Is There Not A God in Israel? 2 Kings 1

Ahaziah

INTRODUCTION

On my last Sunday before holidays, we wrapped up the book of 1 Kings and I said that I didn’t know where we would go when I came back. On our Sunday mornings, we normally go through a book from the OT then a book from the NT and back and forth - so we get a well-balanced diet.

I want to get back to Romans, one of these days, or one of the Gospels. There’s just so much to choose from in this book!

But as I was away, there was story after story dominating the news - something about a virus (?) that seems to be going around … news from Afghanistan, elections being called, much of BC on fire … and just so much angst on every side … It’s just so tangible - we are living in a 1 and 2 Kings world .... where everything seems to be unsettled and the dark clouds on the horizon just seem to be getting closer and closer.

Some people also made specific requests, so I feel the Lord leading us to continue the journey through the books of Kings. Remember - they were originally one book anyways, so technically, we aren’t starting a new OT book.

As we turn the page into 2 Kings - let me just remind you of the ongoing, constantly unfolding message of 1 Kings - the message that continues into part 2 of our journey: God sits on the universe’s throne - His enemies can’t shake His purposes, His faithLESS people can’t ignore Him out of power and His faithful people can always, ALWAYS trust Him … no matter what chaos seems to threaten.

This is a message I am convinced many of us need to hear in the weeks ahead.

So, let’s pick up our story and let’s plunge into 2 Kings. But before we do, let’s get our bearings by picking up the journey at the END of 1 Kings.

READ 1 Kings 22:51-53

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1 THE GOD WHO WILL NOT TOLERATE IDOLS, vv. 1-8

We pick up our journey somewhere around 850 BC. King Ahab is dead, his son Ahaziah is on the throne and things are not going well in Israel. First of all, there’s trouble on the frontier of the empire. V. 1 tells us that Moab rebelled against Israel.

King Ahaziah has had an accident. He was in the upper floor of his palace and, somehow, he ends up falling OUT of the window, breaking through the latice work that covers the opening and plunging down, at least 1 story, to the ground below. He ends up a broken heap in the garden.

We don’t know what he was doing to fall through that window. Was he precariously perched on a chair, reaching up to change a lightbulb? Did he have a rag in his hand, doing spring cleaning on the windows? I highly doubt either of those … all the royalty I know, tend NOT to do housework. Have you ever heard of Queen Elizabeth going to hospital because she put her back out cleaning the palace toilets? No - most likely, the king was inebriated … uner the influence of something. We can’t be sure exactly what caused the fall. What we can be sure about is that it was a bad, bad fall - and Ahaziah is in bad, bad shape.

The medical staff rushes to his side, carries him off to his bed, performs all the surgery they are capable of. They attempt to put ‘Humpty Dumpty’ back together again. But in the end, they have to just wait. These injuries could very well be fatal.

So, as we begin 2 Kings - see the king of Israel, in his palace, on his deathbed .... his life hangs in the balance.

Well, that stinks! Ahaziah has only been king for a year. He’s just getting used to enjoying the perks that come with having absolute authority over a country. And he’s not about to go down without a fight.

So, the king summons a team of messengers to go get some divine guidance. “Am I going to live or not?” Now, why consult a god about your sickness? The same reason you go to the doctor when you’re sick. You want to know the prognosis, sure. But you want more than that. You go to the doctor because you want to know what can be done to make you healthy again. That’s Ahaziah’s great desire - as he lies there in his bed, a fresh but broken king.

There’s something strange about the directions he gives to his messengers. Not THAT he is sending them to get a word from God … it’s the GOD TO WHOM he is sending them. Ahaziah is the king of 10 of the 12 tribes of the people of God - the God of Abraham, Joseph, Moses and the Exodus and David and Solomon.

But this Israelite king is sending his messengers to a god with a foreign address. Did you notice that in v. 2? “Go, inquire of Baal-Zebub, the GOD OF EKRON, whether I shall recover from this sickness.” Ekron is Philistine territory.

To get to Ekron, you have to head west, out is Israel’s capitol city of Samaria … you have to get onto the international highway that runs north-south just east of the Mediterranean Sea’s eastern shore … and you have to head south about 40 miles, across the border into the land of the Philistines. Ekron is the most northerly of the 5 main Philistine cities.

“When you arrive at the destination”, the king says: “head to the main temple in town and sonsult the god Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron.”

Now, when you hear the name Baal-Zebub, did you laugh? (You’re thinking right now - ‘what are you talking about, preacher? Why would I laugh at a name I’ve never heard of? Didn’t you get enough sleep last night?”

Actually, I’m serious. You recognize the title, “Baal” - its the storm god of the Canaanites - the god of thunder and fire. Well, there were different versions of Baal - this Baal probably went by the name, ‘Baal-Zebul’. Zebul means ‘Prince’. So this god’s name would be ‘Baal the Prince’.

But what the Hebrews did was to take just the very last letter of ‘Zebul’ - they changed the ‘l’ to a ‘b’ - turning Baal-Zebul into Baal-Zebub. And by doing that - the whole meaning of the title changes. No longer is it ‘Baal- the prince.’ Zebub means ‘flies’. So now you have literally, ‘Baal - the Lord of the flies’. This is Israel’s way of making fun of him.

“Go ahead, you Philistines - go ahead and worship your ‘God of the flies! How dignified - how powerful!”

Well, the messengers get their orders and off they go, over to the highway.

What Ahaziah doesn’t know, what the messengers don’t know, is that what is done in secret, even in the inner palace bedroom of a king - none of it is secret to God … the true God … Israel’s God.

God hears and God cares - so He sends His own messenger (the word ‘messenger’ and the word, ‘angel’ is the same word in Hebrew) … God sends a messenger to Elijah with a mission for His prophet.

2 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 to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Now therefore thus says the Lord, You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’ ” So Elijah went.”

Eoijah follows his orders - of course he does. this faithful man of God is a polar opposite to Israel’s royal family: Ahab, Jezebel and their son, the present king.

As the king’s men round a bend along a lonely stretch of highway - there, standing alone, straight and tall in the middle of the road - is a wild-looking man - staring them down like Gandalf in Lord of the Rings - “You shall not pass”.

The messengers have no idea who this guy is, but obviously there’s an authority about him they they can’t deny - because they stop, they turn around and they head back home to the palace in Samaria.

An official royal delegation isn’t going to turn back because some random, wild-looking guy shows up in the middle of nowhere and tells them to. There must have been some kind of irresistable quality - an authority about Elijah - that they recognized as truly from God.

Well, the king, lying in his bed is shocked to hear the messengers shuffle back into his room. “What are you doing back here already?”

They dutifully repeat the message Elijah gave them from the Lord.

“The LORD wants to know why you would ever think that going to a fake, foreign god could ever be a good idea - so you’re going to die.”

And what’s the king’s response? Does he repent? Does he cry out for mercy?

NOPE - Verse 7, “What kind of man was he who came to meet you?”

Are you serious?!! You have just been handed a certain death sentence by the God you’ve ignored - the one who put your dad to death - and you’re more concerned about the identity of the messenger than you are with the message itself?!!

“What did he look like?”

Verse 8, “‘He wore a garment of hair with a belt of leather about his waist.’ And he said, ‘It’s Elijah the Tishbite.’”

And that’s all the the king needed to hear. It’s the very prophet who has been a thorn in the side of his family for as long as he can remember. Ahaziah heard the stories from mom and dad - how he always seemed to show up where he was least wanted and always seemed to have bad news of judgment. It’s Ahaziah’s worst fear … it’s Elijah.

And once again - Elijah is preaching judgment: “Is there no God in Israel? Clearly that’s a rhetorical question. Of course there’s a God in Israel - the God who sent 3 years of drought in his dad’s day - for spiritual unfaithfulness … the God who kept Elijah alive, bringing food by ravens to a wilderness hideout … the God who brought a foreign child back to life .. the God who showed up on Mount Carmel, where this very E was outnumbered 400 plus - 1 - but that didn’t matter. The God of Israel doesn’t need a human majority - He is the LIving God - and He sent down fire and proved His power over Baal.

Is there not a God in Israel?! That’s Ahaziah’s biggest problem - there IS a God in Israel - He will not tolerate rivals … and Ahaziah wants to go everywhere for help - - EXCEPT to Him.

As you read this story - do you see parallels with our society today?

ILLUSTRATION

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2 THE GOD WHO PROTECTS, vv. 9-12

Now that the king knows the identity of the prophet - that it was none less than Elijah who sent the message of judgment to him … how is Ahaziah going to respond? Verses 9-12 tell us what he does.

V. 9, “Then the king sent to him a captain of 50 men with his 50.”

Hmmm - I wonder what the king wants with Elijah. You can be sure he isn’t looking to give him an honour guard escort. He’s not looking for a sermon - these are military personnel. Ahaziah is declaring hostile relations.

The captain and his 50 men suit up, get their coordinates from the messengers who had encountered the prophet along the road … and then they head for the highway themselves, in search of Elijah.

As they round the same bend in the road - up on the hillside - there sits the wild-looking man of God. The captain calls up to him, v. 9, “O man of God, the KING says, come down.”

“Come down, Elijah. The king says so.”

Not only does he NOT come down … not only does he NOT just say, “I don’t think I will ...”. No - look at what Elijah says, “IF I AM a man of God - let fire come down from heaven and consume you AND your 50.”

Immediately, a bolt of fire - flashes from the sky above and, in the blink of an eye, all that’s left of the military force is a smoldering circle in the middle of the highway. There’s nothing left alive.

Ahaziah receives the news of mission failure and doesn’t even pause to catch his breath. He calls another captain to his bedside - tells him to round up another force of 50 and go finish the mission.

Do you wonder what THIS captain thinks about his mission? I mean his predecessor just got nuked and now he’s being sent to the same man, with no extra shields or defense or ammunition?

Well, whatever he thought, the second captain goes to the same spot … sees Elijah in the same place … and shouts a similar command. In fact, he intensifies it. Not only does this commander tell Elijah to come along. He says, v. 11, “This is the King’s ORDER … come down … QUICKLY!”

In other words, “The all-powerful king has spoken - so you better come down to us … NOW!”

Elijah responds with the exact samee response as he gave to the first captain. Verse 12, “IF I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your 50!”

And, once again - the sky above opens … a bolt of fire shoots down … and the military force sent by the human king … ends up like a scorched burger at a bad summer BBQ - nothing left but smoldering ruins.

Now, do you read this story and wonder, “What in the world is Elijah’s problem? Why is he so angry?! Maybe too much time alone in the wilderness has made him vindictive.”

If you’re struggling with Elijah’s seeming over-reaction against Ahaziah’s troops .... let me invite you to take a look at the text again .... carefully. Look at either v. 10 OR v. 12 - both times, notice what Elijah says: “IF I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your 50.”

Elijah doesn’t SEND the fire - he asks for it from God. The God of heaven is the One who consumes the enemies. This is God’s judgment. If Elijah was off-base with his request - God wouldn’t have answered ‘yes’ - but He did.

This is vindication for the faithful prophet of the LORD. It’s also PROTECTION for Elijah - 1 against 50 is nothing for God - He will protect His servant all day long.

This is also PROCLAMATION that God alone is in control.

Picture the scene here - on one side, you have king Ahaziah, ordering God’s prophet around … with all the authority of a king ordering a subject of the kingdom.

.... AND this king is ruling as a worshiper of Baal - Baal who is supposed to be the powerful god who has control over lightning and fire. Elijah is saying and God is proving: There is ONE GOD IN ISRAEL - and every competitor is a FUTILE FRAUD.

Some of you need to hear that - this very morning. You know that there is only one God. You’re trying to follow Him faithfully in this topsy turvy world. But you feel like wave after wave of enemy troops are coming at you - coming in the name of the God of this world and telling you that you don’t have a chance - that you better just give up on hope - because .....

2 Kings: The Power and the Fury The God Who Defends His Witness (vv. 9–12)

Perhaps Cornelius Martens is another case in point. Martens, a Baptist preacher in the 1920s in the Soviet Union, was once taken to the office of the local Communist Party boss, apparently for interrogation. The Party boss ordered two men to strip Martens of his clothes, but Martens told them not to trouble themselves, that he would undress, adding, ‘I don’t fear to die, for I shall be going home to the Lord. If He has decided my hour hasn’t come, you can’t do me any harm here.’ This last remark drove the Party boss into a rage: ‘I’ll prove to you that your God will not deliver you out of my hands!’ He lifted his revolver to drop Martens in his tracks, but his finger froze on the trigger. Three times he tried to fire and failed. His face grew red, his body began to shake, and he looked ready for a coronary episode. At last he lowered the gun and asked a lesser official what Martens was condemned for. The official answered, ‘He is a Baptist. Can’t you see God is fighting for him?’ The boss ordered Martens to get out and stay away.

Did that usually happen? No, the blood of God’s servants ran deep in the Soviet Gulag where they were mashed without pity. But sometimes, in the midst of it all, the Lord of the church gives the power-grubbers of this age a sign of how abysmally helpless they are. That fuels the holy defiance of God’s servants, for it shows them again that the word of God will have free course and none of the puny, piddly, royal Ahaziahs of this age can stop it!

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3 THE GOD WHO WILL HAVE THE LAST WORD, vv. 13-18

Verse 13 tells us that Ahaziah is no quitter. He may have 2 strikes against him - but he’s going to swing again.

Verse 13, “Again the king sent the captain of a third 50 with his fifty.”

Stop right there. Can you imagine being that ‘THIRD’ captain?! You’ve heard the reports about what happened to teams 1 and 2. These were your colleagues - you trained together, practiced together, learned together - They’ve both been incinerated.

Now you get the summons: “Take 50 men ...”. Picture the poor guy’s face!

Well, an order is an order. The captain does as he’s told, he takes his 50 men and he follows the tracks of the 2 other captains and their forces of 50 … and he arrives at the spot where there are 2 burn holes, still smoking, on the highway. There’s Elijah up on the hill -

READ vv. 13-15.

This captain may be sent on the same mission, but he has a completely different approach - Don’t miss that:

There are no orders here - no commands … only humble pleading: “O man of God, please let my life and the life of these 50 SERVANTS OF YOURS be precious in your sight.” He recounts the action of the past in v. 14 and ends with another plea, “… let my life be precious in your sight.”

This isn’t just a wise approach … this is actually a model for the entire nation of Israel - wandering in rebellion against God and idolatry - This is how you approach the holy, living God in your sin.

As Dale Davis puts it: “He knelt, he pled, he trembled - he lived.”

The angel tells Elijah to go along with this captain and his troops - there is nothing to fear … So Elijah follows along … walks back to Samaria, steps into the palace … and shows up at Ahaziah’s bedside, with his unwavering message for the king:

Verse 16, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron - is it because there is no Go in Israel to inquire of His word? - Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.”

Now, if you’ve been paying attention, you’ll realize that this is the third time God’s message to Ahaziah is recorded in our text. Did you notice how significant the number 3 is in chapter 1? THREE times the king sends his military to arrest Elijah … and THREE times, God’s message of judgment is given to the king.

Ahaziah tries to go toe to toe with God and the man speaking His word … one captain, two captains, three captains … But … and hear me well, friend: “GOD WILL ALWAYS HAVE THE LAST WORD.”

Verse 17, “So he died according to the Word of the LORD that Elijah had spoken. Jehoram became king in his place in the 2nd year of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, because Ahaziah had no son.”

This is a sad story - 1 year on the throne, dead and not even a son to carry on his legacy. Ahaziah’s life is a tragedy … and a foolish tragedy as well.

You can be so fixated on the message of God’s judgment in our chapter, that you miss the mercy here. And God’s mercy is right here - on full display.

The 3rd captain came to God’s servant in humble trust. If Ahaziah had only responded that way after the 1st or 2nd warning … don’t you think that he would have been spared?

But this king is determined: “I’m going to find my help in the place of MY choosing.”

“I will choose my own security.”

Walker Percy has his lead character, Will Barrett, writing a letter in which he lampoons both Christians and unbelievers—particularly the latter. According to Barrett, an unbeliever is crazy partly because

“… he takes comfort and ease, plays along with the game, watches TV, drinks his drink, laughs, curses politicians, and now and again to relieve the boredom and the farce (of which he is dimly aware) goes off to war to shoot other people—for all the world as if his prostate were not growing cancerous, his arteries turning to chalk, his brain cells dying off by the millions, as if the worms were not going to have him in no time at all.”

How many people do you know - anyone here today? Anyone watching? .... You are miserable. You have pushed God to the very margins - even outside the perimeter of your life, because you’ve decided: “I don’t need to depend on Him. I don’t need to find my life in Jesus Christ”.

Instead, you’ve found your comfort in a bottle … or fighting political causes .... or burying your face in fun and games …

Do you really think that, even if all of your dreams for all of your causes are completely fulfilled and everything goes according to your plan … even then, do you really think you’re going to escape the worms in the grave?

It’s not going to work. Every single human being in sin - is on the same deathbed as King Ahaziah. And if