4 Now therefore, thus says the Lord: ‘You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’ ” So Elijah departed. 5 And when the messengers returned to him, he said to them, “Why have you come back?” (2 Kings 4-5)
It does not make sense for the official delegation sent by the king to back out of their royal task just because some unknown person asked them to do so. Even though they had no idea who this mysterious man was, the people of Israel were obliged to obey Prophet Elijah because he had a powerful spiritual presence that compelled them to do so. Even Ahaziah was surprised that they were back so soon.
Then he said to them, “What kind of man was it who came up to meet you and told you these words?” So they answered him, “A hairy man wearing a leather belt around his waist.” (2 Kings 1:7-8)
Ahaziah had a strong intuition that the Prophet Elijah was the one who had uttered these words. When the individual in question was characterised as a hairy man who wore a leather belt around his waist, Ahaziah's suspicions were confirmed.
Then he said to him, “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 to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’ ” (2 Kings 1:16)
This was the same word that Elijah conveyed to the men whom Ahaziah despatched to Baal-Zebub in order to inquire about him. Just because Ahaziah didn't want to hear the message from God the first time, it didn't mean that God's message changed.
So Ahaziah died according to the word of the Lord, which Elijah had spoken. Because he had no son, Jehoram[f] became king in his place in the second year of Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. (2 Kings 1:17)
This is the point in the narrative that things start to get a bit complicated because the king of Judah at the time was also named Jehoram (the son of Jehoshaphat).
It does not make sense for the official delegation sent by the king to back out of their royal task just because some unknown person asked them to do so. Even though they had no idea who this mysterious man was, the people of Israel were obliged to obey Prophet Elijah because he had a powerful spiritual presence that compelled them to do so. Even Ahaziah was surprised that they were back so soon.
Then he said to them, “What kind of man was it who came up to meet you and told you these words?” So they answered him, “A hairy man wearing a leather belt around his waist.” (2 Kings 1:7-8)
Ahaziah had a strong intuition that the Prophet Elijah was the one who had uttered these words. When the individual in question was characterised as a hairy man who wore a leather belt around his waist, Ahaziah's suspicions were confirmed.
Then he said to him, “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 to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’ ” (2 Kings 1:16)
This was the same word that Elijah conveyed to the men whom Ahaziah despatched to Baal-Zebub in order to inquire about him. Just because Ahaziah didn't want to hear the message from God the first time, it didn't mean that God's message changed.
So Ahaziah died according to the word of the Lord, which Elijah had spoken. Because he had no son, Jehoram[f] became king in his place in the second year of Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. (2 Kings 1:17)
This is the point in the narrative that things start to get a bit complicated because the king of Judah at the time was also named Jehoram (the son of Jehoshaphat).
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