of great apostasy, the people had fallen away from the Lord.
It might be the time when a godly ministry is most effective and most necessary. God's power worked through Elijah in an extraordinary way.
Ahab of Israel
In the 38th year of king Asa's reign in Judah, Ahab began to rule over Israel.
He reigned over Israel for 22 years. Ahab did what was evil in the sight
of the Lord, more than all who were before him. He took Jezebel,
the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians, as his wife and went and served Baal and worshiped him. He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria, and he made an Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord
to anger than all the kings of Israel before him. (1 Kings 16:29–33).
Politically, with a secular mindset, getting married with Jezebel, daughter of a king,
was a smart thing. It would prevent war with that nation. He now also
had an ally in the case of war with other nations. Even king Solomon did it.
Spiritually it was a disaster because Jezebel brought into the nation
worship of Baal. She also systematically murdered the Lord's prophets.
Hiel of Bethel rebuilt Jericho at that time. He laid its foundation at the expense
of his firstborn and set up its gates at the expense of his youngest son, according
to the Word of the Lord, which he spoke through Joshua (1 Kings 16:34). This occurred 500 years after Joshua had pronounced a curse on Jericho (Joshua 6:26).
The fulfilment shows that Joshua had spoken prophetically about this.
Elijah the Tishbite told Ahab that there would be no dew or rain
except by his Word. The Lord then came to Elijah to turn eastward and hide
by the brook Cherith, which lies east of the Jordan. Elijah was to drink
from the brook, and God had commanded the ravens to feed him there.
Elijah did so. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning
and in the evening, and he drank from the brook. After a while the brook dried up, as there was no rain in the land. (1 Kings 17:1–7).
Not getting any rain was a Word of judgment against Ahab. Then the Lord told Elijah to hide, which he did. He would see Ahab again only after three years.
The Lord told Elijah to go to Zarephath, which belonged to Sidon, and live there. God had commanded a widow there to feed him. He did so. He met a widow
at the gate of the city gathering sticks. He asked her to bring him bread.
She replied that she had nothing baked, just a handful of flour and some oil.
She gathered a few sticks to prepare for herself and her son, so that they could eat and die. Elijah told her not to fear; to go and do as she had been told. But first
she would make a small cake out of it and bring it to him, and then make something for herself and to her son. For the Lord had said that the jar of flour won't be used up, and the jug of oil won't be empty, until the day
when the Lord sends rain upon the Earth. She went and did as Elijah said
and it fed them for many days. The jar of flour wasn't used up,
and the jug of oil wasn't empty, according to the Word of the Lord
which he spoke through Elijah. (1 Kings 17:8–16).
God told Elijah to go and live near where Jezebel's father ruled, to a place
where they worshiped Baal. He had to come out of hiding to go to that place.
Elijah had to exercise his faith to obey God to do this.
A widow doesn't normally have the resources to feed anyone. This widow whom God had called had nothing to offer. God asks us for the first sacrifices.
Elijah asked the widow for the first cake to challenge her faith (Proverbs 3:9–10).
Especially when we are empty vessels, God can use us.
God used this poor widow to feed Elijah.
The son of this widow fell ill. His illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. She asked Elijah what he had against her causing her son's death. Elijah laid him on his own bed. He reached over the child three times and cried out
to the Lord to let this child's life come back into him. The Lord listened
to Elijah's voice and the child's life came back into him and he was revived. The woman told Elijah that she now knew he was a man of God,
and that the Word of the Lord in his mouth was truth. (1 Kings 17:17–24).
This was the first time in the Bible that a person rose from the dead.
God did great miracles in this dark time in a pagan place. Where there is darkness, God's light can shine even brighter. See A Lamp on the Stand.
The Word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year. He should show up
for Ahab and God would send rain on the Earth. Elijah went to show himself to Ahab.
The famine was at that time severe in Samaria. Ahab called Obadiah, who was
over the household and feared the Lord. When Jezebel cut off the Lord's prophets,
Obadiah took 100 prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave and fed them
with bread and water. Ahab told Obadiah that he would go through the land
to try to find grass to save the horses and mules. Ahab went one way for himself, and Obadiah went another way for himself. As Obadiah was on the way,
Elijah met him. Obadiah recognized him and fell on his face. Elijah asked him
to tell Ahab that Elijah was there. Obadiah replied that there was no nation
or kingdom where Ahab hadn't sought him. He was afraid that if he told Ahab
where to find him, the Spirit of the Lord would take him somewhere else, and that Ahab would then kill him for it. Elijah promised to appear to Ahab
that day. Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. Elijah told Ahab that he and his father’s house had afflicted Israel, because he had abandoned the commandments of the Lord and followed Baal. He wanted Ahab
to gather all Israel to him at Mount Carmel, along with the 450 prophets of Baal
and the 400 prophets of Asherah, who ate at Jezebel’s table. (1 Kings 18:1–19).
Ahab sent messengers to all the people of Israel and gathered the prophets
on Mount Carmel. Elijah asked them how long they would hesitate
between two different opinions. If the Lord is God, follow him;
but if Baal is, then follow him. Elijah was alone there as prophet of the Lord, but the prophets of Baal were 450 men. Elijah told them to take two bulls.
The prophets of Baal would choose a bull for themselves and cut it into pieces
and lay it on the wood, but put no fire to it. Elijah prepared the second bull and put it on the wood and didn't set fire to it. The prophets of Baal would call on the name of Baal, and Elijah would call on the name of the Lord. The God who responded
with fire was the real God. The prophets of Baal took the bull that was given them, prepared it, and invoked Baal's name from morning until noon. But there was
no voice, and no one answered. And they limped around the altar as they had done. They shouted aloud and cut themselves according to their custom with swords
and lances, until the blood poured out over them. And when the dinner was passed, they went on until the time of the offering, but there was no voice.
Nobody answered; no one noticed. Then Elijah repaired the Lord's altar that
had been broken down. He took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes, and with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord. He made a trench around the altar, so large that it would contain two seahs of seed (about 14 liters). He arranged the wood and cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. He told them to fill four jars with water and pour it on the Burnt Offering and on the wood, and to do it three times. The water flowed around the altar and also filled the trench with water. And at the time of the offering Elijah said: "O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your Word. Answer me,
O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God,
and that you are turning their hearts back again." Then the fire of the Lord fell
and consumed the Burnt Offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust,
and licked up the water that was in the trench. When all the people saw it,
they fell on their faces and said that the Lord is God.
Elijah told them to seize the prophets of Baal; don't let one of them escape.
And they seized them. Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon
and slaughtered them there. (1 Kings 18:20–40).
The pagans saw Mount Carmel as a pagan stronghold where Baal ruled. That may be one reason why the pagans accepted this challenge. The people were double minded
and worshipped both Baal and the Lord, see double minded in Fear of Man.
Elijah told Ahab to eat and drink, for there was a sound of rain, and he did so.
Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel and asked his servant to look out
to the sea. He did but said there was nothing. Elijah told him to do it seven times.
And at the seventh time he said that there was a little cloud like a man’s hand rising out of the sea. Elijah told his servant to tell Ahab to prepare his chariot and go down, lest the rain stop him. In a little while the sky turned black
with clouds and wind, and there came a great rain. Ahab rode to Jezreel.
And the hand of the Lord was upon Elijah, and he ran before Ahab
to the entrance of Jezreel. (1 Kings 18:41–46).
Note that Elijah was a man with a sinful nature that we all have (James 5:17–18).
Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets
of Baal with the sword. Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say that she would
kill him the very next day. Elijah got scared and ran for his life all the way
to Beersheba in Judah where he left his servant while he himself
went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush,
sat down under it and prayed that he might die. Then he laid down under the bush and fell asleep. Immediately an angel touched him and told him to get up
and eat. At his head lay some bread baked on glowing coals and a jar
of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. The angel of the Lord
came back a second time and said to him to get up and eat, for the journey
was too much for him. He did so. Strengthened by the food, he traveled 40 days
and 40 nights until he reached mount Horeb. There he entered a cave
and spent the night. The Lord then asked him what he was doing there.
Elijah replied that he had been zealous for the Lord, was the only prophet left,
and now they they were trying to kill him. (1 Kings 19:1–10).
Elijah had fallen down into a very deep and dark depression.
He fell in disappointment and discouragement in himself. He just wanted to die.
God gave Elijah time to rest and refresh himself before confronting him
about what he was doing (Psalm 42:5–6, 9, 11 (6–7, 10, 12 in some translations)).
Elijah's reply was one of pride and self-pity. But now he could better see himself
for who he really is. God doesn't choose people because they are better than others
(1 Cor 1:27–29). God chooses people who can carry out his redemptive purpose, see God is sovereign in God's Attributes.
The Lord told Elijah to stand on the mountain, the Lord would pass by:
- A great and powerful wind tore the mountains and shattered the rocks
before the Lord, but the Lord wasn't in the wind. - Then there was an earthquake, but the Lord wasn't in the earthquake.
- Afterwards there was a fire, but the Lord wasn't in the fire.
- Then came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard this, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice asked what he was doing there.
Elijah gave the same answer he had given before. (1 Kings 19:11–14).
God did it to encourage Elijah, who needed it. God did a similar thing to Moses, see God Shows Moses his Glory in Moses; Part 13: Rebellion and Paganism.
"A bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench" (Isaiah 42:3a), see also Jesus and Nicodemus.
The Lord told Elijah to go back the way he came and anoint Hazael to be king
over Aram, Jehu king over Israel, and Elisha to succeed him as prophet.
Jehu would kill all who escaped Hazael's sword, and Elisha would kill
all who escaped Jehu's sword. God had reserved 7000 in Israel,
all whose knees hadn't bowed to Baal. (1 Kings 19:15–18).
God had a plan, Elijah still had work to do for the Lord, and Elijah wasn't alone. But Elijah didn't anoint Hazael: Elisha later told Hazael that he would become
king in Aram (2 Kings 8:7-15). Elijah didn't anoint Jehu: Elisha later called a man from the company of the prophets to go and anoint Jehu (2 Kings 9:1–13).
But Elijah anointed Elisha to succeed him as prophet, see Elisha below.
Ben-Hadad, king of Aram, gathered all his army. Together with 32 kings
with their horses and chariots he went up and besieged Samaria and attacked it.
He sent messengers into the city to Ahab, king of Israel, saying that his silver,
gold, and the best of his wives and children were his. He also wanted to search
the king's palace and the houses of his officials and seize everything of value
and carry it away. Ahab refused to do so.
Ben-Hadad prepared to attack Samaria. (1 Kings 20:1–12).
Meanwhile, a prophet came to Ahab and told him that the Lord would defeat the enemy and then Ahab would know that he is the Lord. The junior officers under the provincial chiefs would do so. Ahab would begin the battle.
Ahab summoned the 232 junior officers and the rest of the Israelites, 7000 in all. They set out at noon while Ben-Hadad and the 32 kings who were allied with him
sat in their tents and got drunk. The junior officers marched out of the city
with the army behind them, each striking down his opponent. The Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram, escaped on horseback with some of his horsemen. Ahab advanced and overpowered the horses
and chariots and inflicted heavy losses on the Arameans. Then the prophet
came to Ahab and told him to strengthen his position, for next spring
the king of Aram would attack him again. The next spring, Ben-Hadad
gathered the Arameans and went to fight against Israel. The Israelites marched out to meet them. The man of God told Ahab that the Lord said that he would deliver the Arameans army in his hand because they believed that the Lord was only a hill God and not a valley God, and then Ahab would know that he is the Lord. The Israelites inflicted 100,000 casualties on the Aramean foot soldiers in one day. The rest of them fled to the city of Aphek, where the wall collapsed
on 27,000 of them. Ben-Hadad fled to the city and hid in an inner room.
His officials asked him to let them go to Ahab with sackcloth around their waists
and ropes around their heads and beg for his life. Perhaps Ahab would then
spare his life. They did so. Ahab then made a treaty
with Ben-Hadad and released him. (1 Kings 20:13–34).
The pagans believed in several gods, where some were stronger in the hills
and other were stronger in the valleys, that there were different gods in charge
of different places, and that their god was stronger than the Lord in the valleys.
It was a supernatural work of the Lord to give Israel victory against a host
of enemies. Ahab responded in faith to the Word of the Lord, he followed the instructions of the Lord. And he won twice. But it was God's will that Ben-Hadad
should also die, but Ahab instead made a treaty with him and released him.
By the Word of the Lord, one of the prophets told his companion to strike him with his weapon, but he refused. The prophet then said that because he hadn't obeyed the Lord, as soon as he left him a lion would kill him. And after the man had gone away, a lion found him and killed him. The prophet found another man and told him to beat him. The man did so and injured him. Then the prophet went and stood by the road and waited for Ahab. As Ahab passed by, the prophet called out to him and said that Ahab had freed a man whom the Lord had determined should die. Therefore it was Ahab's life for that man's life, Ahab's people for that man's people. Ahab then went angry to his palace in Samaria. (1 Kings 20:35–43).
Ahab should have confessed his mistake in making a treaty with Ben-Hadad
and releasing him, but he didn't. He didn't understand that he needed to repent.
Sometime later, an incident occurred involving a vineyard belonging
to the Jezreelite Naboth. The vineyard was in Jezreel, near Ahab's palace,
and Ahab wanted to buy it. But Naboth refused to sell it. (1 Kings 21:1–4).
Naboth followed the instructions of the Word of the Lord when he refused to sell it to Ahab. The land was given to the people of Israel according to their tribal allotments in the time of Joshua. The land was never to be sold outside the tribe.
Naboth and Ahab didn't belong to the same tribe.
Ahab's wife Jezebel told him that she would give it to him. She wrote letters in Ahab’s name, set his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles
who lived in Naboth’s city. She wrote that they would proclaim a day of fasting
and place Naboth in a prominent place among the people. Then they would set two villains across from him and ask them to accuse Naboth of cursing
both God and the king. Then they should take him out and stone him
to death. That also happened. As soon as Jezebel heard about it,
she told Ahab that he would take possession of Naboth,
and that he was now dead. Ahab did so. (1 Kings 21:5–16).
They also stoned his sons (2 Kings 9:26a). Jezebel understood that she had
to eliminate everyone in line to inherit the vineyard to get it, and she did.
Then the Word of the Lord came to Elijah that he should go to Ahab who was now
in the vineyard. Elijah would tell him that he had murdered a man and seized
his property. And in the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth,
dogs licked up the blood of Ahab. God would wipe out his descendants
and exterminate from Ahab every male in Israel, slave or free.
God would make his house like the house of Jeroboam and Baasha,
because he had provoked God's anger and caused Israel to sin.
Dogs would devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. Dogs would eat
those belonging to Ahab that die in the city, and the birds would feed
on those who die in the country. There was none like Ahab,
who sold himself to do what was evil in the eyes of the Lord,
prompted by his wife Jezebel. He behaved in the most abominable way
by going after idols, like the Amorites whom the Lord
drove out before Israel. (1 Kings 21:17–26).
Dogs were mostly wild in that culture. It was a huge insult to be be called a dog. They fed on the remains of other animals and, as in this case, on humans.
When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth,
and fasted. He was in sackcloth and walked around meekly.
Then the Word of the Lord came to Elijah, that because Ahab humbled himself,
God wouldn't let this calamity come in his time, but upon his house
in the days of his son. (1 Kings 21:27–29).
Because Ahab repented, God's judgement didn't come during Ahab's lifetime.
This shows the importance of repentance for wrongdoings. God never ignores
true repentance. God won't despise a broken and sorrowful heart (Psalm 51:17
(19 in some translations)), see 2) Blessed are those who mourn
in The Sermon on the Mount. Pride can prevent us from repenting
and humbling ourselves when we should do it.
Ahab wouldn't die in Jezreel according to the prophesy
(1 Kings 21:19, 22:10, 29–38). Ahab would have died there if he hadn't repented,
it prevented the judgement from coming during his lifetime.
This shows the power of repentance, it brings God's mercy to come.
David repented a lot. See the end of The Book of Ruth.
Ahab of Israel and Jehoshaphat of Judah
Jehoshaphat succeeded Asa as king of Judah. The Lord was with him because
he followed the ways of David. He didn't consult the Baals but sought the Lord and followed his commands rather than the customs of Israel. His heart
was devoted to the ways of the Lord; moreover he removed the high places
and the Asherah poles from Judah. Jehoshaphat became more and more powerful;
he built forts, store cities, and had great supplies in the cities of Judah. (2 Chron 17).
Jehoshaphat had great wealth and honor, and he joined Ahab by marriage.
For three years there was no war between Aram and Israel.
But in the third year Jehoshaphat went down to meet Ahab.
Ahab asked Jehoshaphat if he would go with him to fight against the king of Aram
to take back Ramoth Gilead. (1 Kings 22:1–4, 2 Chron 18:1–3a).
Allying himself with Ahab of Israel by marriage was Jehoshaphat's
first great mistake, because Ahab was a very wicked man (1 Kings 16:30).
Ramoth Gilead was one of the cities that the king of Aram had promised to give back when he was defeated by Israel and Ahab spared his life, but he didn't give it back.
Jehoshaphat first wanted to seek the counsel of the Lord.
Ahab gathered the prophets, about 400 men, and asked them if he would go to war. They answered that he should go, for the Lord would give Ramoth Gilead
into his hand. (1 Kings 22:5–6, 2 Chron 18:3b–5).
These 400 prophets told Ahab what he wanted to hear, see itching ears.
But Jehoshaphat asked if there was no longer a prophet of the Lord
whom they could inquire. Ahab replied that there was the prophet Micaiah,
but he always prophesied badly against him. Ahab called after him.
Micaiah told Ahab that he saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd. He saw the Lord sitting on his throne with all the hosts of Heaven standing around him him on his right and left and asked
who would entice Ahab to attack Ramoth Gilead and go to his death there.
A spirit said he would entice him by being a deceiving spirit in the mouths
of all his prophets. The Lord told the spirit to do it. The Lord had put
a deceiving spirit in the mouths of all his prophets. But the Lord had decreed disaster for him. Ahab ordered Micaiah to be put in prison to provide nothing but bread and water until Ahab returned in safety. Micaiah explained that if he returned safely, the Lord hadn't spoken through him. (1 Kings 22:7–28, 2 Chron 18:6–27).
Ahab didn't like Micaiah because he told him the true Word of the Lord,
and that wasn't what Ahab wanted to hear. He didn't want to hear the truth
from the Lord and therefore put him in prison. When Micaiah prophesied
that he saw Israel without a leader it meant that Ahab would die.
There were two ways for the godly king Jehoshaphat to find out which prophesy was the correct one. He could have used The ability to distinguish between spirits, see Spiritual Gifts, but he didn't have that gift. Or he could have used common sense: It's more likely for a prophecy to be accurate if it contradicts with what
the recipient wants to hear than if it doesn't. See also Prophesy in Spiritual Gifts. The God-fearing king Jehoshaphat was willing to compromise for the sake of unity.
The misleading spirit can have been a demonic spirit that the Lord allowed
to deceive the 400 prophets, because God and his angels don't lie.
The demonic spirits have access to the throne of God,
see Explanation to Satan's Attack on the Woman in the Book of Revelation.
In most cases in the Bible where the right and left sides are mentioned,
the accepted are on the right side and the rejected on the left side,
see for example The Sheep and the Goats. In this case, the spirits devoted
to the Lord may have been on the right side and the demonic ones on the left side.
Ahab and Jehoshaphat went up to Ramoth Gilead. Ahab disguised himself
and went into battle. The king of Aram had ordered his 32 chariot commanders
to fight only with Ahab, the king of Israel. Someone drew his bow at random
and struck the king of Israel between the sections of his armor.
The blood from his wound ran on the floor of the chariot, and that evening he died and was taken to Samaria. They washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria
and the dogs licked up his blood, as the Word of the Lord had declared.
(1 Kings 22:29–40, 2 Chron 18:28–34).
It was God's will that Ahab should die at this battle.
The God-fearing king Jehoshaphat shouldn't have taken part in this battle,
but by the mercy of God his life was spared (2 Chron 18:31–32).
Jehoshaphat returned safely to his palace in Jerusalem. The seer Jehu (a prophet) asked him if he would help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord.
Therefore the wrath of the Lord was upon him. But he also said that there was something good in him, for he had freed the land from the Asherah poles
and had decided to seek God. (2 Chron 19:1–3).
Jehoshaphat appointed judges in the land, in each of Judah's fortified cities.
He told them to consider carefully what they were doing, for they were judging not only mortals but for the Lord. They should therefore fear the Lord, judge carefully, for with the Lord there is no injustice, partiality, or bribery. (2 Chron 19:4–11).
The Moabites and Ammonites came to make war against Jehoshaphat. Frightened, he asked the Lord. He proclaimed a fast for all Judah and said to the people:
The Lord rules over all the kingdoms of the nations. If they stood before God
and cried out to him, he would hear them and save them. They didn't have
the power to face this huge army that attacked them in their own strength.
Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel telling them not to be afraid
or discouraged because of this huge army. For the battle wasn't theirs, but God’s. They should march down to them the next day. But they won't have to fight
that battle. They should take their positions, stand firm, and see the deliverance
the Lord would give them. Early in the morning they went for the battle.
As they began to sing and praise, the Lord ambushed the men of Ammon and Moab and these people were defeated. Jehoshaphat's kingdom was at peace,
for his God had given him rest on every side. (2 Chron 20:1–30).
They should go into the battle but they didn't have to fight. They had to step out in faith and trust in the Lord. When they did, the Lord would fight for them.
Jehoshaphat became king of Judah in the fourth year of king Ahab and reigned
for 25 years. In everything he followed the ways of his father Asa; he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. However, the high places were not removed, and the people continued to sacrifice and burn incense there.
He was at peace with the king of Israel. He rid the land of the rest of the male prostitutes in the sanctuary that remained there even after the reign of his father Asa. (1 Kings 22:41–50 (41–51 in some translations), 2 Chron 20:31–33).
Jehoshaphat had removed the high places at the beginning of his reign
(2 Chron 17:6). When the people began to build some of them up
at the end of his reign, he didn't take them down again.
Ahaziah of Israel
Ahaziah became king of Israel in the 17th year of the reign of Jehoshaphat,
king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel for two years. He did evil in the sight
of the Lord, because he followed the ways of his father (Ahab) and mother
and of Jeroboam, which caused Israel to sin. He served and worshipped Baal
and provoked the anger of the Lord, just as his father had done.
(1 Kings 22:51–53 (52–54 in some translations)).
After Ahab's death, Moab rebelled against Israel. Ahaziah fell through the lattice
in his upper chamber in Samaria and lay sick; so he sent messengers
to ask Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron (a Philistine city),
whether he would recover from that disease. (2 Kings 1:1–2).
The one who we turn to when we have crisis in our lives is our real god that we trust. We can turn to answers in the world for comfort, money, and information. We must then remember to always turn to the Lord in prayer (Proverbs 3:5–6), see the end part of King Asa of Juda, who was a God-fearing king but at the end of his life
only turned to a doctor when he was sick in his feet. However, this must not go to extremes; we need our doctors, insurances, educations, etc, but we shouldn't forget to pray about it also. There is always a balance to everything. But we should put our hope in the Lord and not in the world. God is ultimately in charge
as the Creator of the world, see The Biblical Creation and the Fall of Man.
and ask them if there was no God in Israel to inquire since he went
to inquire Baal-zebub, god of Ekron. And to tell them that because
they did that, he would surely die. The messengers returned to Ahaziah
and told him what Elijah had said. Then Ahaziah sent to Elijah a captain
with fifty men. They went up to Elijah who was sitting on top of a hill and told him
to come down. Elijah answered them that if he was a man of God,
fire would come down from heaven and consume them. That happened too. Again Ahaziah sent another captain to Elijah with fifty men with the same result. Again Ahaziah sent a captain with fifty men. This captain fell on his knees before Elijah and begged him to let him and his 50 men live. Then the angel of the Lord
told Elijah to go down with him and not be afraid of him. Elijah went to Ahaziah and asked him if there was no God in Israel to ask
since he went to ask Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron. And since he did,
he should surely die. Ahaziah died according to the Word of the Lord
that Elijah had spoken. (2 Kings 1:3–17a).
That the fire came down and consumed the soldiers was a sign
that it wasn't Baal but it's the Lord who is the real God, see also God is jealous in God's Attributes. The third captain humbled himself before the Lord, and it saved his life. God always acts mercifully when someone truly humbles himself before the Lord. Ahaziah didn't do so or repented, probably due to pride, and died. When King Hezekiah of Judah became deadly ill, he turned to the Lord in prayer
and was given 15 more years to live. Even Manasseh of Judah,
who was the worst king of Judah ever, repented of his wickedness
at the end of his life and God poured out mercy on him.
Elisha
The Lord had told Elijah that he would anoint Elisha to succeed him as prophet.
Elijah did so and found Elisha plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself drove the twelfth pair. Elijah threw his cloak around him. Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. Elisha took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing tools to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate.
Elisha left to follow Elijah and became his servant. (1 Kings 19:16b, 19–21).
God does things that we don't expect. He chose a farmer to succeed Elijah as prophet. The cloak was a symbol of the anointing that Elijah had. Throwing his cloak around him was a symbolic statement that the ministry that God had placed on Elijah was now placed on him. Elisha was now anointed to succeed Elijah as prophet.
When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven with a whirlwind,
Elijah took his cloak and rolled it up and struck the waters of the Jordan,
and the waters parted to one side and to the other, until Elijah and Elisha
could cross over on dry ground. When they had crossed the Jordan,
Elijah asked Elisha what he would do for him before he was taken from him.
Elisha asked for a double portion of his spirit. Elijah replied that if he saw him when he was taken from him it would be so. And while they still went on talking, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. Elijah went up in a whirlwind to heaven. Elisha saw the incident but didn't see Elijah anymore. Then he took Elijah's cloak that had fallen from him and struck the waters
of the Jordan and prayed for the Lord, the God of Elijah. When he had
struck the water, the water parted on one side and on the other,
and Elisha went over. (2 Kings 2:1–14).
Elisha had accepted the position that had been handed to him.
Putting on Elijah's cloak was a symbol of doing so.
The reason Elisha asked for a double portion
of Elijah's spirit was to be able to continue Elijah's ministry.
See it further described at time 7:56–9:58 in Bible Q&A • Episode 46.
When the company of prophets saw this, they said that the spirit of Elijah
rested upon Elisha. They came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. They said that they had 50 strong men to go look for Elijah.
Maybe the Spirit of the Lord had thrown him on some mountain or in some valley. But Elisha told them not to look for him. But when they urged him, he let them do it. They sent 50 men and searched for him for three days without finding him.
(2 Kings 2:15–18).
See also Elijah's Ascension to Heaven and Elisha the Prophet.
Jehoram of Judah
Jehoram succeeded Jehoshaphat as king over Judah. When Jehoram had established himself over the kingdom, he killed all his brothers. Jehoram was 32 years old
when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for eight years.
He followed the ways of the kings of Israel as the house of Ahab had done, because he married a daughter of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord.
Because of the covenant the Lord had made with David, the Lord wasn't willing
to destroy David's house. God had promised to maintain a lamp for him
and his descendants forever. Jehoram built high places on the hills of Judah
which caused the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves
and led Judah astray.
(1 Kings 22:50 (51 in some translations), 2 Kings 8:16–24, 2 Chron 21:1–11).
Jehoram received a letter from Elijah the prophet, stating that he hadn't followed the ways of his father Jehoshaphat or Asa. He had followed the ways of the kings of Israel and had led Judah to prostitute herself just as the house
of Ahab did. He had also murdered his own brothers, men who were better than him. The Lord would therefore strike his people, his sons, his wives and all that was his with a severe blow. He would be very ill with a lingering disease in his bowels,
until the disease caused his bowels to come out. The Lord raised the enmity
against Jehoram among the Philistines and the Arabs who lived near the Cushites.
They attacked Judah, invaded it, and carried away everything that was in the king's palace, along with his sons and wives. Not a son was left to him except Ahaziah,
the youngest. After all this, the Lord afflicted Jehoram with an incurable disease
in the bowels. In time, at the end of the second year (after he had received
the letter from Elijah), his bowels came out because of the disease,
and he died in great pain. (2 Chron 21:12–20).
There is no record of repentance or godly sorrow in the life of Jehoram.
See also Kings of Judah and Israel and The Old Testament of the Bible.
