2 Kings chapter 1 reminds me of the various ways people react to God. Some choose to ignore God, others approach God as if He is subject to their needs, but the wise man seeks God with humility. The chapter begins with a statement about the decline of the nation Israel, “After Ahab’s death, Moab rebelled against Israel“. King Ahab was spiritually bankrupt and it appears his son, King Ahaziah was ill prepared to lead. We have many responsibilities as parents, but I believe the most important role is to teach submission to God’s authority. The first mention of Ahab’s son, explains, “Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself“. We are not told how this happened, but I picture the teenager whose parents leave him home alone for the weekend… strange things seem to happen. We read; the new king sent messengers to inquire of a pagan god, “Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury“. I know the feeling too well of avoiding God after doing something stupid, but there is nothing in our life that we can hide from God.
The Prophet Elijah was guided by the Lord to meet the messengers. He asked, “Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?” Our God is jealous for our worship and certainly holds the king of Israel even more responsible to be an example to the nation. God spoke through Elijah, “You will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!” The king reacted to the news by sending a captain and fifty soldiers to bring back Elijah. The captain presented the king’s demand, “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down!’“. We read, “Then fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men“. It seems ridiculous to demand anything from God Almighty. We must never forget that we have access to God only through the authority of Jesus Christ. By His sacrificial death and resurrection we can approach God with confidence, but our confidence is in Christ. We must never approach God with anything but reverence.
Amazingly, the king sent a second captain and fifty more soldiers. This time he seems even more demanding, “Man of God, this is what the king says, ‘Come down at once!’” And again, “fire of God fell from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men“. On the third attempt, the captain approached Elijah differently, “please have respect for my life and the lives of these fifty men, your servants” This time, “The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, ‘Go down with him; do not be afraid of him’“. The prophet chastised the king for consulting with false gods instead of calling on the One True God. “Because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!” Still in his first year as king, “he died according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken“. At this point, some will say, “God is mean and vengeful”. Remember, God does not force us to accept Him. I believe that if the king would have turned from his rebellion and invited God into his life he would have been restored. Psalm 32 contrasts the joy of forgiveness with the weight of sin: “When I kept silent, my bones grew old“. Are you weary? Come to God in humility.