Introduction Our family's practice is for me to read Scripture following dinner, and some months ago we decided that I would just read straight through the Bible. There is nothing fancy in what we do; I read the passage, my kids regularly ask questions as we go, and I provide commentary as I read. At the end, I draw out a few principles to drive home what we just read. This last week we started in 2 King, and it opens with the story of Ahab's son Ahaziah, king of Israel, falling through the lattice of his upper chamber and getting seriously injured. Ahaziah wants to know whether or not he will heal from his injuries and seeks out divine insight. So Ahaziah sends messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron (2 Kgs 1:2). However, the angel of the LORD instructs the prophet Elijah to confront these messengers on their way and ask a very probing question: "Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?" Israel, the People of God
Why is this question so important? Ahaziah is the king of the northern kingdom of Israel, which is supposed to be a holy people who worship the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. However, when the northern kingdom (Israel) and southern kingdom (Judah) separated, the then-king of Israel Jeroboam erected two worship sites within his borders to prevent his citizens from pilgrimaging to Jerusalem, which was located in Judah. This was because Jeroboam feared that the habit of returning to Judah for worship would ultimately lead his people to return to Judah politically as well (1 Kgs 12:25-30). This innovation established idolatry in Israel, and every king of the northern kingdom would embrace it. Despite the kings of Israel turning to idolatry, God continued to speak through His prophets to summon the people of God back to a right relationship with Him. Elijah was the main prophet through whom God spoke initially, and God's power was highlighted in a showdown between Elijah and the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings chapter 18. Elijah challenged the people of Israel to stop limping between "two different opinions" (v21) and decide if they were going to trust the LORD or Baal. In hopes of facilitating a good decision, Elijah proposed a test to see whether Baal or the LORD was truly God. It was agreed upon by all: the one who answered his prophet(s) with fire would be worshipped as God (v24). Baal did not answer his prophets (v29), but the LORD did answer Elijah by consuming the entire offering with fire, and the people confessed that the LORD is God (v38-39). Ahab saw this, and yet did not repent of his Baal worship. And when Ahab's son Ahaziah took power he did not waver in his support of Baal either. The people set apart to worship the LORD by calling upon His name refused to do so. Instead of calling upon a God who answered, Israel insisted on calling upon a god who did not. The Worship of the Baals Why is the worship of Baal is so deeply rooted in Israel? First, Baal worship is not actually the worship of just one deity. The word "Baal" just means "lord" in this context, and the Old Testament often speaks of "the Baals" and not just "Baal." Meaning, those who reject the worship of the LORD as the Almighty God embrace an entirely different worldview that believes in many gods. It is not just a debate about God's name; it is a debate about the very nature and character of God. The question is this: is this universe ruled by One Almighty God, or it is ruled by numerous, often competing gods? When one rejects the worship of the One God, a system of belief is established that sees "lords" (Baals) of different places, some more powerful than others, and the "lord" you serve depends on where you are at the time. According to this view, the gods have their respective jurisdictions, and worship and obedience is due when one in under said jurisdiction. This is why Israel is said to have "yoked himself" to the Baal of Peor, a local deity worshipped by the Moabites, when they were in that place (Num 25:1-3). Israel sinned often in the days of the judges by repeatedly turning away from the LORD to "serve the Baals" where they lived (Judges 10:10). And Elijah rebuked Ahab for troubling Israel by abandoning the commandments of the LORD and "following the Baals" (1 Kgs 18:18). The worship of the Baals was attractive because it was convenient. As Jeroboam set the stage for idolatry, Baal worship in particular, by placing worship sites in the north (Dan) and south (Bethel), he did this in part by making it easy for people to participate. By worshipping the Baals, the long trip to Jerusalem to worship one God in one place was no longer necessary. While the God of Israel demanded exclusive worship on the basis that Israel was in covenant with Him, Baal worship was not as restrictive. The worship of the LORD required Israel be holy (set apart) from the other nations, whereas Baal worship allowed for participation with the worship of other local deities. In the system of Baal worship, worshipping other gods was perfectly acceptable when in that god's territory. As the saying goes, when in Rome... The Question of Trust Now all of this brings us back to the question Elijah asked the messengers of Ahaziah: "Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?" The problem with Ahaziah going to inquire of Baal-zebub was it conveyed a lie; namely, that the king of Israel had to go outside of Israel because there was not a God in Israel who could be trusted to answer. Who or what we trust is exposed when we face a real need. Few people really care what you trust when the stakes are low, but everybody cares what you trust when the stakes are high. This is why no one cares which company to trust for getting socks, but all people care who to trust when diagnosed with cancer. Ahaziah's life was on the line, and by seeking the counsel of Baal-zebub, he implicitly confessed that the God of Israel was not worth calling upon for help. Now why did Ahaziah not deem it wise to call upon the LORD? We are not told. Was it a question of his belief in the actual existence of the God of Israel? Was it doubt in the power of the LORD to handle his specific situation? Did he lack confidence that God would be willing to bless him for one reason or another? Any of these are possible, and no doubt these represent many of the reasons people who should know the LORD do not go to Him in their need. But the point that matters is where he went proved who he trusted and served, and it was not the God of Israel. Lesson for Us Starting in Genesis 4:26, trusting in God is referred to as "calling upon" the name of the LORD. Romans 10:13 says, "For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." The great boast of the people of LORD is that we serve a God who sits in the heavens and does all that He pleases (Ps 115:3), and His ear is attentive to His people when they call upon Him in truth (Ps 145:18). The taunt God throws at those who worship idols is they cry out to a god who does not hear and cannot save (Ps 115:5-8; Is 46:2). We are defined by the one on whom we call for help. We can easily read Ahaziah's story and criticize him for seeking Baal-zebub instead of the LORD. But the question for us is do we do the same thing? We don't give our idols silly names like Baal-zebub, but we do trust in "lords" over this issue--whatever this issue may be. We make phone calls, take seminars, and visit websites without even thinking about going to God to get help with that issue. Are there needs or questions we face in the ordinary course of life that we consider "outside" of God's jurisdiction? Or maybe we soften it by thinking God has outsourced our specific issue and concern to other easier-to-reach lords, and it is good for us to go to them instead of Him. Idolatry often looks like following conventional wisdom, even being "responsible" in the eyes of the world (remember, Baal worship is convenient and popular!), but the the faithful are consistently described in Scripture as those who call upon the name of the Lord. And calling on the Lord looks very risky and foolish in the eyes of those who do not believe in Him, because calling on God means you have abandoned those other sources for help. In other words, an active prayer life is a good sign of trusting in the Lord; conversely, inconsistency in prayer is a symptom of trusting something other than the Lord. Prayer is, in its essence, the act of putting our trust in the Lord. We call upon the Lord to do what we cannot because we trust He is willing and able to meet our needs. A praying life is a trusting life, and a prayer-less life shows we trust something else to handle this question or issue. We do not pray for what we think we, or someone else, can handle. When we face a need, we should consider where we instinctively go to receive help. How often when we get sick our first instinct is to pray rather than go to the medicine cabinet or call the doctor? How often do we spend more time talking to people rather than God about our fears and desires? And what does this reveal about where we believe answers are to be found--is it from the God of Israel? Prayer does not happen apart from confidence God will answer. Ahaziah sinned because he neglected the access he had to the LORD in favor of seeking a god who was not real. May we learn to seek the Lord at all time for all things, trusting that we have a Father who hears us and blesses us with good gifts (Matt 7:11). We have a God who has promised to forever be with us, and we should not give up calling out to Him so we can inquire of the Baals like everyone else.
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AuthorI am follower of Jesus Christ by God's grace, married to Kelsey, father to four children, and pastor of Lighthouse Church (EPC). Archives
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