This is a most interesting passage. Observe the rage and folly of the king, in sending to seize upon the prophet. Did he hope to alter the sentence by destroying the prophet? Could he indeed conceive so desperate a thing, as to think that the Lord's servants would be unprotected in the Lord's cause? But if the king was a wicked fool, how much greater this captain of his, with his fifty men! It is plain, he either did not believe him to be a man of God, or if he did, that he treated both him and his God with equal contempt. But what are we to think of Elijah? The apostle tells us that he was a man of like passions with ourselves: James 5:17. Reader! mark in the circumstances of God's best servants, how much all men need grace to subdue their angry passions. In making this observation, however, let it be remembered, that it is not made with a view to condemn the prophet, in the destruction of the captain with his fifty. Perhaps the awful example here made by their death was needful. And indeed, in the Lord's answering by fire and consuming them, it is plain that it was so. Elijah, therefore, did not exercise this authority given him, for himself or his own safety, but for the glory of the Lord. But what I particularly wish the Reader to observe with me in this history is, how different the servant is from the Lord. When the disciples of Jesus desired permission to do as Elias had done, to a village of the Samaritans, how sweetly did our Lord rebuke them: Ye know not (said Christ) what manner of spirit ye are of. Luke 9:53-56. Oh! thou dearest Jesus! how lovely dost thou appear? And how precious is it, to see thee in thy gracious features of character, in that thou wert truly holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners. Hebrews 7:26. Reader! behold in the awful death of this captain and his fifty, how jealous the Lord is of his honour! See also, what interest the Lord's servants have in the court of heaven? And observe, moreover, how careful the Lord is of his people. Take heed that ye offend not one of these little ones. Matthew 18:10; Matthew 18:10.
Related Commentaries of 2 Kings 1:9
2 Kings 1:9-10
9 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 an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down.
10 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 thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.