A Wise Captain

  

2 Kings 1: 11-18

 

August 15, 2021

 

 

Again, the king sent to him another captain of fifty men with his fifty. And he answered and said to him, “O man of God, this is the king's order, ‘Come down quickly!’”   But Elijah answered them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty.” Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

 Again, the king sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up and came and fell on his knees before Elijah and entreated him, “O man of God, please let my life, and the life of these fifty servants of yours, be precious in your sight.   Behold, fire came down from heaven and consumed the two former captains of fifty men with their fifties, but now let my life be precious in your sight.”   Then 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  and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron—is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word?—therefore you shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’”

So, he died according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken. Jehoram became king in his place in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, because Ahaziah had no son.   Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

 

Have you ever wondered about the mental ability of many of our leaders?  Sure, you have and so have I, what was the kinging thinking, maybe he believes God would run out of fire.  Or could it be this self-center evil man who had little or no concern for the men under him, they were in his eyes just tools to be used.  It is both, and yes Ahaziah was under the judgment of a holy God, as is the United States at this moment.

 

The third captain knew that he and his men were on a suicide mission that had no hope of success unless God granted them mercy.  He did what the Church must do if we hope to make a difference and that is humble ourselves before God.  

 

We are living in a time where many who have the role of pastor do not believe God will or some do not believe He ever did consume those men, it is just an illustration.  They are foolish, and if you are sitting under such a man, you need to leave and find a man who is like Elijah, who fears God and is not a man-pleaser but a God-pleaser.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice