2 Kings 1:16
And he said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron, is it not because there is no God in Israel to enquire of his word? therefore thou shalt not come down off that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.
The verse belongs to the fall of the house of Ahab, which was rooted in Ahab's naturally covetous disposition, strengthened and sustained in wrongdoing by Jezebel until he followed his evil heart and was fully controlled by selfishness, able to brook no refusal of his wishes and feeling that what he desired should by right be his. It belongs to the history in 1 Kings 21 and 2 Kings 1 that leads to Jehu hastening to Jezreel. Ahaziah's sending messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron for healing, guidance and an oracle, instead of inquiring of the living God of Israel and His word, was forsaking God, rejecting Him, turning from Him in apostasy, and dishonoring Him. Because he sought Ekron, the divine sentence through Elijah was that he would not come down or recover from the bed on which he had gone up after his fall and illness, but would surely die, a punishment of certain death. Elijah answered this apostasy with an earnest protest and delivered this judgment after being directed by God to go with the third captain, whose humility and plea for mercy had spared his company.
The sin and its punishment stand as a lesson of warning that none can disregard with impunity, for his act was worship at Satan's shrine and thousands worship at Satan's shrine just as truly today. The very spirit of heathen idolatry is rife today though under science and education it has assumed a more refined and attractive form, while faith in the sure word of prophecy is fast decreasing and superstition and satanic witchery are captivating minds. The verse warns that all who do not earnestly search the Scriptures and submit every desire and purpose of life to that unerring test, and all who do not seek God in prayer for a knowledge of His will, will surely wander from the right path and fall under the deception of Satan. Going outside God's order by leaving God out and going to earthly physicians who claim wonderful works of healing brings the same reproof of having forsaken God, while doing what can be done to improve health and using what Providence has furnished for human ills is in God's order. Seeking guidance from a false source instead of asking God dishonors Him and brings judgment, and the verse's question about whether there is no God in Israel applies to people in responsible positions who seek lawyers' help and unite with those whose counsel misleads, showing they need clearer spiritual discernment and a higher experience.