The heathen rages and the ethical atheist stand on a (supposed) moral
high ground showing how the God of the Bible is the cause of some of
the worse evils imaginable. They stand there pointing their fingers
saying that there is no God, there is no Christ, your faith is in vain.
You want us to believe? In the light of all this evil around us, fine,
show us your God. Show us then we’ll believe. Does the Lord have to
answer? Has He answered or how will He?
A fall through a lattice in his upper chamber is the cause of Ahaziah’s
inquiry for help. This one hundred something pound of flesh, normally
proud, now found himself injured, ill and useless as Moab rebelled
against his land. Bad time to be out of commission and he knew it—and
quickly sends messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron,
whether he would get better (2 Ki 1:1-2).
How dare he? The man knew the history in the Land, how Elijah had shut
up heaven for three and a half years. He knew how God had poured fire
down on an altar and consumed the sacrifice. He knew how his father had
died and his mother, no doubt, always complained about the thorn in her
side—Elijah, the Man of God. If anyone should have known better it was
him, yet he didn’t care. He served and worshipped Baal just as his
father Ahab had done (1 Ki 22:51-53) and now ignored the Lord of Hosts
by sending a runner up to Ekron.
The angel of the Lord speaks to Elijah with the charge against the
man’s outrageous action. The Living God sending His own message to
those en route Baal-inquirers: “Are you going to Baal because there’s
no God in Israel? Now, you will never get up from that bed. You will
die.” (2 Ki 1:3, 4)
Upon hearing the message Ahaziah sends his men to go gather up this
hairy Tishbite, this so-called prophet. The prophet is stupid enough to
stand up against Ahaziah? The King of Israel? Does he not know that I
have power in this land?
Fifty men and their captain, heading up a hill towards Elijah, calling
by evoking his title “Man of God” and to whom he must submit “the king
says ‘Come down.’”. The audacity is astounding and God’s response was
fiery. Fire from heaven poured down and consumed those fifty one men.
The king, not learning his lesson, sent another fifty one—who God
dispatched immediately. (2 Ki 1:5-12)
True God may not answer the dares of men—but God may do so and in that
there should be much fear and trembling. He is the living God…not some
blind idol representing weather features or the seasons. This God can
(and eventually will) send down fiery wrath proving who He is and men
will continue to blaspheme Him through set jaws and gritted teeth (Rev
9:20; 16:21).
Oh Pilate, how close were you that day when you stood before the Lord
of Hosts incarnate and questioned him? How close when in your pride and
self-aggrandizement you claimed to have the authority to release the
King of Heaven from the place He sought to be? (John 19:10-12)
What of us who believe? We are no better than Pilate or Ahaziah, former
enemies in our minds and proud in our thinking. Some of us may have
even been blasphemers against the Living God and would have willingly
pinned His Son against the tree ourselves. The outrage of humanity and
what we dare—God answered our sin by pouring out fiery indignation…but
to what level?
Can you hear the ringing of the hammer against nail? That ringing is
more than just Mankind in his ultimate effrontery; it is the God of
heaven nailing our condemnation to the tree so that men can be saved
(Col 2:14). So that men, seeing the poured out wrath could bow down and
beg saying “O God! Please let my life be precious in your sight! Behold
the fiery indignation of wrath came down upon your son in my place, so
now, please, let my life be wholly yours and precious in your sight!”
(2 Ki 1:13-14 re-applied)
Ahaziah ignored the testimony of even his soldiers and received God’s
words again—finally perishing in his bed (2 Ki 1:15-17). See the wrath
poured out sinful humanity and note how God has taken it upon Himself.
Now the decision is left before you, how long will you stay there
morally superior or raging against God? Your condemnation will
ultimately be the way you respond to the sacrifice on the cross, God’s
ultimate demonstration of love.
-r-
Elijah: The Place
Elijah: The Proclamation
Elijah: The Performance
Elijah: The Pronouncement
Elijah: Ahab’s Problem
God of the Mountains and Plains
Elijah:Pretty Cool Patterns