Ahaziah of Israel Tries to Intimidate Elijah

When Ahaziah falls and hurts himself, he seeks input from Baal—Zebub on whether he will recover. Elijah intercepts messengers with bad news. Ahaziah sends two companies of men to intimidate Elijah but they are destroyed by fire. Those who turn from the true God to the gods of the heathen, find not life but death. It is God alone who is the author of life, and it is in His power to heal and restore. When Satan, under systems of false religion, promises to heal, it is only to bring individuals under the control of his cruel will, henceforth to rule them with a power it seems impossible to break. When the messengers returned so quickly from their errand, Ahaziah knew that they could not have completed their journey to Ekron, and he wished to know the reason why. The messengers either failed to recognize Elijah or though it best not to tell the king who it was that had sent the warning.

Ahaziah's sending a delegation to inquire of the god of Ekron was to show open and public contempt for Jehovah. This was an insult to the Majesty of heaven which could not be allowed to go unrebuked. Israel must learn that the gods of the Philistines were powerless to give aid in the hour of extremity, and that Jehovah still sat on His eternal throne. As soon as the message was delivered, Ahaziah may have known that it could have come only from Elijah, for who else would speak with such certainty and courage? The king was well acquainted with the appearance of the prophet, hence asks for a description to establish the identification. Ahaziah hated but feared the prophet. The message of doom did not bring the king to repentance. He knew that he was a dying man, but he was filled with bitterness and anger, and was determined to send for the prophet to avert, if possible, the threatened judgment. A band of 50 armed men was sent to intimidate the prophet.

Ahaziah's recourse to threat in an effort to persuade Elijah to retract his pronouncement of doom was foolish. It showed that the king cherished the same attitude as had his father. Ahab had held Elijah accountable for the disastrous drought in Israel (1 Kings 18:17). Now Ahaziah, by the same perverted reasoning, held Elijah responsible for the consequences he knew would be sure to follow upon the prophet's word. Such a highhanded attempt to dictate to the prophet and thus reverse the plans of God could not remain unrebuked. The wrath of God fell upon the company of soldiers. Against the presumption and rebellion of Ahaziah the majesty and the supremacy of God stood revealed. By the sending of a second 50 Ahaziah displayed his perversity and stubbornness. He had received overwhelming evidence of divine displeasure upon his course, but he was determined to stubbornly pursue his ill—directed purposes.