SERIES M --- PROPHESIES AND MIRACLES --- LESSON 9

AHAZIAH’S INJURY AND DEATH

From 1 Kings 22:40, 51-53; 2 Kings 1

When King Ahab of Israel died his son Ahaziah ruled in his place as king of Israel. Ahaziah became king during the seventeenth year of the reign of King Jehoshaphat of Judah and ruled for two years. He was an evil king, for he followed the way of his father Ahab, his mother Jezebel and of the evil King Jeroboam who had led Israel into sin. He made Adonai angry because of his sin. After Ahaziah became king, Moab rebelled against Israel and refused to send tribute. Now, Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice in his upstairs room in Samaria and was injured, so he was confined to his bed. He sent messengers to Ekron with these instructions [go to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron and ask if I will get well.] About this same time the Angel of Adonai told Elijah to meet these messengers and say to them, [isn’t there a YHVH in Israel? Why then are you going to Baal-zebub, the YHVH of Ekron? Go home and tell the king that he will not get well, but will die.] Elijah went to meet the messengers and told them what the Angel had said. When the messengers returned to the king, Ahaziah asked them, [Why have you returned so soon?] [Because a man met us and said that we should return to you and ask you if there is not a YHVH in Israel who can answer your question instead of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron. He also said that you would not get well, but would die.] [What kind of man was this?] Ahaziah asked. [He was a hairy man with a leather band about his waist,] they answered. [That was Elijah the Tishbite,] said King Ahaziah. The king then sent fifty men led by a captain to arrest Elijah. They found him sitting at the top of a hill and the captain said to him, [O man of YHVH, the king commands you to come down with us.] [If I am a man of YHVH, let fire come from heaven and burn up you and your fifty men,] Elijah answered. Suddenly fire came down from heaven and burned up the captain and his fifty men. King Ahaziah sent another captain with fifty more men to the hill where Elijah was sitting. [O man of YHVH, the king commands that you come with us.] [If I am a man of YHVH, let fire come from heaven and burn up you and your fifty men,] Elijah answered. Suddenly fire came down from heaven and burned up the captain and his fifty men. Then the king sent a third captain with fifty men to arrest Elijah. As soon as this captain found Elijah he bowed down on his knees before him. [O man of YHVH, please spare my life and the lives of the fifty soldiers with me. I know that fire came from heaven and burned up the other two captains and their men. Please have mercy on us and let our lives be precious in your sight.] Then the Angel of Adonai spoke to Elijah. [Go with this man and do not be afraid,] the Angel said. Elijah went with the captain to see King Ahaziah. Elijah said to the king, [Why have you sent messengers to ask Baal-zebub, the YHVH of Ekron, if you would get well? Is there no YHVH in Israel whom you may ask? Since you have ignored the true YHVH, you will not get well, but will surely die.] King Ahaziah soon died of his injuries, just as Adonai had said. Ahaziah had no sons, so his brother Jehoram ruled as king of Israel in his place. This happened during the second year of the reign of King Jehoram of Judah, son of King Jehoshaphat. The rest of the deeds which Ahaziah did are recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

COMMENTARY

BAAL-ZEBUB, LORD OF THE FLIES

Baal-zebub was an ancient Philistine deity who they thought had the power of prophecy. The priests in his temple in Ekron claimed to be highly skilled in interpreting his messages. Worshipers who sought divine guidance came from all ends of Palestine to plea for help at the oracle. Baal-zebub’s only sanctuary was in Ekron, for he was the special god of that city. At one time Baal-zebub was known as Baal-zebul, which meant, [prince Baal.] He was sometimes thought of as Baal, the Canaanite god of nature, sun and rain. Israelites who did not want to call attention to false gods changed his name to Baal-zebub. This name, which meant, [lord of the flies,] was intended as an insult. No one is certain why the Israelites chose to anger Philistines with this particular title. It may have been because Baal-zebub was believed to pass on his messages through the buzzing of flies. It is also thought that Baal-zebub protected his followers from diseases spread by flies. The fear and hatred ancient Israelites once associated with the false god has remained with his name. In New Testament times the Jews identified Baal-zebub as prince of the demons; prince of the gods of evil. In modern times Baal-zebub is still a name for the devil or any spirit of evil. It is sometimes spelled [Beelzebub.]