2 Kings Chapter 1 Summary

Gettin' Toasty

  • With Ahab dead, his son Ahaziah starts to reign. However, he falls through the lattice in one of the upper rooms of his palace and gets seriously injured.
  • He sends messengers to ask the god Baal-zebub (or Beelzebub, the "Lord of the Flies") if he's going to live. But the messengers run into Elijah, who tells them there's no point in asking Baal-zebub when God has already proclaimed that Ahaziah will die.
  • Based on the messengers' description, the king knows it was Elijah who told them this. He sends fifty soldiers to apprehend or kill him. However, God kills all of them with a blast of fire from heaven.
  • Again, Ahaziah sends another group of fifty soldiers, but the same thing happens, with Elijah calling down fire from heaven.

The Flame War Cools Down

  • Ahaziah sends another fifty soldiers, but when their captain begs to spare their lives this time, God tells Elijah to go along, promising to protect him.
  • Elijah goes with the soldiers to Ahaziah and repeats his prediction of imminent death, chiding him for consulting Baal-zebub instead of God.
  • And, guess what? Ahaziah dies, fulfilling Elijah's prophecy. His son, Joram, takes the throne.