2 Reis 1

2 Reis 1

Barnes: Yahweh simply will not tolerate (for the good of his people) any formal religious “inquiries” of any other deities (who, after all, do not even exist) . . . Yahweh will not be mocked (Gal 6:7). His people and their leadership, if they try to sneak off to seek direction from such “deities,” had better be ready to face disaster as severe as any described in the present chapter. It cannot be otherwise. Of course, our God is a God of love, incredible patience (Ro 2:4), and amazing grace; but even in the New Testament, lies and subterfuge on the part of God’s people (such as Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1–11) may lead to sudden death and severe fear falling upon “the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened” (Acts 5:11). That is surely the primary message of the present chapter of 2 Kings. (See 1-2 Kings - Page 197) Donald Wiseman: The historian shows that the clash between Elijah, with his belief in the Lord God (Yahweh) as supreme, and the Israelite monarchy who still relied primarily on other deities, continues. Ahaziah is reproved for consulting a foreign god (1Ki 2:2–8) and his attempt to reverse the judgment pronounced by Yahweh upon him is shown dramatically (2Ki 2:9–17a). The issue is still the same as at Carmel (1Ki 18:1-46+). God demonstrates by fire that he will not share His supremacy with any other. The second book of Kings follows the first without a break (See 1 and 2 Kings: An Introduction and Commentary - Page 204) Theme/Element 1 Kings 18+ 2 Kings 1 Prophet Elijah Elijah Setting Standing on Mount Carmel Sitting on a nameless hill Conflict Yahweh vs Baal (god of rain) Yahweh vs Lord of Flies Opponents 450 Prophets of Baal 2 Sets of soldiers from Ahaziah Question “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If Baal is god, follow him; if the LORD is God, follow Him.” (1Ki 18:21+) “Is it because there is no God in Israel...?” (2Ki 1:3) Divine Sign Fire from heaven consumes sacrifice Fire from heaven consumes men Baal's Failure No fire from Baal despite hours of crying Baal-zebub has no answer, no healing Yahweh's Power Answers by fire vindicating His Name Answers by fire defending His prophet People's Reaction The LORD, He is God (1Ki 18:39+) Fear & submission with third captain Kings Involved Father - Ahab idolatrous, wicked king of Israel Son - Ahaziah idolatrous, wicked king of Israel See Dale Ralph Davis' interesting summation comparing the fire of Carmel with the fires in 2 Kings 1. QUESTION - Who was King Ahaziah in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org ANSWER - There are two kings named Ahaziah in the Bible; one ruled in the northern kingdom of Israel and the other in the southern kingdom of Judah. In a long line of righteous and unrighteous kings that ruled in the northern and southern kingdoms, these men were both evil kings. King Ahaziah of Israel Ahaziah of Israel was king from 853—852 BC. He was the son of Ahab and Jezebel, who were among the most wicked rulers Israel ever had. Ahaziah’s parents brought Baal worship into the land and turned God’s people away from Him; although Ahaziah reigned for only two years, he was just as evil as his parents. He “aroused the anger of the LORD” (1 Kings 22:53) due to his own worship of Baal, which continued to lead the people into sin and idolatry. At one point King Ahaziah of Israel tried to ally with King Jehoshaphat of Judah, but, after a warning from one of God’s prophets, Jehoshaphat severed ties with the wicked king (1Ki 22:49; cf. 2 Chronicles 20:37). At some point during his reign, King Ahaziah of Israel fell out of a window, injuring himself badly. He was confined to bed, and, rather than inquire of the Lord, Ahaziah sent messengers to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the “god” of Ekron, to see if he would recover (2 Kings 1:2). The Lord sent His prophet, Elijah, to confront the messengers and give them God’s message for King Ahaziah: he would never recover from his injuries and would die in his bed. When the messengers returned to King Ahaziah and relayed what Elijah had told them, Ahaziah was angry and sent his captain and 50 soldiers to fetch Elijah. The captain demanded that Elijah come down from the hill he was sitting on, but the prophet refused; instead, he announced, “May fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!” (2 Kings 1:10). The Lord allowed this miracle, and all King Ahaziah’s men were consumed by fire. Ahaziah sent men to Elijah twice more. In the second instance, the same thing happened as in the first: Elijah called down fire to kill the soldiers. However, the third captain begged for his life, and the Lord spared the company. Elijah came to the king. God’s Word had not changed: Elijah repeated God’s message of judgment directly to Ahaziah, and soon Ahaziah died. As Ahaziah had no sons, he was succeeded by his brother Joram, who was also a sinful ruler—although not as evil as his brother and parents before him (2Ki 1:17). King Ahaziah of Judah The other Ahaziah, King Ahaziah of Judah (who is also called “Jehoahaz” in some translations), was the nephew of King Ahaziah of Israel and the son of Jehoram, the evil son of the righteous king Jehoshaphat. Judah’s King Ahaziah was related to King Ahaziah of Israel through his mother, Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. Ahaziah of Judah walked in the ways of his father, and because of this the Lord allowed him to reign less than one year in 841 BC. He was only 22 years old (2 Kings 8:26–27). King Ahaziah immediately allied with his other uncle, King Joram, in a war against the king of Aram. King Joram was wounded and went to Jezreel to rest (2 Kings 8:28–29), and Ahaziah of Judah joined him there. During this time, a man named Jehu was anointed by the Lord as king of Israel with the command to destroy the house of Ahab (see 2 Kings 9:1–10). Jehu knew King Joram of Israel and King Ahaziah of Judah were in Jezreel, and so he rode to that city (verse 16). When King Joram and King Ahaziah went down to meet Jehu, Joram guessed Jehu’s plan and tried to flee (verse 23). Jehu, however, shot Joram with an arrow and killed him instantly (verse 24). Ahaziah tried to run as well, but Jehu’s company pursued him, mortally wounding him. Ahaziah made it to Megiddo but died there (verse 27). Jehu continued his campaign, killing Jezebel and eventually destroying all of Ahab’s family. Not only are the stories of King Ahaziah of Israel and King Ahaziah of Judah a part of the history of the Jewish people, they are also a cautionary tale of the consequences of leading God’s people away from the Lord. Both the northern and southern kingdoms were eventually destroyed as a result of God’s judgment for their evil ways. While a remnant that spent 70 years in captivity was eventually able to return to Judah, the kingdom was never the same again. QUESTION - Who was Beelzebub? | GotQuestions.org ANSWER - Beelzebub is the Greek form of the name Baal-zebub, a pagan Philistine god worshiped in the ancient Philistine city of Ekron during the Old Testament times. It is a term signifying “the lord of flies” (2 Kings 1:2). Archaeological excavations at ancient Philistine sites have uncovered golden images of flies. After the time of the Philistines, the Jews changed the name to “Beelzeboul,” as used in the Greek New Testament, meaning “lord of dung.” This name referenced the god of the fly that was worshiped to obtain deliverance from the injuries of that insect. Some biblical scholars believe Beelzebub was also known as the “god of filth,” which later became a name of bitter scorn in the mouth of the Pharisees. As a result, Beelzebub was a particularly contemptible deity, and his name was used by the Jews as an epithet for Satan. The word has two parts: Baal, which was the name for the Canaanite fertility gods in the Old Testament; and Zebul, which means “exalted dwelling.” Putting the two parts together, they formed a name for Satan himself, the prince of demons. This term was first used by the Pharisees in describing Jesus in Matthew 10:24-25. Earlier, they had accused Jesus of casting “out the demons by the ruler of the demons” (Matthew 9:34), referencing Beelzebul (Mark 3:22; Matthew 12:24). In Matthew 12:22 Jesus healed a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute. As a result, “all the people were astonished and said, ‘Could this be the Son of David?’ But when the Pharisees heard this, they denied that this could be a work of God, but instead declared: ‘It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons’” (Matthew 12:23-24). It is remarkable that the Pharisees reacted to this incredible miracle by Jesus in the very opposite way of that of the multitude, who realized that Jesus was from God. In fact, it was an admission by the Pharisees that Jesus worked miracles or performed deeds beyond the reach of any unaided human power, but they attributed this power to Beelzebub instead of God. Actually, they should have known better: the devil cannot do works of pure goodness. However, in their self-absorbed pride, these Pharisees knew that, if the teachings of Jesus should prevail among the people, their influence over them was at an end. So, the miracle they did not deny, but instead attributed it to an infernal power, “Beelzebub the prince of the demons.” The greater question is this: what relevance does this have to us as Christians today? In Matthew 10, Jesus provides us with the very essence of what it means to be His disciple. Here we learn that He is about to send out His apostles into the world to preach the gospel (Matthew 10:7). He gives them specific instructions on what to do and what not to do. He warns them, “Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. . . . All men will hate you because of me” (Matthew 10:17, 22). Then He adds, “A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household!” (Matthew 10:24-25). The point Jesus is making to us today is that, if people are calling Him Satan, as did the Pharisees of His time, they would surely call His disciples the same. In John chapter 15 Jesus declares, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me” (John 15:18-21). William Barnes: The Hebrew “name” for this god means “lord of the flies,” but this was not his original name or title! Presumably, the deity in question is a local manifestation of Baal Hadad, otherwise known in Phoenicia as Baal Zebul (“Baal the prince”). The Hebrew here thus employs the similar-sounding pejorative word zebub (“flies”) for the original epithet zebul (“prince”). This mocking substitution is also attested in the New Testament references to Satan as “Beelzeboul” and “Beelzebub” (cf. the NLT mg for Matt 10:25; 12:24; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15). A comparable phenomenon in the OT is the sarcastic pattern of substituting the term bosheth [TH1322, ZH1425] (shame) for Israelite names containing references to Baal. See, e.g., “Ishbosheth” for Esh-baal in 2 Sam 4:1 (cf. NLT mg); “Mephibosheth” for Merib-baal in 2 Sam 4:4 (cf. NLT mg); and “Jerub-besheth” for Jerub-baal (another name for Gideon) in 2 Sam 11:21 (cf. NLT mg). (See 1-2 Kings - Page 195) 2 Kings 1:3 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?’ KJV 2 Kings 1:3 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 unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? BGT 2 Kings 1:3 καὶ ἄγγελος κυρίου ἐλάλησεν πρὸς Ηλιου τὸν Θεσβίτην λέγων ἀναστὰς δεῦρο εἰς συνάντησιν τῶν ἀγγέλων Οχοζιου βασιλέως Σαμαρείας καὶ λαλήσεις πρὸς αὐτούς εἰ παρὰ τὸ μὴ εἶναι θεὸν ἐν Ισραηλ ὑμεῖς πορεύεσθε ἐπιζητῆσαι ἐν τῇ Βααλ μυῖαν θεὸν Ακκαρων LXE 2 Kings 1:3 And an angel of the Lord called Eliu the Thesbite, saying, Arise, and go to meet the messengers of Ochozias king of Samaria, and thou shalt say to them, Is it because there is no God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baal fly, the God of Accaron? but it shall not be so. NET 2 Kings 1:3 But the LORD's angelic messenger told Elijah the Tishbite, "Get up, go to meet the messengers from the king of Samaria. Say this to them: 'You must think there is no God in Israel! That explains why you are on your way to seek an oracle from Baal Zebub the god of Ekron. CSB 2 Kings 1:3 But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Go and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? ' ESV 2 Kings 1:3 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? NIV 2 Kings 1:3 But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Go up and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?' NLT 2 Kings 1:3 But the angel of the LORD told Elijah, who was from Tishbe, "Go and confront the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, 'Is there no God in Israel? Why are you going to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether the king will recover? NRS 2 Kings 1:3 But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Get up, go 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?' NJB 2 Kings 1:3 But the angel of Yahweh said to Elijah the Tishbite, 'Up! Go and intercept the king of Samaria's messengers. Say to them, "Is there no God in Israel, for you to go and consult Baal-Zebub god of Ekron? NAB 2 Kings 1:3 Meanwhile, the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite: "Go, intercept the messengers of Samaria's king, and ask them, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baalzebub, the god of Ekron?' YLT 2 Kings 1:3 And a messenger of Jehovah hath spoken unto Elijah the Tishbite, 'Rise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and speak unto them, Is it because there is not a God in Israel -- ye are going to inquire of Baal Zebub god of Ekron? the Angel of the LORD: 2Ki 1:15 1Ki 19:5,7 Ac 8:26 12:7-11 Elijah: 2Ki 1:8 1Ki 17:1 Arise, go up: 1Ki 18:1 it: 2Ki 1:6,16 5:8,15 1Sa 17:46 1Ki 18:36 Ps 76:1 Arise, go up: Jer 2:11-13 Jon 2:8 Mk 3:22 Related Passages: 1 Kings 18:1+ Now it happened after many days that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth.” 1 Kings 19:5, 7+ (FIRST TIME THE Angel of the LORD SPOKE TO ELIJAH) He lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold, there was an angel touching him, and he said to him, “Arise, eat.” (19:7+) The Angel of the LORD came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise, eat, because the journey is too great for you.” ELIJAH CALLED BACK TO DUTY But - This is an interesting term of contrast. Azariah has just sent a messenger to obtain input from the non-god Baal-zebub. Yahweh will counter that foolish attempt now with His messenger, Elijah. The Angel of the LORD (Jehovah) said to Elijah the Tishbite - I believe this is another Christophany and is the second time that the Angel of the LORD has spoken to Elijah. In essence after a respite, it is time for Elijah to go back to work as God's prophet. The last time we encountered Elijah the Tishbite was in 1Ki 21:28-29+ where the word of the LORD came to Elijah because Ahab had humbled himself before God, God would not bring the evil in his days, but would bring the evil upon his house in his son’s days. And indeed we see one aspect of this evil coming upon his son Ahaziah! Allen Ross on Angel of the LORD - The Angel of Yahweh appears a good bit in the narratives of Elijah, such as in 1 Kings 19 and 2 Kings 1. It seems pretty clear in these and other passages that the title “the Angel of Yahweh” refers to “Yahweh” Himself, and so it is a description of an incarnation of the Lord, for He appeared in human form to many people. The Bible does not clarify who this Yahweh is who appears as the “Angel” (or messenger), but every indication is that it would be the second person of the trinity, the divine Son. What commends this interpretation is 1) the appearances of the Angel of Yahweh parallel appearances of Yahweh which later Scriptures indicate would be Christ, 2) and this fits theology because it is the property of the Son to be the one who reveals the Godhead on earth, the Father never having taken on human form to walk among men, and the Spirit never having the property of corporeality, and 3) the phenomenon of the visitation of this Angel of Yahweh ceases when the incarnation occurs, indicating that there would no longer be a need for a “pre-incarnate” appearance now that the LORD took on mortal flesh to reveal the Godhead fully. Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria - Elijah must always be sitting (I am jesting a bit) when he meets the Angel of the LORD (Jehovah) for the first thing He says said is Arise (1Ki 19:5, 7+, 2Ki 1:3)! The messengers are the men Ahaziah has sent to Baal-zebub, to bring back a prognosis report on his illness. And say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God (Elohim) in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? - There is a touch of sarcasm in this rhetorical question. NET = "'You must think there is no God in Israel! That explains why you are on your way to seek an oracle from Baal Zebub the god of Ekron." NLT = "'Is there no God in Israel? Why are you going to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether the king will recover?" In essence God is asking "Don't you believe there is a God in Israel?" Recall that both Ahab and Jezebel worshiped Baal so Azariah probably heard very little talk of Yahweh as he was being raised. As you stand strong for the truth, watch out for the enemy. He not only plays dirty; he also plays for keeps. Charles Swindoll emphasizes that "God is displeased with ANY occult involvement. God is dishonored by any specific pursuit of the future that does not find its source in His Word. But let me reassure you, God is delighted when we trust Him only. The Lord strengthens those who put their trust in Him. If we are not grounded in the Word of God and seeking Him daily as our Source of strength and knowledge for the future, we, too, can easily fall prey to the lure of the occult. As I said in an earlier chapter, in another context, we do not play games with God. And we also must learn not to play games with the enemy. Being not only “the lord of the flies,” he is also “the father of lies.” (Jn 8:44+) And when he gets you to believe his lies, he seldom loses. Learn a lasting lesson from Elijah. As you stand strong for the truth, watch out for the enemy. He not only plays dirty; he also plays for keeps. (See Elijah: A Man of Heroism and Humility - Page 155) (Bolding added) August Konkel: The impact of the struggle in the narrative is achieved through the double meaning of the word “messenger” (malʾāk). This Hebrew word refers to both the “angel [of the Lord]” and to the “messengers [of the king]” (v. 3). God exercises his authority through the first messenger, while King Ahaziah can do nothing more than extend his power through military messengers. The divine messenger counters the first messengers of the king, subverting their quest. The king’s messengers in effect return with an oracle from Yahweh rather than Baal-Zebub (1:5–6). (See NIVAC) Dale Ralph Davis: Yahweh’s words are repeated three times (vv. 3, 6, 16)—clearly they highlight the central concern of the narrative. When Ahaziah sends to Philistia he implies Israel has no God; when he appeals to Baal-zebub he is implying that Yahweh is either non-existent or irrelevant and inadequate. (Is this not, in principle, the essence of all our idolatry? By taking first recourse to other helps and supports we subtly confess the inadequacy and insufficiency of Yahweh to handle our dilemmas.) So Yahweh’s intrusion is anything but affable and courteous. He sends Elijah to cut off and stifle the king’s godless expedition. (1-2 Kings) P G Matthew - When Ahab died in 853 BC, his son Ahaziah became king. I have no doubt that King Ahaziah knew that Jehovah is the true God. I am sure he was present with his father on Mount Carmel when Elijah challenged the false god Baal and demonstrated the power of the true God. Yet King Ahaziah refused to submit to the great Jehovah. He was stubborn and rebellious. The way of Baal worship seemed good to him. Why? He hated Jehovah, the God of justice, the God of holiness. He knew that Jehovah hates sin, but Baal loves it. Ahaziah knew that Jehovah requires repentance, but Baal allows man to be arrogant. Amazingly, the God of Israel was patient with this king. He gave Ahaziah many opportunities to humble himself and return to the true worship of the great king, the covenant God, Jehovah. We read in 2 Kings 1 that after Ahaziah became king, Moab rebelled against Israel (v. 1). Since the days of David, Moab had been subject to Israel, but the Moabites soon realized that Ahaziah was a weak king. So they rebelled against Israel, causing great political humiliation for Ahaziah. Who was behind this humiliation? God. This was God’s plan to help Ahaziah humble himself. Did political trouble cause Ahaziah to repent and call upon Jehovah? No. So God dealt with Ahaziah in a different way. This time he gave him economic trouble. In 2 Chronicles 20:35–37 we read that Ahaziah entered into a ship-building venture with Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. These two kings expended a large amount of money to build their ships. No doubt they were counting on a great return on their investment. But they lost everything. Did Ahaziah repent as a result of this economic disaster? No. So God dealt with Ahaziah in a third way, a personal way, by touching his health. In 2 Kings 1:2, we read, “Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself.” Sadly, even then Ahaziah would not consult the true and living God, the infinite, eternal, unchanging God—the patient God who alone is able to redeem a sinner. Ahaziah’s actions proved where his trust really lay. He would not submit to the God of Israel, and he perished in his stubbornness. G Campbell