II Kings 22:51-53- Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned two years over Israel. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin: For he served Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked to anger the LORD God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.
KIng Ahab knew who the Lord was because he had often had encounters with Him through His prophets. But, it seems that Ahaziah had no idea how powerful the Lord was. But, he was going to find out.
II Kings 1:1-2- Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease.
Ahaziah was going to be tested as the new king, or so he thought. There was war brewing on Israel's horizon; Moab was rebelling. Ahaziah was only two years into his reign when he fell through the second story of his house and got sick.
Instead of inquiring from the Lord, or any of the false gods that he and his family served, Ahaziah sent messengers to inquire from the false god of Ekron.
But, God wasn't going to let this wicked king escape without knowing who was sending this judgment.
II Kings 1:3-4- But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? Now therefore thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed.
God told Elijah to meet the messengers that Ahaziah had sent out and tell them that their king was going to die.
II Kings 1:5-8- And when the messengers turned back unto him, he said unto them, Why are ye now turned back? And they said unto him, There came a man up to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that thou sendest to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And he said unto them, What manner of man was he which came up to meet you, and told you these words? And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.
This evil king knew Elijah. He had probably heard the stories from his mother and father about the pesky prophet that prophesied of no rain for three years and caused a severe drought and famine on the land. I'm certain he heard how Elijah had gone up against all the false prophets of Baal and fire had come down from the mountain in the sight of all the people. And, he definitely heard how mad Jezebel got when Elijah killed all her prophets. He, too, had likely heard the story of how this prophet prayed for rain and it fell the same day after three years of nothing!
Ahaziah wanted to talk to this man!
I Kings 1:9-10- Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down. And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
The king sent 50 soldiers to bring Elijah back to him. They didn't show any respect! They demanded that Elijah come down from where he was sitting and follow them.
Elijah wanted them and their master ,Ahaziah, to know who he served. So, he called down fire from God to destroy them. And, God answered him.
I Kings 1:11-12- Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly. And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
Didn't Ahaziah get the message? Nope. He didn't understand yet. He sent another 50 soldiers who demanded that Elijah come with them. Elijah, again, called down fire to destroy them.
I Kings 1:13-14- And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight. Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight.
This time the leader of the 50 soldiers used wisdom, showed humility and respect, and asked Elijah to spare their lives. He didn't even mention that the king wanted to see Elijah! He was humbly trying to obey his king while not offending the prophet.
I Kings 1:15- And the angel of the LORD said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him unto the king.
This humility got God's attention- as humbleness always does! God sent an angel to tell Elijah to go with these soldiers to the king.
Elijah had only one thing to say to Ahaziah.
I Kings 1:16- And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron, is it not because there is no God in Israel to enquire of his word? therefore thou shalt not come down off that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.
I'm not certain what the king thought would happen if Elijah came to see him face to face, but Elijah's message never changed- you will die.
I Kings 1:17-18- So he died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken. And Jehoram reigned in his stead in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah; because he had no son. Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
What God says always comes to pass. Ahaziah died, and they crowned his son, Jehoram, king in his place.
There is another lesson that we should learn here. God expects us to be humble and respectful to authority.
First, God commands us to obey our parents.
Colossians 3:20- Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
Next, we are commanded to obey those that rule over us. This could be a teacher, or a police officer, or and employer, or the government.
Hebrews 13:17- Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
And lastly, but most importantly, we should obey God above all!
Act 5:29- Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
This means that if someone who is in authority asks you to do something that God says not to do, you have God's permission to disobey- that's the only time God will bless disobedience.
