2 Kings 1: The King. The Healer.

​Key Verse
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?
 
Meditation
God is the true king- And He desires for you to know His beneficial authority. God is the true healer- And He desires for you to know His healing. In today’s reading, God emphasizes His kingly authority and power to heal, a foretaste of what is fully found in Jesus.
 
King Ahaziah fell sick after falling through lattice, and he hoped in gods of his culture for healing. God interrupted through Elijah, asking “Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?” This is to ask: Why do you not trust me, turning to me first for healing?
 
God is the great physician. He often uses medicine and doctors for healing, but God’s chosen means should not hold our hope. God, and God alone, is healer.
 
King Ahaziah challenged God’s authority through sending captains and units of fifty armed men to capture the unarmed prophet. Proudly commanding Elijah, the captains demanded, “The king says come!... by the king’s order, come!” Their command summoned God’s judgement. God, and God alone, is king.  Finally, Elijah went with a humble captain. King Ahaziah died and authenticated the Lord and His word. God alone is healer. God alone is King. 
 
Jesus came to inaugurate God’s kingdom, taking the judgement we deserve from rejecting God as king and trusting other means for healing. Jesus will return to fully consummate His kingdom. Until that day, Jesus’ sovereign grace invites you to experience His beneficial authority as king, finding healing in the power of His word.
 
Today’s Reading
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.

11 Again the king sent to him another captain of fifty men with his fifty. And he answered and said to him, “O man of God, this is the king's order, ‘Come down quickly!’” 12 But Elijah answered them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

13 Again the king sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up and came and fell on his knees before Elijah and entreated him, “O man of God, please let my life, and the life of these fifty servants of yours, be precious in your sight. 14 Behold, fire came down from heaven and consumed the two former captains of fifty men with their fifties, but now let my life be precious in your sight.” 15 Then 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 16 and 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 he died according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken. Jehoram became king in his place in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, because Ahaziah had no son. 18 Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially the authority of God as king and the healing He desires to bring?
 
-What authority do you trust outside of God’s word? Where do you look for healing outside of God Himself? How is that working for you?
 
-Ahaziah did not humble himself before the Lord. God’s grace through Jesus invites you to humble yourself before Him. Where, specifically, do you need to experience the beneficial reign of Jesus and the power of His healing?
 
Key Verse
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?