2 Kings 1:6-10: a reflection

6They said to him, “A man came up to meet us, and said to us, ‘Go, return to the king who sent you, and tell him, “The LORD says, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you send to inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but you will surely die.’”’” 7He said to them, “What kind of man was he who came up to meet you and told you these words?” 8They answered him, “He was a hairy man, and wearing a leather belt around his waist.” He said, “It’s Elijah the Tishbite.” 9Then the king sent a captain of fifty with his fifty to him. He went up to him; and behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill. He said to him, “Man of God, the king has said, ‘Come down!’” 10Elijah answered to the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from the sky and consume you and your fifty!” Then fire came down from the sky, and consumed him and his fifty.

When King Ahaziah, injured and wanting to know whether he will recover, sends to inquire of a foreign idol rather than of God, the LORD confronts the affront: is it because there is no God in Israel that you go to inquire of Baal? Is it because there is no God in Israel that you send to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? God asks through Elijah. The rebuke exposes the folly and affront of the king's action: he turned to a false source for guidance, as though there were no God in Israel to inquire of, when the true and living God was there all along. To seek guidance from false sources, ignoring God who is available, is a real affront and folly. This shows the folly of seeking guidance from false sources rather than from God. Seek God, not false sources, when you need guidance. Turning to false sources ignores the God who is available. Is there no God to inquire of, that we turn elsewhere? Seeking guidance apart from God is folly and affront.

Notice the sharp question God puts to the king: is it because there is no God in Israel that you go to inquire of a foreign idol? The king, wanting guidance about his future, had bypassed the LORD, the true and living God who was right there among his people, and sent instead to inquire of a false god, a dead idol of another nation. God's question exposes the folly of this: it is as though the king acted as if there were no God in Israel to consult, when in fact the living God was there all along, available to be sought. This holds a lesson for us about where we turn for guidance. We too can be tempted, when we want direction, insight, or guidance about our lives, to turn to false or empty sources, to the various substitutes our own age offers, rather than to God, as though he were not available or not to be consulted. But God is there, the true and living God, available to be sought in his word and in prayer. To bypass him and turn to false or empty sources for guidance is both folly, since these cannot truly guide us, and a kind of affront to God, acting as though he were not there. We do well, when we seek guidance, to turn first and truly to God, rather than to the false sources that cannot help. Turn to God for guidance, not to false or empty sources. God is available; do not act as though he were not. Seeking guidance from false sources is folly and affront to God. Seek the living God, who can truly guide, when you need direction.

That is worth taking to heart, for it is folly and affront to seek guidance from false sources rather than from God, who is available to be sought. We can turn, when we want guidance, to false or empty sources rather than to God, as though he were not there; but God confronted the king for inquiring of an idol as though there were no God in Israel. God is available. When you need guidance, do not turn to false or empty sources; seek the living God, who can truly guide, in his word and in prayer. Seek the living God for guidance rather than turning to false or empty sources, as though he were not available, as God confronted King Ahaziah, who, wanting to know whether he would recover, sent to inquire of a foreign idol rather than of God, asking through Elijah, is it because there is no God in Israel that you go to inquire of Baal-zebub; for the rebuke exposes the folly and affront of the king's action, that he turned to a false source for guidance as though there were no God in Israel to inquire of, when the true and living God was there all along, and this holds a lesson for us, since we too can be tempted, when we want direction or guidance, to turn to false or empty sources, the various substitutes our age offers, rather than to God, as though he were not available, but God is there, the true and living God, available to be sought in his word and in prayer, so that to bypass him and turn to false sources is both folly, since these cannot truly guide us, and a kind of affront to God, and we do well, when we seek guidance, to turn first and truly to God rather than to the false sources that cannot help.

Lord, when King Ahaziah, injured and wanting to know whether he will recover, sends to inquire of a foreign idol rather than of you, you confront the affront: is it because there is no God in Israel that you go to inquire of Baal? Is it because there is no God in Israel that you send to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? you ask through Elijah. The rebuke exposes the folly and affront of the king's action: he turned to a false source for guidance, as though there were no God in Israel to inquire of, when you, the true and living God, were there all along. To seek guidance from false sources, ignoring you who are available, is a real affront and folly. Show me the sharp question you put to the king: is it because there is no God in Israel that you go to inquire of a foreign idol? The king, wanting guidance, had bypassed you, the true and living God who was right there among his people, and sent instead to a dead idol of another nation. Your question exposes the folly of this: it is as though the king acted as if there were no God in Israel to consult, when in fact you were there all along, available to be sought. This holds a lesson for me about where I turn for guidance. I too can be tempted, when I want direction, insight, or guidance about my life, to turn to false or empty sources, to the various substitutes my own age offers, rather than to you, as though you were not available. But you are there, the true and living God, available to be sought in your word and in prayer. Take that to my heart, for it is folly and affront to seek guidance from false sources rather than from you. When I need guidance, keep me from turning to false or empty sources as though you were not available; help me seek you, Lord, the living God, who can truly guide, in your word and in prayer, rather than the false sources that cannot help.