1 Kings 22-2 Kings 1 Ahaziah
Ahaziah takes the throne after his father Ahab’s death. His reign is short lived. A fall and chasing after false gods brings his end.
Ahaziah’s story bridges first and second Kings. He is announced in 1 Kings 22 and exits in 2 Kings 1. We see no great works from him, only misery. I wonder what else he did that is not recorded. Probably nothing of any value, and certainly nothing for the Lord.
Let’s join in his short story and see where the Spirit takes us with it.
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Ahaziah stands looking out over the city of Samaria. His father is now buried and he is sitting on the throne. He is angry at the prophet Micaiah for saying that the dogs would lick up his father’s blood. But it happened. And because his father didn’t return home in peace, he has to see to Micaiah’s release.
Ahaziah sends word to Joash, the king’s son, and Amon. “Every word of the prophecy of Micaiah has come to pass. Release him, or we may further anger the Lord.”
Micaiah is released from prision the very day the edict was sent. He held his tongue, but in his heart, he was saying; “I told you so!”
Ahaziah does as little as possible after that. He has no talent for leadership. Moab is rebelling against Israel, but he lets it go for he has no heart for war either.
In the middle of the first year of Ahaziah’s reign, Jehoshaphat decides to build a fleet of ships to sail to Tarshish. He plans on bringing back gold from Ophir. This is something Ahaziah can get on board with. The two meet in Ezion-geber to commission the project.
“We need to have enough that they can travel in groups. There is safety in numbers” suggests Ahaziah.
“And we should have enough that we can have more than one group. As one sails back, another can sail out” offers Jehoshaphat.
“You should start small and build as the need builds” counsels the master ship builder.
They settle on six ships. It will take nine months to have them all ready. Both kings go back to their palaces and dream of what the fleet of ships will bring. When the time comes for them to be complete, both kings travel to Ezion-geber again.
“It is a beautiful fleet!” exclaims Ahaziah.
Jehoshaphat is a bit more reserved. He had a visit from Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah the night before he left. “Because you have joined with Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy what you have made” (2 Chronicles 20:37). Jehoshaphat is waiting for the hammer to fall. He knows not to doubt the word of the Lord.
“They are nice” Jehoshaphat says wistfully.
“What is the matter with you? Why aren’t you excited?”
“I had a word from the Lord that says that these ships would be destroyed.”
Ahaziah is stunned at first. Then he blows off the warning. “Don’t believe everything you hear. My father’s prophets were often wrong.”
“Your father’s prophets didn’t speak for the Lord. They spoke lies for Baal.”
Ahaziah shakes his head and says no more.
That night, as Jehoshaphat and Ahaziah sleep, a storm rolls in and destroys the whole fleet of ships. Masts are broken, hulls are breeched, whole boats sink, and fire breaks out in the most unlikely places. Nothing remains of their great fleet.
Ahaziah and Jehoshaphat come to the dock in the morning and see the damage. Jehoshaphat shakes his head. “God’s words ALWAYS come to pass.”
“I can build another fleet and have your men sail with mine.”
“No. The Lord has spoken plainly. I will not join with you in any more ventures.”
“Why?” demands Ahaziah.
“Because you bow down to false gods and do not believe the words of the Lord. His message to me is clear. I will not walk in this sin again.”
Both kings return to their homes. Ahaziah is angry. “How dare Jehoshaphat treat me like I’m beneath him! Who needs him anyway? I’ll build my own fleet and line my coffers. Let him hide away.”
As Ahaziah rants and roams his room, he stumbles and falls against the lattice work guarding the edge of his balcony. It gives way under his weight and he falls to the ground, from the second floor. Ahaziah is badly injured in the fall but it does not end his life.
His feeble cries for help are finally heard in the kitchen and servants run out to find him lying crumpled on the ground. A servant is immediately sent to bring the healer while three other servants carry him inside and lay him on a couch.
The healer arrives to find Ahaziah slipping in and out of consciousness, with one leg bent at an unnatural angle, and blood running from his head. He knows it will take all his skill to save the king. He gets to work right away.
“The first thing to do is stop the bleeding from his head. I will sew it together and put a dressing on it. You will have to stay with him and try to keep him awake for the first day. We have found that when someone hits their head, that if they can be roused the first day, they have a better chance of living. Now to this leg. This is going to hurt, but I must put it back in place and keep it straight.”
After Ahaziah is splinted, cleaned up and awake, his servants move him upstairs to his room. He is more comfortable in his bed, but he hurts all over. One of the servants stays with him overnight to keep rousing him. Ahaziah is having difficulty sleeping anyway because he is in so much pain.
The healer comes to see him again the next day. “How are you doing, my king?”
“I hurt in places that I didn’t even know existed! Even my eyelashes hurt” he moans.
“I can give you something to help with the pain, but you have to be careful how you use it. Too much and you will die from it.”
“Give my servant the directions. He will administer it.”
“I want to examine you again as well.”
Ahaziah submits to the healer’s poking and prodding. He yelps and cries out often, especially when his midsection is prodded.
The healer knows the signs. He does not expect Ahaziah to live, but he would be a poor healer if he told his patient that. Instead, he builds hope. “You need to rest as much as possible. You will probably be sore for quite some time.”
Two days pass and Ahaziah isn’t getting any better. He decides it’s time to seek the gods for answers. He calls for one of his messengers.
“Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this sickness” (2 Kings 1:2).
God has been watching over this whole process, waiting on Ahaziah to make a choice. And he has just made the wrong one. God speaks to Elijah.
“Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Now therefore thus says the Lord, You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die’” (1 Kings 1:3-4).
Elijah goes immediately to the place the Lord draws him to. He meets the messenger on as he is making his way to the temple of Baal-zebub. He speaks every word that the Lord gave him. When Elijah finishes speaking, the terrified messengers turn around and go straight back to the king.
The speed with which the messengers return tells Ahaziah that something is wrong. “Why have you returned?” (2 Kings 1:5).
“There came a man to meet us, and said to us, ‘Go back to the king who sent you, and say to him, Thus says the Lord, Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die’” (2 Kings 1:6).
Ahaziah narrowed his eyes and asked; “What kind of man was he who came to meet you and told you these things?” (2 Kings 1:7).
“He wore a garment of hair, with a belt of leather about his waist” (2 Kings 1:8).
“It is Elijah the Tishbite” says Ahaziah. “Bring him to me. I must meet with him personally. Maybe then the Lord will relent and I will live. Have one of the captains of fifty go to him and bring his men with him. They are to say to Elijah; ‘O man of God, the king says “Come down.”’”
A captain and his fifty was dispatched to find Elijah within the hour. They easily locate him sitting on top of a nearby hill. The captain approaches Elijah with pride and authority. He speaks to Elijah out of that arrogance.
“O man of God, the king says, ‘Come down’” (2 Kings 1:9).
Elijah looks at him with anger. “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.”
Immediately, fire falls from heaven and consumes every last man from the king. This was observed by the guard in the watchtower. He hurries down from his post and goes to tell the king.
“My king, the captain and his fifty that you sent to Elijah are no more! Fire came from heaven and consumed the all.”
“Send another captain of fifty and his men. Have him say to Elijah; ‘O man of God, this is the kings order; “Come down quickly!”’”
Another captain and his men approach Elijah on the same hill. He has not moved one inch. This captain speaks with the urgency of the king’s message. He also speaks as one expecting to be obeyed.
“O man of God, this is the king’s order, ‘Come down quickly!’” (2 Kings 1:11).
Elijah is no more inclined to follow the king’s ‘order’ than he was to respond to the arrogance of the first captain. He gives this captain the same answer he gave the last one.
“If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty” (2 Kings 1:12).
Fire again falls from heaven and completely consumes the men the king sent. And, again, it was observed from the watch tower. The guard on duty hurries to tell the king.
“My king. The captain and his fifty were consumed by fire from heaven again.”
Ahaziah is angry. “Why doesn’t he come? I am his king! Send another captain of fifty and his men. Say to Elijah; ‘O man of God, the king commands you; “Come down now!”’”
The captain chosen has heard what happened to the last two captains and their men. Yet, he cannot refuse to obey his king. He will go, but he will NOT speak the word the king has put in his mouth.
Elijah is still in the same place where the two groups met him and their deaths. There are scorch marks on the ground where they stood. The captain approaches Elijah and falls to his knees. There is no arrogance in him. He pleads with Elijah instead for his life and the lives of his men.
“O man of God, please let my life, and the life of these fifty servants of yours, be precious in your sight. Behold, fire came down from heaven and consumed the two former captains of fifty men with their fifties, but now let my life be precious in your sight” (2 Kings 1:13-14).
Elijah is surprised by this man’s humility. Before he can speak a word, the angel of the Lord speaks to his spirit. “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him” (2 Kings 1:15).
“I will go with you to see the king” Elijah replies. Both men stand to their feet and begin the walk back to the palace.
“Why did you agree to come now and not before” asks the captain.
“Your humility touched the Lord and He has said for me to go. It will not change the message that the king already received, but it will end this waste of life.”
“Thank you for sparing our lives.”
“Your lives are a gift from the Lord. Thank Him for that.”
When the captain and Elijah arrive at the palace, the captain dismisses his men and the two of them are escorted to the king’s chamber.
“So you have finally come” says Ahaziah.
“Yes. I have come. But my coming does not alter the Lord’s message to you. ‘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”’” (2 Kings 1:16).
After delivering the Lord’s message, Elijah turns and leaves. Not even the cries to “come back” from the king stop Elijah’s determined pace. Elijah has no more to say to this evil king and God has no reprieve for him.
Ahaziah has been barely hanging onto life out of sheer will power. With Elijah’s words and departure, Ahaziah’s will is shattered. He turns his face to the wall and within hours, he breathes his last.
Ahaziah was an evil king in the sight of the Lord and he left no heirs. His younger brother takes the throne and has Ahaziah buried in Samaria with his fathers. Jehoram becomes king of Israel.
(to be continued)
The two stories we have of Ahaziah both speak of his disregard for the Lord. He chased after false gods. Did you notice that the name of the god he sought out is VERY similar to one of the names of Satan; Beelzebub? I think that is probably a fitting comparison. Satan wanted to be above God and was cast down for it. Baal-zebub is no god either.
Ahaziah had a very sad life, as far as I am concerned. Any life without the Lord is a sad one; an empty one. There is NO god other that our God! ALL fall flat on their faces before Him. Don’t put your trust in ANY of them!
Father God, thank You for loving me enough to show me the truth. To show me Your love and Your plan for my life. Not the plan of ‘what will I be when I grow up’ but the plan of salvation. The plan of eternity with You. NO other god will do! ONLY YOU.
Everything of this life is temporary and fades. Let me not put my trust in it. Use it for good in my life and the lives of those around me, but NOT depend on it or worship it. There is NONE like You!
