853BC-852BC – King Ahaziah the 8th King of Israel

1 Kings 22:51-53, 2 Kings 1:1-18. Ahaziah was made King and ruled over Israel for two years from his capital in Samaria. Ahaziah had no son and so Joram succeeded him as 9th king of Israel.

King Ahaziah did evil in God’s eyes because he worshiped Baal-Zabub the god of Ekron just as his father had done.

King Ahaziah had injured himself very badly and wondered if he would die. This was when God intervened and sent Elijah with a message from God to Ahaziah king of Samaria that he would die. His death came to pass as predicted by Elijah the prophet of God.

Jehoshaphat king of Judah made an alliance with Ahaziah the king of Israel to build trading ships. All the ships were wrecked because the Lord God was not in the venture.

Ahaziah in Hebrew means: Yah holds firm.

Background Reading:

Ahaziah Reigns over Israel

11:51 Ahab’s son Ahaziah became king over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of King Jehoshaphat of Judah. He reigned for two years over Israel. 52 He practiced what the Lord considered to be evil by living life like his father and mother did. He lived like Nebat’s son Jeroboam, who led Israel into sin. 53 He served Baal, worshipped him, and provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger, in accordance with everything his father had done.
2 Kings 11:51-53

and

Elijah Rebukes King Ahaziah

1:1 Moab rebelled against Israel after Ahab died. 2 Meanwhile, Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice in his upper room in Samaria and lay injured. He sent messengers to Ekron with these orders: “Go and consult with Ekron’s god Baal-zebub to find out if I’m going to recover from this injury.”

3 But the angel of the LORD spoke to Elijah the foreigner, “Get up and go meet the messengers from the king of Samaria. Ask them ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you’re going to consult with Ekron’s god Baal-zebub? 4 Now therefore this is what the LORD says: “You won’t be getting up from that bed of yours on which you’re lying. You will most certainly die!”’” So Elijah got up and went.

5The messengers returned to the king and he asked them, “What’s this? You’ve come back?”

6 They replied, “We met a man who told us, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and ask him, “Is it because there is no God in Israel that you’re going to consult with Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you won’t be getting up from that bed on which you’re lying. You will most certainly die!”’”

7 He told them, “Describe the man who met you and told you these things.”

8 They answered, “The man was a hairy fellow. He wore a leather sash around his waist.”

The king responded, “It’s Elijah, that foreigner!”

Fire from Heaven Destroys the King’s Henchmen

9 So the king sent out 50 men, along with their leader. The leader approached Elijah, who was sitting at the top of a hill. He ordered Elijah, “Hey, man of God! The king orders you to come down!”

10 Elijah responded to the leader who was in charge of the 50 soldiers, “So I’m a man of God, am I? If so, may fire fall from heaven and devour you and your 50 soldiers…” Just then, fire fell from heaven and devoured that leader and his 50 soldiers.

11 Later the king tried again—he sent another company of 50 soldiers, along with their leader, who ordered Elijah, “Hey, man of God! This is what the king orders: ‘Come down!’”

12 Elijah responded to the leader and to his entire company, “So I’m a man of God, am I? If so, may fire fall from heaven and devour you and your 50 soldiers…” Just then, fire fell from heaven and devoured him and his 50 soldiers.

13 Then the king tried yet again! The king sent a third company of 50 soldiers along with their leader. The third leader went up the hill, approached Elijah, fell on his knees in front of him, and begged him, “Hey, man of God, please treat my life and the lives of these servants of yours as precious! 14 Look how fire fell from heaven and devoured the two other companies of 50 soldiers, along with their captains, but now please treat me as if my life were precious!”

15 The angel of the LORD told Elijah, “Go down the hill with that man. Don’t be afraid of him!” So Elijah got up and went down with him to meet the king.

16 Then Elijah spoke to the king, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Since you sent messengers to consult with Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron—is it because there is no God in Israel with whom to consult regarding his word?—therefore you’re not getting up from the bed on which you’re lying. You certainly will die!’” 17 And die he did, just as the LORD had said and just as Elijah had spoken!

After this, Jehoram ascended to the throne during the second year of the reign of Jehoshaphat’s son Jehoram from Judah. He took the place of Ahaziah, who had no son. 18 The rest of Ahaziah’s activities are recorded in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel, are they not?
2 kings 1:1-18
Also read: 2 Chronicles 20:35-36.


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