Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
2 Kings 1:2-8
Ahaziah's Accident And His Intention Of Consulting The Occult Instead Of YHWH Which Is Thwarted By Elijah (2 Kings 1:2).
‘ And Ahaziah fell down through the lattice in his upper chamber which was in Samaria, and was ill. And he sent messengers, and said to them, “Go, enquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover of this illness.'
But Ahaziah had an unfortunate accident. He lived in a two-storeyed palace in Samaria and he fell from the upper window or balcony, through the lattice screen which protected it from sightseers, to the earth beneath. Carried to his bed he sent messengers to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, in order to discover whether he would recover, and no doubt hoping for the god to show leniency. It is probable that this god had a reputation for healing. Being an idolater and polytheist Ahaziah believed in many gods, including the family of Baal gods of which there were many. In this, of course, he was bringing discredit on YHWH, and treating Him as of no account.
Baal-zebub means ‘lord of the flies'. Some see it as a deliberate and contemptuous corruption of Baal-zebul, ‘the lord prince'. But there is no reason why there should not have been a god of ‘creeping things' (compare Ezekiel 8:10), and he is mentioned by the Pharisees when speaking to Jesus in the New Testament as related to Satan (Mark 3:22).
‘But the angel of YHWH said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, “Is it because there is no God in Israel, that you go to enquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?” '
The consequence was that the Angel of YHWH went to Elijah the Tishbite and told him to go and meet the messengers of Ahaziah in order to ask the king of Israel through them whether he was implying by his action that there was no living God in Israel Who could be enquired of, and called on. This was a crisis moment for Israel. The question was whether YHWH was no longer to be seen as relevant. The intervention of Elijah and the demonstration miracles that follow were necessary to bring Yahwism back from being side-lined and seen as irrelevant in court circles.
The Angel of YHWH was one of the forms through Which YHWH revealed Himself. We do not know why He is mentioned in this particular case, as usually Elijah appears to have received his prophetic information ‘direct'. It is probably because He was to be the arbiter of judgment, acting powerfully to demonstrate the holiness of YHWH (2 Kings 1:9; compare 2 Samuel 24:16). This incident is a warning to us all that we should not seek to the occult for guidance or healing, only to God.
“Is it because there is no God in Israel, that you go to enquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?” The importance of this charge comes out in that it is repeated three times (see 2 Kings 1:6; 2 Kings 1:16). This was the question at issue, and it was a vital one.
“Now therefore thus says YHWH, ‘You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but will surely die.' ”
Elijah's message from YHWH to Azariah was that because he had consulted Baal-zebub instead of YHWH he would never leave his bed, but would certainly die. The impression given is that had he sought YHWH he would have lived.
‘And Elijah departed.'
As with his entrances, so with his exits, Elijah was dramatic. Having spoken to the men he ‘departed'. We might translate ‘strode off'.
‘ And the messengers returned to him, and he said to them, “Why is it that you have returned?” '
The messengers obediently returned to the king without going to Ekron, something which Ahaziah clearly gathered from the short length of time that they had been away. So he asked them why they had come back without fulfilling their mission.
‘ And they said to him, “There came up a man to meet us, and said to us, Go, turn again to the king who sent you, and say to him, Thus says YHWH, Is it because there is no God in Israel, that you send to enquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but will surely die.” '
They explained to him about this man who with prophetic authority had told them to inform the king that he would certainly die because he had looked to the occult for advice and healing rather than to God.
‘ And he said to them, “What manner of man was he who came up to meet you, and told you these words?” '
The king, probably already aware of the truth in his heart, then asked them what kind of man it had been who had come to meet them and had said this to them.
‘ And they answered him, “He was a hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.” '
Sure enough their words confirmed his worst fears. A man wearing goatskin, with a leather belt around him. He well knew who that was. “It is Elijah the Tishbite.” This easy identification of him by his clothing is against the idea that all prophets wore such clothing, although see Zechariah 13:4.