No God in Israel?
2/24/26 Bible Thought (2 Kings 1)
Main Idea: There is always a God at hand.
A Look at the Text:
As we look back to Kings after some time away in Hosea, it’s important to remember the spiritual climate into which the prophets came. In Israel, the land was fraught with idolatry, and this was especially true in the lives of Israel’s kings.
In 2 Kings 1, we are again introduced to Ahaziah, the son of the most infamous king of Israel—Ahab. Ahaziah fell and subsequently got sick. Being at the end of his rope, he sent messengers to inquire of Baal concerning his sickness.
Unfortunately, this foolish king followed in his father’s footsteps and rejected the worship of Yahweh in favor of idols. The king sent his messengers, and so did God. An angel came to Elijah, commanding him to go meet the king’s messengers (2 Kings 1:3).
When the prophet arrived on the scene, the call went out, “Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?” (2 Kings 1:3b).
The obvious truth here is that there was a God in Israel. In fact, the God of Israel was the rightful Lord of heaven and earth. He wasn’t just some localized deity that you had to travel and find. He is everywhere present and nowhere absent.
When the king got the bad news that he wouldn’t recover, he sent three series of commanders with 50 men to Elijah. The first two groups were burned up by fire from heaven. Ahaziah had to learn that you couldn’t command Yahweh or His prophet. Even more, ironically, Baal was understood in that day to be a god who controlled fire and lightning.[1]
So here we have a small recap of the former, iconic showdown between Elijah and the prophets of Baal that occurred in the days of Ahab, Ahaziah’s father (see 1 Kings 18).
There was a God in Israel. A God who controlled heaven and earth. A God who was right in Ahaziah’s backyard. There was no need to run to distant lands to find help—it was right there all along.
Bringing it Home:
If we aren’t careful, it can be easy to run to all manner of solutions for our problems, forgetting the God who is nearer to us than our very breath. Ahaziah didn’t need to go to distant lands for answers when the Most High was right there all along. Let us rest assured that this very same God is still ruling and reigning over His creation today.
He is our refuge. He is our help in times of trouble. Best of all, He is always near.
Challenge:
What do I do when I am at the end of my rope?
[1] John H Walton, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary (Old Testament): 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009), 115–116.
These short recaps are a great morning read to start my day. Thank you as always!