2 Kings 1:3

“But the angel of the LORD 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 are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?” ESV 2 Kings 1:3

After the Kingdom of Israel divided, along about 931 B.C., the northern kingdom had a string of “bad” kings; bad in the sense that none of them worshiped the true God. Ahaziah was one of those kings. The Bible tells us that he did evil in the sight of the Lord, caused the nation to sin and worshiped the false god Baal. Baal of course was a pagan god of man’s own making.

Apparently, King Ahaziah took a nasty and debilitating fall inside his palace. Sick, anxious perhaps, and confined to his chamber, Ahaziah sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub as to whether he would recover from his injuries. But the messengers were intercepted by the prophet Elijah who confronted them with a rhetorical question as to why they were seeking answers from Baal-zebub: “Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub…?” Of course, the true God is always available to those who seek him by faith. But instead of inquiring of the true God through prayer, Ahaziah, apparently lacking faith, sought answers from a manmade god.

As I thought about this scenario this past week, I asked myself whether we are guilty of Ahaziah’s sin today. Do we seek advice and answers from false gods? Or do we pray (making our concerns and petitions known) in faith to the true God? Too often, I think we are guilty of seeking advice from sources that are likely to tickle our ears and tell us what we want to hear. Sources like magazines, talk shows, fortune tellers, etc. are tailored to confirm and agree with every whim and vice that we may have. All the while, the true God, who can give us peace beyond measure, eagerly awaits our faithful prayers.

When you think about it, prayers to God and faith in God are inextricably linked. E.M. Bounds once wrote: “Before prayer ever starts toward God; before its petition is preferred, before its requests are made known – faith must have gone on ahead…” How true.

The real issue in this story is faith in God. Ahaziah’s actions betrayed his lack of faith in the true God. The question for you and me is whether our actions confirm our faith in the true God or betray our lack of faith. Do we run to and fro looking for answers that please our ears, or do we seek truth through faith in God?

Seek truth from God and take comfort in Paul’s words to the Philippians: “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” ESV Philippians 4:6-7

-Ken Askew