The scripture for this week’s character study is 2 Kings 1: 5-8, and the lesson is titled “Elijah – Holy Fire Man”.

For most of us, some very distinct and generally similar images come to mind when we hear the word “fireman”. The word “fireman” may conjure up images of a ladder truck racing through streets with sirens blaring on the way to rescue endangered people from a fiery holocaust. Or, our minds may envision firemen with appropriate firefighting equipment standing on the front lines of woodland fires extinguishing burning brush or a forest fire.

Our study this week however is not about a fireman; our study is about a “Fire” man – a holy fire man. Many Bible characters are linked to distinctive actions, events, or statements; Elijah is linked distinctively and uniquely to the fact that on two dramatic occasions in his prophetic ministry, fire was called down from heaven; fire that graphically and forcefully underscored and affirmed his prophetic message. For that reason I have titled this study, “Elijah – Holy Fire Man”.

The name - Elijah - means, “Whose God IS Jehovah” or, alternatively, his name means “The Lord Is My God.”

The essential struggle he waged was attempting to steer the northern tribes to return to devoted worship of Yahweh-God. He strove to (and did) demonstrate that Baal, chief of the heathen gods the people were seduced into worshiping, was futile and impotent against the power of heaven.

Baal worship operated out of a seasonal cycle that is much like the cycle one might find in southern in California. It would begin to rain in the fall and would rain through the winter. In the spring it would stop raining, and the summer would be a time of drought.

The Canaanites believed that it was Baal who brought the rain in the autumn. In the summer, he would die and go down into the nether world, and Mot, who was the god of sterility and famine and drought, would prevail. But then, in the fall, Baal would always prevail.

In fact, he is called "Baal the Overcomer". He would come out of the nether world and would be locked in combat with Mot and overwhelm him, then he would bring the storm.

The kings and the people continually and incomprehensibly turned to this heathen god and accorded him honor despite his often and obviously demonstrated impotence in comparison to the God of heaven.

This was done on Mount Carmel in 1 Kings Chapter 18, with the result that the people fell on their faces, crying, “The Lord, he is the God (v. 39).” Thus was accomplished the great work of Elijah’s ministry. The prophets of Baal were then put to death by the order of Elijah. Not one of them escaped.

In our lesson this week, Elijah’s ministry continues now from Ahab to an encounter with his successor - Ahaziah. The scene opens with Ahaziah seriously injured in a fall. He sends to the priests of Baal-zebub in Ekron, outside the kingdom of Israel, to know if he will recover. Elijah intercepts his messengers and sends them back to Ahaziah with a message.

Ahaziah asks the messengers to describe the person who gave them this message. They tell him he wore a hairy coat with a leather belt and he instantly recognizes the description as Elijah the Tishbite.

Ahaziah sent out three groups of soldiers to arrest Elijah. The first two groups are destroyed by fire which Elijah calls down from heaven.  The leader of the third group asks for mercy for himself and his men.  Elijah agrees to accompany this third group to Ahaziah, where he gives his prophecy in person. True to the prophecy, Ahaziah did not recover from his fall, and he died after only a brief 2-year reign as King of Israel.

What picture or lesson about God’s character can be learned from Elijah’s experiences in this selected text? What is the “God-message” associated with him?

Elijah’s ministry and these actions in particular, attested to the authenticity and ultimate reality of the holy, sovereign Lord God of heaven. Elijah’s message was that there is only one Jehovah; there is only one true and living God; there is only ONE God of Israel, and Elijah was one of His prophets. Baal was not the god of the storm he was reputed to be. The God of Israel was—and is—the Lord of creation.