17 TROUBLE IS BREWING

First, we see the sad state of Israel with Jezebel killing God’s prophets as verses 4 and 13 both say. “While Jezebel was killing off the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.)” and “Haven’t you heard, my lord, what I did while Jezebel was killing the prophets of the Lord? I hid a hundred of the Lord’s prophets in two caves, fifty in each, and supplied them with food and water.” Being an avid worshipper of Baal, Jezebel was a persecutor of Israel’s God and, horror of horrors, she also made Ahab one. Even in those bad times, when the calves were worshipped and the temple at Jerusalem deserted, yet there were some good people that feared God and served Him, and some good prophets that instructed them in the knowledge of Him and assisted them in their devotions.

The priests and the Levites had all gone to Judah and Jerusalem from what we gather from 2 Chronicles 11:13, 14, yet evidently to replace them in Israel God raised up these prophets, who read and taught the law in private meetings, or in the families that retained their faith in Jehovah. We do not read of any synagogues at this time and these prophets did not seem to have the spirit of prophecy as Elijah. It appears that they did not offer sacrifice, or burn incense, but nevertheless tried to teach the people to live well, and keep close to the God of Israel. These were the ones Jezebel aimed to kill off as she put many of them to death. This was as much a public calamity as a public iniquity, and threatened the utter ruin of the worship of God in Israel. Those few who escaped the sword were forced to flee, and hide themselves in caves, where they were figuratively buried alive and cut off from usefulness. To be useful is important to the man or woman of God, so to be unable to serve their God was like a living death to these good men. Furthermore, when the prophets were persecuted and driven into caves, no doubt their friends, those few good people in the land, were treated similarly.

Second, God’s man Obadiah was where he was needed. As bad as things were, there was one very good man, who was evidently a great man at court, Obadiah, was his name and he lived up to its meaning.  His name means “servant of God” or “worshipper of Yahweh.” According to verse 3, “Obadiah was a devout believer in the Lord,” He not only was a good man, but zealously and outstandingly good. His high position made his goodness even more outstanding. It gave him great opportunities for doing good. He could claim that he had “worshipped the Lord since my youth” (12). He began early and had continued long in his faithful service to the Lord. Early godliness, it is to be hoped, will lead to long-term, lifetime godliness. Youth that are good have the opportunity to become very good. If someone fears the Lord as a youth, he or she may eventually come to fear Him greatly. Some who serve the Lord early in life change their direction, but there is no inherent reason to change that good trajectory. Serving Him early can and should lead to serving Him long, zealously and with good results as with this good man Obadiah. It is a life-long advantage to have served the Lord as a young person.

It is strange, however, to find such an eminently good man the governor of Ahab’s house, an office of great honor, power, and trust. When everything else about Ahab, largely influenced by his wife Jezebel, was so wicked, how could Ahab allow this good man to remain in his administration? Would Ahab not fear that Obadiah would ruin his household? It was strange that so wicked a man as Ahab would prefer Obediah and continue him in it. Certainly it was because Obediah was a man of celebrated honesty, industry, and ingenuity, and one in whom Ahab could place his unreserved a confidence. Obadiah was one whose eyes Ahab could trust as much as his own. This seems to be true as we look at verse 5, “Ahab had said to Obadiah, ‘Go through the land to all the springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grass to keep the horses and mules alive so we will not have to kill any of our animals.’” Joseph and Daniel were preferred because there were none so fit as they for the influential places to which they were appointed. Could this imply that those who profess a close relationship with God should work to commend themselves to even those who themselves lack integrity, fidelity, and uprightness in business?

Another strange aspect in this story is that it is not easy to understand why so good a man as Obadiah would accept a high position in a court so bound to idolatry and its associated wickedness. We may be sure his godliness was not a required qualification for the position. To the contrary, those who had the same high view of Baal over Jehovah as Ahab and Jezebel had may have had an advantage. Surely Obadiah would not have accepted the place or remained in it if he could not have had it without bowing the knee to Baal. Ahab was not so foolish as to exclude those from offices who were fit to serve him, merely because they would not join with him in his worship of Baal. That man who is true to his God will be faithful to his prince. Whatever the rationale for the ungodly Ahab to have the godly Obadiah on his staff, we must conclude that a sovereign God wanted a godly witness there. God put Obadiah where God wanted him to be.

Obadiah therefore could with a good conscience enjoy the place, and therefore would not decline it, nor give it up, even though he saw he could not do the good he wanted to do in it. He could not do all the good he would have preferred, but he could do some good and that may be why he stayed in this situation in which he was a misfit. Those who fear God do not need to go out of the world, bad as it is.

Another perplexing matter is the fact that it was strange that neither did he reform Ahab nor did Ahab corrupt him. It seems they were both fixed; he that was filthy would be filthy still, and he that was holy would be holy still. Those fear God greatly that keep up the fear of Him in bad times and places. Obadiah was strong and resolute enough to do this and Ahab was stubborn enough and influenced by Jezebel enough that he did not change either. God has his remnant among all sorts, high and low. There were saints in Nero’s household and in Ahab’s though neither Nero nor Ahab changed when they could have.

Third, this great good man, Ohadiah, used his power for the protection of God’s prophets. He hid 100 of them in two caves, when the persecution was hot, and fed them with bread and water according to verse 4. “While Jezebel was killing off the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.)” He did not think it enough to fear God himself, but, having wealth and power or position to do it, he thought himself obliged to assist, bless and protect others that feared God. Obadiah did not think his being kind to the 100 prophets would excuse him from being good himself. He did both. He both feared God greatly himself and helped others who also feared Him.

See how wonderfully God raises up friends for His ministers and people, for their shelter in difficult times, even where one would least expect them. Bread and water were now scarce commodities, yet Obadiah will find a way to get both for God’s prophets, to keep them alive for later service. This act of faith and kindness may indicate that Obadiah believed the present pro-Baal government would need to change it policy. He wanted these prophets to still be around later even though now they were laid aside, hiding in two caves.

Fourth, when Jezebel cut off God’s prophets, God, by a drought, cut off Israel’s necessary provisions. Perhaps Jezebel persecuted God’s prophets under pretense that they were the cause of the judgment, because Elijah had foretold it, but God let them know the contrary. The famine continued till Baal’s prophets were sacrificed. So great was the scarcity of water that the king himself and Obadiah went in person throughout the land to seek for grass for the cattle. Verses 5 & 6 say, “Ahab had said to Obadiah, ‘Go through the land to all the springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grass to keep the horses and mules alive so we will not have to kill any of our animals.’ 6 So they divided the land they were to cover, Ahab going in one direction and Obadiah in another.” God’s plan ordered, that Ahab might, with his own eyes, see how bad the consequences of this judgment was. He could have been the better inclined to listen to Elijah, who could direct him to the only way to end to it. Ahab’s care was not to lose the cattle, though many were probably already lost. Ahab took great care about the cattle, but no care about his soul, not to lose that. He took a great deal of pains to seek grass, but none to seek the favor of God.

He worked and fought against the effect of the drought, the dying cattle, but showed no concern or inquiring as to how to remove the cause, Israel’s sin. The land of Judah was close to the land of Israel, but we find no indication of any lack of rain there. God is able when He wants to to cause it to rain on one city but not on another. Amos 4:7,8 says “‘I also withheld rain from you when the harvest was still three months away. I sent rain on one town, but withheld it from another. One field had rain; another had none and dried up. 8 People staggered from town to town for water but did not get enough to drink, yet you have not returned to me,’ declares the Lord.” But just as the people in Amos day blinded their eyes, hardened their hearts and would not see so it seems that Ahab and his administration did not pay attention to important indications that could have helped Israel. Lord, teach us to hear your voice and help us also to interpret subtile signs you may be making available if we will just watch and read them correctly.

Fifth, Ahab wanted to get Elijah. He had made diligent search for Elijah according to verse 10 which says, “As surely as the Lord your God lives, there is not a nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to look for you. And whenever a nation or kingdom claimed you were not there, he made them swear they could not find you.” Also he had offered rewards to any one that would discover him and had sent spies to every tribe of his own nation and also the other surrounding nations or kingdoms, and, even when they denied that they knew anything of him, Ahab would not believe them unless they swore to it.

The story line seems to imply that if ever they did find him they would deliver him up. It should seem, he made this diligent search for him, not so much that he might punish him for what he had done in stating the denouncing judgment, but rather to attempt to cause him to undo it, that is to recall the sentence. Elijah had said, you will recall, that rain would not come again except when he would say so. Ahab evidently thought himself powerful enough to change Elijah’s mind as though Elijah, a mere man, just a spokesperson for God, could change something that he had said speaking for God. Ahab did not seem to realize that one cannot change what God said. Balak made the same mistake when he heard what Balaam prophesied about Israel’s prosperity. When Elijah told Ahab to meet him at the top of  Mount Carmel, Ahab agreed and would soon arrange that the prophets of Baal and Asheroth would be there. This may indicate that Ahab hoped that Elijah would cancel the judgment or do something to stop the drought and allow rain to fall. Elijah did, in fact, stop the drought and bring rain, but certainly it was in a way that Ahab did not expect. We find that when they came together, Elijah, knowing why Ahab wanted him, invited Ahab to meet him on Mount Carmel and Ahab complied with the appointment. It was a clever way for Elijah to entice Ahab to attend and witness the great event that was to take place on Mount Carmel.

Sixth, God ordered Elijah to present himself to Ahab. The time had now come when God would send rain on the land as verse 1 says,“After a long time, in the third year, the word of the Lord came to Elijah: ‘Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.’” For more than two years he had been hidden with the widow at Zarephath, after he had been concealed one year by the brook Cherith. This would account for the fact that it was the third year of his living there, spoken of in verse 1 which we just read. It was in the fourth year of the famine, which lasted in all three years and six months. Such was Elijah’s zeal, no doubt, against the idolatry of Baal, and this also shows his compassion for his people, that he may have been uncomfortable with the delay, confined to a corner. Hidden, yes, but still willing to appear when God said, “Go and present yourself to Ahab.”

The hour has come; the time was ripe. It is well for any of God’s people when God calls his ministers out of their corners and sends that minister to them. This is true whether the need is for physical rain as in Elijah’s day or the rain of the blessings of God as God chooses to pour out His Spirit on all flesh. It is a glad day when God’s teachers are released to again teach the people what they need to hear from God to break the curse of their affliction. Isaiah 30:20 says, “Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them.” Man or woman of God, at God’s appointed time, He will bring you out of obscurity and hiding and release you to deliver the message that burns in your heart and soul.

Seventh, Elijah reveals himself first to Obadiah. He knew, probably by the Spirit, where to meet him, and we are here told what transpired between them. Obadiah saluted him with great respect, fell on his face, and humbly asked, “Is it really you my lord, Elijah?” (8) As he had shown the tenderness of a father to the sons of the prophets, so he showed the reverence of a son to this father of the prophets; and by this made it clear that he really did fear God greatly, and that God honored Obadiah who was His extraordinary ambassador and had a great interest in God’s plans. Elijah, in answer to him, transfers a title of honor to Ahab: “Go tell your master, Elijah is here” as though to say ‘call him your lord, not me;’ that is a fitter title for a prince than for a prophet. A prophet does not seek honor from men. They may be called seers, shepherds, watchmen, and ministers, rather than lords. Prophets of God are more concerned with their duty than with dominion. He tells Obadiah to go and tell the king that he is there to speak with him as verse 8, above, says. He wanted the king to know before he met him so it would not be a surprise and that in making this announcement it would be clear that Elijah initiated the meeting, not Ahab who had looked for him in vain for three years. God was in control of the agenda and the timing for the meeting with Ahab. It is good for us too if we can be aware of this. God has the agenda and clock in His control; not ours. We have to follow His agenda, not ours, and have to wait sometimes.

Eighth, Obadiah begs to be excused from carrying this message to Ahab. This is funny. Obadiah tells Elijah what a great search Ahab had made for him and how much he wanted to find him. He takes it for granted that Elijah would hide again as verse 12 states, “I don’t know where the Spirit of the Lord may carry you when I leave you. If I go and tell Ahab and he doesn’t find you, he will kill me.” It is possible it had seemed that God had moved Elijah. Ha! Then Elijah satisfied Obadiah that he might safely deliver this message to Ahab with no risk to his own life, by assuring him, with an oath that he would this very day, present himself to Ahab. Verse 15 says, “Elijah said, ‘As the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, I will surely present myself to Ahab today.’” Just let Obadiah know that he spoke seriously and really intended to speak with Ahab and you will find Obadiah a ready servant. 

The stage is being set for one of the most dramatic events recorded in the Bible.