Thought for the Day

Verses 13-18 - Proverbs 9:1-6 personifies wisdom as a virtuous woman. Here, worldly wisdom is personified as a noisy, foolish woman open to all forms of evil. She is a reckless prostitute, ignorant of eternal values. She entices men from her house, and even finds her way to the city's "high" places to tempt those in authority to partake of "stolen waters" with her, and "bread eaten in secret." Those who lack understanding are easily persuaded to follow her. Unless they repent, they will end up in hell, along with the others who embraced this spiritual whore.

The deeds of wicked women are recorded in the Bible to teach us the consequences of sin. One of the most wicked was Jezebel, a relentless woman of strong will and intellect (1 Kings 16-21; 2 Kings 9). She was an ardent idolater, practiced witchcraft, and sought to convert Israel to Baal worship. She seems to have lacked all the nobler feminine qualities. She prostituted her gifts for evil and her talents became a curse. Persuasive, she misdirected her influence. Resolute, she used her strength to destroy a king and pollute a nation. Proud and merciless, she perpetrated many evil schemes, such as the murder of an innocent man to satisfy her husband's whim for the man's property. Her own life ended tragically, as she reaped what she had sown.

Jezebel was domineering and controlling. Like a puppet in the hands of his wife, spineless Ahab did not resist her schemes. Possibly, he was more luxury-loving and sensual than cruel, but being weak and passive, he acted against his conscience under the control of his wife, who mocked what scruples he had. Many women are prone to this "Jezebel spirit." They want to rule their husbands and are determined to have their own way. Men can act like "Jezebels" too, if they have a domineering attitude over their wives. True submission in marriage means that both husband and wife first submit to the Lord, then to one another in love.

Women who are in obedience to God, can have a godly influence on their husbands and change the whole atmosphere of their homes with love and prayer. It would be quite revealing to take inventory of how many men have come to know Jesus because of the faith of a woman. I'm sure that millions of men have been saved as a direct result of the prayers of a mother, a wife, or a fiancée. "Jezebels" can lead the men in their lives astray, but godly women can bring the men in their lives to Him.