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2 Kings

2 Kings 1

God Judges Ahaziah

2 Kings 1:1-12

Moab rebelled against Israel.  They had been conquered and under submission of Israel since King David.  Now, upon the death Ahab they successfully rebel.  We see this as a sign of the crumbly power of the northern kingdom. 

Ahaziah took a fall and suffered some injury.  He sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub if he will recover.  Baal-zebub means the Lord of the flies.  The people of Ekron worshiped the flies.  This seems amazing they would inquire of the 'Lord of the flies' before inquiring of the Yahweh.  It shows how far they have fallen and their willingness to believe anything.  (There is some thought that this name could be them looking to the god of the flies that controls and spreads diseases or it could be a sarcastic name used instead of Baal-zebul, meaning 'prince Baal'.)    

At the direction of the angel of the Lord, Elijah intercepted these messengers and had them deliver the prophecy of Ahaziah's death.  Ahaziah recognized the description of Elijah and sent 50 men to get Elijah.  Surely fifty men could handle one prophet; or so it would seem.  This is an older and wiser prophet than the one who ran away and hid in a cave.  Elijah stood his ground and called fire down on them, burning them up.  The second set of fifty did the exact same thing with the exception of demanding him to come down quickly where the first just said to 'come down'. 

 

2 Kings 1:13-18

The third captain was wiser and took a humbler approach and asked Elijah to spare him and the fifty with him.  The angel told Elijah to go with this man.  Elijah gave the same prophecy of the death of Ahaziah; God is a jealous God.  They sought after other gods that had no power or authority and could do nothing to help the.  Ahaziah died as prophesided and since he had no son, Jehoram became king. 

©2016 Doug Ford