Jump Start # 476

Revelation 2:21 “I gave her time to repent but she does not want to repent of her immorality.” 

  Our verse today is from the message that was written to the church at Thyatira. The book of Revelation is addressed to seven churches. Those churches were interesting. Some seem to have it together and others seemed to forget why they existed.

  Thyatira had the problem of tolerating wrong. The context says that she was tolerating Jezebel. We know it wasn’t the original Jezebel for she was long dead—thrown out a window. The O.T. Jezebel was married to King Ahab and she ran the nation, writing letters in his place, giving orders and having no problem with executing people, especially the prophets of God. She surrounded her self with the prophets of Baal and was there when Elijah had that mighty contest on Mt. Carmel about who is the true God. The prophets of Baal prayed and prayed to their god and nothing happened. Elijah prayed and God sent fire down and devoured the altar and the sacrifice. Israel turned and slaughtered the prophets of Baal that day. Jezebel was so mad that she put out a death threat to Elijah. That is when he went and hid in a cave.

  The very utterance of the name ‘Jezebel’ meant someone who opposed God, stood for error and was wicked to the core. The church at Thyatira was tolerating their version of “Jezebel.” God wanted her to repent but our passage says that she did not want to repent.

  This brings up two thoughts for us.

  First, why would a church tolerate someone like a Jezebel. I see her as being loud, bossy, pushy and very demanding—passage doesn’t say that, but my mind does. Maybe everyone was scared of her and felt intimidated by her. Possibly she was related to the leadership and no one wanted to deal with that. So the church tolerated. The church did nothing. She continued in her wicked ways—abusing, hurting and showing the world a brand of Christianity that doesn’t come from the Bible. Such people are toxic. They run people off. They are hard to deal with. A battle looms everything she appears. Jezebel—that very name brings shivers to the people of God.

  Secondly, God gave her time to repent. That’s just the way God is. Even to the Jezebel’s of the world, our God is kind, generous, merciful and forgiving. He wants all to be saved, even the Jezebels. Most of us would rather send a nuke down her smoke stack, God wants to save her. He wants Jezebel to repent. He gave her time. God is patient, with all of us. Time to let the dust settle. Time to allow things to soak in. Time to reflect and recall. Time for guilt to do it’s work. Some may be too swift to action, not allowing a person time to repent. Maybe some would turn if others were patient with them. Instead they would cut off and be done with them. Not God. Others, drag things along, TOO long. Patience becomes tolerance. Patience becomes non-action. Could be where Thyatira was.

  How much time do you allow? That’s a judgment call. How patient should you be? There is no formula for this stuff, but there are two principles—first, how would you want to be treated? Golden rule—remember? Treat others as you would want them to treat you. The other principle is the other side, not to tolerate. There comes a time, when action is demanded.

  Churches need to see this. Some do nothing with wayward members. They have gone to tolerating. Others are so swift, their actions seem unloving and they seem to be glad to be rid of their Jezebels. God’s not like that.

  Families need this too. A lot of drama in families today—in-laws, out-laws, and everyone’s opinion, feelings and so forth. It can be real messy at times. Thinking about this passage helps.

  It helps to think how I want God to treat me when I act like a Jezebel. We do that sometimes. We get on our high horse about something and we can get a bit bossy about how things ought to be and we never realize that we are walking where Jezebel walked. We don’t see the carnage and the hurts that we cause. God doesn’t pull us by the ears and throw us out, no sir, he doesn’t do that. He guides. He teaches. He warns. He waits. He’s patient. He works on our heart to get us back. And do you know what, it works. Most of us climb off of that high horse, get a real sense of Jesus in us and start acting like a disciple instead of a Jezebel. That’s how God is with us.

  It’s hard for us to do that with others, but we must. Even in that, God is patient with us.

Roger