I Kings 18:7-16

Have you ever served the Lord faithfully in difficult times hoping for the Lord to grant relief when instead He gave you an even more dangerous or difficult task?

From man’s perspective, Obadiah was playing a dangerous game. He had been disobeying the wicked orders of the king and queen, securing enough food each day to feed 100 prophets, all while managing the household of the king of Israel. After three years of severe famine, Obadiah was on a job with King Ahab to find favorable fields for some of the last surviving cattle to graze on. It was in this setting that Elijah met Obadiah and gave him a task that could have brought Obadiah to a swift death,  resulting in the deaths of God’s prophets as well.

Clearly when Obadiah saw Elijah it had been some time since their last meeting. Perhaps it was three years earlier when Elijah first spoke to Ahab of the drought and famine. The way Obadiah greeted Elijah is very respectful, “Is it you, my Lord Elijah?” (vs. 7). He did not ask Elijah what took him so long to come or what he had been doing; he recognized Elijah as the prophet of the Lord and honored him.

After this greeting, Elijah gave Obadiah a disheartening task. He told Obadiah to tell Ahab that Elijah was there to speak with him. The text reads almost like Obadiah broke down at this news. So hard had been his work in protecting the prophets and his own life that this new unpleasant task seemed too much to bear.

Obadiah knew that God was sheltering Elijah from the hand of the king. Elijah was at the top of Ahab and Jezebel’s most wanted list. If Obadiah delivered the news to Ahab, Elijah could simply disappear again and Ahab’s wrath would be taken out on Obadiah.

Have you ever been overwhelmed by the tasks the Lord has set before you? Obadiah certainly was at this moment, for he reminded Elijah of his service to the Lord from his youth to the present day (v. 12). He reminded Elijah of his protection of the 100 prophets of the Lord. The conclusion then was this question: did Elijah wish for Obadiah to be killed (v. 14)?

From verses 9-14, Obadiah laid out his concern for his pending death if he were to follow through with Elijah’s command. Elijah consoled his friend Obadiah very simply with one sentence: “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him [Ahab] today” (vs. 15). With that, Obadiah leaves the narrative of Scripture and he does so in a glorious manner – he obeyed the voice of the Lord through Elijah and went and told King Ahab.

God can call you to difficult tasks followed by even more fearful tasks. He certainly did this to His servant Obadiah. But it was through this great task that the Lord would work deliverance in Israel from the plague of famine and from the plague of Baal and his priests. The most fearful time in Obadiah’s labors for the Lord came right before the greatest deliverance.

Perhaps we have felt that we have labored much for the Lord during our days, and now the Lord has separated us from worshipping God together in His church. We can only see each other through electronic means. What more could the Lord have for us to do? Does He want us even now to die? Maybe. But perhaps the Lord is using this time to bring great reformation and revival in His bride, the church. Perhaps He is using it to reveal to us our secret and hidden sins and to turn us from them in repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.

Through every call of duty to the Lord may we be like Obadiah, hearing the Word of the Lord and doing it.

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