Royalty and Ruin

Ahaziah Follows the Ways of His Father and Mother

Less than three years later King Ahab met his death at the hands of the Syrians. Ahaziah, his successor, “did evil in the sight of the Lord. ... He served Baal and worshiped him, and provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger,” as his father Ahab had done. Judgments followed. A disastrous war with Moab, and then an accident that threatened his own life, bore witness to God’s wrath against him. Having fallen “through the lattice of his upper room,” Ahaziah, seriously injured, sent his servants to inquire of Baal-Zebub whether he would recover. Through his priests, the god of Ekron was supposed to give information concerning future events. But the predictions came from the prince of darkness. RR 74.6

A man of God met Ahaziah’s servants and directed them to return to the king with this message: “‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?’ 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.’” RR 74.7

The astonished servants hurried back to the king and repeated to him the words of the man of God. The king inquired, “What kind of man was it?” They answered, “A hairy man wearing a leather belt around his waist.” “It is Elijah the Tishbite,” Ahaziah exclaimed. He knew that if it was indeed Elijah, the words of doom would surely be fulfilled. RR 74.8

Anxious to reverse the judgment, he decided to send for the prophet. Twice Ahaziah sent soldiers to intimidate Elijah, and twice the wrath of God fell on them in judgment. The third company of soldiers humbled themselves before God, and their captain “fell on his knees before Elijah, and pleaded with him, ... ‘Man of God, please let my life and the life of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your sight.’” RR 75.1

“The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, ‘Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.’ So he arose and went down with him to the king. 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.”’” RR 75.2

During his father’s reign, Ahaziah had seen the terrible evidences God had given apostate Israel of how He regards those who set aside the claims of His law. Ahaziah had acted as if these awful realities were nothing more than baseless tales. He had followed Baal, and at last had boldly done this, his most daring rejection of God. Rebellious and unwilling to repent, Ahaziah died “according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken.” RR 75.3