II kings...Elijah

[turtle]

I am really puzzled by something and i cant find an answer for it on the net.

Why did Elijah call down fire and kill the first two groups of 50 men.

Was it Gods will for these men to die or was Elijah on an ego trip using his
power that God gave him?

I mean look.
these soldiers are standing around probably wondering what their wives are making for dinner that night right?
then they get an order to go and tell some guy on a hill to come because the king wants to talk to him.
they don't know anything right?
so they go and see and then all of a sudden fire come out of heaven and kills them all.

I dont get this.

Especially cause he ends up going to see the king after all anyway.

Now I know that God is just in all things.]
And I don't doubt that at all.
but i am very puzzled by this.

If someone has an Idea on this i would love to hear it.

[Hootmon]

Which verses did you have in mind?

[rdo]

I found this in Clarke's Bible Commentary:

Verse 10. And there came down fire] Some have blamed the prophet for destroying these men, by bringing down fire from heaven upon them. But they do not consider that it was no more possible for Elijah to bring down fire from heaven, than for them to do it. God alone could send the fire; and as he is just and good, he would not have destroyed these men had there not been a sufficient cause to justify the act. It was not to please Elijah, or to gratify any vindictive humour in him, that God thus acted; but to show his own power and justice. No entreaty of Elijah could have induced God to have performed an act that was wrong in itself. Elijah, personally, had no concern in the business. God led him simply to announce on these occasions what he himself had determined to do. If I be a man of God, i.e., as surely as I am a man of God, fire SHALL come down from heaven, and SHALL consume thee and thy fifty. This is the literal meaning of the original; and by it we see that Elijah's words were only declarative, and not imprecatory.