The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Kings 1:13-14,
"So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. This third captain went up and fell on his knees before Elijah. 'Man of God,' he begged, 'please have respect for my life and the lives of these fifty men, your servants! See, fire has fallen from heaven and consumed the first two captains and all their men. But now have respect for my life!'"
King Ahaziah, an ungodly king of northern Israel (all the kings of northern Israel were bad) fell through the lattice of his upper room and was severely injured. So he sent messengers to go and inquire of the worthless idol, Baal-Zebub. The Lord, through Elijah, intercepted these messengers and sent them back to Ahaziah with the message, "Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub,, the god of Ekron?" Verse 7.
In response Ahaziah sent a military captain with fifty men to drag Elijah back to give an explanation. The text leaves me with the impression that Ahaziah thought he might demand an explanation from Elijah and sent the company of soldiers to force Elijah to give an account. But... Elijah was a man of God. Ahaziah placed himself in the horrific position of demanding an account from God through his prophet.
I am reminded of what the writer of Hebrews says, "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:31 Ahaziah's problem was that he did not hold God in with the reverence and awe with which he should have: no fear of the Lord. The writer of Hebrews went on to say a couple of chapters later, "... worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our 'God is a consuming fire.'" Hebrews 12:28-29.
Given this set of events, when the first captain and his company of soldiers approached Elijah, recognizing him as "man of God", Elijah greeted them with the frightful words, "If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!" Verse 10. This is exactly what happened. "Then fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men.". Due to Ahaziah's lack of reverence for who and what he was dealing with, he repeated his actions and the Lord his. A second captain with a company of fifty soldiers were sent and consumed by fire from heaven at Elijah's word.
In our passage above we have the account of the third captain sent with his fifty soldiers. Having witnessed what had taken place with his two predecessors, he wisely approached Elijah with an appropriate humility and reverence that was due the Lord from anyone, the humility and reverence with which King Ahaziah should have ordered his throne by. Having failed to do so, Ahaziah died apart from the Lord's blessing after sitting on the throne for a paltry two years - as a failed king.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
"So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. This third captain went up and fell on his knees before Elijah. 'Man of God,' he begged, 'please have respect for my life and the lives of these fifty men, your servants! See, fire has fallen from heaven and consumed the first two captains and all their men. But now have respect for my life!'"
King Ahaziah, an ungodly king of northern Israel (all the kings of northern Israel were bad) fell through the lattice of his upper room and was severely injured. So he sent messengers to go and inquire of the worthless idol, Baal-Zebub. The Lord, through Elijah, intercepted these messengers and sent them back to Ahaziah with the message, "Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub,, the god of Ekron?" Verse 7.
In response Ahaziah sent a military captain with fifty men to drag Elijah back to give an explanation. The text leaves me with the impression that Ahaziah thought he might demand an explanation from Elijah and sent the company of soldiers to force Elijah to give an account. But... Elijah was a man of God. Ahaziah placed himself in the horrific position of demanding an account from God through his prophet.
I am reminded of what the writer of Hebrews says, "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:31 Ahaziah's problem was that he did not hold God in with the reverence and awe with which he should have: no fear of the Lord. The writer of Hebrews went on to say a couple of chapters later, "... worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our 'God is a consuming fire.'" Hebrews 12:28-29.
Given this set of events, when the first captain and his company of soldiers approached Elijah, recognizing him as "man of God", Elijah greeted them with the frightful words, "If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!" Verse 10. This is exactly what happened. "Then fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men.". Due to Ahaziah's lack of reverence for who and what he was dealing with, he repeated his actions and the Lord his. A second captain with a company of fifty soldiers were sent and consumed by fire from heaven at Elijah's word.
In our passage above we have the account of the third captain sent with his fifty soldiers. Having witnessed what had taken place with his two predecessors, he wisely approached Elijah with an appropriate humility and reverence that was due the Lord from anyone, the humility and reverence with which King Ahaziah should have ordered his throne by. Having failed to do so, Ahaziah died apart from the Lord's blessing after sitting on the throne for a paltry two years - as a failed king.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
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