This morning we saw how God uses ordinary people with ordinary jobs to do extraordinary things for God. But tonight I want to connect the two pictures and people. In verse one the Lord speaks to Elijah to go back to Ahab and say the drought will end. In verse 3-4 Obadiah is asked to go with Ahab to search for green grass. In order to cover the most ground Ahab goes in one direction and Ahab the other.
Verse 7 As Obadiah was walking along, he saw Elijah coming toward him. Obadiah recognized him at once and fell to the ground before him. Is it really you, my Lord Elijah?" He asked...
The ordinary man meets up with an extraordinary prophet. Obadiah was stunned and awed. Over the last three years Elijah had become a legend among the believers as they heard of Elijah’s confrontation with Ahab. An Ahab’s quest to find Elijah always coming up naught. For the believers Elijah was somewhat of a Robin Hood figure and all of a sudden Obadiah faces him.
Verse 8 Yes, It is Elijah replied, II Now go and tell your master I am here...
Elijah anxious for his life to get back to normal wastes no words. He was ready for Ahab. Bring him on.
Verse 9 Oh Sir, Obadiah Protested, what harm have I done to you that you are sending me to my death at the hands of Ahab? For I swear by the Lord your God that the King searched every nation and kingdom on earth from end to find you. And each time when he was told, Elijah isn’t here, King Ahab forced the king of that nation to swear to the truth of that claim... And now you say Go and tell your master that Elijah is here/ But as soon as I leave you, the spirit of the Lord will carry you away to who knows where. When Ahab comes and can not find you, he will kill me. Yet I have been a true servant of the Lord all my life.
I read this and wonder what is really going on with Obadiah. This is the same man who hid 100 prophets and risked his own life to feed them. Why such a response to such a simple request? Perhaps.
· He had experienced the temper of Ahab and Jezebel. Maybe he had even
witnessed executions purely on speculations and feared foe his life
· Maybe he was fearful to be discovered. How did he know Elijah and why would Elijah show himself to Obadiah? A paranoid Ahab might put two and two together.
· Maybe working undercover for so long heighten the fear of publicly telling
Ahab Elijah is here
· Maybe a bit of jealousy of irritation Elijah comes in three years ago
commands a drought leaves and then leaves them to suffer its effects with
Elijah no where to be seen. Kinda like you started this Elijah, Now you finish it
· Maybe too it was the jealousy of the ordinary man to the extraordinary
prophet. Why can I be like Him? Why must I be me?
Who knows why but Obadiah stalled?
In verses 13 he recants to Elijah what he has been doing since he left.
Has no one told you, my lord, about the time when Jezebel was trying to kill all the prophets? I hid a hundred of them in two caves and supplied them with food and water.
Elijah this is my mission field and it seems you are about to disrupt it. Some one coming in from the outside saying this is what you should do, but I have been here and you have not.
Verse 14 He pleads once more...And now you say, GO and tell your master that Elijah is herel Sir If I do that, I’m as good as dead.
But Elijah said, I swear by the Lord Almighty, in whose presence I stand that I will present myself to Ahab today
So Obadiah went to tell Ahab that Elijah had come and Ahab went out to meet him...
Insights
· Hang on God doesn’t always make sense to us. His goal for our lives is not
so much in what we do for him but the process of growing to be like him · Obedience is the Key to the process and growth · Some times we must step out of our comfort zones and take a stand for
Christ
· Jealousy is natural between those who appear ordinary and those who
appear extraordinary but don’t camp there. Remember you are on the same
team
· Let Go and let God completely lead... Before you know it you will be at a great adventure place....
