Elijah and King Ahaziah of Israel

After Ahab died, Moab rebelled against Israel.

Then the angel of Yahweh said to Elijah from Tishbe, “Meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and ask them, ‘Do you seek advice from Baalzebub, the god of Ekron, because you think there is no Elohim in Israel?

They told him that a man came to meet them and said to them, “Go back to the king who sent you. Tell him, ‘This is what Yahweh says: Do you send messengers to seek advice from Baalzebub, the god of Ekron, because you think there is no Elohim in Israel? You will not get up from the bed you are lying on. Instead, you will die there.’”

Elijah told the king, “This is what Yahweh says: You sent messengers to seek advice from Baalzebub, the god of Ekron. Is this because you think there is no Elohim in Israel whose word you can seek? You will not get up from the bed you are lying on. Instead, you will die there.”

Isn’t everything else about Ahaziah—the things he did—written in the official records of the kings of Israel?

When Elisha saw this, he cried out, “Master! Master! Israel’s chariot and horses!” When he couldn’t see Elijah anymore, he grabbed his own garment and tore it in two to show his grief.

King Joram of Israel

Joram, son of Ahab, became king of Israel in Samaria during Jehoshaphat’s eighteenth year as king of Judah. He ruled for 12 years.

But he would not give up the sins that Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) led Israel to commit. Joram would not turn away from those sins.

King Mesha of Moab Defeated

King Mesha of Moab raised sheep. Each year he had to pay the king of Israel 100,000 male lambs and the wool from 100,000 rams.

But when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the new king of Israel.

King Joram immediately left Samaria to prepare Israel’s army for war.

So the king of Israel, the king of Judah, and the king of Edom took an indirect route to Moab. After seven days they ran out of water for the army and the animals.

The king of Israel said, “Oh no! Yahweh has put the three of us at the mercy of the people of Moab.”

But Jehoshaphat asked, “Isn’t there a prophet of Yahweh whom we could ask?” One of the officials of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha, the son of Shaphat, is here. He used to be Elijah’s assistant.”

Jehoshaphat said, “Yahweh’s word is with him.” So King Jehoshaphat of Judah, the king of Israel, and the king of Edom went to Elisha.

Elisha asked the king of Israel, “Why did you come to me? Go to your father’s prophets or your mother’s prophets.” The king of Israel answered him, “No. Yahweh has called the three of us in order to put us at Moab’s mercy.”

So when the Moabites came to Israel’s camp, the Israelites attacked them, and they fled from the Israelites. Israel went after the Moabites and defeated them.

Then Israel tore down the cities, each man throwing rocks on every good field until it was covered. They sealed every well and cut down every good tree. Only the stones in the walls of Kir Hareseth were left. Soldiers surrounded Kir Hareseth and attacked it with slings and stones.

Then he took his firstborn son, who would have succeeded him as king, and sacrificed him on the wall as a burnt offering. There was bitter anger against the Israelites. So they went home to their own country.

Once, when the Arameans went on raids, they had brought back a little girl from Israel. She became the servant of Naaman’s wife.

Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said.

The king of Aram said, “You may go. I will also send a letter to the king of Israel.” When Naaman left, he took 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and 10 sets of clothing with him.

He brought the letter to the king of Israel. It read, “I’m sending my officer Naaman with this letter. Cure him of his skin disease.”

When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in distress. He asked, “Am I Elohim? Can I kill someone and then bring him back to life? This man sends someone to me so that I can cure his skin disease! All of you should realize and understand that he’s trying to pick a fight with me.”

But when Elisha, the man of Elohim, heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a messenger to the king. He asked, “Why did you tear your clothes? Please let Naaman come to me and find out that there is a prophet in Israel.”