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. And Elijah departed. Now therefore thus saith the LORD, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed.
After a fall through a lattice left him injured, King Ahaziah of Israel lay on his bed and sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron instead of inquiring of the God of Israel. The Lord sent Elijah to meet the messengers with the word that the king would not come down from that bed or recover from his injuries, but would surely die upon it. That sentence was God's pronounced judgment and earnest protest against his apostasy and idolatry in seeking counsel from an idol rather than from God. The impiety was great because Christ had visited His people with most condescending kindness and unexampled love, and the Hebrews alone were favored with knowledge of the true Creator, yet the king turned for help to the Lord's worst enemy and thereby proclaimed to the heathen that he trusted idols more than God. The verse therefore warns against turning from God to seek help, counsel, guidance and healing from agents of darkness and idolatrous sources, for such turning is idolatry that leads into Satan's deception and brings God's stern judgment, and if He condemned it in a wicked king He condemns it even more in those who profess to be His servants.
Ahaziah's Sin and Sentence
This sentence stands in the history of the fall of the house of Ahab, which lays bare a covetous nature strengthened and sustained in wrongdoing, following an evil heart until fully controlled by selfishness, unable to bear refusal and feeling that what was desired belonged by right to the desirer. After injury by a fall, Ahaziah king of Israel went up to his bed and lay there, and sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god and heathen oracle of Ekron, instead of inquiring of the God of Israel. Because the injured king sought an oracle from that idolatrous power rather than turning to God in Israel, judgment followed upon his rebellion.
Christ the Lord sent Elijah to meet the messengers and to speak judgment to the apostate king. In the words of the Lord he declared that Ahaziah would not come down from the bed to which he had gone up, would not rise from it and would not recover from his fall, illness and injuries, but would surely die and remain on that bed unto death. The same declaration is given as the word to Israel's king for seeking counsel from a heathen oracle instead of seeking God.
The sentence was God's pronounced judgment, denunciation and earnest protest against Ahaziah's apostasy, rebellion and idolatry in seeking counsel and an oracle from Baal-zebub rather than from God. It expressed God's displeasure and kindled wrath at his impiety and turning to an idol for help, with his accident and coming death as judgments following that rebellion. The impiety was great because for ages Christ had visited His people with most condescending kindness and unexampled love to win hearts and inspire unwavering confidence. His delights were with the sons of men, a very present help to all who sincerely sought Him, afflicted in all their afflictions, and saving and redeeming them by the angel of His presence in love and pity, yet Israel revolted.
The Hebrews alone were favored with knowledge of the true God, Creator of heaven and earth, whom He had repeatedly offered in care and help, yet Ahaziah turned for help to the Lord's worst enemy. By sending to inquire of a pagan oracle he proclaimed to the heathen that he had more confidence in idols than in the Creator. Ahaziah knew that if the messenger who spoke the words was Elijah, the words of doom would come to pass, and he sent for Elijah in an attempt to avert the threatened judgment.
Warning Against Forbidden Help
The sentence that the injured king would not get up from his bed but would die was given because he sought help from Baal-zebub instead of the God of Israel. His appeal to a pagan oracle showed greater confidence in idols than in the Creator and displeased God as a rejection of the care and help repeatedly offered to His people. That history stands as a warning against turning from God to seek help, counsel, guidance and healing from agents of darkness, heathen gods, and idolatrous or Satanic sources. Such turning is idolatry that leads away from the right path into Satan's deception and brings those who do it under God's stern judgment.
Seeking help from the gods of Ekron is bound up with witchcraft and the occult. To rely on such power dishonors the God of Israel and exalts Satan. God regards going to the enemy's ground for counsel on how to live and be healed as disloyalty, and He will not let His blessing rest on those who do it.
The same dishonor is done when those who profess to have knowledge of God's word turn from the Source of strength and wisdom to ask help or counsel from the powers of darkness. It is done when they trust in the help and friendship of the world and heed not the counsel of the living God. If God condemned such a course in a wicked idolatrous king who, though the Hebrews alone were favored with knowledge of the true God, Creator of heaven and earth, sent to inquire of a pagan oracle and thereby proclaimed to the heathen that he had more confidence in idols than in God, the same course in those who profess to be His servants brings His condemnation even more. His hand is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and wrath are against those who forsake Him.
The pronouncement of judgment after the rebellion, with the accident and coming death following it, shows divine displeasure with seeking help from Satanic agencies. The choice is therefore applied to consulting spiritualist physicians and Satanic agencies. It is applied to seeking worldly wisdom rather than the wisdom of God. It is applied to following physicians who lead away from the light given on health reform and teach a different way to eat and live, which is leaving the path God has led His people all the way through and forfeiting His blessing.