And Ahab had called Obadiah, who was in charge of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly. For so it was, while Jezebel massacred the prophets of the Lord, that Obadiah had taken one hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty to a cave, and had fed them with bread and water.)
--1 Kings 18:3-4 (NKJV)
From the daily Bible reading on June 16, 2013 of Psalm 107:21-32; 2 Corinthians 11; 1 Kings 18-19:9.
After the house of Jacob split into two kingdoms, Israel in the north and Judah in the south, Israel was led by one sinful king after another. The line of succession was tumultuous and often violent. The matter of today's focus verses occurs during the reign of King Ahab, the son of Omri, who ruled over Israel for 22 years (please see verse 16:29). Our author notes that Ahab "did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who were before him" (verse 16:30), a phrase our author used often when describing the kings of Israel, giving us the indication that each succeeding king was worse than the one before him. Ahab compounded his sin when he married Jezebel, a Sidonian, who further led him to serve and worship Baal. He had altars and houses of worship built for Baal and the Asherah, leading the people into the sin of worshiping false gods (verses 16:31-34).
This section of the first book of the Kings centers on Elijah, whose very name means "Yahweh is God", and his interactions with Ahab, the king who favored Baal over Yahweh. Chapter 18 opens with God ordering Elijah to face Ahab so that the Lord might end the drought He had imposed and thus display His power. And then we turn to an interesting discourse on a man named Obadiah (not the author of the Old Testament book of the same name), who we are told had the very important position of heading up King Ahab's household. When we first meet Obadiah, he has been sent by Ahab to try to find even a little grass for the livestock when he comes upon Elijah who sends him back to Ahab to tell the king of the holy man's coming. But early in this narrative, our author imparts a bit of knowledge, the significance of which belies its parenthetical inclusion. Jezebel was behind the rounding up and slaughter of prophets and holy men of the one true God in her zeal to serve Baal. She would not rest until all those throughout the entire land who served the Lord were hunted down and killed. From the first part of our author's little aside we learn that Obadiah "feared the Lord greatly", a fact he must have kept very well hidden from Jezebel. And then comes the absolutely amazing morsel of information. Not only did Obadiah hide his belief in God from his employers, but he also hid 100 prophets of God in two caves, keeping them safe and the word of God alive. He provided them with food and water, a very difficult task indeed during a time of drought and famine.
We should model ourselves after Obadiah, doing whatever is necessary to ensure the word of God and our belief in Him thrives, no matter the costs or risks we ourselves might incur. But unlike Obadiah, we should not try to hide our belief. We should make it known and share it with all we encounter and everywhere we go. Amen.
Lord God, we love to say Your name. Thank You for the example of Obadiah who took great risks to keep alive belief in You. Please help us be as willing as he to do all we can to help spread the Gospel of Christ Jesus throughout the world. In the glorious name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
This section of the first book of the Kings centers on Elijah, whose very name means "Yahweh is God", and his interactions with Ahab, the king who favored Baal over Yahweh. Chapter 18 opens with God ordering Elijah to face Ahab so that the Lord might end the drought He had imposed and thus display His power. And then we turn to an interesting discourse on a man named Obadiah (not the author of the Old Testament book of the same name), who we are told had the very important position of heading up King Ahab's household. When we first meet Obadiah, he has been sent by Ahab to try to find even a little grass for the livestock when he comes upon Elijah who sends him back to Ahab to tell the king of the holy man's coming. But early in this narrative, our author imparts a bit of knowledge, the significance of which belies its parenthetical inclusion. Jezebel was behind the rounding up and slaughter of prophets and holy men of the one true God in her zeal to serve Baal. She would not rest until all those throughout the entire land who served the Lord were hunted down and killed. From the first part of our author's little aside we learn that Obadiah "feared the Lord greatly", a fact he must have kept very well hidden from Jezebel. And then comes the absolutely amazing morsel of information. Not only did Obadiah hide his belief in God from his employers, but he also hid 100 prophets of God in two caves, keeping them safe and the word of God alive. He provided them with food and water, a very difficult task indeed during a time of drought and famine.
We should model ourselves after Obadiah, doing whatever is necessary to ensure the word of God and our belief in Him thrives, no matter the costs or risks we ourselves might incur. But unlike Obadiah, we should not try to hide our belief. We should make it known and share it with all we encounter and everywhere we go. Amen.
Lord God, we love to say Your name. Thank You for the example of Obadiah who took great risks to keep alive belief in You. Please help us be as willing as he to do all we can to help spread the Gospel of Christ Jesus throughout the world. In the glorious name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
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