1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:04,480 Speaker 1: Let us pray, And the Angel of the Lord said, 2 00:00:04,559 --> 00:00:08,399 Speaker 1: unto Elijah, go down with him. Be not afraid of him. 3 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:12,319 Speaker 1: And he arose and went down with him unto the 4 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:19,000 Speaker 1: King Second Kings one fifteen. As I humbly come before you, God, 5 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:22,959 Speaker 1: I will fix my attention and set my gaze to 6 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:27,960 Speaker 1: your command, to trust and rely on you. When I 7 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:31,960 Speaker 1: fall and make a mistake, Let the broken state of 8 00:00:32,040 --> 00:00:35,559 Speaker 1: my heart and spirit look to you to be my 9 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:39,880 Speaker 1: physician and healer. No longer will I look to others 10 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:42,879 Speaker 1: to heal the areas in my life that only you 11 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:46,960 Speaker 1: can restore. No longer will I put my trust in 12 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 1: man made traditions and outcomes. But instead I will pray 13 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:56,400 Speaker 1: to you, Lord and wait in faith as you move 14 00:00:56,520 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 1: on my behalf. I declare that pride an ego will 15 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:04,080 Speaker 1: not have a seat at the table of my heart. 16 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:07,480 Speaker 1: I will not let a his eye as a behavior 17 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:13,039 Speaker 1: become my reality. So as I stand in integrity and 18 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:15,399 Speaker 1: deliver the message you desire for me to give to 19 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:20,199 Speaker 1: the world, I can stand confident knowing that when others 20 00:01:20,319 --> 00:01:24,280 Speaker 1: rise up against me, I will be like Elijah. You 21 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:27,440 Speaker 1: will send a fire of justice to speak on my 22 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 1: behalf and protect what you've placed inside of me in Jesus' name. Amen, 23 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 1: Thanks for making prayer a priority in your life. To 24 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:43,600 Speaker 1: hear the Bible come to life. Stay tuned for the 25 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:46,680 Speaker 1: Bible in a Year brought to you by Bible in 26 00:01:46,760 --> 00:02:06,200 Speaker 1: a Year dot com. 27 00:01:56,840 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 2: A fallen king and falling fire. In our last story, 28 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:06,520 Speaker 2: we witnessed the faithful rule of King Jehosaphat and Judah. 29 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 2: His desire to seek God and his peace fueled many 30 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:15,000 Speaker 2: victories for Judah. Under his leadership, God provided a hedge 31 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 2: of protection and prosperity over them. Now we learn about 32 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 2: King Aoziah's fall from God literally and spiritually, and we 33 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:29,240 Speaker 2: witness the return of Elijah to once again bring difficult 34 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 2: truths to a corrupt king. Inspired by the Book of 35 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:34,600 Speaker 2: Second Kings. 36 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:40,519 Speaker 3: Hello, this is Jack Graham with the day's episode of 37 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 3: the Bible in a Year podcast. In our last episode, 38 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:46,760 Speaker 3: we heard about the rule of Jehasaphat, the King of Judah, 39 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:50,280 Speaker 3: who guided his people back to God and established justice 40 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:53,680 Speaker 3: and worship of the Lord throughout the Southern Kingdom. He 41 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 3: was much like his ancestor David, earnestly seeking the Lord 42 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:01,640 Speaker 3: and being open to correction by God. God's prophet today 43 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:04,680 Speaker 3: will return north to a kingdom in shambles. After the 44 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:09,040 Speaker 3: death of they have, Israel's new king, a Haziah, will 45 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:12,160 Speaker 3: suffer a great fall, and in his moment of despair, 46 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:15,760 Speaker 3: his cries will reveal where his trust really is. We'll 47 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:19,040 Speaker 3: also see the return of Elijah, who will speak God's 48 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:23,360 Speaker 3: heavy judgment upon a dishonorable king. So let's listen to 49 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:24,480 Speaker 3: God's word today. 50 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:31,280 Speaker 2: The troubled king Ahab had fallen as arrows flew and 51 00:03:31,440 --> 00:03:35,120 Speaker 2: pierced his flesh on the battlefield, the tides of power 52 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 2: in the north began to turn. Israel was kingless for 53 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:42,560 Speaker 2: a short while, and the land of Moab tossed and 54 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:46,160 Speaker 2: turned with unrest. Moab had been under the rule in 55 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:51,120 Speaker 2: protection of Israel since King David. However, once Ahab was killed, 56 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:53,920 Speaker 2: the land that settled on the coast of the Dead 57 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:59,120 Speaker 2: Sea saw opportunity to rebel. So the new king of Israel, 58 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:03,240 Speaker 2: a Isaiah, took over during a time of incredible strain 59 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 2: and unrest. One evening, Aasiah was pacing in the upper 60 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:12,680 Speaker 2: room above his palace in Samaria. The warm summer breeze 61 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 2: only made him more anxious. His nervous stomping rumbled the 62 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:21,279 Speaker 2: floor below him. He paced to and fro on his balcony, 63 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:26,039 Speaker 2: worrying over his kingdom. Lost in thought, Aosiah paid no 64 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:29,520 Speaker 2: attention to the lattice work slowly cracking beneath his feet. 65 00:04:30,279 --> 00:04:33,880 Speaker 2: All of the sudden, his troubled thoughts were interrupted by 66 00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:37,559 Speaker 2: the floor giving way from underneath him. The king fell 67 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:39,920 Speaker 2: more than a dozen feet through the floor of the 68 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:44,200 Speaker 2: upper room, slamming on to the palace floor below. The 69 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:45,840 Speaker 2: fall took all the breath. 70 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:46,120 Speaker 1: Out of him. 71 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:50,400 Speaker 2: His ears were ringing from the impact to his head. Slowly, 72 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:53,839 Speaker 2: he began to feel the sting of several broken bones 73 00:04:53,960 --> 00:04:59,039 Speaker 2: coursing through his body. King Asia laid there motionless for 74 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:03,200 Speaker 2: what seemed like days. The pain was intense, and his 75 00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:07,840 Speaker 2: already muddied mind began to panic. It took everything in 76 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:11,719 Speaker 2: him to scream to his servants for help. After several 77 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:15,640 Speaker 2: cries for help echoing through the silent chambers, he finally 78 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:19,800 Speaker 2: found aid. His servants tended to his broken bones and 79 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 2: fractured skull. His lungs were beginning to recover more of 80 00:05:23,520 --> 00:05:27,279 Speaker 2: the air they once lost. However, the injuries to his 81 00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:32,760 Speaker 2: body and head seemed beyond repair. Heaziah sat in despair. 82 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:36,080 Speaker 2: He had only been king a few weeks, and he 83 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:40,440 Speaker 2: feared he would never recover. His paranoid mind began to 84 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:46,000 Speaker 2: wander into dark places. He wanted answers to questions not 85 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:49,800 Speaker 2: worth asking. He desired for hope in his dark and 86 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:54,920 Speaker 2: painful state. So, in a moment of weakness, Heehaziah sent 87 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:58,520 Speaker 2: his messengers to find priests in the temple of Balzebub, 88 00:05:58,839 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 2: the god of Ekron. He sent them to ask if 89 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:06,160 Speaker 2: he would ever recover. In so doing, Aasiah revealed where 90 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:09,760 Speaker 2: his hope truly was. His heart was attached to the 91 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:14,200 Speaker 2: philistine god of plagues and flies. His request revealed how 92 00:06:14,279 --> 00:06:17,160 Speaker 2: far his heart was from the true God of Israel. 93 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:21,360 Speaker 2: Elijah was walking the fields of Tishby, enjoying the peace 94 00:06:21,480 --> 00:06:25,240 Speaker 2: of a mild summer day. The wind blew slightly from 95 00:06:25,240 --> 00:06:30,039 Speaker 2: the west. Elijah had enjoyed peace since Ahab's death. No 96 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:33,240 Speaker 2: longer pursued by a witch queen and her puppet king, 97 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:36,800 Speaker 2: Elijah could now fully set his mind on the things 98 00:06:36,839 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 2: of God. In a moment of prayer, the Lord spoke 99 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:45,640 Speaker 2: to Elijah, saying, go and confront the messengers from the king. 100 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:49,480 Speaker 2: They are on their way to Balzebub to ask Ekron 101 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:54,000 Speaker 2: for wisdom. Elijah was disturbed at the news. Not only 102 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:57,520 Speaker 2: did this reveal the wicked state of King a Isziah's heart, 103 00:06:57,560 --> 00:07:01,080 Speaker 2: but it also showed that Philistine influence had crept into 104 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:06,480 Speaker 2: his counsel. King Aziah's mind and heart were compromised. God 105 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:10,640 Speaker 2: spoke clearly again, saying, go and tell them that he 106 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:14,280 Speaker 2: will never leave his bed. He will surely die where 107 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 2: he lies. Elijah knew not to waste any time when 108 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:21,440 Speaker 2: it came to matters of God, so he left where 109 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:25,280 Speaker 2: he was and ran to intercept the king's messengers. He 110 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:28,120 Speaker 2: found them almost at the temple and told them of 111 00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:32,680 Speaker 2: all God had said. Disturbed and afraid, the messengers turned 112 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:37,560 Speaker 2: around and ventured back to the palace. King Ayesiah was 113 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:41,280 Speaker 2: alone in his chambers. Just within sight past the entrance 114 00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:43,560 Speaker 2: to his door, he could see the hole in the 115 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:47,720 Speaker 2: ceiling where he fell. It tormented him, and he longed 116 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:49,720 Speaker 2: for a day where he could walk again, to be 117 00:07:49,880 --> 00:07:52,600 Speaker 2: rid of the view. The king looked to his left 118 00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:55,880 Speaker 2: out the window. Feeling an intense pain in his chest, 119 00:07:56,640 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 2: he coughed and covered his mouth with the cloth in 120 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:03,880 Speaker 2: his hand. He looked down at the cloth blood a grave, 121 00:08:04,080 --> 00:08:08,120 Speaker 2: sighing for the king. He sighed deeply and closed his eyes. 122 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:11,800 Speaker 2: Then a sudden echo of footsteps could be heard from 123 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:16,480 Speaker 2: the halls. His messengers had returned. They bowed before his bed. 124 00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:19,680 Speaker 2: They had just left that morning, so the king was 125 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:23,400 Speaker 2: confused at their arrival. Why have you returned so soon, 126 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:27,640 Speaker 2: the king asked. A man intercepted us and told us 127 00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:31,360 Speaker 2: that he had a message from God. Isiah's eyes widened. 128 00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:34,280 Speaker 2: He had seen King Ahab's war with the God of 129 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:38,480 Speaker 2: their forefathers. As a child, he witnessed his father's constant 130 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:41,640 Speaker 2: turmoil with the God of David. At one time, he 131 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:44,920 Speaker 2: considered following the God of David, but decided not to, 132 00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:48,240 Speaker 2: for the Philistine gods offered him more room for sin 133 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:52,400 Speaker 2: and lutness. He knew that no good news awaited him. 134 00:08:52,679 --> 00:08:56,280 Speaker 2: The servants delivered the message from God, saying, is there 135 00:08:56,320 --> 00:09:00,240 Speaker 2: no God in Israel? Why have you sent messengers to Bawsa? 136 00:09:00,960 --> 00:09:04,760 Speaker 2: Your request reveals much. You shall never leave your bed. 137 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:07,960 Speaker 2: You shall die on the bed you are lying on. 138 00:09:08,679 --> 00:09:11,360 Speaker 2: What sort of man was he? What did he look like? 139 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:14,520 Speaker 2: The king whispered, for he had an idea of who 140 00:09:14,559 --> 00:09:17,960 Speaker 2: it was. His father's sworn enemy. 141 00:09:18,080 --> 00:09:18,840 Speaker 1: Was still alive. 142 00:09:19,960 --> 00:09:22,319 Speaker 2: They replied. He was a hairy man who wore a 143 00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:26,040 Speaker 2: leather belt to hold his robes together. Ayaziah sat up 144 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:28,720 Speaker 2: in his bed. His lungs began to strain, and his 145 00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:33,040 Speaker 2: chest swelled up with coughing. Blood spattered all over his sheets, 146 00:09:33,120 --> 00:09:37,040 Speaker 2: and his chin was dripping with blood and saliva. Elijah, 147 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:40,720 Speaker 2: he yelled, His blood flung across the room. Take my army, 148 00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:44,480 Speaker 2: captain with fifty soldiers, go and arrest him. The king's 149 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:47,040 Speaker 2: coughing filled the room, and his servants came in the 150 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:49,520 Speaker 2: room to attend to him, while the messengers sent word 151 00:09:49,600 --> 00:09:53,160 Speaker 2: for his captain. Elijah was sitting on top of a 152 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:56,719 Speaker 2: grassy hill overlooking the city below when the captain and 153 00:09:56,800 --> 00:10:00,000 Speaker 2: his fifty men approached. He remained sitting as the captain 154 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:05,199 Speaker 2: drew his sword and pointed it at Elijah. Man of God, 155 00:10:06,040 --> 00:10:08,440 Speaker 2: the King has commanded for you to come with us. 156 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:13,120 Speaker 2: Elijah looked at all the men closely. He observed their 157 00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:17,160 Speaker 2: angry scowls and violent eyes. He closed his eyes and 158 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:20,280 Speaker 2: gave a brief sigh. He opened his eyes and looked 159 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:24,439 Speaker 2: to the skies. The sun was still high in the air, However, 160 00:10:24,480 --> 00:10:27,520 Speaker 2: the clouds were shifting slightly, and it looked like a 161 00:10:27,559 --> 00:10:32,920 Speaker 2: storm was possibly approaching. Elijah replied nonchalantly, if I am 162 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:35,920 Speaker 2: truly a man of God, perhaps fire should come down 163 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:40,240 Speaker 2: from heaven to destroy your small army. As Elijah said this, 164 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:43,559 Speaker 2: a flash from the sky pierced downwards and sent all 165 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:47,640 Speaker 2: fifty men flying through the air. Immediately they were consumed 166 00:10:47,679 --> 00:10:52,640 Speaker 2: with flames. They were dead almost instantly. Word reached the 167 00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:55,600 Speaker 2: king of this incident, so he sent fifty more men 168 00:10:55,679 --> 00:10:59,240 Speaker 2: to pursue and arrest Elijah. The other captain pointed his 169 00:10:59,320 --> 00:11:02,400 Speaker 2: spear at alia and said, Man of God, you must 170 00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:06,559 Speaker 2: come with us. It was a foolish mistake, for Elijah 171 00:11:06,559 --> 00:11:09,520 Speaker 2: gave the same reply he did before, and fire from 172 00:11:09,559 --> 00:11:13,120 Speaker 2: heaven consumed him and his men. The king heard of 173 00:11:13,160 --> 00:11:16,440 Speaker 2: this and was insistent on sending another group of fifty 174 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:20,120 Speaker 2: men to pursue Elijah. Only this time the captain fell 175 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:23,160 Speaker 2: at Elijah's feet and said, please, O, Man of God, 176 00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:26,360 Speaker 2: spare us. We are following orders, but do not want 177 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:29,600 Speaker 2: to be consumed like the others. Elijah smiled at the 178 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:32,560 Speaker 2: men for the humility. At the very least, they had 179 00:11:32,640 --> 00:11:36,200 Speaker 2: learned their lesson unlike their king. Elijah could hear the 180 00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:40,040 Speaker 2: slight whisper of God comforting him. He said, do not 181 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:44,160 Speaker 2: fear the king, go down to him. So Elijah sat 182 00:11:44,280 --> 00:11:47,240 Speaker 2: up and willingly walked down with the soldiers to the palace. 183 00:11:47,840 --> 00:11:51,680 Speaker 2: He stood before the broken king. Eyasiah could barely say 184 00:11:51,720 --> 00:11:55,760 Speaker 2: a word, for his body was failing him. Elijah once 185 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:58,960 Speaker 2: again delivered the message of God, and with those words, 186 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:04,480 Speaker 2: King aa Aiah breathed his last and died. A Isiah 187 00:12:04,520 --> 00:12:08,240 Speaker 2: had no sons to succeed him. His brother Juram became 188 00:12:08,280 --> 00:12:11,600 Speaker 2: the next king of Israel. Aiah's death was not a 189 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:14,480 Speaker 2: result of injury. Rather, it was the result of a 190 00:12:14,520 --> 00:12:18,600 Speaker 2: generational sickness in the kings of Israel. Their corrupt and 191 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:22,040 Speaker 2: selfish hearts were slowly killing the integrity of their nation. 192 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:25,680 Speaker 2: The passion of King David had disappeared in the land 193 00:12:25,760 --> 00:12:28,920 Speaker 2: of Israel. What replaced it was a lineage of kings 194 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:32,400 Speaker 2: determined to seek their own glory above the children of God. 195 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:36,840 Speaker 2: Their imperfection only made them more vulnerable to attack and corruption. 196 00:12:37,960 --> 00:12:40,440 Speaker 2: One day there would be a king to humbly into 197 00:12:40,480 --> 00:12:43,160 Speaker 2: the Kingdom of Israel, a king that would not be 198 00:12:43,360 --> 00:12:46,400 Speaker 2: self serving or evil. He would be a king that 199 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:49,800 Speaker 2: would enter in humbly, lying in a manger. He would 200 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:52,319 Speaker 2: come to serve the people and lay down his life 201 00:12:52,320 --> 00:12:56,200 Speaker 2: for them. He would bring peace, love and truth to 202 00:12:56,280 --> 00:13:00,320 Speaker 2: a people far off and lost. Yet for now, the 203 00:13:00,440 --> 00:13:03,160 Speaker 2: ups and downs of kings continued. 204 00:13:09,960 --> 00:13:13,560 Speaker 3: We begin today's passage in the aftermath of King Ahab's death. 205 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:17,559 Speaker 3: With the king dead, Moab rebelled against Israel. It was 206 00:13:17,600 --> 00:13:20,640 Speaker 3: a time of great turmoil in the Northern Kingdom, which 207 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:23,440 Speaker 3: is no big surprise given the corruption and the wicked 208 00:13:23,520 --> 00:13:28,200 Speaker 3: rule of Ahab and the wicked queen Jezebel. It is 209 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:31,520 Speaker 3: also no great surprise that a Haziah, the new king, 210 00:13:31,640 --> 00:13:34,840 Speaker 3: son of Ahab and Jezebel, would follow in his parents' 211 00:13:34,840 --> 00:13:40,200 Speaker 3: footsteps and seek out idols, pagan gods, and deities. One morning, 212 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:43,360 Speaker 3: King a Haziah fell through the lattice in his bedroom 213 00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:47,400 Speaker 3: and plummeted to the hard floor below. He was seriously 214 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:51,440 Speaker 3: injured and became sick confined to his bed. But rather 215 00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:53,920 Speaker 3: than call out to God for help, what did he do? 216 00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:57,160 Speaker 3: He turned to false gods, just as his parents had 217 00:13:57,200 --> 00:14:01,280 Speaker 3: done throughout their lives. A Haziah sent messengers to seek 218 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:05,720 Speaker 3: answers from Beelzebub, the philistine god of place. He wanted 219 00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:08,480 Speaker 3: to know if he would recover from his injuries, and 220 00:14:08,559 --> 00:14:11,920 Speaker 3: what a Haziah failed to recognize was that his real 221 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:14,800 Speaker 3: sickness was not in his broken body, but in his 222 00:14:14,920 --> 00:14:19,080 Speaker 3: broken soul. But God saw the king and was grieved 223 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:22,320 Speaker 3: because of his unfaithfulness. So God sent an angel to 224 00:14:22,360 --> 00:14:26,320 Speaker 3: give his prophet Elijah a message to Ahziah. Because the 225 00:14:26,440 --> 00:14:28,920 Speaker 3: king had turned to a foreign God, acting as though 226 00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:31,840 Speaker 3: there was no God in Israel, he would never leave 227 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:36,080 Speaker 3: the confinement of his bed, but would die there. Elijah 228 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:38,520 Speaker 3: set off to find the messengers who were headed to 229 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:42,040 Speaker 3: Akron to seek out Beelzebub. He told them all the 230 00:14:42,080 --> 00:14:45,880 Speaker 3: angel had said, and they returned to a Haziah with 231 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:49,640 Speaker 3: bad news, bad news from the strange man on the road. 232 00:14:50,360 --> 00:14:53,640 Speaker 3: When Ahziah asked what the man looked like, the description 233 00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:58,600 Speaker 3: confirmed what surely he already knew. Elijah, the same man 234 00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:01,000 Speaker 3: who had troubled his father a they have, was at 235 00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:06,040 Speaker 3: it again. God's man was being God's man. A Haziah 236 00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:08,840 Speaker 3: sent a captain with fifty men to bring Elijah. In 237 00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:11,440 Speaker 3: no doubt, the king had a mind to make him 238 00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:15,880 Speaker 3: pay for his words. But when they found Elijah, they 239 00:15:15,920 --> 00:15:17,640 Speaker 3: called him a man of God and told him to 240 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:21,320 Speaker 3: come quickly because the king had ordered it. But Elijah 241 00:15:21,400 --> 00:15:24,680 Speaker 3: answered to a much higher king, the Lord God. So 242 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:27,520 Speaker 3: he replied that if he was indeed a man of God, 243 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:30,880 Speaker 3: then fire would come down from heaven and consume the men. 244 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:34,600 Speaker 3: Just then, God sent fire from the skies and wiped 245 00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:39,240 Speaker 3: out a Haziahs men. This sign would deter any reasonable 246 00:15:39,600 --> 00:15:43,359 Speaker 3: and wise king. But a Haziah was far from reasonable 247 00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:47,000 Speaker 3: or wise, so he sent a second captain with fifty men, 248 00:15:47,480 --> 00:15:51,080 Speaker 3: the same order, the same response from Elijah, and the 249 00:15:51,120 --> 00:15:55,880 Speaker 3: same outcome fire from heaven that consumed the men. A 250 00:15:56,080 --> 00:15:59,120 Speaker 3: Haziah sent a third contingent of men, but this time 251 00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:03,400 Speaker 3: the captain did not demand that Elijah come with him. Instead, 252 00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:08,040 Speaker 3: he humbled himself before Elijah, saying, as recorded in Second 253 00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:12,480 Speaker 3: Kings one thirteen old Man of God, please let my 254 00:16:12,600 --> 00:16:15,040 Speaker 3: life and the life of these fifty servants of yours 255 00:16:15,080 --> 00:16:19,480 Speaker 3: be precious in your sights. In other words, please don't 256 00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:22,640 Speaker 3: kill us, Please don't take us out from the power 257 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:27,080 Speaker 3: of your God. So this man had a different attitude 258 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:31,240 Speaker 3: and a different request, a different response. Therefore, God told 259 00:16:31,280 --> 00:16:33,680 Speaker 3: Elijah to go with a man and deliver his message 260 00:16:33,720 --> 00:16:37,720 Speaker 3: personally to a Haziah. So Elijah went to the king 261 00:16:37,760 --> 00:16:40,080 Speaker 3: and again told him that because he turned to the 262 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:43,680 Speaker 3: philistine God, his very life would be taken from him 263 00:16:43,720 --> 00:16:47,280 Speaker 3: in that bed, And just as the Lord said, a 264 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:51,520 Speaker 3: Haziah died then and there a short reign marked by 265 00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:57,840 Speaker 3: idolatry and foolishness and death. Today's passage reminds us that 266 00:16:57,920 --> 00:17:01,000 Speaker 3: our God is the one true God, and that he 267 00:17:01,120 --> 00:17:06,200 Speaker 3: is a jealous God who deserves our full focus, attention, adoration, 268 00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:10,960 Speaker 3: and affection. Let there be no other gods before him. 269 00:17:11,320 --> 00:17:14,400 Speaker 3: Like his parents before him, a Haziah gave his heart 270 00:17:14,480 --> 00:17:17,000 Speaker 3: to false gods, and it cost him not only an 271 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:20,919 Speaker 3: abundant and peaceful life and a beautiful reign among the people, 272 00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:24,520 Speaker 3: it cost him everything. It cost him his life. Because 273 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:28,280 Speaker 3: God will not be mocked. The Bible says, whatever a 274 00:17:28,359 --> 00:17:33,800 Speaker 3: person sows, he will also reap. So let's pray, Dear God, 275 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:37,679 Speaker 3: thank you for this story that teaches us that you 276 00:17:37,840 --> 00:17:40,879 Speaker 3: are a great God, a glorious God, and you and 277 00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:44,119 Speaker 3: you only are God. And we pray that we would 278 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:46,240 Speaker 3: never turn to the world and the idols of this 279 00:17:46,359 --> 00:17:49,440 Speaker 3: world and the things of this world to find relief 280 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:54,280 Speaker 3: or rescue or comfort in any false God. We thank 281 00:17:54,359 --> 00:17:56,760 Speaker 3: you that you are jealous for us, that you love 282 00:17:56,880 --> 00:18:01,600 Speaker 3: us because we are yours, and love us deeply and dearly, 283 00:18:01,840 --> 00:18:06,160 Speaker 3: and you always want our best. Remind us God today 284 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:11,240 Speaker 3: that our hearts are to be completely yours in Jesus' name. Amen, 285 00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:15,840 Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. 286 00:18:16,400 --> 00:18:19,800 Speaker 3: I'm pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Let me encourage 287 00:18:19,840 --> 00:18:22,520 Speaker 3: you to go ahead right now and download thepray dot 288 00:18:22,560 --> 00:18:26,679 Speaker 3: com app and make the Word of God and prayer 289 00:18:26,880 --> 00:18:30,640 Speaker 3: a huge priority in your life. Let me also encourage 290 00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:34,040 Speaker 3: you to tell others about this podcast because you can 291 00:18:34,160 --> 00:18:37,120 Speaker 3: pass the word to others. And if you want more 292 00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:40,680 Speaker 3: resources on how to tap into God's power for living 293 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:44,680 Speaker 3: the Christian life, be sure to visit Jack Graham dot org. 294 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:48,240 Speaker 3: That's Jack Graham dot org. We would love to connect 295 00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:49,960 Speaker 3: with you right now. 296 00:18:55,119 --> 00:18:58,920 Speaker 1: This episode is sponsored by Meta Share, an innovative healthcare 297 00:18:58,960 --> 00:19:03,040 Speaker 1: solution for Christian to save money without sacrificing quality.