The Danger of Misplaced Trust
2 Kings 1:1 After Ahab's death, Moab rebelled against Israel. 2 Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, "Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury." 3 But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Go up and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?' 4 Therefore this is what the LORD says: 'You will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!' " So Elijah went.
It's a sure sign that your Israelite nation is in trouble when in a time of need your king does not turn to God, neither to one of the greatest prophets of all time, Elijah.
Ahaziah had fallen and injured himself. He refused to call on the Lord. Instead, he chose to reach out to an idol god for advice. In his rebellion, he did not consider that Baal-Zebub was unable to hear prayer because this so-called god actually didn't exist.
When Elijah heard about this inquiry, he pronounced that Ahaziah would die. What is interesting is that Ahaziah was going to die, not only because of judgment from God, but because he put his trust in a god that did not exist.
We see the same problem today. People would rather trust in uncertain things than get advice from trustworthy people and trust in the living God, who they know to be real. This is nothing more than rebellion, pure and simple.
People often suffer today, not because God doesn't love them and does not want to help them. People suffer today because they put their trust in things, people, and forces that cannot help at all.
Let's continue to put our trust in the living God, through Christ Jesus, who is alive, alert, and always ready to receive us.
