metal fabricated? With fire. What was their primary export? Fine bronze. I gain so much comfort in the fact that Jesus appeared in a personal and meaningful form to these laboring people of the church.
Jesus praises the Church at Thyatira for their love, faithfulness, service, endurance, and constant improvement. What does he dislike? “You tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and teaches and deceives my servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat meat sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality.” Revelation 2:20-21.
And there it is…the “s”word.
The Bible says a great deal about sexual immorality. I could do a deep dive and spout scripture after scripture. Don’t believe me? Go to your favorite Bible app and search “sexual immorality” and see what pops up. But why is this such a hot button topic for God?
Most people tend to tune out the passages in the Bible we don’t like. We can easily justify our actions if we don't look at certain scriptures, rigth? So why is sexual immorality dangerous enough for Jesus to declare that he will “throw her (Jezebel) on a bed of suffering, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer greatly unless they repent and turn away from her evil deeds” Revelation 2:22.
I have thought about this for days. Our culture is hyper-sexualized and images promoting sex exist everywhere. Why exactly does a scantily clad woman need to be peddling pharmeceuticals? I wonder who the target audience is for that commercial? And there is the point. Sex is not something one usually does on his/her own - technically. Sex involves a partner or partners. I think back to my tenure teaching young adults. I witnessed some catastrophic repercussions for young people engaging in sexual activity long before they were mentally and physically prepared. I have two drastic examples, but I could relate hundreds.
One young athlete had multiple major colleges recruiting him. He shone on the football field as he lept in the air and pulled in passess no other receiver could make. He finally signed with UT, and his pro-career seemed imminent. Then his girlfriend got pregnant. Rather than go to college, he graduated high school and went to work to support his child. His girlfriend broke up with him and denied him access to the baby because “the only reason she had the kid in the first place was so she could be tied to a pro-football player.”
The next example I really can’t talk much about. One of my favorite students ever stood in his girlfriend’s driveway after she broke up with him and shot himself. He would always draw amazing pictures for me, and I still keep them in a drawer and pull them out on occasion to mourn the lost potential of this amazing young man.
But that’s the problem people don’t like to acknowledge. When an intimate act occurs, it connects people in a way that is irreversible. Connections form and consequences follow when people know each other on such a personal level. We may want to deny it, but I’ve seen the young woman who so desperately wants to be loved that she gives herself to any selfish boy, and her self-esteem continues to spiral as she seeks love and committment. I’ve seen the young man collapse under locker room pressure to lose himself only to find a trip to the doctor’s office is needed because STDs are real I’ve witnessed sexual immorality gut families and alter lives forever. In a loving, committed relationship, the consequences of sex can be amazing. However, the conequences of sexual immorality can alter a life forever.
Jesus told the hard working people of the Church of Thyatira, “I am the one who examines minds and hearts, and I will give to each of you according to your works.” Revelation 2:23 Jesus understands the struggle people face when it comes to sexual sin. The temptation is extremely powerful and a favorite weapon of Satan. Jesus even calls sexual sin the “secrets of Satan.” Revelation 2:24 But what is the reward for trying to keep a righteous mind and heart and sexual purity?
“The one who conquers and who keeps my works to the end: I will give him authority over the nations, and he will rule them with an iron scepter; he will shatter them like pottery just as I have received this from my Father. I will also give him the morning star.” Revelation 2:26-28
Wow! What a promise!!! I think Jesus acknowledges the problem the people of the Church at Thyatira faced. They would have been guild members and literally all their frends encouraged them to go along with the culture and participate in the sexual sin. I think Jesus acknowledges this for us today. Resisting sexual temptation is hard especially when it surrounds you on all sides. But the reward for triumphing over base desires is worthiness to rule with Jesus and the Saints! I’m not sure what the morning star means, but the fact that the father would give such a gift…That is some incentive to say NO to the "s" word and turn back to God.
And if you are wondering what happend to Jezebel?
Look up 2 Kings 9:30-37 if you don't have a weak stomach...
Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.
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