March 28, 2021, 1 Kings 18:5-18 Post 2

This week’s focus passage can be found at –
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+18%3A5-18&version=NRSV

IV.
In the post from the other day, I asked you to pay attention to the three men called by name in this passage.

Who do you see and what do you notice about them?

V.
They are by name (in order of appearance) Ahab, Obadiah, and Elijah.

Ahab, King of Israel; Elijah the Lord’s prophet; and Obadiah

If you are not familiar with Ahab, this might be a good summary of how he is presented in Scripture –

In the thirty-eighth year of King Asa of Judah, Ahab son of Omri began to reign over Israel; Ahab son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. Ahab son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who were before him. (1 Kings 16:29 – 30)

… and Elijah – Beginning in 1 Kings 17 we encounter Elijah who goes to Ahab to tell him of a coming drough, and goes on to confront Ahab many times as he does here,

[Elijah] answered, “I have not troubled Israel; but you have, and your father’s house, because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals. (1 Kings 18:18)

Then there is Obediah. We are told,

Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Now Obadiah revered the Lord greatly; when Jezebel was killing off the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets, hid them fifty to a cave, and provided them with bread and water.) (1 Kings 18:3-4)

So Obediah is in charge of the palace, and appears to be Ahab’s “right-hand man” when Ahab has Obediah help him find the means to keep the horses and mules alive when a drought goes through Ahab’s kingdom.

And then, “Obadiah revered the Lord greatly…”

VI.
Obadiah strikes me as a “man in the middle” or maybe “caught” in the middle.

Read again the conversation between Obadiah and Elijah.

What kind of person do you take Obadiah to be?

What (or who) does he fear?

What (or who) does he obey?

Do you think he is the kind of person a prophet of the “most high God” should send as a messenger to a King?

Spend some time with Obadiah and get to know him. What might he be able to show us?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}


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