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