Elijah's meteoric career

If getting God to let fire from heaven consume people signifies getting rid of error, Elijah did a mighty job in II Kings, Chapter 1 verse 10: “If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee, and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.” And another fifty, and another fifty.

And yet, was Elijah “putting on a show” to hide his fears? For in verse 15 we find: “And the angel of the Lord said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him unto the king.” Remember back in I Kings where there was reiteration of Elijah’s doubts, “And he said, I have been jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away” (Chapter 19:10 and 14). And this after the episode of the earthquake, wind, and fire.

Joyce Voysey

Ed. I like that, despite his occasional doubts, Elijah gets back up again. Those angel messages kept coming and he did respond to them. The pagan gods demanded attention and were thought to govern every aspect of life. So Elijah's God was presenting a whole different concept of power. 

Thomas Leishman speaks eloquently of Elijah, whom he considers superior to his pupil Elisha. He writes ("The Prophets of the Ninth Century BC" in the July 1939 issue of The Christian Science Journal, available from your local Reading Room, or by subscription at JSH-online.com):

"At times Elijah was faced with discouragement, as when he asserted that the people had forsaken God's covenant, and slain his prophets, and concluded, "I, even I only, am left" (19:10); yet, when the "still small voice" (verse 12) informed him that there was yet much work for him to do, and that he was not alone in his loyalty, he went forward with renewed resolve (verses 15-19). Not only did he fearlessly denounce Ahab's judicial murder of Naboth (I Kings 21:22-24), but also censured Ahab's successor Ahaziah for failing to turn to God in time of sickness (II Kings 1:1-4). It is surely typical of Elijah's meteoric career that when his work was complete he should have ascended "by a whirlwind into heaven" (2:11)."

I like the description of Elijah given in the Living Bible II Kings 1: 8-9: "He was a hairy man, " they [King Ahaziah's messengers] replied, "with a wide leather belt." "It was Elijah the prophet!" the king exclaimed.  

Elijah must have distinguished himself in many ways, including the way he dressed.