How we cite our quotes: (Book:Verse)
Quote #1
Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria, and lay injured; so he sent messengers, telling them, "Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this injury." But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Get up, go 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?'" Now therefore thus says the Lord, "You shall not leave the bed to which you have gone, but you shall surely die.' So Elijah went. (NRSV 1:2-4)
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. 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? 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. (KJV 1:2-4)
God, using Elijah to communicate his message, cuts off Ahaziah's attempt to discover his fate from Baal-zebub and delivers his death warrant. This is meant to demonstrate how much greater God is than Baal-zebub, because he knows to deliver the message without even being asked.
Quote #2
When the king of Moab saw that the battle was going against him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through, opposite the king of Edom; but they could not. Then he took his firstborn son who was to succeed him, and offered him as a burnt offering on the wall. And great wrath came upon Israel, so they withdrew from him and returned to their own land. (NRSV 3:26-27)
And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for him, he took with him seven hundred men that drew swords, to break through even unto the king of Edom: but they could not. Then he took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall. And there was great indignation against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land. (KJV 3:26-27)
Now this is weird. Although the original source material may have meant that the Moabite god Chemosh's wrath was kindled against the Israelites, the narrator here seems to mean that Israel became indignantly wrathful at this horrible sacrifice, and left the battlefield for that reason.
Quote #3
As soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guards and to the officers, "Come in and kill them; let no one escape." So they put them to the sword. The guards and the officers threw them out, and then went into the citadel of the temple of Baal. They brought out the pillar that was in the temple of Baal, and burned it. Then they demolished the pillar of Baal, and destroyed the temple of Baal, and made it a latrine to this day. (NRSV 10:25-27)
And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, Go in, and slay them; let none come forth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the captains cast them out, and went to the city of the house of Baal. And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burned them. And they brake down the image of Baal, and brake down the house of Baal, and made it a draught house unto this day. (KJV 10:25-27)
It's a Baal-destroying fest. Apparently, part of the reason Baal was such a popular deity was because he was sort of similar to Israel's God, associated with the sky and thunder. It's a misjudgment the prophets keep working to correct.