But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?
We have here Ahaziah, the wicked king of Israel, under God's rebukes both by his providence and by his prophet, by his rod and by his word. I. He is crossed in his affairs. How can those expect to prosper that do evil in the sight of the Lord, and provoke him to anger?
Commenting on 2 Kings 1:1-8
But the angel of the Lord said unto Elijah,.... One of the ministering spirits sent by the Lord to him: arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria: that is, the king of Israel, whose capital city was Samaria: is it not because there is not a God in Israel; known, acknowledged, and worshipped there, of whom there had been sufficient...
the angel of the Lord--not an angel, but the angel, who carried on all communications between the invisible God and His chosen people [HENGSTENBERG]. This angel commissioned Elijah to meet the king's messengers, to stop them peremptorily on the idolatrous errand, and convey by them to the king information of his approaching death.