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King Ahaziah, Elijah and fire from heaven

King Ahaziah, a false god and Elijah's intervention.
Contributed by Arabs for Christ
Story also available on our translated websites: Portuguese, Polish, Romanian, German, Hindi
1
Ahaziah was the son of the wicked King Ahab and his evil wife Jezebel. – Slide 1
2
When King Ahab died Ahaziah became King of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. He followed his father’s bad example in worshipping false gods. – Slide 2
3
One day, Ahaziah fell through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and badly injured himself. Uncertain about his future, he called his messengers and said, ‘Go to Ekron and consult the god Baal-Zebub, to see if I will recover from this injury.’ – Slide 3
4
God had forbidden people to consult idols and evil powers about the future. Ekron was in the land of the Philistines where there was a temple to the false god Baal-Zebub. The messengers set off from Samaria at once. – Slide 4
5
The angel of the Lord told Elijah the prophet to go and intercept the King’s messengers. The prophet obeyed and stopped them. ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Tell the king the Lord says: “You will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!”’ Then Elijah left them. – Slide 5
6
When the messengers returned, King Ahaziah asked them why they had come back. They explained that a man had stopped them and said, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you want to consult Baal-Zebub? You will not leave your bed and you will die.’ When the king asked them about the man who has stopped them, the messengers reported he had been wearing a garment of hair with a leather belt. The king knew at once it was Elijah the prophet of God. – Slide 6
7
The King ordered an army captain with fifty soldiers to find Elijah and seize him. The captain found Elijah sitting on the top of a hill, and ordered, ‘Man of God, the king says, “Come down!”’  Elijah replied, ‘If I am a man of God, may fire fall down from heaven on you and your fifty men!’ – Slide 7
8
Immediately fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men. When King Ahaziah heard what has happened he sent another army captain with his fifty men. – Slide 8
9
The captain found the hill and the scene of the disaster. He told Elijah, ‘Man of God, the king orders you to come down at once!’ – Slide 9
10
Suddenly the fire of God fell from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men. When King Ahaziah heard the news, he sent a third army captain with his fifty men to seize Elijah. – Slide 10
11
This third captain found Elijah and fell on his knees before him. ‘Man of God,’ he begged, ‘please have respect for my life and the lives of these fifty men!  Fire has fallen from heaven and consumed the first two captains and all their men. Please have respect for my life!’ – Slide 11
12
The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, ‘Go with him and do not be afraid.’ So Elijah got up and went down with him to Samaria to see King Ahaziah. – Slide 12
13
Elijah told the injured king the message God had for him. ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you have sent messengers to consult Baal-Zebub? As you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!’ – Slide 13
14
Just as God had said, King Ahaziah died. He did not have a son to succeed him so his brother Joram became King. – Slide 14
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Slide 15