King Ahaziah had fallen from his balcony, so he instructed his messengers: “Go, inquire of Baalzebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this injury” (II Kings 1:2). At the prompting of the angel of the Lord, Elijah intercepted the messengers and sent them back to the king, with a two part message: first a scolding – “Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baalzebub, the god of Ekron?” and second, the verdict that the king would surely die (1:3-4).

The messengers returned to King Ahaziah and gave him the message. When they described the man who had spoken to them, the king realized that it was Elijah (1:8). He sent an officer with fifty soldiers to arrest Elijah; but Elijah called down fire from heaven on the officer and his fifty men. King Ahaziah tried again; he sent a second officer and another fifty men, with the same result (1:9-12).

This would turn out to be an impressive story for James and John, who wanted to know if it was their turn to do something similar, but that ambition earned them a rebuke (Luke 9:54-55). Meanwhile, this third officer managed to learn humility from his predecessors, and Elijah went with him, to deliver to the king the message that he would surely die (II Kings 1:13-16).

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So often we long for the power to destroy our enemies: to call down fire upon them, O Lord. Yet we are all equally liable to your judgment, equally in need of your grace: teach us how much we need you to save us, for none of us can save ourselves.

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