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A Fallen King and Falling Fire - The Book of 2 Kings · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Let us pray. And the angel of the Lord said
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  Speaker 1: unto Elijah, Go down with him, be not afraid of him.
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  Speaker 1: And he arose and went down with him unto the king.
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  Speaker 1: 2 Kings 1.15 As I humbly come before you, God,
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  Speaker 1: I will fix my attention and set my gaze to
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  Speaker 1: your command to trust and rely on you. When I
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  Speaker 1: fall and make a mistake, Let the broken state of
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  Speaker 1: my heart and spirit look to you to be my
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  Speaker 1: physician and healer. No longer will I look to others
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  Speaker 1: to heal the areas in my life that only you
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  Speaker 1: can restore. No longer will I put my trust in
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  Speaker 1: man-made traditions and outcomes, but instead I will pray to you, Lord,
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  Speaker 1: and wait in faith as you move on my behalf.
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  Speaker 1: I declare that pride and ego will not have a
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  Speaker 1: seat at the table of my heart. I will not
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  Speaker 1: let Ahaziah's behavior become my reality. So, as I stand
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  Speaker 1: in integrity and deliver the message you desire for me
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  Speaker 1: to give to the world, I can stand confident, knowing
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  Speaker 1: that when others rise up against me, I will be
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  Speaker 1: like Elijah. You will send a fire of justice to
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  Speaker 1: speak on my behalf. and protect what you've placed inside
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  Speaker 1: of me. In Jesus' name, amen. Thanks for making prayer
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  Speaker 1: a priority in your life. To hear the Bible come
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: to life, stay tuned for The Bible in a Year,
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  Speaker 1: brought to you by Bibleinayear.com.
• 1:56
  Speaker 2: A fallen king and falling fire. In our last story,
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: we witnessed the faithful rule of King Jehoshaphat and Judah.
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  Speaker 2: His desire to seek God and his peace fueled many
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  Speaker 2: victories for Judah. Under his leadership, God provided a hedge
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  Speaker 2: of protection and prosperity over them. Now we learn about
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  Speaker 2: King Ahaziah's fall from God, literally and spiritually. And we
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  Speaker 2: witness the return of Elijah to once again bring difficult
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  Speaker 2: truths to a corrupt king, inspired by the book of
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  Speaker 2: 2 Kings.
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  Speaker 3: Hello, this is Jack Graham with today's episode of the
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  Speaker 3: Bible in a Year podcast. In our last episode, we
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  Speaker 3: heard about the rule of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah,
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  Speaker 3: who guided his people back to God and established justice
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  Speaker 3: and worship of the Lord throughout the southern kingdoms. He
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  Speaker 3: was much like his ancestor David, earnestly seeking the Lord
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  Speaker 3: and being open to correction by God's prophet. Today, we'll
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  Speaker 3: return north to a kingdom in shambles after the death
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  Speaker 3: of Ahab. Israel's new king, Ahaziah, will suffer a great
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  Speaker 3: fall and in his moment of despair, his cries will
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  Speaker 3: reveal where his trust really is. We'll also see the
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  Speaker 3: return of Elijah, who will speak God's heavy judgment upon
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  Speaker 3: a dishonorable king. So, Let's listen to God's word today.
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  Speaker 2: The troubled King Ahab had fallen. As arrows flew and
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  Speaker 2: pierced his flesh on the battlefield, the tides of power
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  Speaker 2: in the north began to turn. Israel was kingless for
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  Speaker 2: a short while, and the land of Moab tossed and
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  Speaker 2: turned with unrest. Moab had been under the rule and
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  Speaker 2: protection of Israel since King David. However, once Ahab was killed,
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  Speaker 2: the land that settled on the coast of the Dead
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  Speaker 2: Sea saw an opportunity to rebel. So, the new king
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  Speaker 2: of Israel, Ahaziah, took over during a time of incredible
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  Speaker 2: strain and unrest. One evening, Ahaziah was pacing in the
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  Speaker 2: upper room above his palace in Samaria. The warm summer
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  Speaker 2: breeze only made him more anxious. His nervous stomping rumbled
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  Speaker 2: the floor below him. He paced to and fro on
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  Speaker 2: his balcony, worrying over his kingdom. Lost in thought, Ahaziah
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  Speaker 2: paid no attention to the latticework slowly cracking beneath his feet.
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  Speaker 2: All of the sudden, his troubled thoughts were interrupted by
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  Speaker 2: the floor giving way from underneath him. The king fell
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  Speaker 2: more than a dozen feet through the floor of the
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  Speaker 2: upper room, slamming onto the palace floor below. The fall
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  Speaker 2: took all the breath out of him. His ears were
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  Speaker 2: ringing from the impact to his head. Slowly, he began
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  Speaker 2: to feel the sting of several broken bones coursing through
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  Speaker 2: his body. King Ahaziah laid there motionless for what seemed
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  Speaker 2: like days. The pain was intense and his already muddied
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  Speaker 2: mind began to panic. It took everything in him to
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  Speaker 2: scream to his servants for help. After several cries for
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  Speaker 2: help echoing through the silent chambers, he finally found aid.
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  Speaker 2: His servants tended to his broken bones and fractured skull.
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  Speaker 2: His lungs were beginning to recover more of the air
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  Speaker 2: they once lost. However, the injuries to his body and
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  Speaker 2: head seemed beyond repair. Ahaziah sat in despair. He had
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  Speaker 2: only been king a few weeks, and he feared he
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  Speaker 2: would never recover. His paranoid mind began to wander into
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  Speaker 2: dark places. He wanted answers to questions not worth asking.
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  Speaker 2: He desired for hope in his dark and painful state. So,
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  Speaker 2: in a moment of weakness, Ahaziah sent his messengers to
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  Speaker 2: find priests in the temple of Baalzebub, the god of Ekron.
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  Speaker 2: He sent them to ask if he would ever recover.
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  Speaker 2: In so doing, Ahaziah revealed where his hope truly was.
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  Speaker 2: His heart was attached to the Philistine god of plagues
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  Speaker 2: and flies. His request revealed how far his heart was
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  Speaker 2: from the true god of Israel. Elijah was walking the
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  Speaker 2: fields of Tishbe, enjoying the peace of a mild summer day.
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  Speaker 2: The wind blew slightly from the west. Elijah had enjoyed
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  Speaker 2: peace since Ahab's death. No longer pursued by a witch
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  Speaker 2: queen and her puppet king, Elijah could now fully set
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  Speaker 2: his mind on the things of God. In a moment
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  Speaker 2: of prayer, the Lord spoke to Elijah, saying,' Go and
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  Speaker 2: confront the messengers from the king.' They are on their
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  Speaker 2: way to Beelzebub to ask Ekron for wisdom. Elijah was
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  Speaker 2: disturbed at the news. Not only did this reveal the
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  Speaker 2: wicked state of King Ahaziah's heart, but it also showed
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  Speaker 2: that Philistine influence had crept into his council. King Ahaziah's
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  Speaker 2: mind and heart were compromised. God spoke clearly again, saying,
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  Speaker 2: Go and tell them that he will never.
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  Speaker 3: Leave his bed.
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  Speaker 2: He will surely die where he lies. Elijah knew not
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  Speaker 2: to waste any time when it came to matters of God.
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  Speaker 2: So he left where he was and ran to intercept
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  Speaker 2: the king's messengers. He found them almost at the temple
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  Speaker 2: and told them of all God had said. Disturbed and afraid,
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  Speaker 2: the messengers turned around and ventured back to the palace.
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  Speaker 2: King Ahaziah was alone in his chambers. Just within sight,
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  Speaker 2: past the entrance to his door, he could see the
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  Speaker 2: hole in the ceiling.
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  Speaker 1: Where he fell.
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  Speaker 2: It tormented him, and he longed for a day where
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  Speaker 2: he could walk again to be rid of the view.
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  Speaker 2: The king looked to his left out the window, feeling
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  Speaker 2: an intense pain in his chest. He coughed and covered
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  Speaker 2: his mouth with the cloth in his hand. He looked
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  Speaker 2: down at the cloth.
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  Speaker 3: Blood.
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  Speaker 2: A grave sign for the king. He sighed deeply and
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  Speaker 2: closed his eyes. Then, a sudden echo of footsteps could
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  Speaker 2: be heard from the halls. His messengers had returned. They
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  Speaker 2: bowed before his bed. They had just left that morning,
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  Speaker 2: so the king was confused at their arrival.' Why have
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  Speaker 2: you returned so soon?' the king asked.' A man intercepted
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  Speaker 2: us and told us that he had a message from God.'
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  Speaker 2: Ahaziah's eyes widened. He had seen King Ahab's war with
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  Speaker 2: the god of their forefathers. As a child he witnessed
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  Speaker 2: his father's constant turmoil with the god of David. At
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  Speaker 2: one time he considered following the god of David.' but
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  Speaker 2: decided not to, for the Philistine gods offered him more
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  Speaker 2: room for sin and lewdness. He knew that no good
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  Speaker 2: news awaited him. The servants delivered the message from God, saying,
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  Speaker 2: Is there no God in Israel? Why have you sent
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  Speaker 2: messengers to Beelzebub? Your request reveals much. You shall never
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  Speaker 2: leave your bed. You shall die on the bed you
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  Speaker 2: are lying on. What sort of man was he? What
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  Speaker 2: did he look like? the king whispered. for he had
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  Speaker 2: an idea of who it was. His father's sworn enemy.
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  Speaker 1: Was still alive.
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  Speaker 2: They replied he was a hairy man who wore a
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  Speaker 2: leather belt to hold his robes together. Ahaziah sat up
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  Speaker 2: in his bed. His lungs began to strain and his
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  Speaker 2: chest swelled up with coughing. Blood spattered all over his
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  Speaker 2: sheets and his chin was dripping with blood and saliva. Elijah,
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  Speaker 2: he yelled as blood flung across the room. Take my army, captain,
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  Speaker 2: with fifty soldiers. Go and arrest him! The king's coughing
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  Speaker 2: filled the room, and his servants came in the room
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  Speaker 2: to attend to him while the messengers sent word for
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  Speaker 2: his captain. Elijah was sitting on top of a grassy
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  Speaker 2: hill overlooking the city below when the captain and his
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  Speaker 2: fifty men approached. He remained sitting as the captain drew
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  Speaker 2: his sword and pointed it at Elijah. Man of God,
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  Speaker 2: the king has commanded for you to come with us.
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  Speaker 2: Elijah looked at all the men closely. He observed their
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  Speaker 2: angry scowls and violent eyes. He closed his eyes and
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  Speaker 2: gave a brief sigh. He opened his eyes and looked
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  Speaker 2: to the skies. The sun was still high in the air. However,
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  Speaker 2: the clouds were shifting slightly, and it looked like a
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  Speaker 2: storm was possibly approaching. Elijah replied nonchalantly,' If I am
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  Speaker 2: truly a man of God, perhaps fire should come down
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  Speaker 2: from heaven to destroy your small army.' As Elijah said this,
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  Speaker 2: a flash from the sky pierced downwards and sent all
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  Speaker 2: fifty men flying through the air. Immediately they were consumed
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  Speaker 2: with flames. They were dead almost instantly. Word reached the
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  Speaker 2: king of this incident, so he sent fifty more men
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  Speaker 2: to pursue and arrest Elijah. The other captain pointed his
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  Speaker 2: spear at Elijah and said, Man of God, you must
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  Speaker 2: come with us. It was a foolish mistake, for Elijah
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  Speaker 2: gave the same reply he did before, and fire from
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  Speaker 2: heaven consumed him and his men. The king heard of
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  Speaker 2: this and was insistent on sending another group of fifty
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  Speaker 2: men to pursue Elijah. Only this time, the captain fell
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  Speaker 2: at Elijah's feet and said,' Please, O man of God,
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  Speaker 2: spare us. We are following orders, but do not want
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  Speaker 2: to be consumed like the others.' Elijah smiled at the
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  Speaker 2: men for their humility. At the very least, they had
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  Speaker 2: learned their lesson unlike their king. Elijah could hear the
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  Speaker 2: slight whisper of God comforting him. He said,' Do not
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  Speaker 2: fear the king.
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  Speaker 3: Go down to him.
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  Speaker 2: So Elijah sat up and willingly walked down with the
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  Speaker 2: soldiers to the palace. He stood before the broken king.
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  Speaker 2: Ahaziah could barely say a word, for his body was
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  Speaker 2: failing him. Elijah once again delivered the message of God,
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  Speaker 2: and with those words, King Ahaziah breathed his last and died.
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  Speaker 2: Ahaziah had no sons to succeed him. His brother, Uram,
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  Speaker 2: became the next king of Israel. Ahaziah's death was not
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  Speaker 2: a result of injury. Rather, it was the result of
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  Speaker 2: a generational sickness in the kings of Israel. Their corrupt
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  Speaker 2: and selfish hearts were slowly killing the integrity of their nation.
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  Speaker 2: The passion of King David had disappeared in the land
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  Speaker 2: of Israel. What replaced it was a lineage of kings
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  Speaker 2: determined to seek their own glory above the children of God.
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  Speaker 2: Their imperfection only made them more vulnerable to attack and corruption.
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  Speaker 2: One day there would be a king to humbly enter
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  Speaker 2: the kingdom of Israel. A king that would not be
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  Speaker 2: self-serving or evil. He would be a king that would
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  Speaker 2: enter in humbly, lying in a manger. He would come
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  Speaker 2: to serve the people and lay down his life for them.
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  Speaker 2: He would bring peace, love, and truth to a people
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  Speaker 2: far off and lost. Yet for now, the ups and
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  Speaker 2: downs of kings continued.
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  Speaker 3: We begin today's passage in the aftermath of King Ahab's death.
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  Speaker 3: With the king dead, Moab rebelled against Israel. It was
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  Speaker 3: a time of great turmoil in the northern kingdom, which
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  Speaker 3: is no big surprise given the corruption and the wicked
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  Speaker 3: rule of Ahab and the wicked queen Jezebel. It is
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  Speaker 3: also no great surprise that Ahaziah, the new king, son
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  Speaker 3: of Ahab and Jezebel, would follow in his parents' footsteps
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  Speaker 3: and seek out idols, pagan gods and deities. One morning,
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  Speaker 3: King Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his bedroom and
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  Speaker 3: plummeted to the hard floor below. He was seriously injured
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  Speaker 3: and became sick, confined to his bed. But rather than
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  Speaker 3: call out to God for help, what did he do?
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  Speaker 3: He turned to false gods, just as his parents had
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  Speaker 3: done throughout their lives. Ahaziah sent messengers to seek answers
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  Speaker 3: from Beelzebub, the Philistine god of plagues. He wanted to
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  Speaker 3: know if he would recover from his injuries. And what
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  Speaker 3: Ahaziah failed to recognize was that his real sickness was
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  Speaker 3: not in his broken body, but in his broken soul.
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  Speaker 3: But God saw the king and was grieved because of
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  Speaker 3: his unfaithfulness. So God sent an angel to give his
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  Speaker 3: prophet Elijah a message to Ahaziah. Because the king had
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  Speaker 3: turned to a foreign god, acting as though there was
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  Speaker 3: no god in Israel, he would never leave the confinement
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  Speaker 3: of his bed, but would die there. Elijah set off
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  Speaker 3: to find the messengers who were headed to Ekron to
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  Speaker 3: seek out Beelzebub. He told them all the angel had said.
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  Speaker 3: And they returned to Ahaziah with bad news. Bad news
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  Speaker 3: from the strange man on the road. When Ahaziah asked
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  Speaker 3: what the man looked like, the description confirmed what surely
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  Speaker 3: he already knew. Elijah, the same man who had troubled
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  Speaker 3: his father Ahab, was at it again. God's man was
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  Speaker 3: being God's man. Ahaziah sent a captain with 50 men
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  Speaker 3: to bring Elijah in. No doubt the king had in
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  Speaker 3: mind to make him pay for his words. But when
• 15:14
  Speaker 3: they found Elijah, they called him a man of God
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  Speaker 3: and told him to come quickly because the king had
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  Speaker 3: ordered it. But Elijah answered to a much higher king,
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  Speaker 3: the Lord God. So he replied that if he was
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  Speaker 3: indeed a man of God, then fire would come down
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  Speaker 3: from heaven and consume the men. Just then God sent
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  Speaker 3: fire from the skies and wiped out Ahaziah's men. This
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  Speaker 3: sign would deter any reasonable and wise king, but Ahaziah
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  Speaker 3: was far from reasonable or wise. So he sent a
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  Speaker 3: second captain with 50 men, the same order, the same
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  Speaker 3: response from Elijah, and the same outcome, fire from heaven
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  Speaker 3: that consumed the men. Ahaziah sent a third contingent of men,
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  Speaker 3: but this time the captain did not demand that Elijah
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  Speaker 3: come with him. Instead, he humbled himself before Elijah, saying,
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  Speaker 3: as recorded in 2 Kings 1.13, O man of God,
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  Speaker 3: please let my life and the life of these fifty
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  Speaker 3: servants of yours be precious in your sights. In other words,
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  Speaker 3: please don't kill us. Please don't take us out from
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  Speaker 3: the power of your God. So this man had a
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  Speaker 3: different attitude and a different request, a different response, therefore.
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  Speaker 3: God told Elijah to go with the man and deliver
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  Speaker 3: his message personally to Ahaziah. So Elijah went to the
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  Speaker 3: king and again told him that because he turned to
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  Speaker 3: the Philistine God, his very life would be taken from
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  Speaker 3: him in that bed. And just as the Lord said,
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  Speaker 3: Ahaziah died then and there. A short reign marked by
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  Speaker 3: idolatry and foolishness and death. Today's passage reminds us that
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  Speaker 3: our God is the one true God and that he
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  Speaker 3: is a jealous God who deserves our full focus, attention, adoration,
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  Speaker 3: and affection. Let there be no other gods before him.
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  Speaker 3: Like his parents before him, Ahaziah gave his heart to
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  Speaker 3: false gods, and it cost him not only an abundant
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  Speaker 3: and peaceful life and a beautiful reign among the people,
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  Speaker 3: it cost him everything. It cost him his life because
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  Speaker 3: God loves will not be mocked. The Bible says whatever
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  Speaker 3: a person sows, he will also reap. So let's pray.
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  Speaker 3: Dear God, thank you for this story that teaches us
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  Speaker 3: that you are a great God, a glorious God, and
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  Speaker 3: you and you only are God. And we pray that
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  Speaker 3: we would never turn to the world and the idols
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  Speaker 3: of this world and the things of this world to
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  Speaker 3: find relief or rescue or comfort in any false God.
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  Speaker 3: We thank you that you are jealous for us, that
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  Speaker 3: you love us because we are yours and you love
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  Speaker 3: us deeply and dearly and you always want our best.
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  Speaker 3: Remind us, God, today that our hearts are to be
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  Speaker 3: completely yours. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you for listening
• 18:13
  Speaker 3: to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Pastor Jack
• 18:17
  Speaker 3: Graham from Dallas, Texas. Let me encourage you to go
• 18:20
  Speaker 3: ahead right now and download the Pray.com app and make
• 18:24
  Speaker 3: the Word of God and prayer a huge priority in
• 18:28
  Speaker 3: your life. Let me also encourage you to tell others
• 18:31
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• 18:36
  Speaker 3: And if you want more resources on how to tap
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  Speaker 3: into God's power for living the Christian life, be sure
• 18:42
  Speaker 3: to visit jackgram.org. That's jackgram.org. We would love to connect
• 18:48
  Speaker 3: with you right now.