2 Kings - Chapter 1

The Amazing Bible. Book Club

This is Elijah's last recorded confrontation with a king of Israel, Ahaziah. As Paul R. House said in his commentary, "Elijah delivers his life's message one last time." King Ahaziah was hurt by falling through the lattice of his upper room, and instead of seeking wisdom from the Lord, he sent his messengers to the god of Ekron, a Philistine city. This brought the Lord to send His messenger, an angel, to Elijah, to become his messenger, to go and speak to Ahaziah's messengers on their way to Ekron. Once the kings messengers received the word of the Lord through the Lord's messengers, they went back to the king and told him that because he chose to go to the god of Ekron, instead to the God of Israel, he would die. Well, King Ahaziah knew instantly who sent the word, but he asked, "What kind of man spoke to you?" The messengers answered that he wore a garment of hair with a leather belt around his waist. The king sent a commander with a troop of 50 men to go and get Elijah. They commanded him to go, but he said, "If I am a man of god, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men." The fire came and they were consumed (vs. 9-10). A second group was sent by the king, and they said, "Come down. NOW!" Elijah said the same thing, and fire consumed them too (vs. 11-12). The king sent a third group, with the same message, but thankfully this third commander was wise. He bowed before Elijah, humbled himself, and asked Elijah to respect his life and his men's life. To this the Lord's messenger/angel, told Elijah to go and to not be afraid. He went with the men, and told king Ahaziah that he would die, and verse 17 says, "So he died, according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken." Since Ahaziah did not have any sons, his brother, Joram, succeeded him as king, and he became king in the 2nd year of the reign of king Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah.