Chapter 2.
CONCERNING AHAZIAH; THE KING OF ISRAEL; AND AGAIN CONCERNING
THE PROPHET ELIJAH.FJAJ 9.9
1. AND now Ahaziah, the son of Ahab, reigned over Israel, and made his
abode in Samaria
He was a wicked man, and in all respects like to both
his parents and to Jeroboam, who first of all transgressed, and began to
deceive the people
In the second year of his reign, the king of Moab fell
off from his obedience, and left off paying those tributes which he before
paid to his father Ahab
Now it happened that Ahaziah, as he was coming
down from the top of his house, fell down from it, and in his sickness
sent to the Fly, which was the god of Ekron, for that was this god's name,
to inquire about his recovery (4) This
god of flies seems to have been so called, as was the like god among the
Greeks, from his supposed power over flies, in driving them away from the
flesh of their sacrifices, which otherwise would have been very troublesome
to them.
but the God of the Hebrews appeared to Elijah the prophet, and commanded
him to go and meet the messengers that were sent, and to ask them, whether
the people of Israel had pot a God of their own, that the king sent to
a foreign god to inquire about his recovery? and to bid them return and
tell the king that he would not escape this disease
And when Elijah had
performed what God had commanded him, and the messengers had heard what
he said, they returned to the king immediately; and when the king wondered
how they could return so soon, and asked them the reason of it, they said
that a certain man met them, and forbade them to go on any farther; but
to return and tell thee, from the command of the God of Israel, that this
disease will have a bad end
And when the king bid them describe the man
that said this to them, they replied that he was a hairy man, and was girt
about with a girdle of leather
So the king understood by this that the
man who was described by the messengers was Elijah; whereupon he sent a
captain to him, with fifty soldiers, and commanded them to bring Elijah
to him; and when the captain that was sent found Elijah sitting upon the
top of a hill, he commanded him to come down, and to come to the king,
for so had he enjoined; but that in case he refused, they would carry him
by force
Elijah said to him, "That you may have a trial whether I
be a true prophet, I will pray that fire may fall from heaven, and destroy
both the soldiers and yourself.� (5) It
is commonly esteemed a very cruel action of Elijah, when he called for
fire from heaven, and consumed no fewer than two captains and a hundred
soldiers, and this for no other crime than obeying the orders of their
king, in attempting to seize him; and it is owned by our Savior, that it
was an instance of greater severity than the spirit of the New Testament
allows, Luke 9:54. But then we must consider that it is not unlikely that
these captains and soldiers believed that they were sent to fetch the prophet,
that he might be put to death for foretelling the death of the king, and
this while they knew him to be the prophet of the true God, the supreme
King of Israel, (for they were still under the theocracy,) which was no
less than impiety, rebellion, and treason, in the highest degree: nor would
the command of a subaltern, or inferior captain, contradicting the commands
of the general, when the captain and the soldiers both knew it to be so,
as I suppose, justify or excuse such gross rebellion and disobedience in
soldiers at this day. Accordingly, when Saul commanded his guards to slay
Ahimelech and the priests at Nob, they knew it to be an unlawful command,
and would not obey it, 1 Samuel 22:17. From which cases both officers and
soldiers may learn, that the commands of their leaders or kings cannot
justify or excuse them in doing what is wicked in the sight of God, or
in fighting in an unjust cause, when they know it so to be.
So he prayed, and a whirlwind of fire fell [from heaven], and destroyed
the captain, and those that were with him
And when the king was informed
of the destruction of these men, he was very angry, and sent another captain
with the like number of armed men that were sent before
And when this
captain also threatened the prophet, that unless he came down of his own
accord, he would take him and carry him away, upon his prayer against him,
the fire [from heaven] slew this captain as well the other
And when, upon
inquiry, the king was informed of what happened to him, he sent out a third
captain
But when this captain, who was a wise man, and of a mild disposition,
came to the place where Elijah happened to be, and spake civilly to him;
and said that he knew that it was without his own consent, and only in
submission to the king's command that he came to him; and that those that
came before did not come willingly, but on the same account; � he therefore
desired him to have pity on those armed men that were with him, and that
he would come down and follow him to the king
So Elijah accepted of his
discreet words and courteous behavior, and came down and followed him.
And when he came to the king, he prophesied to him and told him that God
said, "Since thou hast despised him as not being God, and so unable
to foretell the truth about thy distemper, but hast sent to the god of
Ekron to inquire of him what will be the end of this thy distemper, know
this, that thou shalt die."FJAJ 9.10
2. Accordingly the king in a very little time died, as Elijah had foretold;
but Jehoram his brother succeeded him in the kingdom, for he died without
children: but for this Jehoram, he was like his father Ahab in wickedness,
and reigned twelve years, indulging himself in all sorts of wickedness
and impiety towards God, for, leaving off his worship, he worshipped foreign
gods; but in other respects he was an active man
Now at this time it was
that Elijah disappeared from among men, and no one knows of his death to
this very day; but he left behind him his disciple Elisha, as we have formerly
declared
And indeed, as to Elijah, and as to Enoch, who was before the
deluge, it is written in the sacred books that they disappeared, but so
that nobody knew that they died.FJAJ 9.11