Ahaziah, Who Died without Seeking after God

 (Pastor Ock Soo Park’s Sermon for Children)

As Ahaziah was on his death bed because of his sickness, he sought after a foreign god. This is because he did not have the faith that God would save him. Even now there are people who don’t even seek after God’s will and make decisions with to their own thoughts, which lead them to destruction. This is why we have to open the Bible and search for the will of God. When we serve God with a humble heart anybody can receive God’s grace and blessings.

Ahaziah, Who Sought after Foreign Gods If you look in 2 Kings chapter 1, Ahab, the king of Israel died and his son, Ahaziah became the king. But Ahaziah fell down through a lattice and became sick. Ahaziah called his messengers and said, “Go, inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover of this disease.” While the messengers were on their way to Ekron, they met Elijah, the prophet, whom God had sent. Elijah said to the messengers.

“Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that you go to inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? Now therefore thus says the Lord, you shall not come down from that bed on which you are gone up, but shall surely die.” When he found out that the messengers had come back, King Ahaziah asked why they had returned. “On our way to Ekron, there came a man up to meet us, and said unto us, ‘Go, turn again unto the king, and say unto him, thus saith the Lord, is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that you send to inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? The king shall surely die.’” “How did this man look?” “He was a hairy man and had a girdle of leather about his loins.” “Oh, it is Elijah the Tishbite.”

The Thought That Occupied the Heart of Ahaziah Ahaziah knew very well that Elijah was the man of God. But then, why didn’t he go looking for Elijah in such a serious situation where he was about to die?

Ahaziah did not have the faith that God would save him and bestow grace upon him. The father of Ahaziah, Ahab, was an evil man who had killed the prophets of God and served foreign gods. Ahaziah had seen how his father, Ahab, and mother, Jezebel, opposed God and tragically died after committing all sorts of sins. A thought settled in Ahaziah’s heart, “My parents had opposed and went against God, so God will hate me as well.” That is why he didn’t seek after Elijah, the man of God, even though he was in his country. He thought, “God will definitely not help me. So let’s go ask to a foreign god, Baalzebub.”

Hezekiah Sought after God unlike His Father There was another king who was in a similar situation as Ahaziah. It was Hezekiah, the king of Judah. Hezekiah’s father, King Ahaz, had also did all kinds of evil—despising God, killing prophets and serving foreign gods. But as soon as Hezekiah became king after his father, he first removed all foreign gods and cleaned the temple. “While my father was king, many people were killed by war and taken as slaves. This is because my father had opposed God. This is why the whole country should turn back our hearts and serve God.” This is the heart Hezekiah had. And from this, Hezekiah received the grace of God and the nation grew in strength. Hezekiah also received the blessing of being healed from his sickness.

If Ahaziah Had Sought after God If Ahaziah had had the same heart as Hezekiah, “Although my father had done evil before God, I should change my heart and serve God. God will help me,” then Ahaziah would have surely received grace and would have lived a blessed life.

What would have happened if Ahaziah had thought on his death bed, ‘Isn’t Elijah the prophet in this country? I must receive grace by inviting him. If it is not for the man of God, there is no way I can survive.’ If he had invited Elijah and said, “Man of God, Elijah! I have a sickness that will lead to death. I am the son of Ahab who had done evil, but I wish to receive the grace of God. Please have compassion on me,” then, God would have saved Ahaziah through Elijah.

Unfortunately, Ahaziah believed in his thoughts and could not discover the heart of God. Ahaziah did not die because he fell off the lattice, but because he did not seek after God and had despised God.

Wishing You to Seek after God’s Will and to Serve God

God has compassion for everyone and wishes to bestow grace. That is why He sent His Son, Jesus to this earth and crucified Him on the cross. Whatever evil deed, whatever filthy sin people have committed, once they come before God, because of Jesus, had died for there sins, God will have compassion for them. But Satan reminds us of our image and makes us close our heart towards God. “How can I go to heaven if I am this evil?”, “I have sinned. So God must hate me.” Satan gives us these thoughts so that we don’t seek God and don’t come before Him. However God happily accepts our heart once we change our heart and come before Him.

We do not know when Jesus will come, but it is certain that the time is short. Until then, we have to learn the heart of God through the Bible. By learning faith, we have to gain the strength to overcome sin and win over disasters. Like King Ahaziah, we should not make our own decisions without seeking God’s will, following the road of destruction. Before we think and decide on our own, we should open the Bible and search for the will of God and ask the pastors and teachers. I also wish that you have a humble heart before God and serve God, receiving grace and blessings.