Because you have done this, you will certainly die! (2 Kings 1) note

1 Kings 22:51-2 Kings 1:18

16 He told the king, "This is what the LORD says: Is it because there is no God in Israel for you to consult that you have sent messengers to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!"

1.       [1 Kings 22:51-53] Who was Ahaziah (51)? What did he do (52a)? Why (52b)? What’s the result (53)?

This is the summary of Israel King Azariah, the son of  Ahab and Jezebel. His sin was succinctly described “53 He served and worshiped Baal and aroused the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, just as his father had done.” This was the final assessment of his life. And then how did he come to live such life? He lived such evil life in the eyes of the LORD because he followed the ways of his father and mother and of Jeroboam son of Nebat (52). He accepted the three; his father Ahab, his mother Jezebel, and Jeroboam, the first king of Israel after it separated itself from Judah as his model for life. He emulated and adopted the belief and lifestyles of these people.

In the first chapter of 2 Kings, the final days of his life were recorded and it speaks of what it means to follow these three leaders.

2.       [2 Kings 1:1-9a] How did he injure himself (2a)? To whom did he send messengers and why(2b)? Who intercepted these messengers and with what message (3-4)?  On receiving God’s message, whom did Ahaziah send (7-9a)? Why? 

Soon after Ahab’s death, Moab realized that there came a power vacuumed and decided to rebel against Israel (1, ref. 2 King 3:4). This was a blow to the newly enthroned king Azariah. According to the historian, Josephus, Azariah’s fall coincided with the time of Moab’s rebellion. The implication was that Moab’s rebellion caused him extremely disturbed in his heart. For a man of power and authority, even the smallest rebellion was a very difficult thing to swallow.  

While sick in bed, he sent messengers to Baal-Zebub [“lord of the flies” or “Baal prince” (Mark 3:22)]. He wanted to know if he could recover from the injury. His injury was very serious, enough to threaten his life. In his wish to get help or a glimpse of hope. He sought the help of Baal-Zebub, the god of his mother and father. Suddenly the LORD sent an angel to Elijah and told him to deliver a message to Azariah. ‘'Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?' 4 Therefore this is what the LORD says: 'You will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!'"

Why did the LORD do this? The Lord already delivered his final verdict on the fate of Ahab and his family (1 Kings 21:29 “Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son.”) Here we see the LORD’s will to rescind his word if Ahaziah repented of his sin as He did for his father Ahab (1 Kings 21:29).   Though God decided to punish the house of Ahab thoroughly for his sin, just because of his father’s sin, the LORD would not destroy his son Ahaziah. Ahaziah shall die because of his own sin. He was born in sin and lived among man and woman of sin. He was sinful and wicked, ungodly at heart. But the LORD would not take his life just for the sake of bringing His justice.

The message from the LORD has two parts: first, the LORD (YHWH) is the God of Israel and the people/king of Israel must seek her God, the LORD (YHWH).   It is a rebellion against the God of Israel, i.e., the LORD. This was an implicit rebuke of his rebellion against the God of Israel and a reminder of Moab’s rebellion that caused him this sickness. Second, your rebellion against the LORD will lead to your death.

This was a powerful and direct message to Ahaziah. The God of Israel (LORD) ordained him to death. In this word, the LORD laid the full authority and power on him. How did Ahaziah take God’s word?

Ahaziah found that it was Elijah who gave this message to his messengers, he sent a captain with fifty soldiers to bring Elijah. Why did he send a captain with fifty soldiers? 1) He knew well of the power that Elijah displayed on the Mt Carmel, bringing down fire from heaven, and killing all Baal prophets. To take him, or to harness that power, he felt he had to send a man with more power, a captain and fifty soldiers. 2) He had to silence an unfavorable prophetic word, which he thought was the culprit of his sickness, by force.  “Elijah’s word was always filled with dark and gloomy omen. If I remove him, I will be ok” What did the LORD do for such a man?

3.       [9b-12] Where was Elijah? When the captain saw him, what did he say to Elijah (9b)? How did Elijah respond (10a)? Why? Then what happened to the captain and his men (10b)? What happened to the second captain and his men when he conveyed the King’s message (11-12)?

Elijah was sitting at the top of the hill, maybe Mt. Carmel. The captain saw him and said to Elijah, "Man of God, the king says, 'Come down!'"  This captain conveyed King’s word exactly with an imperative command. In it was the authority of the king, Ahaziah. Here the captain recognized Elijah as man of God. But Elijah responded with a somewhat puzzling word, "If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!" The captain seemed to give Elijah a proper honor as a man of God. But Elijah did not think that he was treating him truly as a man of God. If I am truly a man of God, or if God is truly behind me in the word delivered to King Ahaziah, then let the LORD respond to this captain and his men with fire.

Then, a fire came down and consumed the captain and his fifty men. The God of Israel, i.e., YHWH responded by bringing down fire and consumed these people. In this way, it was confirmed that the God of Israel gave the word to Elijah, and what Elijah said to Ahaziah was the word from the LORD.

Ahaziah sent again a captain with fifty of his men to bring Elijah by force. This captain delivered the same word, 11b"Man of God, this is what the king says, 'Come down at once!'"  This the king added a word of authoritative demand, ‘at once’. The king exercised his authority with more force and more power. “I will not give in. Instead, I will fight for I will surely prevail in this fight for I have so many soldiers and captains!”

Again, Elijah called for fire from the LORD and the LORD responded with fire and it consumed the captain and the fifty soldiers.

Was it right for the LORD to kill ‘innocent’ messengers, the captain and fifty men? Was it morally correct?  This question can be rephrased like this, “All men are innocent unless proven otherwise and the LORD has to treat all with respect and honor, esp. for their lives.”    Such a question denies that all men have sinned against God and are under God’s judgment and is an expression of human defiance against the authority of the Creator of all. This is deeply rooted in humanistic humanism that has been held up as the absolute rule of the postmodern living (my personal opinion).

4.       [13-16] What did the King do on receiving the news about the two captains and his soldiers (13a)? Why? How did the third captain plead for his request (13b-14)? What word was given to Elijah through an angel (15a)? What message did Elijah deliver to the king (15b-16)?

Twice, through Elijah, His servant, God showed His power as the LORD. The message was all clear; unless he shows respect and honor to the LORD, his life will be cut off. Nevertheless, Ahaziah held on his authority and power and did not humble himself. He sent the third time, a captain and his fifty soldiers. He was determined to bring Elijah down under his knees so that he might squeeze out a favorable prophecy from Elijah. To do so, and to uphold his power and authority, it would be no problem for him to consume the lives of a few soldiers.  So, he sent the third captain and his fifty men to Elijah.  

The third captain knew well the authority and power vested in Elijah, humbled himself and fell down on his knees and begged for his life. God heard his plea and told Elijah to go with him. Elijah gave the king the message from the LORD. v16 "This is what the LORD says: Is it because there is no God in Israel for you to consult that you have sent messengers to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!" The LORD did not change His word. No men can change God’s word or the mind of the LORD by force in disrespect. But there is one way to change God’s mind, uphold the authority of the LORD and repent in humbleness and humility! This was how his father changed the mind of the LORD and extended the life of Ahab’s family (1Kings 21:28). Actually, this is what God wants from all men of sin (Lev 26:40–45; Deut 4:29–31; 30:1–10; Joel 2:15-19).

5.       [17-18] What happened to him (17; ref. 3:1; 1 Kgs 22:51)? Find the cause of his death and compare it with his father’s. Discuss why the Lord sent Elijah to intercept Ahaziah’s messenger and then why the LORD rejected the quest for his life. What does this teach us?

“So he died, according to the word of the LORD that Elijah had spoken” (v17).  He died according to the word of the LORD! No one should dare to ignore, or to challenge its authority, thinking that he/she has a better idea!  Or he can evade the word of His judgment!

God’s mercy: Though He had decided to take down the whole house of Ahab, and though He knew how much sin was deeply entrenched in the heart of Ahaziah, God gave him three opportunities to repent and seek God’s mercy; the first one,  catering His word to the king by Elijah, and twice by demonstrating His power as the LORD of life. God’s authority over all human beings was well established when He created man and when He carried His judgment on a man when he sinned against the LORD (Gen 3:19).  That authority has been with human beings and still with us for all die in Adam. Nevertheless, He was not quick to punish and condemn to judgment. It was His patience and care even for sinners like Ahaziah, a man of arrogance and pride., God gave him such chances so as to bring him back to him even at the last moment.   

Sinfulness of man: Ahaziah fell and his sickness was serious enough to threaten his life. His life faced a crisis. In such a crisis of life, what one truly has in the depth of his heart is revealed. Ahaziah believed Baal-Zebub, the prince of the demon. In these three opportunities, God demonstrated amply that He had authority over the nation and of life of men even by taking more than 100 people’s lives. But Ahaziah rejected God and held on to his own power and authority as the means to achieve his purpose, even to save his life. It was outright defiance against the authority of the LORD and defamation to His name. Naaman, a Syrian general, was a best counter-example.  Elisha did not give him a warm welcome. Instead, he left him one command, to wash in the Jordan river seven times. Naaman thought that Elisha treated him with cold-shoulder and left him in rage. But his servant constrained him to obey.  he obeyed and was healed of his leprosy. He curbed his pride and in obedience, he washed seven times in the river and received healing. But Ahaziah demonstrated his power against God and His servant three times in willful and calculated challenges thinking that God had to honor him.

The root of sin and rebellion: In every aspect, what he did looks very similar to what his mother Jezebel did.  This reminds us of the second commandment, ‘Exo 20:5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,’

Ahaziah chose Baal-Zebub over all other gods in the crisis of his life. Practically we will all, at one point of our life, face the moment of death. In such a crisis of life who do men seek?  Ahaziah, facing that moment, chose to rely on the god, Baal Zebub, because Baal-Zebub seemed to have given him what he wanted. That was what he saw from his mother and many around her. He had lived in and with Baal-Zebub, which catered him with all things to uphold his authority and power.  The people of power and authority look for such god in order to fulfill his goal. This had been his life and he could not change that faith at the last moment of his life (Luke 6:49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.") Even seeing the mighty power of God, he could not change his life of sin. Also, God of creation, YHWH, does not cater to the desires of men that are grounded on pride and sin.