Ahaziah of Israel facts for kids
- This entry is not about King Ahaziah of Judah.
Ahaziah (also called Ochozias) was a king of Israel around 870-850 BC. He was the son of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. The Bible says that Ahaziah was not a good king and followed the bad examples of his parents.
Ahaziah's Rule
Ahaziah became king of Israel in Samaria and ruled for two years. The Bible says he "did evil in the eyes of the LORD." This means he didn't follow God's rules. He worshipped a false god called Baal, just like his father Ahab had done. This made the God of Israel angry.
Elijah and Ahaziah's Final Days
After his father Ahab died, the country of Moab rebelled against Israel. One day, King Ahaziah fell through a window in his upstairs room in Samaria and got badly hurt. He sent messengers to ask Baal-Zebub, a god from Ekron, if he would get better.
God was upset that Ahaziah didn't ask Him for help. So, God sent the prophet Elijah to meet the messengers. Elijah told them to go back to the king and give him a message from God: "Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are asking Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Because of this, you will not get out of your bed. You will surely die!"
When the messengers returned, King Ahaziah asked them what happened. They described Elijah as "a man with a garment of hair and with a leather belt around his waist." Ahaziah immediately knew it was Elijah.
The king sent a captain with fifty soldiers to bring Elijah to him. Elijah was sitting on a hill. The captain called out, "Man of God, the king says, 'Come down!'" But Elijah replied, "If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and burn you and your fifty men!" And fire did come down and burn them. The king sent another captain with fifty men, and the same thing happened.
Finally, the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. This captain humbly knelt before Elijah and begged him to come. An angel of the Lord told Elijah to go with him. So, Elijah went to the king and repeated God's message: "You will certainly die!"
Ahaziah died just as Elijah had said. Since Ahaziah had no son, his brother Joram became the next king.
Related pages
Images for kids
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The Mesha Stele, an ancient stone that mentions King Mesha of Moab and his rebellion against Israel.
See also
In Spanish: Ocozías de Israel para niños
