2 Kings 1
Israel’s king consults Lord of the Flies
King: “Will I get well?”
1When King Ahab of Israel died, Moab decided to declare its independence from Israel. [1]2Israel’s King Ahaziah fell through the latticework of an upper window in Samaria. Injured, he wanted to know if he would recover. So, he sent messengers to ask Baalzebub, [2] god of the people in the city of Ekron. [3]
3But a messenger [4] from the LORD told Elijah, a prophet from the town of Tishbe, to go and intercept the king’s people. Elijah was to say, “Tell me this, why are you going to Ekron to consult Baalzebub? Don’t we have a God here in Israel? 4Take this message as a reminder that we do. Tell the king the LORD says this: ‘You won’t leave your sickbed. You’ll die there.’” Elijah delivered that message.
Messengers with bad news
5When the king’s officials returned early, he asked, “What are you doing here?”6They said, “A man met us along the road. He said, ‘Go back to the king who sent you. Tell him the LORD said this: Why are you going to Ekron to consult Baalzebub? Don’t we have a god here in Israel? Let this be a reminder: You won’t leave your sickbed. You’ll die there.”
7The king said, “Who was this man. What did he look like?” 8The officials answered, “He said he was Elijah from Tishbe. He was a hairy guy who wore a leather belt.”
King tries to arrest Elijah
9The king sent a commander and his team of 50 men to arrest Elijah. They found him sitting on a hilltop. The commander said, “Come down here, prophet of God. The king wants you.”10Elijah said to the commander, “If I’m a prophet of God, fire from the sky is going to strike you down, every last one of you.” Fire fell and killed them all. 11The king sent a second unit of 50 men. Their commander said, “In the name of the king, come here. And make it quick, prophet of God.”
12Elijah said, “If I’m a prophet of God, fire from the sky is going to strike you down, every last one of you.” Fire of God fell from the sky and killed them all.
Captain begs Elijah to spare him
13The king sent a third unit of 50 men. Their commander went up the hill and dropped to his knees in front of Elijah. He said, “Prophet of God, please let me and my men live. 14I know that fire dropped out of the sky and killed both units of men who came to arrest you. Please let us live.”15A messenger from the LORD told Elijah, “Go with this man. Don’t be afraid of him.” So, Elijah let these men take him to the king.
Elijah gives king bad news
16Elijah told the king, “This is the LORD’s message to you: Why did you send messengers to consult Baalzebub, god of Ekron. Is there no God here in Israel worth consulting? You’re not getting out of that sickbed. For what you’ve done, you’ll die.”17The king died, just as the LORD and Elijah said he would. Ahaziah didn’t have any sons. So, his brother became king: Jehoram. 18The rest of Ahaziah’s story and the things he did are preserved in the History of Israel’s Kings. [5]
Footnotes
Moab had apparently lived under the dominance of Israel since David conquered the nation (2 Samuel 8:12). This likely meant, in part, that they paid annual tribute to Israel’s king—essentially tax payments. This marks a turning point in the history of the northern Jewish kingdom, the beginning of the end of their empire.
It’s unclear why the king would choose this Philistine god. And it’s unclear what king of god Baal-zebub was. First-century Jewish historian Josephus translated the name as “lord of the flies.” That term shows up that way in Isaiah 7:18 and Ecclesiastes 10:1, as well. Some scholars say a version of the name “dbb” appears in some ancient literature as a way of talking about flames or fire. That might make a case for Baal-zebub and a god of fire. That would be ironic, given that Elijah calls down fire to destroy the soldiers who come to arrest him. “God of fire” would track, too, with those people who say Baalzebub is one of the names associated with Satan “prince of demons”(Mark 3:22). But some scholars say Baal-zebub might not have been the god’s name, but an insulting nickname invented by the writer, to show disgust at the idolatry. Some have translated the meaning as “lord of poop.” In most translations, the name isn’t a compliment.
Ekron was one of five major Philistine cities along the coast, about 25 miles (40 km) north of what is now the Gaza Strip. It was about 35 miles (57 km) south of Samaria, capital city of Israel since the time of King Ahab’s father, Omri, who built the town.
The “messenger of the LORD” seems included, some scholars say, as the writer’s way of contrasting with the messengers of the king. “Messenger” is a word that can refer to an angel, a celestial being. Or it can be a human or appear as human. Or it might be a messenger in a vivid dream, which Bible writers sometimes call a vision of the night (Zechariah 1:8, Job 33:4).
A lost book apparently filled with more details about the Israelite kings. Some scholars say they consider this and the History of Judah’s Kings (14:29) lost books of the Bible.
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