(REFLECTIONS ON 2 Kings 1:1-18)

When Ahaziah king of Israel became ill, he sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether he would recover from his sickness. However, Elijah, prophet of the Lord, by instruction from God, met the messengers on their way to inquire of Baal-zebub.

5 When the messengers returned to him (Ahaziah) he said to them, “Why have you returned?” 6 They said to him, “A man came up to meet us and said to us, ‘Go, return to the king who sent you and say to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but shall surely die.’”’” 

Ahaziah would not recover from his illness, because he did not inquire of the God of Israel, but rather sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron. Ahaziah then sent a captain and his troops to bring Elijah back to the king’s presence. This happened a total of three times.

The first two times, they commanded Elijah to come down from the hill he was sitting on, by order of the king. Both times, the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed them. The third time however was different,

13 So he again sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. When the third captain of fifty went up, he came and bowed down on his knees before Elijah, and begged him and said to him, “O man of God, please let my life and the lives of these fifty servants of yours be precious in your sight. 14 Behold fire came down from heaven and consumed the first two captains of fifty with their fifties; but now let my life be precious in your sight.” 15 The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraid of him.” So he arose and went down with him to the king.

The first two captains came with an order for Elijah to come down from the hill that he was sitting on. However, the third captain bowed down on his knees begging for mercy. That is when the angel of the Lord said to Elijah to go down with the captain back to the king of Israel.

Interestingly, the angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “do not be afraid of him.” This wasn’t just Elijah wanting to humble the captains of Ahaziah, but rather he was also waiting for safety and assurances that he would not be captured, made a prisoner, or even killed for his message against the king of Israel.

The third captain of fifty went up and bowed down on his knees before Elijah. Brothers and sisters, what type of Christian does the Lord desire for us to be? Yes, we often talk about Christians and the church having influence in this world, but what type of influence should we have?

Is it power and authority, and influence in a way that brings fear and intimidation? No, it is an influence of humility, humbly bowing down on our knees, not with our power and authority, but with the authority of our Lord, Jesus Christ. How can we influence others to come and see, if we are not first on our knees, showing our reverence and worship of our Lord?

If it is not in worship on our knees, then what is it that we desire people to see? How great we are or how great our God is? Let us learn the humility of the third captain of fifty, and let us bring safety, peace, the hope of God, faith, and worship, rather than control, commands, or our own motives.

Pastor Michael Lu
Enduring Word Bible Commentary: 2 Kings 1