Captain #3

2 Kings 1:9-15 - Then he [King Ahaziah] sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. The captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, "Man of God, the king says, 'Come down!' "

Elijah answered the captain, "If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!" Then fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men.

At this the king sent to Elijah another captain with his fifty men. The captain said to him, "Man of God, this is what the king says, 'Come down at once!' "

"If I am a man of God," Elijah replied, "may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!" Then the fire of God fell from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.

So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. This third captain went up and fell on his knees before Elijah. "Man of God," he begged, "please have respect for my life and the lives of these fifty men, your servants! See, fire has fallen from heaven and consumed the first two captains and all their men. But now have respect for my life!"

The angel of the LORD said to Elijah, "Go down with him; do not be afraid of him." So Elijah got up and went down with him to the king.

I wonder how the first captain found Elijah. Did he just ask around? I wonder who reported what happened back to the king.

I wonder if Captain #2 was thinking, "Lightning never strikes twice in the same place."

I wonder how Ahaziah decided which captain would make the third trip. I don't have to wonder much what Captain #3 and his squad of 50 were thinking. "Damn! Why didn't I volunteer for night watch on the border patrol."

Assuming this all happened the same day, by the time Captain #3 got to Elijah he probably saw about 100 dead (charred?) bodies lying on the hillside all around him, his troops, and Elijah. I wonder (a little) how bad it smelled.

I wonder why Ahaziah considered it necessary to send 51 men each time to give a message to just 1 man.