SATURDAY, JULY 23, 2022
TEXT: 2
Kings 1:1-18
1. Moab
rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab.
2. 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.”
3. 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?’
4. 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.
5. And
when the messengers returned to him, he said to them, “Why have you come back?”
6. 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.’”’”
7.
Then he said to them, “What kind of man was it who came up to meet you and told
you these words?”
8. So
they answered him, “A hairy man wearing leather belt round his waist.” And he
said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”
9.
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!’”
10. 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 and consumed him and his fifty.
11.
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!’”
12. 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.
13. 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.
14. 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.“
15. And
the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of
him.” So he rose and went down with him to the king.
16.
Then he said to him, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Because you have sent messengers to
inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, is it because there is no God in
Israel to inquire of His word? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed
to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’”
17. So
Ahaziah died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken. Because
he had no son, Jehoram became king in his place, in the second year of Jehoram
the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah.
18. Now
the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the book
of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
(New
King James Version Holy Bible)
TOPIC: CONSEQUENCES
OF NEGLECTING GOD
Israel as a covenant nation
knew very well how God detested idolatry in his people. He reminded them
saying, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, you shall have
no other gods before me… for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God…” (Exodus
20:2-5).
As God’s children, we’re
expected to look unto Him in whatever situation we find ourselves. God should
be our only option when our faith is challenged. Here we read of Ahaziah the
King of Israel who was supposed to know better that his people were God’s
covenant nation.
Other nations around them
were known as idolaters, yet he desired to consult their gods when in
difficulty, instead of consulting God.
On God’s instruction,
Prophet Elijah asked him: “Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are
going to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?” (v. 3). Ahaziah neglected
the God of Israel and faced dire consequences. When a nation neglects her God,
moral decadence, corruption, insecurity and the likes prevail, as we see in
many nations today.
In defiance, King Ahaziah
sought to arrest and probably kill God’s messenger (read vs. 9-14). Many rulers
in Africa today arrest anyone who dares to confront them with the truth of
their evil acts rather than mend their ways.
QUESTION: In
what ways are you neglecting God’s instructions that the Holy Spirit is
impressing on your heart?
PRAYER:
Keep me faithful and obedient to Your commands that I may not suffer the
consequences of neglecting You in my life, in Jesus name, Amen.
Remain
Blessed
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