2 Kings 1:13-15 Wisely and Humbly!

 “Again, he sent a third captain of fifty with his fifty men. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and pleaded with him, and said to him: “Man of God, please let my life and the life of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your sight. Look, fire has come down from heaven and burned up the first two captains of fifties with their fifties. But let my life now be precious in your sight.” And 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.” ‭‭II Kings‬ ‭1‬:‭13‬-‭15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Fell on his knees before Elijah, and pleaded with him: The third captain approached his mission in a completely different manner. He came to Elijah humbly, recognizing that he really was a Man of God. Perhaps the third captain looked at the two blackened spots of scorched earth nearby before he spoke to Elijah.

b. Go down with him; do not be afraid of him: It wasn’t that God did not want Elijah to go to King Ahaziah; it was that Ahaziah, his captains, and their soldiers all acted as if there were no God in Israel. When the request was made wisely and humbly, Elijah went.

i. There were many reasons why Ahaziah wanted to arrest Elijah, even though he already heard the prophecy through Elijah. Perhaps he wanted Elijah to reverse his word of doom and would use force to compel him to do it. Perhaps he just wanted to show his rage against this prophet who had troubled him and his father Ahab for so long. Perhaps he wanted to dramatically silence Elijah to discourage future prophets from speaking boldly against the king of Israel. God assured Elijah that he had nothing to fear from Ahaziah. (Guzik)

Wisely and Humbly!

Like the third captain who fell on his knees and acted wisely and humbly, that is how we should approach God. 

“He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?” ‭‭Micah‬ ‭6‬:‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Do you love mercy and walk humbly with God? 

Blessings 

2 Kings 1:9-10 “IF”

  “Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty men. So he went up to him; and there he was, sitting on the top of a hill. And he spoke to him: “Man of God, the king has said, ‘Come down!’ ” So Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.” II Kings‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. The king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty men: This should have been plenty of men to capture one prophet. Clearly, Ahaziah sent more men than were normally required.

b. Man of God, the king has said, “Come down”: The captain here admitted the righteousness of Elijah when he called him “Man of God.” Therefore they were wrong in doing this, even though they were on orders from their king.

i. The Bible clearly teaches that we owe submission to the government and governing authorities (Romans 13:1-2). Yet in the human sphere, the Biblical command to submit is never absolute, but always conditioned by the greater responsibility to submit to God (Acts 5:29). This commander should have resisted the ungodly and immoral command from King Ahaziah and obeyed God instead. His fifty men should have refused to obey the ungodly and immoral command of their captain.

c. If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven: Elijah put the issue in stark contrast. If he really were a man of God, then the captain and his men were on an ungodly and immoral mission. Since Elijah could not bring down fire from heaven without Divine approval, he asked God to evaluate these men and the rightness of their actions against God’s prophet.

i. “Either they did not hold him to be a prophet, or they gloried in putting the power of their master above that of Jehovah. In any case, the insult was less against Elijah than Elijah’s God.” (Meyer)

ii. Elijah did not say, “You bet I am a man of God.” Instead, he answered If I am a man of God. Essentially Elijah said, “You say I am a man of God even though you are not acting like it. Maybe I am and maybe I am not. Let’s let God decide by fire.”

iii. “Some have blamed the prophet for destroying these men, by bringing down fire from heaven upon them. But they do not consider that it was no more possible for Elijah to bring down fire from heaven, than for them to do it. God alone could send the fire; and as he is just and good, he would not have destroyed these men had there not been a sufficient cause to justify the act.” (Clarke)

d. Fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty: God brought judgment on these men who acted as if Yahweh was not a real God and as if Elijah was not truly His servant.

i. The captain commanded Elijah to “Come down!” The man of God didn’t come down, but the fire of God did.

ii. “It must be noted that the demands made of Elijah were wrong. A king had no right to ask such allegiance and his actions should always be subordinate to God’s word. God was protecting his word and his servant.” (Wiseman)

(Guzik)

IF

Elijah said “If I am a man of God” notice he didn’t say, I am a man of God! There’s a big difference as he left it up to God to decide, as He sees the heart of man or you could say the heart of the matter!

For David said: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’” Acts‬ ‭13‬:‭22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I would rather it be said of me that I was a man after God’s own heart than to say I was a man of God.

What about you?

Blessings 

2 Kings 1:11-12 IF Part Two!

 “Then he sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty men. And he answered and said to him: “Man of God, thus has the king said, ‘Come down quickly!’ ” So Elijah answered and said to them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.” ‭‭II Kings‬ ‭1‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Man of God, thus has the king said: The second captain repeated the same error as the first captain, but with even more guilt because he knew what happened to the first captain. The judgment upon the first group should have warned this second captain and his fifty men.

i. The specific request of the second captain (Come down quickly!) shows that the second captain made his request even more bold and demanding.

ii. The people and leaders of Israel had gone after pagan gods so long that they could not distinguish between the imaginary, impotent gods of the pagan world and Yahweh, the LORD God of Israel. They thought that Yahweh was just as powerless as their own useless gods.

b. If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men: Elijah left the matter in God’s hands, and God again responded in dramatic judgment. (Guzik)

IF Part Two!

“If I am a man of God”?

You would think that the second captain would have known better when he came up on the scene of what was the first captain and his 50 soldiers. Smoldering embers with remnants of metal lying about! At least this is the way I always envisioned it!

The second captain and his men were more bold and demanding! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Do you think the king will send a third captain?

Blessings 

 

2 Kings 1:5-8 A Man Came Up!

 “And when the messengers returned to him, he said to them, “Why have you come back?” So they said to him, “A man came up to meet us, and said to us, ‘Go, return to the king who sent you, and say to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’ ” ’ ” Then he said to them, “What kind of man was it who came up to meet you and told you these words?” So they answered him, “A hairy man wearing a leather belt around his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”” ‭‭II Kings‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬-‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. A man came up to meet us: Though they were sent to seek a word from the pagan priests of Baal-Zebub, the word from Elijah persuaded them so much that they didn’t follow through on their original mission.

i. “This official delegation from the king would certainly not have turned back from their royal assignment just because some anonymous wayfarer asked them to. There must have been an irresistible quality to Elijah’s personality, a forceful spiritual presence, that compelled them to obey this stranger even though they didn’t know who he was.” (Dilday)

b. What kind of man was it who came up to meet you: Ahaziah clearly suspected it was the Prophet Elijah who spoke this word. His suspicion was confirmed when the manwas described as a hairy man wearing a leather belt around his waist.

i. The Hebrew words translated hairy man literally mean, “possessor of hair.” “This description more than likely refers to the hairy animal skins he wore clinched around his waist with a leather belt.” (Dilday)

ii. Identifying Elijah by his clothes also connected him to the ministry of John the Baptist, who dressed in hairy skins from animals (Matthew 3:4). When the priests and Levites saw him they asked, “Are you Elijah?” (John 1:19-21)

iii. “Either because Elijah had much hair on his head and face, or because, as a prophet, he wore a rough garment (Zechariah 13:4), as a pattern of repentance.” (Trapp)

(Guzik)

A Man Came Up!

I may have never met Elijah but I did have a man came up like Elijah and spoke to me after church. 

I didn’t know the person but he told me he had a message for me from God. He knew my inter most thoughts and what I was distressed over and reassured me that God saw my pain and tears, and that everything was going to be ok.

Pastor Robert said that if someone claimed that they had a message for you from God,  how do you know if it was true? If it came to fruition! What this man told me was true!

A man came up, has this happened to you?

Blessings 

2 Kings 1:3-4 The Real God!

 “But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, ‘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.’ ” So Elijah departed.”

‭‭II Kings‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Is it because there is no God in Israel: There is little doubt that King Ahaziah believed that Yahweh lived, but he lived as if there were no God in Israel. He was a practical atheist, and the way he sought Baal-Zebub instead of the LORD demonstrated this.

b. You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die: Ahaziah did not seek help from the real God; therefore he will get no real help. Instead this will be an occasion for the real God to send a message of judgment to King Ahaziah.

i. According to Wiseman, when ancients sought their gods about medical issues, “The result was usually given in medical prognostic texts as ‘he will live/die’ as in verses 6, 16 (you will certainly die).” This means that Elijah’s words but you shall surely diewere phrased as a medical diagnosis. It was as if Elijah said, “Here’s your diagnosis, Ahaziah: Your condition is fatal and irreversible.”

ii. In fact, this was a mercy to Ahaziah. God told him something that few people know. His death was imminent, and he had time to repent and prepare to meet God.

iii. This prophetic announcement might also explain why Ahaziah did not want to seek an answer from the LORD: He knew what the answer would be. In seeking Baal-Zebub for an answer, Ahaziah may have wanted to find a god to tell him what he wanted to hear. (Guzik)

The Real God!

Let’s face it, one out of one person dies! Ahaziah received a message from Elijah and knew death was imminent! So why didn’t he repent while he still was alive and breathing? God only knows. There are examples in the bible of this occurring and the Lord forgave them!

“In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.’ ” Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the Lord, and said, “Remember now, O Lord, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days fifteen years.” Isaiah‬ ‭38‬:‭1‬-‭3‬, ‭5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

This is all the Lord God wants from us, a repentant heart ❤️, to turn from our sinful ways and to seek Him.

Father, please forgive our trespasses and give us the loving heart of Jesus. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, amen.

Blessings 

2 Kings 1:1-2 Themselves!

 “Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria, and was injured; so he sent messengers and said to them, “Go, inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this injury.”” II Kings‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab: The reign of Ahab was a spiritual disaster for the Northern Kingdom, but it was a time of political security and economic prosperity. After his death the kingdom of Moab found a good opportunity to remove their nation from the domination of Israel.

i. “Their land was immediately east of the Dead Sea and shared an indefinite border with Israel to the north at approximately the point where the Jordan River enters the Dead Sea.” (Dilday)

ii. Moab had been under Israelite domination since the days of David (2 Samuel 8:2 and 8:11-12). This rebellion of Moab in the days of Ahaziah was a sign of the decline of Israel’s power and of the judgment of God.

b. Ahaziah fell through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria: This was surely an unexpected crisis. Such accidents happen to kings and peasants both.

i. “The king apparently leaned against the wooden screen and fell through from the second-floor balcony to the ground below.” (Dilday)

c. Go, inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this injury: Ahaziah showed that he was a true worshipper of the pagan god Baal-Zebub because he turned to this god in his time of trouble.

i. “This could suggest that Baal-Zebub was a god who warded off plagues that were brought on by flies. There are numerous references to ‘fly gods’ in classical literature.” (Dilday)

ii. “He was the local god of Ekron, and probably was used at first to drive away flies. Afterwards, he became a very respectable devil, and was supposed to have great power and influence. In the New Testament, Beelzebub is a common name for Satan himself, or the prince of devils.” (Adam Clarke)

iii. “Men love the gods that are most like unto themselves, so it is not surprising to see Ahaziah sending to this miserable Philistine god.” (Knapp)

(Guzik)

Themselves!

All these comments on gods are interesting but the one that stands out to me is from Knapp, “Men love the gods that are most like unto themselves,”. 

I am reminded of these verses:

“For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” ‭‭II Timothy‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬-‭5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Do you believe we are in the end times?

Blessings 

1 Kings 22:51-53 Walked in the way of his father!

 “Ahaziah the son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned two years over Israel. He 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 had made Israel sin; for he served Baal and worshiped him, and provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger, according to all that his father had done.” I Kings‬ ‭22‬:‭51‬-‭53‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. He reigned two years over Israel: Ahab reigned 22 years, but his son only reigned two years. Though his repentance was shallow, when Ahab repented after an announcement of judgment in 1 Kings 21, God relented from the immediate judgment and promised to bring judgment in the days of Ahab’s son. Ahaziah’s short reign was a fulfillment of this prophecy in 1 Kings 21:29.

i. “By comparing this verse with verse 41, it appears that Ahaziah was made king by his father, and reigned in conjunction with him, a year or two before Ahab’s death.” (Poole)

b. He 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: Considering the sinful ways of Jeroboam, Ahab, and Jezebel, there is hardly anything worse that could be said of a king.

i. “It is a dark catalogue of iniquity, yet only what might be expected of the offspring of such a couple as Ahab and Jezebel.” (Knapp)

ii. With this, the Book of 1 Kings ends on a low note. It began with the promise of the twilight of Israel’s greatest king, David. It ends with the sad reign of one of the most wicked kings over one of the kingdoms coming from the divided tribes of Israel. (Guzik)

Walked in the way of his father!

We see this daily in the generational life of children in the manner that they were raised. Some are raised properly and others aren’t.

But there is hope for those that aren’t because Jesus breaks the chains of addiction!

“you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20‬:‭5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

There is a song we use in the Life Recovery Bible group we lead called Chain Breaker by Zach Williams. Enjoy!

Blessings 

Chain Breaker