◄ 2 Kings 1:16 ►
And Elijah said to King Ahaziah, "This is what the LORD says: Is there really no God in Israel for you to inquire of His word? Is that why you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die."
Study Bible
And Elijah said to King Ahaziah
Elijah, a prominent prophet in Israel, is known for his boldness and direct communication with God. His confrontation with King Ahaziah highlights the role of prophets as God's messengers. Ahaziah, the son of Ahab and Jezebel, continued his parents' idolatrous practices, which set the stage for this divine rebuke.

This is what the LORD says
The phrase underscores the authority of the message. Elijah speaks not on his own behalf but as a mouthpiece for Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel. This formula is common in prophetic literature, emphasizing that the message is divinely inspired.

Is there really no God in Israel for you to inquire of His word?
This rhetorical question challenges Ahaziah's faithlessness and highlights Israel's unique relationship with Yahweh. The question implies that Ahaziah's actions are a denial of God's presence and power in Israel, contrasting with the covenant relationship established at Sinai (Exodus 19-20).

Is that why you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?
Baal-zebub, meaning "lord of the flies," was a deity worshiped in Ekron, a Philistine city. Ahaziah's decision to seek guidance from a foreign god reflects the syncretism and idolatry prevalent in Israel during this period. This act of seeking a pagan deity's counsel is a direct violation of the First Commandment (Exodus 20:3).

Therefore you will not get up from the bed on which you are lying
This pronouncement of judgment is a direct consequence of Ahaziah's idolatry. The specificity of the prophecy underscores the certainty of God's word. The bed symbolizes Ahaziah's helplessness and impending death, a stark contrast to the life and healing he sought from Baal-zebub.

You will surely die
The certainty of Ahaziah's death serves as a divine judgment and a warning to Israel about the consequences of idolatry. This phrase echoes the language of Genesis 2:17, where disobedience leads to death, reinforcing the theme of divine justice. The fulfillment of this prophecy confirms Elijah's role as a true prophet and the sovereignty of God over life and death.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Elijah
A prophet of God known for his boldness and faithfulness in delivering God's messages, often confronting kings and false prophets.

2. Ahaziah
The king of Israel who fell through the lattice of his upper room and sought guidance from Baal-zebub instead of the God of Israel.

3. Baal-zebub
A false god worshiped in Ekron, representing a direct challenge to the worship of Yahweh, the God of Israel.

4. Ekron
A Philistine city known for its idolatrous practices, particularly the worship of Baal-zebub.

5. The LORD (Yahweh)
The one true God of Israel, who is sovereign and demands exclusive worship and obedience from His people.
Teaching Points
The Exclusivity of God
God demands exclusive worship and allegiance. Seeking guidance from any source other than God is a form of idolatry.

The Consequences of Disobedience
Ahaziah's fate serves as a warning that turning away from God leads to dire consequences.

The Role of Prophets
Prophets like Elijah are God's messengers, delivering His word with authority and calling people back to faithfulness.

The Futility of Idolatry
Trusting in false gods or worldly solutions is ultimately futile and leads to spiritual and sometimes physical death.

God's Sovereignty
God's word is final and authoritative. His pronouncements, as delivered by His prophets, will come to pass.
Bible Study Questions
1. What does Ahaziah's decision to consult Baal-zebub reveal about his understanding of God, and how can we ensure we seek God first in our own lives?

2. How does Elijah's role as a prophet challenge us to listen to and heed God's word today?

3. In what ways do modern-day "idols" or false sources of guidance tempt us, and how can we guard against them?

4. Reflect on a time when you faced consequences for not seeking God's guidance. What did you learn from that experience?

5. How can we apply the lesson of God's sovereignty and the futility of idolatry in our daily decision-making and spiritual walk?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 20:3
The commandment against having other gods before Yahweh highlights the seriousness of Ahaziah's sin in seeking Baal-zebub.

Deuteronomy 18:10-12
Condemns divination and seeking guidance from false gods, reinforcing the error of Ahaziah's actions.

1 Kings 18:21
Elijah's challenge to the people of Israel to choose between Yahweh and Baal, showing the ongoing struggle between true worship and idolatry.

James 1:5
Encourages believers to seek wisdom from God, contrasting Ahaziah's choice to seek guidance from a false god.
Sermons
Fire from HeavenC.H. Irwin 2 Kings 1:5-16
Destructive Forces in the Hand of GodDean Farrar.2 Kings 1:9-16
Man in Three AspectsHomilist2 Kings 1:9-16
On Tolerance of ErrorF. S. Webster, M. A.2 Kings 1:9-16
The Captains of Ahazian Destroyed by FireJ. S. M. Anderson, M. A.2 Kings 1:9-16
The Destruction of the Two Captains with Their CompaniesOutlines of Sermons by a London Minister2 Kings 1:9-16
The Prophet of FireJ. Orr 2 Kings 1:9-16
Man in Three AspectsD. Thomas 2 Kings 1:9-18
The Old Courage AgainF. B. Meyer, B. A.2 Kings 1:15-16
People
Ahab, Ahaziah, Baalzebub, Elijah, Jehoram, Jehoshaphat, Joram
Places
Ekron, Moab, Samaria
Topics
Baal, Baalzebub, Baal-zebub, Ba'al-ze'bub, Bed, Certainly, Consult, Death, Die, Ekron, Ekron-is, Enquire, Forasmuch, Hast, Inquire, Leave, Lying, Messengers, Question, Reason, Says, Speaketh, Surely, Thus, Whether, Whither, Zebub
Dictionary of Bible Themes
2 Kings 1:16

     8616   prayerlessness

2 Kings 1:1-18

     5366   king

2 Kings 1:16-17

     5092   Elijah
     8747   false gods
     9021   death, natural

Library
Whether the Sin of those who Crucified Christ was Most Grievous?
Objection 1: It would seem that the sin of Christ's crucifiers was not the most grievous. Because the sin which has some excuse cannot be most grievous. But our Lord Himself excused the sin of His crucifiers when He said: "Father, forgive them: for they know not what they do" (Lk. 23:34). Therefore theirs was not the most grievous sin. Objection 2: Further, our Lord said to Pilate (Jn. 19:11): "He that hath delivered Me to thee hath the greater sin." But it was Pilate who caused Christ to be crucified …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether it is Lawful to Curse an Irrational Creature?
Objection 1: It would seem that it is unlawful to curse an irrational creature. Cursing would seem to be lawful chiefly in its relation to punishment. Now irrational creatures are not competent subjects either of guilt or of punishment. Therefore it is unlawful to curse them. Objection 2: Further, in an irrational creature there is nothing but the nature which God made. But it is unlawful to curse this even in the devil, as stated above [2960](A[1]). Therefore it is nowise lawful to curse an irrational …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Answer to the Jewish Rabby's Letter.
WE Are now come to the letter of Mr. W's Jewish Rabby, whom Mr. W. calls his friend, and says his letter consists of calm and sedate reasoning, p. 55. I on the other hand can see no reason in it. But the reader than not need to rely upon my judgment. Therefore I will transcribe some parts of it, and then make some remarks. The argument of the letter is, that the story of Lazarus's being raised is an imposture; or else the Jews could not have been so wicked, as to be on that account provoked against …
Nathaniel Lardner—A Vindication of Three of Our Blessed Saviour's Miracles

An Address to a Soul So Overwhelmed with a Sense of the Greatness of Its Sins, that it Dares not Apply Itself to Christ with Any
1-4. The case described at large.--5. As it frequently occurs.--6. Granting all that the dejected soul charges on itself.--7. The invitations and promises of Christ give hope.--8. The reader urged, under all his burdens and fears, to an humble application to him. Which is accordingly exemplified in the concluding Reflection and Prayer. 1. I have now done with those unhappy creatures who despise the Gospel, and with those who neglect it. With pleasure do I now turn myself to those who will hear me …
Philip Doddridge—The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul

Scriptures Showing the Sin and Danger of Joining with Wicked and Ungodly Men.
Scriptures Showing The Sin And Danger Of Joining With Wicked And Ungodly Men. When the Lord is punishing such a people against whom he hath a controversy, and a notable controversy, every one that is found shall be thrust through: and every one joined with them shall fall, Isa. xiii. 15. They partake in their judgment, not only because in a common calamity all shares, (as in Ezek. xxi. 3.) but chiefly because joined with and partakers with these whom God is pursuing; even as the strangers that join …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The Assyrian Revival and the Struggle for Syria
Assur-nazir-pal (885-860) and Shalmaneser III. (860-825)--The kingdom of Urartu and its conquering princes: Menuas and Argistis. Assyria was the first to reappear on the scene of action. Less hampered by an ancient past than Egypt and Chaldaea, she was the sooner able to recover her strength after any disastrous crisis, and to assume again the offensive along the whole of her frontier line. Image Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a bas-relief at Koyunjik of the time of Sennacherib. The initial cut, …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 7

A Prayer when one Begins to be Sick.
O most righteous Judge, yet in Jesus Christ my gracious Father! I, wretched sinner, do here return unto thee, though driven with pain and sickness, like the prodigal child with want and hunger. I acknowledge that this sickness and pain comes not by blind chance or fortune, but by thy divine providence and special appointment. It is the stroke of thy heavy hand, which my sins have justly deserved; and the things that I feared are now fallen upon me (Job iii. 25.) Yet do I well perceive that in wrath …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Kings
The book[1] of Kings is strikingly unlike any modern historical narrative. Its comparative brevity, its curious perspective, and-with some brilliant exceptions--its relative monotony, are obvious to the most cursory perusal, and to understand these things is, in large measure, to understand the book. It covers a period of no less than four centuries. Beginning with the death of David and the accession of Solomon (1 Kings i., ii.) it traverses his reign with considerable fulness (1 Kings iii.-xi.), …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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