Jezebel Part 5: Queen Mother
After the death of Ahab, his eldest son became king. This elevated Jezebel to Queen Mother of Israel.
Queen mothers were powerful positions in the Israelite royal court. They were known as gebirah, which literally means ‘great lady’. This was one of the highest positions of authority in the country.
Firstly, she was instrumental in helping choose the firstborn, and who would then become the next king.
She was related by blood to the current ruler. And so, with the king’s father dead, the queen mother was the oldest in the family with royal blood.
The queen mother would also bring petitions to the king, interceding for the people.
1 Kings 2 v 15- 21
Now Adonijah, the son of Haggith, went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. Bathsheba asked him, “Do you come peacefully?”
He answered, “Yes, peacefully.” Then he added, “I have something to say to you.”
“You may say it,” she replied.
“As you know,” he said, “the kingdom was mine. All Israel looked to me as their king. But things changed, and the kingdom has gone to my brother; for it has come to him from the Lord. Now I have one request to make of you. Do not refuse me.”
“You may make it,” she said.
So he continued, “Please ask King Solomon—he will not refuse you—to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.”
“Very well,” Bathsheba replied, “I will speak to the king for you.”
When Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, the king stood up to meet her, bowed down to her and sat down on his throne. He had a throne brought for the king’s mother, and she sat down at his right hand.
“I have one small request to make of you,” she said. “Do not refuse me.”
The king replied, “Make it, my mother; I will not refuse you.”
So she said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given in marriage to your brother Adonijah.”
In this touching story, we see Bethsheba, Solomon’s mother, ask King Solomon to grant a request for his half-brother:
The Queen Mothers were powerful people in the court and country.
Jezebel the Queen Mother
Though it is thought that the ten northern tribes of Israel did not have the role of queen mother, Jezebel is specifically called this in 2 Kings
2 Kings 10 v 12-13
Then Jehu set out toward Samaria. At Beth-eked of the Shepherds, Jehu met some relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and asked, “Who are you?”
“We are relatives of Ahaziah,” they answered, “and we have come down to greet the sons of the king and of the queen mother.”
It is also believed that the Israel Museum holds the Seal of Queen Jezebel, which likely showed she was influential in her time.
Maybe this was why Jehu wanted to kill the sons, Ahaziah and Joram, but also her. She was just as royal as the kings.
Mary the Queen Mother
Most Catholic and Orthodox Christians believe Mary, the mother of Jesus, is the Queen Mother in the Kingdom of Heaven. This is based upon the role, the mother of the king took in the Judean kingdom.
For Protestants, this is a difficult issue to accept or grasp, as it is outside their theological framework. But I would say, as an unconventional Protestant, Mary plays a key role in the salvation of humanity.
Just as a woman was instrumental in the Fall, so a woman was instrumental in the story of salvation.
With her saying ‘yes’ and humbling herself to God, it shows how we should act. She shows the right way to encounter God, in humility and submission.
Mary should hold a special place in the hearts’ of all Christian. She wasn’t just any vessel for God to bring His Son into the world, she was a devout and faithful woman.
Whether we agree with the Catholics and Orthodox, we should all try to emulate her attitude when engaging with God.
Below the paywall I discuss more controversial ideas. Unfortunately, we live in a culture where if someone is offended by something in the Internet, they can cause real world problems. By having a paywall, it protects myself and my family from unwanted attention.
This time I will talk about the use of academic feminist lens on history. If you wish to read further, please consider becoming a paid subscriber.
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