Chapter 17 – HIS LAST TASK

Chapter 17 – HIS LAST TASK

After the death of Ahab the judgments of God began to fall heavily upon his family. Of his immediate successor we are told, “Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned two years over Israel. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin: For he served Baal and worshiped him, and provoked to anger the LORD God of Israel according to all that his father had done” (1 Kings 22:51-53). Unspeakably solemn is that. The three and a half years’ famine, the exposure of Baal’s impotence, the slaying of his prophets on Carmel and the awe-inspiring dealings of God with his father were all known to Ahaziah-but they produced no beneficial effect upon him, for he refused to take them to heart. Heedless of those dire warnings he went on recklessly in sin, continuing to “serve Baal and worship him.” His heart was fully set in him to do evil, and therefore was he cut off in his youth; nevertheless even in his case mercy was mingled with justice, for “space for repentance” was granted him before he was removed from this scene.

Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab (2 Kings 1:1). In fulfillment of Balaam’s prophesy (Numbers 24:17) David had conquered the Moabites so that they became his “servants” (2 Samuel 8:2). They continued in subjection to the kingdom of Israel until the time of its division, when their visage and tribute was transferred to the kings of Israel, as those of Edom remained to the kings of Judah-the tribute which the Moabites rendered unto the king of Israel being “a hundred thousand lambs and a hundred thousand rams with the wool” (2 Kings 3:4). But after the death of Ahab they revolted. Therein we behold the Divine providence crossing Ahaziah in his affairs. This rebellion on the part of Moab should be regarded in the light of “when a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him” (Proverbs 16:7)-but when our ways displease Him, evil from every quarter menaces us. Temporal as well as spiritual prosperity depends entirely on God’s blessing. When any behave ill against us it should make us at once examine our conduct toward God. To make His hand more plainly apparent He frequently punishes the wicked after the similitude of their sins. He did so to Ahab’s son-having turned from the Lord, Moab was moved to rebel against him.

What has just been pointed out concerns the governmental dealings of God and illustrates an important principle in His “ways” with a nation. We mean it treats of that which relates to time and not to eternity, to the workings of Divine Providence and not to the sphere of salvation. Nations as such have only a temporal existence, though the individuals which comprise them have an eternal destiny. The prosperity or adversity of a nation is determined by its attitude and conduct toward God-directly so by those who have His living Oracles in their hands-indirectly so with the heathen. Their case being determined by their conduct toward His people. The Old Testament supplies us with so many examples of this that he who runs may read. The attitude of a nation toward God is to be gauged not so much by the general deportment of its people as by the character of its governors or government. The two are of course intimately related, for where a majority of the subjects are pious they will not tolerate wickedness in high places. On the other hand when those who lead and rule set an evil example it cannot be expected that those who follow will excel them in righteousness. Whatever is the particular form of government in a country, or whichever party is in power, it is the character and enactments of its executives that are the deciding factor for they are the ones holding the positions of chief responsibility in the sight of God.

In avowedly “Christian” countries like Great Britain and the U.S.A., the churches regulate the pulse of the nation. They act as the “salt” upon the corporate body and when their ways please the Lord, He gives them favor in the eyes of those round about them. When the Holy Spirit is unhindered His power is manifested, not only in calling out the elect, but in subduing sin in the non-elect and by causing the machine of the State to support godliness, as was more or less noticeably the case a hundred years ago. But when error comes into the churches and discipline is relaxed, the Spirit is grieved and His power is withheld and the evil effects of this become more and more apparent in the country by a rising tide of lawlessness. If the churches persist in a downward course then the Spirit is quenched and “Ichabod” is written over them, as is the case today. Then it is that the restraining hand of God is removed and an orgy of licentiousness comes in. Then it is the government becomes an empty title, for those in power have no power except what the people have delegated to them and therefore they act in accord with the depraved desires of the masses. This, then, is ever the order-turning from the true God, turning to false gods and then the disturbance of the peace-either social revolution or international war.

Ahaziah “served Baal and worshiped him and provoked to anger the LORD God of Israel” (1 Kings 22:53). The Lord God is a Jealous God, jealous of His Truth, jealous of His honor and when those calling themselves His people turn unto other gods His wrath is kindled against them. What tremendous advances have been made by Romanism during our own lifetime! What a travesty of the Divine character has been set forth by the major portion of Protestantism-a “God” whom no one fears! What a mangling of the Gospel has there been in the “orthodox” sections of Christendom, whereby “another Jesus” (2 Corinthians 11:4) has displaced the Christ of Holy Writ. Little wonder that in the inevitable reaction the multitudes have made gods of mammon and pleasure and that the nation puts its trust in its armed forces instead of the arm of the Lord. Here and there was an Elijah who raised his voice in testimony to the living God and in denouncing modern forms of Baal worship, but who gave ear to them? Certainly not the churches, for they closed their pulpits against them so that like the Tishbite of old they were forced into isolation and virtual retirement-and now it seems their last task before God calls them hence to pronounce sentence of death upon the whole apostate system.

And provoked to anger the LORD God of Israel . . . Then Moab rebelled against Israel (1 Kings 22:53-2 Kings 1:1). Though those two statements are separated by the ending of the first book of Kings and the beginning of the second, the connection is too obvious to be missed. It is the connection of cause and effect, the latter making manifest the former. For many years Moab had been tributary to Israel but now they threw off the yoke. And have we not lived to witness a similar thing? First Ireland broke away from Britain, now India is kicking over the traces and even Australia is showing restiveness. Ah, my reader, the Bible is no defunct book recording historical events of the remote past, but a living Book, enunciating vital principles applicable to every age and describing things as they are today. History repeats itself, not only because human nature is fundamentally the same in all ages, but also because the “ways” of God, the principles of His government, remain unchanged. As the Lord God was provoked by Ahaziah so He has been provoked by the churches, the politicians and the people of Great Britain and as His anger was evidenced by His moving Moab to seek her independence so His displeasure is now seen in His causing one dependency after another to break away from the “Mother country.”

And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick (2 Kings 1:2). First, we would note that this verse opens with the word “And” which appears to intimate the king’s response or rather lack of response to what is recorded in the previous verse. What is not found here is solemn and informative, revealing as it does the character of Ahaziah. There was no turning to the Lord for guidance and help. There was no humbling of himself before God and inquiring why this disturbance had entered his realm. Nothing happens by chance-and the curse causeless does not come (Proverbs 26:2)-therefore the king’s duty was to fast and pray and ascertain what it was that had displeased the Lord. No, we take that back: it would have been downright mockery for him to have done any such thing! There was no need to inquire of the Lord: the king knew quite well what was wrong-he was serving and worshiping Baal, and until his idols were abolished it would be nothing but play-acting, a pious farce, for him to call upon the name of the Lord. Does the reader agree? Does he? does she? If not, carefully re-read this paragraph. If you concur, is not the application to our own national situation clearly apparent? Unspeakably solemn-yes, indescribably awful-yes. But if we face facts, things as they really are, the conclusion is inescapable.

Let us call attention to another thing which is absent from 2 Kings 1:2-Ahaziah not only failed spiritually but naturally, too. What ought to have been his reaction to this revolt of Moab? Why to have dealt with it with a firm hand and nipped it in the bud! That was obviously his duty as king. Instead he followed the line of least resistance and devoted himself to pleasure. Instead of taking his place at the head of his army and putting down this rebellion by force, he seems to have luxuriated in the palace. Must we not say in such circumstances that God had given him up to a spirit of madness? He shrank in cowardly fear from the camp and the dangers of the field and leaving Moab to do as she pleased, without attempting her re-subjugation, led a life of self-indulgence. Perhaps he recalled the fate which had so recently overtaken his father on the battlefield and decided that “discretion is the better part of valor.” But there is no escaping the hand of God when He is determined to smite: we are just as liable to meet with an “accident” in the shelter of our home as if we were exposed to the deadliest weapons on the battlefield. The analogy between Ahaziah’s effeminacy and ineptitude and the policy followed by our Government during the past ten years is too patent to need comment.

And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick. Here was where mercy was mingled with justice: here was where “space for repentance” was granted the idolatrous king. O how longsuffering is God! Ahaziah’s fall did not prove immediately fatal though it placed him on a bed of sickness where he had opportunity to “consider his ways.” And how often the Lord deals thus, both with nations and with individuals. The Roman empire was not built in a day, nor was it destroyed in a day. Many a blatant rebel against Heaven has been pulled up suddenly in his evil career. An “accident” overtook him and though it may have deprived him of a limb yet not of his life. Such may have been the experience of some who reads these lines. If so, we would say to you with all earnestness, Redeem the time that is now left you. You might now be in Hell, but God has given you a further season (brief at the most) to think of eternity-and prepare for it. O that His goodness may lead you to repentance! Today if you will hear His voice harden not your heart. Throw down the weapons of your warfare against Him and be reconciled to Him, for how shall you escape the everlasting burnings if you neglect His so-great salvation?

Passing from the individual application of our passage let us note how accurately it accords with God’s dealings with Great Britain. Have we as a nation received no solemn warning from God? Has not His hand of judgment been manifestly laid upon us? Yes truly, for at the very beginning of this century the Lord frowned upon us and for many months our pride was humbled upon the veldts of South Africa. Did that cause us to change our ways? Alas, the rate of our downward course has been accelerated! Then came the most serious crisis in our history, when literally millions of the flower of our manhood were cut down and when for many months the rest of the nation faced the peril of starvation. God did not then “make a full end” of us, though His blows shook us to the foundation. Yet instead of turning to God, our nation has departed farther and farther from Him. The loss of nearly all our military equipment, the Dunkirk evacuation, the continuous blitzing of our cities has not subdued us. Space for repentance has been given us but we have repented not, rather have we openly and blatantly defied the Most High in every manner possible.

And he sent messengers and said unto them, Go inquire of Beelzebub, the God of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease (2 Kings 1:2). First, God crossed him in his affairs and then He smote him in his body. We have called attention to what this evil king did not do, now we turn to consider the course which he actually followed. Neither of those judgments softened him and having lived without God in prosperity so in adversity he despised His chastening hand. Saul in his extremity had inquired of a witch, only to hear of his immediate doom. So Ahaziah now had recourse to the demon-gods of the heathen. He was evidently uneasy at the present state of his health, so he sent some of his servants to ascertain of an idolatrous oracle whether or not he should recover from his affliction-proof that his soul was in a worse state than his body. The “Baalim” was a general epithet for the false gods, each having his own peculiar office and district, hence the distinguishing titles of Beelzebub, Baalpeor, Baalzephon, Baalbireth. “Beelzebub” was the idol of Ekron, a city of Philistia, a country noted for “soothsayers” (Isaiah 2:6).

This “Beelzebub” signifies “the lord of a fly or flies,” probably because their country was infested with flies (as modern travelers still report), they supposed he protected them from the diseases which they spread. In Matthew 12:24 we find Beelzebub (the Greek form of spelling) identified as “the prince of the demons,” which intimates that under various names and images evil spirits were actually worshiped as gods by the heathen-as is plainly stated in 1 Corinthians 10:20: “the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God.” It would appear that at the time of Ahaziah, the priests of Baal had through their incantations of evil spirits acquired celebrity for their knowledge of future events, much as the oracle of Delphos was held in high repute in Greece some years later. Believing that the idol at Ekron could foresee and foretell things to come, Ahaziah paid him homage. The exceeding sinfulness of such practices is placed beyond dispute by such passages as Leviticus 20:6, 7; Deuteronomy 18:10; 1 Chronicles 10:13. Thus those who consult fortune tellers, astrologers, and “spiritualists” are guilty of a fearful sin and expose themselves unto the powers of evil.

When a king of Israel sent to inquire of a heathen oracle he proclaimed to the Gentiles his accustomed of confidence in Jehovah: as if the only nation favored with the knowledge of the true God had been the only nation in which no God was known. This was peculiarly dishonorable and provoking to Jehovah (Thomas Scott). The action of Ahaziah was indeed a deliberate and public rejection of the Lord-a defiant choice of those ways which had called down the wrath of Heaven upon his father. It could not pass unnoticed and accordingly He who is King of kings, as well as the God of Israel, specifically calls him to account. Elijah was sent to meet the king’s messengers with the announcement of certain death: “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 unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel that you go to inquire of Beelzebub the God of Ekron?” (2 Kings 1:3). Nothing escapes the observation of Him with whom we have to do. His eyes are ever upon all the ways of men, whether they be monarchs or menials: none are too high or independent to be above His control, and none are too low or insignificant to be overlooked by Him. All we do or say or think is perfectly known to the Lord, and in that Day we shall be called upon to render a full account.

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 unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that you go to inquire of Beelzebub the God of Ekron. The Hebrew is more expressive and emphatic than the English: “Is it because there is no God, none in Israel? that you turn for information to the emissaries of Satan?” Not only had the true and living God made Himself known to Israel, but He was in covenant relationship with them. This it is which explains “the angel of the LORD” addressing Himself to Elijah on this occasion, emphasizing as it did that blessed relationship which the king was repudiating-it was the Angel of the Covenant (Exo. 23:23, etc.). As such Jehovah had given clear demonstration of Himself to Ahaziah in his own lifetime. Alas how pertinent to our own day is the expostulation of the Prophet: is there no God in Heaven that Britain should now base its hope of victory on the achievements of the Russians? Did He fail our fathers when they cried to Him as the Spanish armada came forth bent on their destruction? Did He fail Cromwell and his men? How the mighty are fallen! And does not this expostulation apply to many individuals who profess to be Christians? If God be God why seek satisfaction in the things of the world? why lean on the creature? It is practical atheism which lies at the bottom of forgetfulness of God and departure from Him (Titus 1:16).

Now therefore thus says the LORD, You shall not come down from that bed on which you are gone up, but shall surely die (2 Kings 1:4). Having reproved the awful sin of Ahaziah, the servant of God now pronounces judgment on him. Here, then, was the last and solemn task of Elijah-to pass the capital sentence upon the apostate king! Unto the widow of Zarephath God had made him “the savor of life unto life,” but unto Ahab and now to his son he became “the savor of death unto death.” Varied, indeed, are the tasks assigned unto the ministers of the Gospel, according as they are called upon to comfort God’s people and feed His sheep, or warn the wicked and denounce evildoers. Thus it was with their great Exemplar: both blessings and maledictions were found on His lips, though most congregations are far more familiar with the former than the latter-it will be found that His “Blesseds” in Matthew 5 are balanced by an equal number of “Woes” in Matthew 23. It should be duly noted that those “Woes” were uttered by the Lord Jesus at the close of His public ministry, and though the end of the world may not be at hand (no one on earth knows) yet it seems evident that the end of the present “order” of things, “civilization,” is imminent and therefore the servants of Christ have a thankless task before them today. O that grace may preserve them “Faithful unto death.”

And Elijah departed (2 Kings 1:4). At his Master’s bidding the Prophet had gone forth to meet the servants of Ahaziah and delivered what the Lord had commissioned him. He had sent them back with his message to their king and then took his leave of them. His departure was not for the purpose of concealing himself but to return to his communion with God. It was to “the top of a hill” (v. 9) that he retired: typically it spoke of moral separation from and elevation above the world. We have to betake ourselves to “the secret place of the Most High”-and this is not to be found near the giddy and bustling crowds-if we are to “abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1). It is from the Mercy seat His voice is heard speaking (Numbers 7:89). We have before seen Elijah making for the mountain-top as soon as his public work was completed (1 Kings 18:42). What an object lesson is there here for all the servants of Christ: that when they have delivered their message, to retire from the public eye and get alone with God, as their Savior before them was accustomed to do. The “top of the hill” is also the place of observation and vision: O to make spiritual observatories of our closets!

There is nothing in the sacred narrative which indicates the nationality of these messengers of Ahaziah. If they were Israelites they could scarcely be ignorant of the Prophet’s identity when he so suddenly accosted them and so dramatically announced the doom of their master. If they were foreigners, imported from Tyre by Jezebel, they were probably ignorant of the mighty Tishbite, for some years had elapsed since his last public appearance. Whoever they were, these men were so impressed by that commanding figure and his authoritative tone, so awed by his knowledge of their mission and so terrified by his pronouncement that they at once abandoned their quest and returned to the king. He who could tell what Ahaziah thought and said could evidently foretell the outcome of his sickness: they dared not proceed on their journey to Ekron. That illustrated an important principle. When a servant of God is energized by the Holy Spirit his message carries conviction and strikes terror into the hearts of his hearers: just as Herod “feared” John the Baptist (Mark 6:20) and Felix “trembled” before Paul (Acts 24:25). But it is not talking to the wicked about the love of God which will produce such effects, nor will such conscience-soothers be owned of Heaven. Rather is it those who declare, as Elijah of Ahaziah, “You shall surely die.”

And when the messengers turned back unto him (Ahaziah), he said unto them, Why are you now turned back? (2 Kings 1:5). It must have been both a surprise and a shock to the king when his servants returned unto him so quickly, for he knew that sufficient time had not elapsed for them to have journeyed to Ekron in Philistia and back again. His question expresses annoyance, a reprimand for their being remiss in discharging his commission. Kings in that day were accustomed to receive blind obedience from their subjects and woe be unto those who crossed their imperial wills. This only serves to emphasize the effect which the appearance and words of Elijah made upon them. From the next verse we learn that the Prophet had bidden them, “Go turn again unto the king that sent you” and repeat my message unto him! And though their so doing meant placing their lives in jeopardy, nevertheless they carried out the Prophet’s order. How they put to shame thousands of those professing to be the servants of Christ who for many years past have studiously withheld that which their auditors most needed to hear and criminally substituted a message of “Peace, peace” when there was no peace for them and that in days when a faithful proclamation of the Truth had not endangered their persons. Surely these messengers of Ahaziah will yet rise up in judgment against all such faithless time-servers.

And they said unto him, there came a man up to meet us and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you and say unto him, thus says the LORD, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel that you send to inquire of Beelzebub the God of Ekron? therefore you shall not come down from that bed on which you are gone up, but shall surely die (v. 6). From their omission of his name and by referring to Elijah simply as “a man” it seems clear that these messengers of the king were ignorant of the Prophet’s identity. But they had been so overawed by his appearance and the solemnity of his manner and were so convinced his announcement would be verified that they deemed themselves warranted in abandoning their journey and returning to their master. Accordingly they delivered a plain straightforward account of what had occurred and faithfully reported Elijah’s pronouncement. They knew full well that such a message must prove most unwelcome to the king, yet they made no attempt to alter its tone or soften it down. They shrank not from telling Ahaziah to his face that sentence of death had gone out against him. Again we say, How these men put to shame the temporizing, cowardly and pew-flattering occupants of the pulpit! Alas, how often is more sincerity and fidelity to be found among open worldlings than in those with the highest spiritual pretensions.

And he said unto them, what manner of man was he which came up to meet you and told you these words? (v. 7). No doubt the king was fairly well convinced as to who it was that had dared to cross their path and send him such a message, but to make quite sure he bids his servants describe the mysterious stranger: what was his appearance, how was he clothed, and in what manner did he address you? How that illustrates one of the chief traits of the unregenerate: it was not the message which Ahaziah now inquired about, but the man who uttered it-yet surely his own conscience would warn him that no mere man could be the author of such a message. And is not this the common tendency of the unconverted? that instead of taking to heart what is said, they fix their attention on who says it? Such is poor fallen human nature. When a true servant of God is sent and delivers a searching word, people seek to evade it by occupying themselves with his personality, his style of delivery, his denominational affiliation-anything secondary as long as it serves to crowd out that which is of supreme moment. Yet when the postman hands them an important business letter they are not concerned about his appearance.

And they answered him, He was a hairy man, and girt with a belt of leather about his loins (v. 8). We do not regard this as a description of his person so much as of his attire. Concerning John the Baptist, who came “in the spirit and power of Elijah (Elijah)” (Luke 1:17) it is recorded that he “had his clothing of camel’s hair and a leathern belt about his loins” (Matthew 3:4). Thus we understand that the outward garment of Elijah was made of skins (cf. Hebrews 11:37), girded about by a strip of undressed leather. That the Prophets had some such distinguishing garb is clear from Zechariah 13:4 by the false prophets assuming the same in order to beguile the people: “a garment of hair to deceive.” In that era when instruction was made to the eye as well as the ear by symbols and shadows, that uncouth dress denoted the Prophet’s mortifiedness to the world and expressed his concern and sorrow for the idolatry and iniquity of his people, just as the putting on of “sackcloth” by others signified humility and grief.

And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite (2 Kings 1:8). There could be no mistake: the king knew now who it was that had sent such a solemn message to him. And what effect was produced upon him? Was he awed and humbled? Did he now bewail his sins and cry unto God for mercy? Far from it. He had learned nothing from his father’s awful end. The severe affliction under which he was suffering softened him not. Even the near approach of death made no difference. He was incensed against the Prophet and determined to destroy him. Had Elijah sent him a lying and flattering word, that had been acceptable-but the truth he could not bear. How like the degenerate generation in which our lot is cast, who had rather be bombed to death in places of amusement than be found on their faces before God. Ahaziah was young and arrogant, not at all disposed to receive reproof or endure opposition to his will, no matter from what quarter it proceeded, no, not even from Jehovah Himself. The message from Elijah, though in God’s name and by His express command, enraged the monarch beyond measure and instantly he resolves on the death of the Prophet, though he had done nothing more than his duty.

Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and behold, he sat on the top of a hill. And he spoke unto him, You man of God, the king has said, Come down (v. 9). Ahaziah was at no loss to find wicked men ready to execute the most desperate and impious orders. This company of soldiers went forth promptly to seize the Lord’s servants. They found him sitting composedly upon an eminence. The spirit of the captain evidenced that his heart was thoroughly in his task, for he insolently addressed Elijah as “you man of God,” which was by way of derision and insult. It was as though he had said, You claim Jehovah as your Master, we come to you in the name of a greater than he: king Ahaziah says, Come down! Fearful affront and blasphemy was that! It was not only an insult to Elijah, but to Elijah’s God, an insult which was not suffered to go unchallenged. How often in the past have the wicked made a mock of sacred things and turned the very terms by which God designates His people into epithets of reproach, sneeringly dubbing them “the elect,” “saints,” etc. That they do so no longer is because the fine gold has become dim, godliness is no more a reality and a rebuke to the impious. Who would think of designating the average clergyman a “man of God,” rather does he wish to be known as “a good mixer,” a man of the world.

And Elijah answered, and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God then let fire come down from Heaven and consume you and your fifty (v. 10). There was no personal vindictiveness in the terrible reply of Elijah, but a consuming zeal for the glory of God which had been so blatantly insulted by this captain. The king’s agent had jibed at his being a “man of God,” and now he should be furnished with summary proof whether or not the Maker of Heaven and earth owned the Prophet as His servant. The insolence and impiety of this man who had insulted Jehovah and His ambassador should meet with swift judgment. “And there came down fire from Heaven and consumed him and his fifty” (v. 10). Sure sign was this that Elijah had not been actuated by any spirit of revenge, for in such a case God had not responded to his appeal. On an earlier occasion the “fire of the Lord” had fallen upon and consumed the sacrifice (1 Kings 18:38), but here it falls on sinners who had slighted that sacrifice. So shall it again be when “the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1:7, 8). Luke 9:54 presents a contrast, for the disciples were not actuated by zeal for God’s glory.

Surely so manifest an interposition of God would serve as a deterrent if not to the abandoned king yet to his servants, so that no further attempt would be made to apprehend Elijah. But no: “Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus has the king said, Come down quickly” (2 Kings 1:11). It is hard to say which, on this occasion, was the more remarkable, the madness of the wounded Ahaziah when the report of the awful event reached him, or the presumption of this officer and his soldiers. This second captain took no warning from what had befallen the first and his soldiers. Was the calamity which overtook them attributed to chance, to some lightning or fire-ball happening to consume them, or was he recklessly determined to brave things out? Like his predecessor he addressed the Prophet in the language of insulting derision, though using more peremptory terms than the former: “come down quickly.” See once more how sin hardens the heart and ripens men for judgment. And who makes you to differ? Behold to what desperate lengths the writer and the reader had gone unless the mercy of God had interposed and stopped us in our mad careers. O what praise is due unto sovereign grace which snatched me as a brand from the burning!

And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God let fire come down from Heaven and consume you and your fifty (v. 12). Proof had already been given that Jehovah was omniscient (v. 4), now they should know He is omnipotent. What is man in the hands of his Maker? One flash of lightning and fifty-one of His enemies become burnt stubble. And if all the hosts of Israel, yes the entire human race, had been assembled there, it had needed no other force. Then what