2 KINGS 1 - 2

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2 KINGS 1 - 2

SUMMARY OF TEXT FOR REFLECTION - 2 KINGS 1: 2-16

In 1 Kings 16:31, it was recorded that King Ahab of Israel not only allowed his people to build altars in Israel, he began to worship Baal. One day, after his son Ahaziah had ascended the throne, Ahaziah had a fall from an upper floor of his house. He was badly injured. Ahaziah called his men to enquire of Baal if he would recover. While the men were on their way to Baal, God called Elijah to intercept them with a rebuke for Ahaziah that because he had enquired of Baal instead of the God of Israel, he would not recover but would die. Upon hearing from Elijah, the men returned to Ahaziah to report to him what Elijah had said to them. 

Ahaziah then sent an army of 50 soldiers to arrest Elijah. Elijah called fire from heaven upon them, and all 50 soldiers and their commander were consumed. Again Ahaziah sent another 50 soldiers to arrest Elijah, and once again all of them were consumed by fire.

Then Ahaziah sent yet another 50 soldiers. This time however, the commander knelt before Elijah and pleaded with him to spare his and his soldiers' lives. God's angel then instructed Elijah to follow the soldiers to where Ahaziah was. Upon meeting Ahaziah, Elijah repeated God's rebuke and predicted that Ahaziah would die. Thus Ahaziah died.

RELECT

This short story concerning king Ahaziah' death highlights some truths about God.

First, that God is a jealous God. For generations of kings of Israel, the kings had dabbled with worshipping on 'high places'. What were these high places and why were they wrong in God's sight? Before the Temple was built, the people of Israel had erected and worshipped in high places. But once the Temple was built in Jerusalem, God decreed that worship of Yahweh could only be performed in the Temple. The problem with high places was that most pagan worship was performed in high places. It was easy for the Israelites to be confused about who they were worshipping when they erected high places for their worship. In fact, after a time, bulls representing Yahweh were installed in the high places for the Israelites to worship. But King Ahab carried this practice further. He introduced the worship of Baal, a foreign god. This was the first time a foreign god was officially worshipped. And Yahweh had to stop this practice.

God's jealousy is not a petty jealousy. True worship of Yahweh was essential for the people's survival. That it was Yahweh who had delivered the people of Israel from Egypt with many miracles and brought them to settle in Cannan was proof that He was above all gods. Israel's survival depended on Yahweh. If they were to trust in any other god, they would easily be swallowed up by neighbouring nations. Israel's survival in the promised land depended solely on their trust and worship of Yahweh.

Second, that God thwarts the schemes of the wicked. Ahaziah had summoned messengers to enquire of Baal. Presumably, few people were aware of this mission. Yet Yahweh was well aware, and instructed Elijah to intercept the messengers and give them a different but true message. When Ahaziah sent a contingent of 50 soldiers to intimidate and arrest Elijah, God simply burnt the entire contingent with fire. This happened twice, until the third contingent, terrified of facing the same fate, pleaded for mercy. God's plans simply cannot be thwarted by evil men, regardless of how powerful they are. 

At the arrest of our Lord Jesus, Jesus said to his followers, "Do you not think that I could summon 12 legions of angels to deliver me?" (Matthew 26:53). A legion is between 3000 to 6000 soldiers. God is far more powerful than we can imagine. 

Third, that God is merciful. The moment the third commander pleaded with Elijah for mercy, God not only spared the contingent, he also enabled the commander to accomplish what he had been commanded to do, which was to deliver Elijah to king Ahaziah. The commander must have been trapped in a catch 22 situation. If he returned empty handed, he would risk execution. But if he attempted to arrest Elijah, he would have suffered the fate of the previous contingents. But God helped him out by instructing Elijah to follow the soldiers.

RELATE

God is jealous for our lives. He wants us to live lives that are full of joy. But that life can only be attained when we place our hope and trust in him. All other devises and plans are inadequate. This is especially true in our increasingly complex and stressful world. Mental health issues are increasing exponentially. More often than not, we feel anxious about the way things are going, be it the climate, our possessions, even our leisure. For example, as we plan a vacation, we fret over whether we can successfully apply leave for our holiday, whether we can book the hotels of our choice, whether tours have been fully booked, whether plane ticket prices have increased. Each step towards and even after our holiday, which was meant to be a time of rest and relaxation, is fraught with anxiety. If that is so even for a holiday, how much worse it is when it comes to our jobs and relationships. And as long as we do not look to God for rest and help, we will find ourselves stewing in a pot of anxiety and stress. It pains God to see us in such predicaments, and He jealously hovers around nudging us to turn to Him.

What we discover when we learn to rely on God is that nothing is too hard for him. Our colleagues, rivals or enemies may scheme against us. And sometimes they seem to win. But their seeming victory is merely God leading us to a better life. As we learn to not fret over our losses, we find ourselves led to a more joyful and fulfilling life.

From the story, I learn also that God is very merciful. Even when we sin and find ourselves in deep trouble, the moment we call out to God for mercy and help, God will help to untangle us from the knots that we have tied ourselves in. And we can find rest once again.

REST

Father, it is so tiring to get through each day. Each day brings more and more burdens and anxieties. And the more we try to find ways to better our lives, the more problems we seem to heap upon ourselves. Father, please teach us to cast our anxieties upon you, and to keep on believing that you have wonderful plans for our lives, and then to place ourselves and our hopes for happiness in your hands. For then, we will find peace and rest. We pray in Jesus name, Amen.

CML