2 Kings 1

2 Kings 1:1

I. THE DIVIDED KINGDOM (Cont’d. from 1 Kings) (Chaps. 117) A. King Ahaziah of Israel and the Ministry of Elijah (Chap. 1)1:1 Moab had been subjugated by David (2Sa_8:2). When Solomon’s kingdom was divided into Israel and Judah, Moab came under Israel’s sway. After Ahab’s death, the Moabites rebelled and won their independence. 1:2 King Ahaziah fell through the lattice on the roof of his palace in Samaria and was seriously injured. Instead of appealing to the Lord for healing, he sent messengers to Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if he would recover. Whitcomb identifies the pagan god as follows: The real name of this Syrian deity was Baal-zebul (‘Lord of life’), but the Jews called him Baal-zebub (‘Lord of flies’) in derision. By the time of Christ, this deity had become a symbol of Satan. It is pathetic that a king whose name means “whom Jehovah sustains” should turn to Baal for healing! 1:3-8 A hairy man wearing a leather belt, Elijah met the messengers and sent them back to Ahaziah with a stern rebuke for inquiring of Baal-Zebub and with the announcement that his illness would be fatal. 1:9-12 Ahaziah responded by sending a captain . . . with . . . fifty men to order Elijah to appear before him immediately. When the captain delivered the insolent demand, God vindicated Elijah by causing fire . . . from heaven to destroy the captain and his fifty men. A second captain . . . with . . . fifty men ordered Elijah to “Come down quickly!” but they met the same fate. With fire . . . from heaven God had previously discredited Baal and his priests (1 Kgs. 18). Now that same heavenly flame destroyed the soldiers of Baal who sought to lay unholy hands on Elijah. The prophet took his orders from Israel’s true King, not from an idolatrous usurper. We are not told specifically why the two captains and their men were killed; perhaps they shared Ahaziah’s determination to destroy Elijah. 1:13-16 Only when the third captain humbly acknowledged Elijah’s power and pleaded for mercy was the prophet instructed by the angel of the LORD (Christ in preincarnate appearance) to go and speak with Ahaziah. Elijah fearlessly told the king that he would not recover because he had treated the Lord with contempt by consulting Baal-Zebub. 1:17, 18 When Ahaziah died, he was succeeded by his brother, Jehoram (later referred to as Joram), because he had no son to wear the crown. Judah at this time had a co-regency composed of Jehoshaphat (2Ki_3:1) and his son, who was also named Jehoram.