Refuse To Come Down

Refuse to Come Down 2 Kings 1: 1-10NLT

We are truly living in one of the most crucial hours of American history. Ominous clouds of fear and doom seem to be gathering over our nation.

About hard times: "If you break your neck, if you have nothing to eat, if your house is on fire, then you got a problem. Everything else is inconvenience. "

~ Robert Fulghum

After King Ahab’s death, the land of Moab rebelled against Israel. 2 One day Israel’s new king, Ahaziah, fell through the latticework of an upper room at his palace in Samaria and was seriously injured. So he sent messengers to the temple of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether he would recover. 3 But the angel of the Lord told Elijah, who was from Tishbe, “Go and confront the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is there no God in Israel? Why are you going to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether the king will recover? 4 Now, therefore, this is what the Lord says: You will never leave the bed you are lying on; you will surely die.’” So Elijah went to deliver the message. 5 When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, “Why have you returned so soon?” 6 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.’” 7 “What sort of man was he?” the king demanded. “What did he look like?” 8 They replied, “He was a hairy man, and he wore a leather belt around his waist.” (Sounds like John the Babtist) “Elijah from Tishbe!” the king exclaimed. 9 Then he sent an army captain with fifty soldiers to arrest him. They found him sitting on top of a hill. The captain said to him, “Man of God, the king has commanded you to come down with us.” 10 But Elijah replied to the captain, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and destroy you and your fifty men!” Then fire fell from heaven and killed them all.

The Bible says in 1 Kings 22:52 that Ahaziah "did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin:"

One man once said, “It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.” (Ahaziah was an unconquered man)

Once more in verse 6, Elijah herald, “you will surely die.”

This stubborn King, Ahaziah, not once, but twice, sent a squad of 50 soldiers along with a captain to apprehend this prophet of God, Elijah. However, twice Elijah called fire down from heaven and it consumed every soldier.

2 Kings 1:13-17aNLT Once more the king sent a third captain with fifty men. But this time the captain went up the hill and fell to his knees before Elijah. He pleaded with him, “O man of God, please spare my life and the lives of these, your fifty servants. 14 See how the fire from heaven came down and destroyed the first two groups. But now please spare my life!” 15 Then the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him, and don’t be afraid of him.” So Elijah got up and went with him to the king. 16 And Elijah said to the king, “This is what the Lord says: Why did you send messengers to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether you will recover? Is there no God in Israel to answer your question? Therefore, because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on; you will surely die.” 17a So Ahaziah died, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah.

God spoke this simple word into my Spirit. “God has a host of young men and women who will step up to take our place if we refuse to obey. No one is irreplaceable.”

God’s law demanded instant death; therefore, God through Elijah was showing Ahaziah mercy.

* You see, God will travel an extra mile for humility and brokenness. Because of the mercies of God, it’s possible Ahaziah could have been spared if he... you fill in the blank.

“People that refuse to repent will pay a hefty penalty.”

Upon getting injured King Ahaziah seeks out Baal-Zebub, lord of the flies. (A fortune teller) Jesus called Baal-Zebub, the devil. (The Kings true colors come out!) One Greek translation calls Baal-Zebub, lord of the dung!