Bible study · 2 Kings 1:1-18
2 Kings 1: No God in Israel?
Read 2 Kings 1:1-18 before you meet.
In a few lines
Three times the chapter asks, "Is it because there is no God in Israel" (1:3, 1:6, 1:16). And one Hebrew verb, come down, runs through it twelve times: the king won't come down from his bed, the captains order Elijah down, fire comes down, and Elijah goes down when the LORD's angel says, "Go down with him" (1:15).
The verse to carry
“But the LORD’s angel said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and tell them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you go to inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron?”
2 Kings 1:3
To talk about
1. Hurt and sick, Ahaziah sent to Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether he would recover (1:2), and the LORD asked, "Is it because there is no God in Israel" (1:3). When trouble comes, what do you find yourself turning to for answers before you turn to God?
2. Two captains came with the king's order, "Come down!" (1:9, 1:11). The third fell on his knees and asked, "let my life… be precious in your sight" (1:13). What changes when you come to God, or to another person, asking rather than demanding?
3. Elijah stayed on the hill until the LORD's angel said, "Go down with him. Don’t be afraid of him" (1:15), and then he gave the king a hard word to his face (1:16). Is there something God may be asking you to say to someone, and what would help you not be afraid?