2 Kings 1:2; 16b-17: "Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, 'Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury.' . . . . (Elijah said to Ahaziah) 'Because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!' So he died, according to the word of the LORD that Elijah had spoken."
Two years into his reign, Ahaziah, the wicked son of King Ahab, had a tragic accident that would lead to his death. The death was not instant, but the injuries would prove to be fatal. The king, in keeping with the ways of his wicked father, did not consult the LORD; rather, he sought out Baal-Zebub, the "lord of the flies" who was the god honored by the pagan Philistines.
What is implied within the text is that the king may have experienced deliverance had he sought the LORD instead of the false god. Elijah was summoned by the LORD to intercept the messengers sent by the king to consult with Baal-Zebub in Ekron. God told Elijah to inform the messengers that the king would not leave his bed . . . he would most certainly die for his lack of seeking the LORD during his time of utmost need.
When the messengers returned with Elijah's edict from God, the king was furious. He summoned a captain with 50 men to capture the prophet; however, when they approached Elijah to overtake him, God reigned down fire from heaven and consumed all of the men. When the king heard of the demise of his men, he sent another 50 men; like the first group, so too did these next 50 meet their death by divine fire from heaven. Still not satisfied, the king sent a third captain with 50 men to capture the prophet. This captain, however, was wise enough to plead with Elijah for his life and the life of his men. God granted mercy to the troops by sparing their lives, and He encouraged Elijah to go with the men in order that the prophet could pronounce the LORD's judgment directly to the king. And soon thereafter, the king met his demise.
What I am reminded from this story is that our true character is revealed in times of tribulation. When King Ahaziah faced his own mortality, he did not seek the LORD; rather, he sought the gods that he had worshipped throughout his wicked reign. Even when Elijah had pronounced the divine judgment of death upon the king, Ahaziah did not repent of his ways. Instead, he sought to capture the prophet presumably to execute him.
In contrast, the third captain and his army faced a similar fate of death at the hands of the LORD; however, he was smart enough to know that if he approached the prophet in a spirit of humility and petition, the LORD may be gracious and withhold his wrath. The LORD honored the captain's request for mercy and spared his life.
As Galatians 6:7-8 exclaims, "God will not be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature . . . will reap destruction." The evil king Ahaziah proved his wickedness in his time of tragedy, and God would not permit his recalcitrance to go unpunished. In the end, the king met his physical (and spiritual) fate.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment