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Royalty and Ruin
followed. A disastrous war with Moab, and then an accident that
threatened his own life, bore witness to God’s wrath against him.
Having fallen “through the lattice of his upper room,” Ahaziah, seri-
ously injured, sent his servants to inquire of Baal-Zebub whether he
would recover. Through his priests, the god of Ekron was supposed
to give information concerning future events. But the predictions
came from the prince of darkness.
A man of God met Ahaziah’s servants and directed them to
return to the king with this message: “‘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.’”
The astonished servants hurried back to the king and repeated to
him the words of the man of God. The king inquired, “What kind of
man was it?” They answered, “A hairy man wearing a leather belt
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around his waist.” “It is Elijah the Tishbite,” Ahaziah exclaimed. He
knew that if it was indeed Elijah, the words of doom would surely
be fulfilled.
Anxious to reverse the judgment, he decided to send for the
prophet. Twice Ahaziah sent soldiers to intimidate Elijah, and twice
the wrath of God fell on them in judgment. The third company of
soldiers humbled themselves before God, and their captain “fell on
his knees before Elijah, and pleaded with him, ... ‘Man of God,
please let my life and the life of these fifty servants of yours be
precious in your sight.’”
“The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, ‘Go down with him; do
not be afraid of him.’ So he arose and went down with him to the
king. Then he said to him, ‘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.”’”
During his father’s reign, Ahaziah had seen the terrible evidences
God had given apostate Israel of how He regards those who set
aside the claims of His law. Ahaziah had acted as if these awful
realities were nothing more than baseless tales. He had followed
Baal, and at last had boldly done this, his most daring rejection of