2 Kings 1:1 – 18 “After the death of Ahab, Moab rebelled against Israel. Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers and instructed them: “Go inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover from this injury.”
But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are on your way to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?’ Therefore, this is what the LORD says: ‘You will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die.’ ” So Elijah departed.
When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, “Why have you returned?”
They replied, “A man came up to meet us and said, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and tell him that this is what the LORD says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending these men to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore, you will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die.’ ”
The king asked them, “What sort of man came up to meet you and spoke these words to you?”
“He was a hairy man,” they answered, “with a leather belt around his waist.”
“It was Elijah the Tishbite,” said the king.
Then King Ahaziah sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. So the captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king declares, ‘Come down!’ ”
Elijah answered the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.”
And fire came down from heaven and consumed the captain and his fifty men. So the king sent to Elijah another captain with his fifty men. And the captain said to Elijah, “Man of God, the king declares, ‘Come down at once!’ ”
Again Elijah replied, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.”
And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed the captain and his fifty men.
So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. And the third captain went up, fell on his knees before Elijah, and begged him, “Man of God, may my life and the lives of these fifty servants please be precious in your sight. Behold, fire has come down from heaven and consumed the first two captains of fifty, with all their men. But now may my life be precious in your sight.”
Then the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, “Go down with him. Do not be afraid of him.”
So Elijah got up and went down with him to the king.
And Elijah said to King Ahaziah, “This is what the LORD says: Is there really no God in Israel for you to inquire of His word? Is that why you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die.”
So Ahaziah died according to the word of the LORD that Elijah had spoken. And since he had no son, Jehoram (Ahaziah’s brother) succeeded him in the second year of the reign of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat over Judah.
As for the rest of the acts of Ahaziah, along with his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?”
Remember God’s curses on King Ahab in 1 Kings 21:21 – 22? “‘I will bring calamity on you and consume your descendants; I will cut off from Ahab every male in Israel, both slave and free. I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked My anger and caused Israel to sin.’”
King Ahaziah, the son of King Ahab, has fallen through the lattice at his palace, suffering severe injury. A true son of Ahab and Jezebel, Ahaziah tries to consult Jezebel’s god Baal – zebub to see if he will recover. But God sends the prophet Elijah to confront Ahaziah’s messengers, sending them back with a stern question: ‘”Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are on your way to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?’ Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘You will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die.”
Ahaziah is foolish enough to send a company of fifty soldiers plus a captain to arrest Elijah. Bad move! Elijah calls down fire from heaven that consumes the captain and his fifty men, leaving only scorch marks. Ahaziah is a slow learner, so he dispatches another company of fifty soldiers with a captain, only for those men to also be consumed by heavenly fire. But when Ahaziah insists on sending a third company of fifty soldiers, their captain is smart enough to beg for his life and the lives of his men.
God gives Elijah the go – ahead to accompany this captain and his soldiers. Elijah proceeds to Ahaziah’s bedside, where he personally delivers his message from the Lord. Ahaziah dies, and because he has no son, Jehoram, Ahaziah’s brother, succeeds Ahaziah.
APPLICATION: God is not Santa Claus! King Ahab narrowly escaped having his body eaten by dogs after his death, although the dogs did lick up his blood from the place where his servants washed his chariot. But God through Elijah has pronounced curses on every member of Ahab’s family, swearing that every male belonging to that family, whether slave or free, will be cut off. As we continue to study 2 Kings, we will see what happens to Ahab’s other sons.
We are fond of claiming that God keeps his positive promises; however, we may choose to ignore the fact that God also keeps his Word when He has pronounced curses over someone. In God’s Word, He has pronounced blessings on those who keep His Word but He also has pronounced curses on those who flout His commandments.
“But I don’t believe in God,” you might say. Fine, your choice. But God’s Word is still there and His commandments still stand whether or not you choose to believe in Him or to accept His commandments.
How can we know what God wants us to do with our lives? Read God’s Word, the Bible, carefully. Pray and ask God to help you understand His Word and apply it to your life. Let us pray.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, please teach us Your commandments and Your Will for our lives so that we may please You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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