Elijah prophesied that King Ahaziah would die after the king inquired of the false god Baal about recovering from an injury, rather than consulting Yahweh. The king sent soldiers to arrest Elijah twice, but Elijah called down fire from heaven and killed the soldiers. When the king sent a third group, Elijah went with them to meet the king after an angel told him to show mercy.

1. f lthen Ahaziah. the kins of lsrael, iniured himself in a fall, he wanted to know whether he would re-Ii
UU cover-but he inquirJd of the false god Baal, not of Yahweh, the God of lsrael. This angered the Lord,
who sent a prophecy through Eliiah to the king, informing him that he would die. ril
The king in turn sent u .rprin and 50 soldiers ,. .r;*. ij;;,;il; rrott" called down fire from
heaven and killed them. After this happened a second time, a third delegation approached Elijah and begged
for metcy. An angel told the prophet t9 go wjth the men and visit the king.
We can make some observatrons about this episode. Notice the humanity of this great prophet: j
1. Eliiah possessed both spiritual autholity and anxiety at the same time (w. t!-15)-
2. Eliiah spoke harshly and with power (vu 10, 12)' $
3. Eliiah showed no respect for the authority of the king (w. 9-14). $
4. Eliiah required an angel to appear to confirm that he should spare the soldiers and gowith them$
to meet the king (v. 15). t$.N