Today's Scripture Reading (March 4, 2026): 2 Kings 1
I remember the brother of one of my friends somehow came to believe that
the firetrucks that roamed the city were setting the devastating fires that
occasionally broke out wherever people gathered. After all, back in the day, we
called these people "firemen," a term that's politically incorrect
today. What he couldn't figure out was why the police didn't arrest these men.
I mean, they advertise their presence with a siren and drive around in big red
trucks. How much easier could it be to arrest these people who are responsible
for the destruction and even death of so many people every year?
When I was a young teen, the water heater at my girlfriend's house blew
up, burning down the house. I heard the news on the radio while delivering my
early morning papers. It was a weird moment to hear the news on the radio, and
then receive a panic phone call from my friend before I left for school. The
family all survived the incident without injury, but it was a traumatic moment
even for me, who lived half a city away. On that day, I was thankful for the
firefighters who answered the call in the wee hours of the morning and rescued
my friend and her family.
Sometimes I wonder if Elijah had an unhealthy relationship with fire;
after all, it was fire that he called down on the sacrifice on Mount Carmel in
his battle with the prophets of Ba'al and Asherah. On the day that Elijah was
taken up into heaven in a whirlwind, can anyone say tornado, or "I don't
think we are in Kansas anymore," it was horses and a chariot of fire that
separated Elijah from his lieutenant, Elisha.
As they were
walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses
of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to
heaven in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:11).
Here, fire
comes down from heaven and consumes the soldiers who came to take Elijah into
custody. Some have questioned Elijah's actions here. Did these soldiers really
deserve to die? It is a good question, but probably directed at the wrong
person.
Ahaziah has
fallen, and he has sent for foreign priests to tell him if he will live. But
his messengers are intercepted by Elijah, who wants to know why they are going
to question a foreign god to find out if the Israelite King will live. And
because of their lack of faith, Elijah gives them the answer: no. The
messengers returned to Ahaziah, who then sent his soldiers to find Elijah and
bring him to Ahaziah. But it wasn't an innocent invitation. Ahaziah was ready
to use force to get Elijah to either change his mind or admit that he really
doesn't know.
I said I
wondered if Elijah had an unhealthy relationship with fire, but that is not
really true. After all, in all these circumstances, it isn't Elijah who
controls the fire. That decision belongs to God, and God was willing to use
fire to send a message first to King Ahab, then to King Ahaziah, and finally to
Elisha that God was still on the throne and still ready to help, even the Kings
of Israel.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Kings 2
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