elijah

2 Kings 1: Summary

After the death of Ahab, Moab/Moabites rebelled against Israel.

Ahaziah, Ahab’s son, had a fall through the balcony of his room in Samaria. So he sent messengers to ask Baal-Zebub, the “god of Ekron”, if he would recover from the injury.

The “angel of the lord” instructed Elijah to go confront the messengers. Ask them if they were praying to Baal-Zebub because they didn’t believe there was a God in Israel. Well, here’s the verdict, Ahaziah won’t recover!

The messengers returned to Ahaziah, and he asked why they came back so quick.

They told him that a man had met them and given that message.

The King asked for a description, they described Elijah as wearing a leather belt and being hairy or shaggy. Ahaziah knew who they meant.

He sent a captain with 50 men to get Elijah, who was confidently sitting on a hill. They called him a holy man and told him to come down–king’s orders!

Elijah said “if it’s true I am an holy man, then may lightening strike the captain and his 50 men.” And it happened. The captain and the men were hit and incinerated/consumed/killed.

So the King sent another captain and 50 more men. The same thing happened.

So King Ahaziah tried a third time. But this captain came with humility and begged for his life and the lives of his men.

The angel of the Lord told Elijah to go with them this time. So Elijah did.

Elijah met Ahaziah and repeated himself–since Ahaziah sent messengers to pray to Baal-Zebub, he wouldn’t get out of the bed and was as good as dead.

And Ahaziah did die, just as Elijah said. And since he had no son, his brother Joram became the next king.

1 Kings 21: summary and questions

After King Ahab’s (forbidden) treaty with Ben-Hadad

In Jezreel, where Ahab’s palace was, there was Naboth’s vineyard. The vineyard bordered Ahab’s palace and he wanted to buy it to use as a garden for his kitchen. He did make a fair offer.

However Naboth refused. It belonged to his family and he didn’t want to sell it to Ahab. So the king went home and literally pouted like a toddler about it.

Queen Jezebel asked him what was going on.

King Ahab told her, sounding like a pouty little kid.

Jezebel pointed out that this was no way for a king to behave, but she vowed to obtain the vineyard FOR Ahab.

To do so, she wrote letters under Ahab’s name and official stamp, telling the elders and nobles to hold a day of fasting and seat Naboth at the head table, then have two scumbags seated with him who would accuse him of blaspheming the king and God in front of everyone.

And they did so, resulting in Naboth being murdered.

At that news, Jezebel told Ahab the vineyard could now be his.

Immediately, Ahab went to claim Naboth’s vineyard for himself.

Elijah learned of what had happened through God Himself, Who told him to go confront the king with his crime and the verdict. Crime = murder + theft. Verdict = the same spot dogs lapped up Naboth’s blood, they would lap up Ahab’s. (when does this story take place–isn’t Jezebel still hunting Elijah? Is Elisha with him?)

Ahab responded to this with surprise that his enemy knew what had happened. And Elijah assured him, he knew and God knew, and as a result there would be punishment on him and his descendants. “The same fate that fell on Jeroboam and Baasha.”

And as for Jezebel and anyone connected to Ahab in the city, they will be eaten by stray dogs. Anyone in the countryside would be eaten by crows. (this curse was given to Baasha too.)

Ahab (who served as king for 22 years [as stated in 1 Kings 16:29]) had set a record in evil.

When Ahab heard what Elijah had to say, he ripped his clothes to shreds (like you do when someone dies or you are devastated) and became very humble.

God was pleased by Ahab’s remorse and told Elijah that because of the repentance, he wouldn’t bring the doom during his lifetime…but his son would still get it.