2 Kings 1:1

2 Kings 1:1 says, Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab.  After Ahab's death, the people of Moab rebelled against the people of Israel.  The people of the world will always be at war with Christians, more so at some times than others.  Verse two adds, And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease.  Matthew Henry says that Ahaziah was an evil king who stood against God, and asked what did he think was going to happen to him.  He fell through the lattice work in the upper chamber and was sick.  He sent messengers to inquire of Baalzebub, the god of Ekron, whether he was going to recover or not. People are still looking to false gods for answers to life's problems today.  Verse three adds, 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 unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?  Elijah was told by God to go and meet these messengers and ask them if they were going to inquire of Baalzebub in Ekron because there was no God in Israel.  If we are looking to other god's for answers today, it has to be because we refuse to acknowledge the only true God.  Verse four states, Now therefore thus saith the Lord, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed.  Elijah told them to return to Ahaziah and tell him that God said he would die, and then Elijah departed.  I am sure this was not something that the messengers wanted to do.  Still, all we can do as Christians is speak the truth of God, whether it is what people want to hear or not.  Verse five adds, And when the messengers turned back unto him, he said unto them, Why are ye now turned back?  When the messengers returned, Ahaziah asked them why they had.  They actually hadn't been sent to find God's truth but to go to Ekron and inquire of the god there.  Ahaziah knew they hadn't had time to do this.  People today may not want to hear from God because they do not believe in Him or because what He says is not what they want to hear.  Yet, one day they will acknowledge the truth of God, but it will be to late to help them.  Verse six continues, And they said unto him, There came a man up to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that thou sendest to enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.  The messengers delivered the message that the man they met on the way to Ekron had delivered to them from God.  Ahaziah was going to die because he refused to acknowledge the God of Israel.  They evidently didn't know who Elijah was, but they still believed he spoke for God.  It really isn't the messenger but the truth of God that people need to recognize, even if it isn't what they want to hear.  Verse seven says, And he said unto them, What manner of man was he which came up to meet you, and told you these words?  Ahaziah asked them what manner of man it was that told them this.  Ahaziah wanted to know about the man who sent the message.  We should also want to know about those who say they speak for God.  Verse eight adds, And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.  When they described him, Ahaziah knew it was Elijah.  We may not be that well known as we speak God's truth today, but people need to recognize that as Christians, we always speak the truth of God.