2 Kings 1:13-18 – God alone has the answer to life

For Ahaziah to send the third platoon to apprehend Elijah shows us how wicked his heart was. It revealed how defiant he was to God. Despite the death of two platoons of soldiers, 2 Kings 1:13-18 reveal that he refused to back down. He stubbornly sent the third platoon to bring Elijah to him. These verses show us the approach of the third platoon leader and the outcome.

The platoon commander came and bowed down on his knees before Elijah, and begged him saying, “O man of God, please let my life and the lives of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your sight. Behold fire came down from heaven and consumed the first two captains of fifty with their fifties, but now let my life be precious in your sight.” 

The angel of the Lord directed Elijah, telling him not to be afraid but to go down to meet this third platoon of soldiers sent by Ahaziah. So the prophet went down with the platoon leader to meet the king. Once before Ahaziah, Elijah boldly declared God’s words to him. He said, “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 where you have gone up, but shall surely die.’”

The word of God through Elijah came to pass and Ahaziah did not recover but died. Because he had no son, the throne was succeeded by Jehoram, his brother. The other Jehoram mentioned in verse 17 was the son of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah who shared the same name as him. It was in the second year of the latter’s reign that Jehoram the king of Israel succeeded his brother. Ahaziah did not achieve much except that he was as idolatrous as his parents. However, what he did was written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.  

God vindicated himself and Elijah his prophet. Apart from Yahweh, no other god can predict an outcome so accurately. It is true that God will always vindicate His own servant who followed His direction just as He did for Elijah. Like Elijah, we need not fear what men can do to us if God is on our side. He is for us not against us. Ahaziah’s experience leaves a message for us to never seek an answer to life in the wrong place. It is a waste of time to seek answers to life elsewhere. We will never get the correct answer. Only in God can the right answers to life be found. Be wise!