2 Kings 1
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2 Kings 1:1-4, After Ahab’s death, Moab rebelled against Israel. Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, “Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury.” But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Go up and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?’ Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘You will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!’” So Elijah went.
Today, we begin 2 Kings, which continues 1 Kings without any kind of break. We immediately find that the clash between Elijah, a prophet of Yahweh, and the Israelite monarchy continues. Despite past warnings, Ahaziah, the king of the Northern Kingdom, is worshiping and consulting with other gods. Thus, Yahweh, the one true God will continue to demonstrate that he is supreme.
In today’s chapter, Yahweh demonstrates his power and supremacy through the sending of fire. Make sure you read the whole text. The king has become injured and wants to see if he will recover from his injury. He sends some messengers to consult the god, Baal-Zebub, to provide guidance on his recovery. One has to stop and wonder what in the world he was thinking. Why is he intentionally snubbing Yahweh to consult a false god?
His messengers are met by Elijah the prophet who expresses God’s anger at the situation. Through Elijah, God makes it clear that Ahaziah will not recover but rather will die in his bed. In an attempt to get more clarity (or possibly a new prophecy), the king sends several groups of soldiers to summon Elijah. The first two groups are consumed by fire. Ahaziah, clearly not learning the lesson, sends a third group. This group pleads for mercy from Elijah, as they know their lives are in danger. They are allowed to live, Elijah addresses the king, and Ahaziah dies shortly after.
What are we to make of this? I don’t understand why the king of Israel insisted on consulting Baal rather than Yahweh. But what I do know is that God wants us to always consult him first. When we are in trouble, instead of trying to figure it out ourselves, God desires that we reach out to him FIRST. God loves us, God truly wants the best for us, and God wants to lead us in his direction. We may think we are so much better than Ahaziah but in many ways, we do exactly the same thing. We may not consult a false god, but we try to do life on our own. Yet, we have a God who is powerful and good. Seek God first. Listen. Obey.
Let’s pray…Lord Jesus, Help us seek you and your Kingdom first in all we do. We love you and we desperately need you. Guide us, lead us, direct us. Amen.