King Ahaziah of Israel - Biography

Israel's King Ahaziah was the heir of the wicked King Ahab, and he continued his father's evil legacy. The Bible's account of his brief reign relates only two incidents.

Judah's King Jehoshaphat, who had achieved good relations with Ahab, attempted a joint merchant shipping venture with his son Ahaziah. However, because of Ahaziah's wickedness, the LORD caused the venture to fail due to shipwreck. Ahaziah urged Jehoshaphat to try again, but Jehoshaphat took the LORD's word that the effort was doomed, and refused.

Later, as Ahaziah was in his palace anticipating war with Moab, he suffered a fall and was mortally wounded. He sent servants to distant Ekron to ask advice of their idol god, Baalzebub. But the prophet Elijah stopped the messengers en route and returned them to their king with the message: “Are you consulting a foreign idol because there is no God in Israel? For this offence, you will not recover, but die!”

When Ahaziah heard this message, he sent an officer with 50 men to arrest Elijah. But Elijah refused to be arrested, instead calling fire from heaven to consume the officer and men. The king sent a second 50 men, with the same result. It was this incident that later prompted Jesus' disciples to ask him for permission to call fire from heaven to destroy some people who had earned their ire.¹

Ahaziah sent a third party of 50 men. The officer of this group, knowing the fate of the first two groups, didn't try to arrest Elijah. Instead, he humbly and respectfully requested Elijah to accompany him. At the LORD's prompting, Elijah went, met the king, and delivered the same message he had given before: the king would die. He died soon after, and having no heir, was succeeded by his brother Jehoram.