Elijah S Failing Strength

Elijah’s Fiery Sermon

(2 Kings 1:1-18)

Introduction: All of us have heard the expression, “The truth hurts.” Hardly a week goes by that this expression is not found in some newspaper or magazine article or some news report. And this is more than just an expression – it is a fact. The truth does hurt. I believe that is why our society has moved so far away from the concept of absolute truth.

Much of society claims that truth is relative. In other words, what is true for you is true for you, and what is true for me, is true for me, and “there is no objective standard by which truth may be determined, so that truth varies with individuals and circumstances.”[1] For many people, when the question of Pilate comes up, “What is truth?” (John 18:38), the answer is that truth is subjective and personal. Basically, the attitude is, “to each his own.” And if you formulate your own truth, then you can make it less painful.

As Max Lucado writes,

Some of us may be able to sympathize with the fellow who received a call from his wife just as she was about to fly home from Europe. “How’s my cat?” she asked. “Dead.” “Oh, honey, don’t be so honest. Why didn’t you break the news to me slowly? You’ve ruined my trip.” “What do you mean?” “You could have told me he was on the roof. And when I called you from Paris, you could have told me he was acting sluggish. Then when I called from London, you could have said he was sick, and when I called you from New York, you could have said he was at the vet. Then, when I arrived home, you could have said he was dead.” The husband had never been exposed to such protocol but was willing to learn. “OK,” he said. “I’ll do better next time.” “By the way,” she asked, “how’s Mom?” There was a long silence, then he replied, “Uh, she’s on the roof.”[2]

As painful as it is and as much as it may hurt, the truth remains. Specifically we’re talking about the truth of God’s word, which is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. And nowhere is the truth of God’s word more volatile or painful than in 2 Kings chapter 1. Throughout our study of Elijah, we have seen that this man was a messenger of uncompromising truth, and in this chapter he is again called upon to deliver such a message. This is near the end of Elijah’s ministry, and just as his ministry had begun with “A Fearless Stand,” it would end with “A Fiery Sermon.”

After Ahab died, the Bible says in 1 Kings 22:40 that “Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.” We are told that after he began to reign, “he did evil in the sight of the LORD” (1 Kings 22:52). Proverbs 17:11 says, “An evil man seeketh only rebellion: therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.” The cruel messenger of truth, namely Elijah, would be sent to this evil man named Ahaziah. God wanted Ahaziah to hear the truth, and...

I. If The Truth Be Told, It Is A Revealing Message

The story is told of a small-town prosecuting attorney who called his first witness to the stand in a local trial. The witness was an elderly woman from the community named Mrs. Jones. He approached her and said, “Mrs. Jones, do you know me?” She responded, “Why, yes, I do know you, Mr. Williams. I’ve known you since you were a young boy. And frankly, you’ve been a big disappointment to me. You lie, you cheat on your wife, and you manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs. You think you’re a rising big shot when you haven’t the brains to realize you will never amount to anything more than a two-bit paper pusher. Yes, I know you.” The lawyer was stunned. Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across the room and asked, “Mrs. Jones, do you know the defense attorney?” She replied, “Why, yes I do. I’ve known Mr. Bradley since he was a youngster, too. I used to baby-sit him for his parents. And he, too, has been a real disappointment to me. He’s lazy, bigoted, and he has a drinking problem. The man can’t build a normal relationship with anyone, and his law practice is one of the shoddiest in the entire state. Yes, I know him.” At this point, the judge rapped the courtroom to silence and called both counselors to the bench. In a very quiet voice, he said to the two men, “If either of you asks her if she knows me, you’ll be jailed for contempt!”[3] Well let me ask you, do you know Ahaziah? In order to introduce you to this man, let me point you to the truth of God’s word, which is as unflattering as that woman’s testimony.

(The truth of God’s word reveals us for what we really are.)

A. Truth Revealed Ahaziah’s Defilement.

1. The Bible Mentions His Parent’s Legacy Of Defilement1 Kings 22:52

2. The Bible Mentions His Personal Life Of Defilement1 Kings 22:53

B. Truth Revealed Ahaziah’s Disappointments.

1. His Political World Was Unstable1 Kings 22:48-49; 2 Kings 1:1

“Since the time of David the Moabites had been tributary to Israel (2 Samuel 8:2; 23:20). On the death of Ahab and accession of Ahaziah (1 Kings 22:51) they revolted and cast off the yoke.”[4]

2. His Physical Wellness Was Uncertain2 Kings 1:2

C. Truth Revealed Ahaziah’s Destiny.

1. A Heathen Prediction Was Sought2 Kings 1:2

Ahaziah proved to be just as wicked as his father and mother, and this is chiefly manifested in that after he had a fall in 2 Kings 1:2 and became sick, “he sent messengers” to “Go, inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether” he would “recover of this disease.” A heathen prediction was sought. As the Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary states, “This consultation of a pagan deity by the king openly, affords a deplorable example of the extent to which the Israelites were infected with the baneful influence of Philistine idolatry, and it was a direct violation of the Mosaic Law.”[5] Deuteronomy 18:13-14 says, “Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God. For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.” He sought the counsel of Baalzebub, which means “the lord of the flies.”[6] And just as the depravity of the boys in William Golding’s 1954 novel “Lord Of The Flies” became more and more pronounced, so Ahaziah’s corruption was amplified in this action. But it wasn’t the lord of the flies that would reveal Ahaziah’s future – it was the Lord of the whole earth (Psalms 97:5).

It is the habit of some people only to seek spiritual support in times of trouble and difficulty. When the clouds have passed they think no more of the truths that comforted them in sorrow. Dr. Moule, the Bishop of Durham, in his recently published book, From Sunday to Sunday, relates the following incident: “A friend told me the tale a few years ago as we paced together the deck of a steamship on the Mediterranean, and talked of the things unseen. The chaplain of a prison, intimate with the narrator, had to deal with a man condemned to death. He found the man anxious, as well he might be; nay, he seemed more than anxious—convicted, spiritually alarmed. The chaplain’s instructions all bore upon the power of the Redeemer to save to the uttermost; and it seemed as if the message were received and the man were a believer. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, the chaplain had come to think that there was ground for appeal from the death-sentence. He placed the matter before the proper authorities, and with success. On his next visit, very cautiously and by way of mere suggestions and surmises, he led the apparently resigned criminal towards the possibility of a commutation. What would he say, how would his repentance stand, if his life were granted him? The answer soon came. Instantly the prisoner divined the position; asked a few decisive questions, then threw his Bible across the cell, and, civilly thanking the chaplain for his attentions, told him that he had no further need of him nor of his book.” The Bible, like prayer, was never meant exclusively for the hours of darkness. It has a message for every time and every occasion of life. (From The Biblical Illustrator)

2. A Heavenly Proclamation Was Sent2 Kings 1:3-4

God’s word shows our destiny too – it is Heaven or Hell. There is no purgatory or in between.

II. If The Truth Be Told, It Is A Repetitious Message

(2 Kings 1:3,6,16)

Cf. (Isaiah 28:10) For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

(Isaiah 28:13) But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

A. It Was Revealed As A Preacher’s Message.

1. Notice The Certified Message Of This Man Of God“Thus saith the Lord” (vs. 4,6)

2. Notice The Characteristic Manner Of This Man Of God

(2 Kings 1:7-8) And he said unto them, What manner of man was he which came up to meet you, and told you these words? {8} And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.

manner – Hebrew 4941. mishpat, mish-pawt'; from H8199; prop. a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, espec. a sentence or formal decree (human or [partic.] divine law, individual or collect.), includ. the act, the place, the suit, the crime, and the penalty; abstr. justice, includ. a partic. right, or privilege (statutory or customary), or even a style

hairy – [Hebrew 167. ba’al, bah’-al] a master; hence a husband, or (fig.) owner (often used with another noun in modifications of this latter sense).

- He carried himself like a man of God.

This does not mean a man with a luxuriant growth of hair, but refers to the hairy dress, i.e., the garment made of sheep-skin or goat-skin or coarse camel-hair, which was wrapped round his body; (that) which was worn by the prophets, not as mere ascetics, but as preachers of repentance, the rough garment denoting the severity of the divine judgments upon the effeminate nation, which revelled in luxuriance and worldly lust. And this was also in keeping with “the leather girdle,” whereas the ordinary girdle was of cotton or linen, and often very costly. (From Keil & Delitzsch Commentary)

B. It Was Relayed As A Public Message.

1. This Message Caused The Hearers To Turnvs. 5

2. This Message Caused The Hearers To Tellvs. 6

C. It Was Reiterated As A Personal Message.

1. Notice The Apprehension Of The Messengervs. 15

Sometimes I feel afraid when it comes time to deliver a message or witness to someone – but I do not well if I do not tell.

2. Notice The Application To The Manvs. 16-17

III. If The Truth Be Told, It Is A Real Message(2 Kings 1:1- )

I heard a story about two preachers who were standing on the side of a road with a sign that read, “The End is near – turn around now before it’s too late.” A passing driver yelled, “Leave us alone you religious nuts.” Just a few moments later, the preachers heard a loud splash. One preacher said to the other, “Do you think we should have just said “Bridge Out”? The message is real whether people believe it or not.

A. Truth Is Real, As Stated By The Reliable Word Of God.

1. The Message Was That Jehovah Had Been Forsaken

(2 Kings 1:3) 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 inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?

Now God was in Israel, but Ahaziah and his family had excluded Him from their lives.

2. The Message Was That Judgment Would Be In His Future

(2 Kings 1:4) Now therefore thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.

It’s almost as if God were saying that if Ahaziah was going to exclude God from his life experience, then God would not intervene in his death experience.

B. Truth Is Real, In Spite Of The Reaction.

1. They Tried To Scorn The Man Of Godvs. 9-10

Mockingly, they said, “Thou man of God.” It must have been a word of mockery because of how Elijah responded, “If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty.” And the Bible says “there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty” (2 Kings 1:10)

2. They Tried To Silence The Man Of Godvs. 9-11

The captains said, “Come down” (vs. 9), and “Come down quickly” (vs. 11).

Winston Churchill said, “Truth is incontrovertible; malice may attack it and ignorance may deride it; but, in the end; there it is.”[7]

C. Truth Is Real, As Seen In The Result.

1. Notice The Fiery Resultvs. 9-14

The truth hurts – but it is still turn or burn, repent or perish!

This awful judgment came upon them not merely on their own account, but as messengers of the king. Throughout the human race there are found millions groaning under the trials and sufferings brought on them by the conduct of others.

(From The Biblical Illustrator)

2. Notice The Final Resultvs. 17

Conclusion:Listen to Adrian Rogers:“It is better to be divided by truth than to be united in error. It is better to speak the truth that hurts and then heals, than falsehood that comforts and then kills. It is not love and it is not friendship if we fail do declare the whole counsel of God. It is better to be hated for telling the truth than to be loved for telling a lie. It is impossible to find anyone in the Bible who was a power for God who did not have enemies and was not hated. It’s better to stand alone with the truth than to be wrong with a multitude. It is better to ultimately succeed with truth than to temporarily succeed with a lie.” (Quoted in The Berean Call, Dec. 1996) Contributed by: Brian La Croix

[1]David Elton Trueblood, Philosophy of Religion, Harper & Brothers, 1957, pg. 348

As quoted at

[2] Max Lucado, Just like Jesus, pg. 108

[3] Dru Ashwell contributed this illustration to SermonCentral.com under the topic of “Truth.”

[4] The Preacher’s Homiletic Commentary – Volume 8, pg. 367

[6] “These (the flies), which are governed in their coming and going by all the conditions of the weather, are apparently endowed with prophetic power themselves.” This explains the fact that a special power of prophecy was attributed to this god.

[7] As found at