- In a crisis, where do you first look?
- King Ahaziah is the son of King Ahab (killed in battle) and Jezabel
- Moab have rebelled against Israel
- King Ahaziah is on his deathbed after a fall Jonathan Edwards: “You hang by a slender thread…”
- We are not to consult evil spirits, the dead nor the Devil (vv.2-8)
- Baal-Zebub – “Lord of the Flies”… Beelzebul… Beelzebub
- Matthew 10:25, 12:25
- An idol is no more powerful than a stuffed toy
- 1 Samuel 28: Saul and the Witch of En-dor
- We are not quarantined from these evils
- “Is it because there is no God in Israel?” repeated in vv3, 6 & 16
- The prophet’s uniform: not of this world
- Two messengers pitted King Ahaziah against the true God (vv.9-12)
- First two messengers are insistent and demanding.
- Fire from heaven: Moses in Numbers 16; 1 Kings 18 Mt Carmel
- The second messenger is more pushy.
- The third messenger had a contrite heart (vv.13-17)
- Third messenger is penitent; asks, not demands.
- His posture and his petition.
- In and of ourselves, we are the first two messengers until God changes our heart.
- Chronicles are not 1 & 2 Chronicles in our Bible.
The King died according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken. The words which Elijah spoke had their effect; he went according to God’s instruction and he spoke according to God’s instruction. We are to do the same.