Obadiah

Elijah participates in the encounter without becoming the creator, and the widow's final words recognize the truth of the Lord's word.

Obadiah's provision for the Lord's prophets is less spectacular, but I do not want us to miss it.

He risks himself to protect them.

As we hear in 1 Kings 18, verses 1-4, Now Obadiah greatly feared the Lord, for when...

Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the Lord.

Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty men per cave, providing them with food and water.

Here, bread and water arrive through a person's costly faithfulness, and that belongs in this teaching too.

The ravens are memorable, but Obadiah's care is not second-rate provision.

But there was a man inside the palace who feared the lord more than he feared the queen.

Obadiah, the king's steward, heard the order given.

And that very night, he slipped out the back gate without a torch, carrying a basket of bread beneath his cloak.

He found them where he knew they would be, hiding in a barn.

Any spring, any valley where there is still a thread of green.

If the horses fall, we have nothing to fight with when Aram comes.

Obadiah went.

And on the road, in the middle of a valley of nothing but stone and dust, a man was coming from the opposite direction.

Here is where we meet a man whose name deserves to be remembered far more than it usually is.

His name was Obadiah, and he was the man in charge of Ahab's household.

In modern terms, he was something like a chief of staff or a palace steward.

He controlled access.

He managed the estate.

He was, by any measure, an insider, one of the most trusted men in the government of a king the account describes as doing more evil than all who came before him.

And the account tells us plainly that Obadiah feared the Lord greatly.

Sit with that for a moment, because it is one of the quiet miracles of this story.

So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab.

Now the famine was severe in Samaria, and Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household.

Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly, and when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.

And Ahab said to Obadiah, Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys.

Perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, and not lose some of the animals.

So they divided the land between them to pass through it.

Ahab went in one direction by himself, and Obadiah went in another direction by himself.

And as Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him.

Many prophets faithful to Yahweh were killed, and those who escaped had to hide.

Obadiah, a God-fearing servant within the palace itself, risked his life to protect a hundred prophets, hiding them in caves and sustaining them with bread and water.

The atmosphere in Israel was one of fear, repression, and idolatry.

Jezebel had turned the promised land into a field of persecution, where the truth was silenced and worship of the true God became clandestine.

Yes, thank you.

And the interesting thing is that we already know from chapter 18 that Obadiah made him aware that there are at least 100 other faithful prophets who love the Lord and serve God of Israel, and their lives are at risk.

But in chapter 19, he forgets all about them and says, I am alone.

And when God says, okay, go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, The Lord is going to pass by because he runs to Horeb.

He's going to visit or try and find Ahab.

He bumps into a man by the name of Obadiah.

You know who Obadiah was? He was the palace administrator.

He worked for King Ahab and for Jezebel.

Jezebel was busy killing all God's prophets in the land.

She hated God and she hated the things of God.

Obadiah loved God.

And so God puts him in this evil, corrupt king and wife's sphere.

Now the famine was severe in Samaria.

And Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household.

Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly, and when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water.

And Ahab said to Obadiah, Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys.

Perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive and not lose some of the animals.

So they divided the land between them to pass through it.

Ahab went in one direction by himself, and Obadiah went in another direction by himself.

And as Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him.