Bad King Ahaziah (2 Kings 1)

Can anyone but God help us? Who or what do we worship that is not God? Let’s look at 2 Kings 1.

Who did Ahaziah seek instead of God? What did Elijah tell Ahaziah’s messengers?

Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria, and was injured; so he sent messengers and said to them, “Go, inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this injury.” But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, “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.’ ” So Elijah departed. (2 Kings 1:1-4 NKJV)

What did Ahaziah plot after finding out that the message was from Elijah?

When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, “Why have you returned so soon?” They replied, “A man came up to us and told us to go back to the king and give him this message. ‘This is what the Lord says: Is there no God in Israel? Why are you sending men to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether you will recover? Therefore, because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on; you will surely die.’” “What sort of man was he?” the king demanded. “What did he look like?” They replied, “He was a hairy man, and he wore a leather belt around his waist.” “Elijah from Tishbe!” the king exclaimed. (2 Kings 1:5-8 NLT)

How many groups of soldiers did Ahaziah send before God told Elijah to go with them?

Then the king sent a captain of fifty with his fifty to him. He went up to him; and behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill. He said to him, “Man of God, the king has said, ‘Come down!’” Elijah answered to the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from the sky and consume you and your fifty!” Then fire came down from the sky, and consumed him and his fifty. Again he sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty. He answered him, “Man of God, the king has said, ‘Come down quickly!’” Elijah answered them, “If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from the sky and consume you and your fifty!” Then God’s fire came down from the sky, and consumed him and his fifty. Again he sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. The third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and begged him, and said to him, “Man of God, please let my life and the life of these fifty of your servants be precious in your sight. Behold, fire came down from the sky and consumed the last two captains of fifty with their fifties. But now let my life be precious in your sight.” Yahweh’s angel said to Elijah, “Go down with him. Don’t be afraid of him.” Then he arose and went down with him to the king. (2 Kings 1:9-15 WEB)

What prophecy did Elijah deliver to king Ahaziah of Israel? Should this be a warning for every one of us?

Elijah said to the king: “This is what the Lord says: Why did you send messengers to question Ekron’s god Baal-zebub? Is there no God in Israel whose word you could seek? Because of this, you won’t ever get out of the bed you are lying in; you’ll die for sure!” So Ahaziah died in agreement with the Lord’s word that Elijah had spoken. Because Ahaziah had no son, Joram became king after him in the second year of Judah’s King Jehoram, who was Jehoshaphat’s son. The rest of Ahaziah’s deeds, aren’t they written in the official records of Israel’s kings? (2 Kings 1:16-18 CEB)

Can we serve both God and the fake idols of our world?

You cannot be the slave of two masters! You will like one more than the other or be more loyal to one than the other. You cannot serve both God and money. (Matthew 6:24 CEV)

Can anyone but God help us? Who or what do we worship that is not God? You decide!