A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Volume 3 · Commentary on 1 and 2 Kings · Chapter 1
2 Kings CHAP. I.
THIS Chapter is a Narrative of the Life of Ahaziah, who was his Father Ahab's Vice-Roy during his abſence at Ramoth-Gilead, and his Succeſſor when he fell there, and Contemporary with Jehoſaphat, as before. The two General Parts of this Chapter are, 1ſt, the Life, and, 2dly, the Death of this King.
Remarks upon the Firſt, are, Firſt this Ahaziah hath a black Brand put upon him, 1 Kings 22.51, 52, 53. foreign, an evil Egg, of an evil Bird; his Father Ahab was bad, but his Mother Jezebel was well worſe: No good Son could well be expected from ſuch notoriouſly bad Parents, ſeeing both their Loins and their Lives were ſufficient to Debauch him. He clave cloſe to his Parents Patterns, and ſucceeded Ahab not only in his Throne, but alſo in his Sin; ſo he did truly [Patrizare,] prone to prove the ſame Sins, and to be his Father's Second Edition therein.
Remark the Second; This mopiſh Man makes Moab revolt from their long Subjection, ver. 1. here; they had been ſubdued by David, 2 Sam. 8.2. Upon the Diviſion Moab was adjoined to the Ten Tribes, as Edom was to Judah, 1 Kings 22.47. Moab had furniſh'd Iſrael with rich Flocks and Fleeces, Chap. 3.4, 5▪ and was kept in that Subjection until that warlike King Ahab died; but now they caſt off the Yoke when Ahaziah comes, who was a weak as well as a wicked King: This was the firſt Judgment of God upon him, to puniſh his Wickedneſs.
Remark the Third, is, This mopiſh Man hearing of Moab's Revolt, walks muſing upon the Battlements of his Palace, and leaning on the Lattice, the ſame righteous God that had guided the Arrow to kill Ahab, now orders the Lattice to break aſunder, and to let Ahaziah fall, ſo as mortally to wound him, vee. 2. Where can obſtinate Sinners be, but God's Juſtice may meet them, and their ſin find them out? Numb. 32.23. now is he diſinabled to attempt any thing againſt Moab.
Remark the Fourth, is, When this Second Judgment of God had befall'n him, he, fearing Death, and being deſirous of Life, inquires of Baal-zebub, or of the Devil, and not of God, touching the Iſſue. Thus his Body was not ſo ſick, as his Soul was ſinful, in ſending to Satan either for Medicine or for Intelligence. This is the firſt time we hear of Baal-zebub in Scripture; the Name ſignifies a Fly-Lord; the Ekronites called their Idol thus, thinking (by the perſwaſion of their Prieſts) that Baal freed their Country from the annoyance of Flies, wherewith they were much infeſted. All the Dunghil-Deities of the Pagans were Devil's, ſaith the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 10.20. and in after-times the Prince of Devils is called Beelzebub, Matth. 12.24. At Ekron he was chiefly Worſhipped, hence Acheron is taken for Hell in Virgil.
Flectere ſi nequeo ſuperos Acheronta movebo.
Saul had ſaid the ſame in effect; If God will not be my Friend, the Devil will be glad to be ſo, 1 Sam. 28.6, 7. but Ahaziah (Saul's worſe) ſeeks not to God at all, but to the Devil in the firſt place: Nor did he ſeek to his own Baal, for that he had lately gull'd Ahab out of his Life, but to that of Ekron among the Philiſtines: Oh ſottiſh Soul, thus to admire a Foreign Idol!
Remark the Fifth; The Lord look'd upon this Meſſage as an intolerable Affront to himſelf, that a King of Iſrael ſhould ſo far degenerate from an Iſraelite indeed, John 1.47. as to prefer the Idol or Devil of Ekron before the God of Iſrael, who had never ſaid to the Seed of Jacob or Iſrael, [Seek ye me in vain,] but bids them [Concerning the work of his hands command him, and be aſham'd of their dumb Idols, Iſa. 45.11, 16, 19] becauſe of this heinous Crime in aſcribing Preſcience (God's Attribute) to the Devil, who knows no future Things but what are in their working Cauſes, or in the Light of Partici…tion (as the Schoolmen ſay) therefore God ſent his Angel (a great honour) to Elijah, who bids him meet the Meſſengers of Ahaziah, and denounce the Doom of Death to him, ver. 3, 4. and then, when he had better do any thing elſe than die, Eccleſ. 7.17.
Remark the Sixth, The Meſſengers (ſaith Peter Martyr) thought Elijab to be more than a Man, even ſome Angel, who knew the King's Secrets, delivered to them in his Bed-Chamber, therefore durſt not apprehend him, but he departed to Mount Carmel, and they returned to the King with the Tidings without going to Ekron, concluding, he that could tell what the King had ſo ſecretly ſpoken, could alſo foretel how he ſhould finally ſpeed. N. B. Their ſo ſpeedy return did eaſily diſcover to the King they had not been at Ekron, therefore he enquires of them; What manner of man he was that met them with theſe Tidings? ver. 5, 6, 7. they deſcribe him, ver. 8. how he had a rough Garment, Zech. 13.4. a pattern of Repentance, Iſa. 20.2. Matth. 3.4. Hebr. 11.37. to mind the King of becoming a Penitent, otherwiſe he was himſelf haſtning to Beelzebub the Prince of Devils, Matth. 12.24. and Baalzebub the God of Ekron could not ſave him from it.
The Second Part of this Chapter hath relation to the Death of Ahaziah, as it was uſher'd in by the Death of two of his Captains, and an Hundred of his Men of War by Fire from Heaven.
Remark the Firſt, is, Ahaziah readily apprehends it to be Elijah, whom he had ſeen more than once, an unwelcome Gueſt to his Father Ahab, and to his Mother Jezebel; and, inſtead of Repenting, he reſolveth in a great rage to make Elijah die before himſelf, ſaith Sanctius: N. B. And therefore ſends he not a Meſſenger of Peace to call him to Court that he might pray for him, but a Captain of War with a Band of Soldiers to fetch him by force, ver. 9. All Authors agree, That his wicked Mother Jezebel ſtirred him up to breath out ſuch perſecuting Threatnings againſt the Lord's Prophet, ſhe being as highly incenſed againſt him, 1 Kings 19.2. as ever Herodias was againſt John the Baptiſt, Matth. 14.8. This Captain goes to Carmel, and there calls him in contempt, [Thou man of God, come down] I muſt carry thee Priſoner to the King; or, if he confeſſed him to be ſo without a Jear, 'twas with a falſe Heart and bloody Hands, the World abounds with Courteſies, that be no better than Cruelties.
Remark the Second; This proud and prophane Captain with his fifty, Elijah deſtroys by Fire from Heaven, as 1 Kings 18.38. which was his Ninth Miracle, ver. 10. Vatablus ſaith here, [Thou thinks me not a man of God, but ſcornfully calls me ſo. yet God will prove me to be ſo by Fire from Heaven.] This Judgment was the greater, wherein not one of the one and fifty were ſpared. N. B. Nor did the Prophet pray for it out of any Carnal and Revengeful Paſſion, but from a pure Zeal to vindicate God's Name and Glory (which was ſo notoriouſly diſhonoured) and from a motion of God's Spirit, whereof God gave his Approbation in a miraculous Anſwer to his Prayer▪ Therefore Chriſt doth not condemn this Fact of Elijah (ſaith Peter Martyr) when he reproved his Diſciples for deſiring ſuch a Deed from private Revenge, and not from a divine Impulſe, nor ſuitable to a Goſpel-Spirit, much differing from Elijah's Severity, Luke 9.54, 55.
Remark the Third; Neither Oracles nor Miracles can mend this mad King, though he lay on his Death-bed, yet is nothing moved (ſaith Peter Martyr) at the loſs of his Subjects by ſo dreadful a Judgment as Sodom was deſtroyed with, Gen. 19.24. the whole World will be ſo, 2 Pet. 3.7. yea and the Torments of Hell are reſembled by it, Mark 9.43. Notwithſtanding Ahaziah in his Phrenzy expoſes one Company after another, and this ſecond Captain was more impudent than the firſt, ſaying, [Come down quickly] ver. 11. as if he had ſaid, [or I will fetch thee down with a Vengeance,] therefore did Elijah moſt juſtly fetch down Fire upon him and his with a Vengeance, and worthily made him an Example to his Succeſſor, who would not take the Example of his Predeceſſor to beware, &c. ver. 12. This was Elijah's Tenth Miracle.
Remark the Fourth; This frantick King doth deſperately expoſe a Third Captain and his Company, ver. 13, 14. Ahaziah, &c. could not be ignorant how Elijah had made fire fall down to conſume the Sacrifice at Carmel, 1 Kings 18.38. ſo powerful was this Prophet's Prayer, James 5.17. and now again he had done the like twice, to lick up the two Bands of Soldiers at Carmel alſo; yet the King (in deſpight of God and his Prophet) ſends a Third Captain with his Company: This Captain took caution, and conſidered what a ſorry thing Man is in the Hands of his Maker, who by a flaſh of Lightning had lick'd up two Captains with their Companies, therefore he proſtrates himſelf before God's miraculouſly protected Prophet, expreſſing a Reverence to his Perſon, and a belief of his Power, with a dread of God's Wrath. N. B. Hereupon, ſome think, it was good Obadiah who, the King knew, could beſt prevail with the Prophet, to come along with him to the Court. He ſaw nothing could be got by ſtrong hand, ſo tries what might be done by Suit, and he ſues more for own Life, than for Elijah's Company, God and not he muſt direct him therein: He ſaw the Mad King incapable of Admonition, but fears not to find Elijah inexorable.
Remark the Fifth, God commands Elijah by his Angel to go without fear, ver. 15. What could he expect at Court from a raging King, a Jezebel at his Elbow, &c. but ſuch hot ſervice as the Captains had found in coming to ſummon and apprehend him N. B. Yet having the Angels Protection as well as Warrant, his Faith was grown above his former fear, when he fled from the face of Jezebel, 1 Kings 19.3. He comes confidently into the King's Bed-chamber, ver. 16. tells the King to his Face his whole errand not abating a Word: The King, as daunted with the Prophet's preſence and meſſage, is ſtrangely manucled and muzzl'd, he neither ſpeaks nor acts againſt him. N.B. The ſtouteſt and ſtubborneſt Stomachs muſt ſtoop, when God takes them to task, Prov. 16.1. and 21.1. Ahaziah died away, ver. 17. undoubtedly ſo affrighted with Elijah's Words, as it haſtened his Death, whereas he might have recovered as did Hezekiah, had he ſought to God, and not to the Devil: Now dies he childleſs, and leaves his Throne to his Brother Jehoram, &c.