NOTE: I will have limited access to internet for the next two weeks. Be assured, however, that even if I don’t post here I am keeping up the 49 Week Bible Challenge. I encourage you to join me in this discipline. I am using the YouVersion 49 Week Bible Challenge for these devotions. Today’s readings are Luke 9:28-62; 2 Kings 1; Job 37; Psalm 29.
2 Kings 1:1-11
After the death of Ahab, Moab rebelled against Israel.
2 Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria, and lay sick; so he sent messengers, telling them, “Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this sickness.” 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 went.
5 The messengers returned to the king, and he said to them, “Why have you returned?” 6 And they said to him, “There came a man to meet us, and said to us, ‘Go back 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 He said to them, “What kind of man was he who came to meet you and told you these things?” 8 They answered him, “He wore a garment of hair, with a belt of leather about his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”
9 Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty men with his fifty. He went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “O man of God, the king says, ‘Come down.’” 10 But Elijah answered the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.
It is not unusual to encounter people who have no regard for God. Through their speech, their disregard for decency, their uncaring attitude toward the poor and needy betray their allegiance to other gods. That’s one thing. These same people blame the God they deny for troubles in the world, or seek help by their “good thoughts” or turn to things or gods who will never save.
That is what is happening with Ahaziah, king of Israel when he falls (literally) ill. He sends to Baal-zebub for help only to be thwarted by God’s servant Elijah. Not only thwarted, but confronted: “Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?” Sadly there was no interest in calling on the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Rather than repenting in humility and submissive faith in God, Ahaziah essentially orders Elijah to come to his aid. He was not about to accept the message that he would not recover from his illness. Twice he as much as orders Elijah to come to him. Perhaps he is thinking he can force Elijah to bring good news.
But God does not draw near to the proud, but to the humble (cf. James 4:6). And to make that clear the first two groups of 50 men are killed by a fire from heaven when the seek to command Elijah to come to the king.
We incline our hearts to faith in a gracious and loving God. And well we should. But that does not mean that we are not also to fear him. God’s grace does not entitle us to tell him what to do on our schedule or how to act according to our sensibilities.
The God whom Ahaziah ignored is still the God who reigns today—the only true God who speaks through his Word, who calls to repentance, and who we must fear, love, and trust above all other gods. He is not a distant deity to be manipulated, but a gracious Lord who draws near to the humble and saves those who call on his name. Before such a God, humility is wisdom, repentance is life, and faith is never misplaced.
David Bahn - Reflections 
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