05.11.2014 Old Testament: 2Ki 1.13–17

To read the Bible in a year, read Second Kings 1–3 on May 11, In the year of our Lord 2014

By Don Ruhl

The king of Israel sent a messenger to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, whether he would survive his injury from a fall, but Jehovah, the God of Israel, sent Elijah the prophet to intercept the messenger and to tell him that the king of Israel would die.

The king then sent a captain of fifty with his fifty, demanding that the prophet come down from the top of a hill. Elijah called down fire from heaven that consumed the fifty. It happened a second time; then the king sent a third captain and his fifty,

Again, he sent a third captain of fifty with his fifty men. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and pleaded with him, and said to him: “Man of God, please let my life and the life of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your sight. Look, fire has come down from heaven and burned up the first two captains of fifties with their fifties. But let my life now be precious in your sight.” And the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So he arose and went down with him to the king. Then he said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, is it because there is no God 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.’” So Ahaziah died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken. Because he had no son, Jehoram became king in his place, in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah (2 Kings 1.13–17).

What did King Ahaziah expect? Did he think that his royal presence and surroundings would intimidate the prophet and that he would then change his prophecy? The truth was the truth, no matter when or where it was spoken.