ESOCS Devotional 30 April 2025 – Divine Guidance Pays
MEMORY VERSE: “The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, ‘Go down with him, and don’t be afraid.’ So Elijah went with the officer to the king.” 1 Kings 1:15
TEXT: 2 KINGS 1:1-18
Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab.
2 Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria, and was injured; so he sent messengers and said to them, “Go, inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this injury.” 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?’ 4 Now therefore, thus says the Lord: ‘You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’ ” So Elijah departed.
5 And when the messengers returned to [c]him, he said to them, “Why have you come back?”
6 So they said to him, “A man came up to meet us, and said to us, ‘Go, return to the king who sent you, and say to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’ ” ’ ”
7 Then he said to them, “What kind of man was it who came up to meet you and told you these words?”
8 So they answered him, “A hairy man wearing a leather belt around his waist.”
And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”
9 Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty men. So he went up to him; and there he was, sitting on the top of a hill. And he spoke to him: “Man of God, the king has said, ‘Come down!’ ”
10 So Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. 11 Then he sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty men.
And he answered and said to him: “Man of God, thus has the king said, ‘Come down quickly!’ ”
12 So Elijah answered and said to them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.
13 Again, he sent a third captain of fifty with his fifty men. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and pleaded with him, and said to him: “Man of God, please let my life and the life of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your sight. 14 Look, fire has come down from heaven and burned up the first two captains of fifties with their fifties. But let my life now be precious in your sight.”
15 And the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So he arose and went down with him to the king. 16 Then he said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’ ”
17 So Ahaziah died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken. Because he had no son, Jehoram became king in his place, in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah.
18 Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
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One of the keys to a successful and victorious life on earth is to allow for divine guidance. Those who rely on God get directions on how to go about life challenges if it goes beyond their physical power and wisdom. As Christians, we are urged to seek, ask, and knock at the door of God. He does not fail to be found, give and open his doors to help. But to neglect approaching God and go to other gods or shrines when we mention and present ourselves as children of light is one avoidable evil many people enter into.
In our text today, we read of the foolishness of King Ahaziah of Israel. He sought solution from Baalzebub the god of Ekron and God gave him death. He neglected the God of Israel (1 Kings 1:1-8; Matt. 7:7). Those who rely on God for guidance get information of evil plot and overcome evil. Elijah worked with angels who gave him directives. God always attaches angels to be helpers to those who rely on Him. What is required of us is to fully rely on their directives and obey them when they speak. God speaks to us through angels by means of dreams, visions, prophecy and written word of God. We have to obey them for our safety (Exodus 23:20; 1 Kings 1:9-15).
For us Christians, it will never pay to have God’s will neglected in favour of idolatry. God does not share His glory with any person. Bible stories are made to teach us knowledge. If we live by the knowledge of the word of God, we shall surely live to testify of the Lord’s mercy and goodness. King Ahaziah never lived after he neglected the God of Israel, who is ever present help in the time of trouble.
CHALLENGES
- Where will you spend eternity?
PRAYER POINT
- Father, give me a place in your Kingdom, in Jesus name. Amen.
FURTHER READING: 1 Kings 9:1-14; 1 Corinthians 14:1-21; Revelation 12:5-11
ESOCS Devotional 30 April 2025
