Please note that this article is derived from a sermon series on 1 Kings given in Bermondsey Gospel Hall, the audio of which can be found here.
Much has happened since we last gathered together on 15 March. Within that relatively short period of time, as of yesterday, 46,566 have died in the UK with COVID-19 and many many times that have suffered in some other way. Each of us will have faced unique challenges since last gathering. Worries about work. Frustrations with furlough. Struggling with sickness. Living in lockdown. Missing loved ones. After what have been, and continues to be, difficult days, what does God have to say to us? Does the Bible have a message for a time like this? I do not claim to have a message from God specifically given for such a moment. I decided to preach through these chapters at the start of the year, long before anyone could have imagined the current circumstances. And yet, I cannot ignore the fact that in 1 Kings 18, Elijah is in a very similar situation. There have been dark days in Israel too.
If you cast your minds back, you will remember we find ourselves in the Age of Ahab. Unlike the days of David and Solomon, Ahab’s reign over Israel was characterised by openly defying God. Influenced by his infamous Sidonian wife Jezebel, Ahab fully embraced the worship of her Sidonian god Baal. Just as Solomon built a house for God in his capital, Jerusalem, Ahab constructs a house for Baal in his capital, Samaria. Times have changed in Israel. Not only is there a new king, but a new god in a new temple in a new capital.
It is onto this scene, that Elijah first bursts (17:1), ‘Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word."’ From the moment those words came from the lips of Elijah, no rain came from the skies of Israel. Drought descended. However, throughout the rest of 1 Kings 17, as famine spreads across the region, we see that God is able to provide for those who trust in his word. First, Elijah is sustained by food brought by ravens. Then, a Sidonian widow is saved by a jar of flour and jug of oil that never run out. And even death is defeated by God’s promise of life, for after the widow’s son dies, Elijah raises him from the dead.
However, when we pick up the story at the start of 1 Kings 18, we have jumped forward in time. That blank space in your Bible between 17:24 and 18:1 is probably a period of many months, if not years. It has been a long time, many days (18:1), since the miracles of chapter 17. The drought has stretched into its third year. For the Sidonian widow, the jar has not yet been spent and the jug has not been found empty. However, in Luke 5:25 Jesus points out that there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah. Most will have long found their jars and jugs to be empty. The elderly, the sick and the poor, many of the most vulnerable people in Israel will have perished during this period. Like us, the word of the LORD comes to Elijah after difficult days.
‘After many days the word of the LORD came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, "Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth."’ It is time for the drought to end and so Elijah is ordered to leave lockdown confront King Ahab and bring back the rain. We are told Elijah obeys, (18:2) ‘So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab.’ And yet, rather than immediately reading about this encounter, the author starts to record its background. He could have just jumped to 18:17, ‘When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him…’. But he doesn’t. Why? While we are asking, why didn’t the author just skip Ahab and go straight to chapter’s highlight: the contest between Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel? Instead, the author devotes almost as many verses to Elijah’s awkward exchange with Obadiah and angry argument with Ahab as he does fire falling from heaven. Why? What is so important about the details of our passage that the author wants us to notice? Well, I believe the author draws two details to our attention, just as he brings two individuals to Elijah, to comfort and strengthen us after difficult days. The author highlights: (1) Obadiah’s Service and (2) Ahab’s Suffering.
1. OBADIAH’S SERVICE – An example of and an encouragement to service
Not all superheroes wear capes. It is a phrase that we have heard a lot recently. It is the reason we have clapped for carers and thanked every staff member we see at Sainsbury’s. This crisis has made us realise that key workers are key not because they make the most money or have the flashiest business card. They are key because without these ordinary, often overlooked, heroes, both our way of life and our lives themselves would be at risk. Sometimes the heroes aren’t who you would expect. Just as we have learnt you don’t have to wear a cape to be a hero, I believe our passage teaches you don’t have to be a prophet to be God’s servant. As Dale Ralph Davis puts it, ‘Faithfulness is not so dull that it only comes in one flavour.’ Yes, God clearly uses prophets like Elijah. However, with Obadiah, we meet another very different servant of the LORD.
That is literally who we meet, for the name Obadiah means ‘servant of the LORD’. As there is unlikely to be any connection with Obadiah the minor prophet, 1 Kings 18 is the only time this Obadiah is mentioned in the Bible. However, he is unlikely to complain. If you were only going to be mentioned once, you would want it to be like this. For Obadiah is presented to us as a faithful servant of God. When he is introduced, Obadiah is described as ‘over the household’ of King Ahab, the equivalent of Head of the Civil Service in the UK. However, he has a far greater claim to fame that that: his rescue of 100 prophets of God from the persecution of Jezebel is much more important. So great is this achievement, the author records it twice: first as the narrator and then from Obadiah when talking to Elijah (18:2-4,13). The fact that it is not just Obadiah, but the narrator himself, who records this great feat, shows Obadiah is a genuine hero. This isn’t somebody talking himself up in front of Elijah. Obadiah may not be wearing a cape, but we are left in no doubt that he is a true hero.
What then do we do with this hero? Do we even need another hero? Elijah is a pretty impressive servant of God. He has just stopped it raining for three years and performed the first resurrection in history. Why bother including Obadiah in the story at all? I see at least two reasons: Obadiah is both an example and encouragement.
A. Example of Service
Just as Paul holds himself out as an example to the Corinthians (1 Cor 11:1), ‘Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ’ (1 Cor 11:1), I am willing, at least for a moment, to hold Obadiah out as an example for imitation. We should imitate much about Obadiah, like his fearlessness. Obadiah wasn’t naïve. Obadiah explains 3 times that if he announces Elijah’s location and Ahab does not find him there, Obadiah would be killed (18:9, 12, 14). If Ahab will kill Obadiah in frustration at not finding one prophet, what will he do if he hears Obadiah hid 100 in a cave? Obadiah knows the risk; he understands the consequences. And yet, his great fear of God overcomes all other fear. Obadiah exemplifies those word of the hymn: ‘Fear him, ye saints, and you will then, have nothing else to fear; make you his service your delight, your wants shall be his care.’
However, more than this, it is Obadiah’s freedom that stands out. The most remarkable thing about Obadiah is perhaps that he is an excellent example of both civil obedience and civil disobedience. When it comes to Queen Jezebel cutting off the prophets, Obadiah opposes. He risks his life in fearless service to his God. When it comes to King Ahab watering the animals, Obadiah obeys. He gives his assistance in faithful service to his King. Obadiah perfectly portrays that principle proclaimed by Jesus (Mark 12:17), ‘Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ Obadiah is free to feed the Queen’s enemies in hiding at the same time as he feeds the King’s beasts in the field. He lived out what Peter instructs us to do in 1 Peter 2:13-17, ‘Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution…Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.’ Obadiah feared God, loved the prophets and honoured the King.
At a time when our government is producing rules and guidelines regarding corporate worship, Obadiah’s example is a helpful reminder to us. Yes, there will inevitably be differences of opinion and conscience regarding what we should or should not do as churches. However, let us all agree on the central principle: we are to honour those in authority over us, so far as this does not mean that we dishonour God. Obadiah’s actions leave us in no doubt that he knew God was his ultimate lord, and yet he obeys his master and king, Ahab, where possible. We see this duality in 18:7-13. Throughout both Elijah and Ahab are referenced as Obadiah’s lord. Obadiah serves the interests both of God’s kingdom and, where possible, Ahab’s kingdom as well.
Christians, let us not, in a rush of zeal to serve our heavenly master, forget to also serve our earthly masters. Like Obadiah, we must find the right hills to die on. There is no doubt that Obadiah was willing to be a martyr, but only for the right cause. He would willingly die for his disobedience in feeding the prophets of the LORD, but he was not going to die for disobedience in feeding the cattle of the king. He was free to disobey the King in order to obey God. But as a servant of God, he was also a servant of those God had set over him. The same is true of us. Let us imitate Obadiah as both fearless and free servants of the LORD.
B. Encouragement to Service
Not only is Obadiah’s service an example, it is also an encouragement. After years of suffering, Elijah is told to leave hiding and confront the one hunting him. James says ‘Elijah was a man with a nature like ours’ (James 5:17), so surely on that journey to meet Ahab he had doubts and fears. How could he expect to escape death at Ahab’s hand? And yet, in God’s reassuring providence, instead of meeting Ahab, Elijah encounters Obadiah. Given Obadiah is the right-hand servant of his enemy, Elijah would have been shocked to receive a bow and be called his lord. When Obadiah reveals the fate of God’s prophets, what a reminder this must have been to Elijah of God’s power and protection. The prophets of Baal may be feasting at Queen Jezebel’s table, but the prophets of God, through Obadiah, are feasting from King Ahab’s table. Perhaps Elijah was reminded how much better it is to serve God than man. God was able to supply his prophets in a cave, while the king couldn’t even feed his beasts in the open field. Maybe it is meeting Obadiah that causes Elijah to boldly exclaim "As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today." (18:15) Elijah had been reminded that his God was the God of hosts, of armies. That Elijah wasn’t just one lone-ranger operative sent into a hostile world by his God. He was just one in an army of servants that God had sent out to fight this war.
If you are a Christian, then you have received a specific calling. You will need to focus your energy and attention on the mission assigned to you: in your community, workplace and local church. However, we need to be careful not to bury our heads in the sand. To live like we are the only servants working for God in this world. God has called many different servants to carry out many different missions for him. If we forget that, we will inevitably end up discouraged. I think that is what happens to Elijah in the coming chapters. He quickly forgets about Obadiah. Soon he will confront his enemies on Mount Carmel, declaring (18:22), ‘I, even I only, am left a prophet of the LORD but Baal’s prophets are 450 men.’ When we read this, we think of Elijah’s statement as heroic. A bold last stand against overwhelming odds. And yet when you keep reading you see the result of his reasoning. When the signs of revival quickly fizzle out, when Israel does not truly turn back to God, when Jezebel renews her persecution with extra zeal, coming after Elijah himself, Elijah descends into despair. In 1 Kings 19 because he hasn’t seen any lasting fruit, he feels himself have been a failure and walking into the wilderness asks God to let him die. Twice he is given the opportunity to bring his burden to God and twice complains using the same language as he did on Mount Carmel: ‘the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left…’ (19:10,14). O Elijah, may we imitate your fearlessness, but not follow your foolishness. He has forgotten he is not alone. That he is not the only prophet left. That there are 100 safe in a cave through the faithful service of Obadiah. In 1 Kings 18 on Mount Carmel, Elijah places the whole burden of God’s kingdom on his shoulders, we should hardly be surprised that in 1 Kings 19, we find him crushed beneath that weight. Because he had forgotten that God had other servants, he is left without hope when his service fails to deliver.
Christians, let us not forget about one another. Even when we do not see the desired fruit from our own service, we can be encouraged by the faithful service of others. How freeing is it to know that the success of God’s kingdom does not ultimately depend on our service. There is only one who can be the cornerstone of the church, only Jesus can carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. God does not ask us to do that. Let us not try to bear such a burden. Let us remember that God has no shortage of servants, whether they be ravens, widows or prominent public figures like Obadiah. God does not struggle to sign up supporters for his cause. Even if you are losing a battle, look to your fellow soldiers and see that God’s army is still winning this war.
2. AHAB’S SUFFERING – An explanation of and an end to suffering
When things go wrong, people often look for somebody to blame. If you have been following recent political events, you will have noticed the initial unity across the political spectrum over COVID has now broken down. Opposition politicians have made statements about the Government failing to take the necessary steps to protect us. The Government in turn has talked a lot about their strict adherence to scientific advice. Observers suggest that a delicate game of pass the parcel has begun, with those involved each wanting to avoid being blamed for what has been one of the great tragedies of modern times. King Ahab is significantly less delicate about apportioning blame for his national disaster. Obadiah’s greeting to Elijah, ‘Is it you, my lord Elijah?’ is in stark contrast to Ahab’s, ‘Is it you, you troubler of Israel?’ (18:7,17). Ahab perceives that it is the prophet who has caused this trouble, he was after all the one who had declared the drought, withholding rain by his word. And yet, just as with Obadiah’s service, where we initially thought he was serving one master but was actually also serving another. Here we see that the suffering that initially seems to have been caused by Elijah, actually has another source. For in his response Elijah gives Ahab an explanation of his suffering.
A. Explanation of Suffering
If you go back to when Elijah announced the drought in 17:1, you will see the author doesn’t an explanation of why it was sent. It was possible to guess, but in 18:18 we are left in no doubt: ‘And he answered, "I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father's house, because you have abandoned the commandments of the LORD and followed the Baals.’ Elijah explains to Ahab that the source of his suffering is his sin. Now, this is an explanation of specific suffering in history. And yet, I believe it can provide us with an accurate illustration and understanding of the cause of all suffering. For in 1 Kings 17-18 we see three kinds of sufferers.
Firstly, we have sufferers like Ahab. It is clear that Ahab’s personal suffering was caused by his personal sin. Elijah’s explanation make this clear, but the author provides a hint of this when we are told ‘the famine was severe in Samaria’ (18:2). The worst of God’s judgement fell upon that new capital city, the place where Ahab had erected a new temple to his new god, Baal. This suffering is severe: the most powerful man in the land ends up wandering around like a common cattle herder looking for grass. God can not only turn shepherds like David into kings, he can turn kings like Ahab into shepherds. Here, as elsewhere, the Bible makes clear that personal suffering can be caused by personal sin. 1 Corinthians 11:30 teaches that can also be true of Christians.
However, such an assessment isn’t accurate for everyone. While it was Ahab’s sin that is identified as the source of suffering, Ahab is not the only sufferer. For we see a second kind in 1 Kings 17 with the widow, facing death as a result of the famine. Now, as a Sidonian she was probably also a worshipper of Baal and so it is possible she shared in suffering of Ahab because she shared his sin. However, the author doesn’t make that clear to us. In fact, when her son dies and the widow specifically asks Elijah if her suffering is connected to her sin (17:18), Elijah doesn’t reply. The widow never gets any answers about the source of her suffering.
Not only are there sufferers like Ahab and the widow, but there are a third group: Obadiah and God’s prophets. Were the prophets to blame for the persecution of Jezebel? Of course not, they suffered not because of their sin against God, but service to God. The same is true of Obadiah. Like the widow, he asks Elijah if his suffering would be a result of his sin, (18:9) ‘How have I sinned, that you would give your servant into the hand of Ahab to kill me?’ However, surely such a death would have been because of Obadiah’s faithful service, not his sin.
These three categories of sufferers are helpful when come across those who suffer or wonder why we have suffered. We see here that different people suffer for different reasons. Some, like Ahab, will have personal suffering because of personal sin. Others, like the widow, may have suffered because of their sin, but no final answer is available for them to know. Finally, there are those who suffer, like Obadiah and the prophets, for their faithfulness. We must take great care not to mistake one type for another, like Job’s friends did. As Jesus taught in John 9, personal suffering does not always mean personal sin. And yet, even where the cause isn’t personal sin, when we step back we can see that the ultimate source of suffering for all three groups is sin. This drought and famine, which caused so much suffering for so many different people, was brought about by Ahab’s unfaithfulness. The sin of the King caused suffering for the whole kingdom. The ultimate source of all suffering is sin. Even if every sufferer did not share in that specific sin.
B. End to Suffering
Finally, having provided an explanation of suffering, the author closes the passage by pointing to its end. It is worth noting that the suffering would have ended at any time if Ahab had turned from his sin in repentance towards God. Back in 1 Kings 8:35–36, in a prayer to God before his people, Solomon had made clear the way that the future nation could bring their suffering to an end. ‘When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray toward this place and acknowledge your name and turn from their sin…then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel…and grant rain upon your land…’. If Ahab and Israel had turned back to God, the rain would have returned. And yet, Ahab spends his time seeking out grass rather than God (Henry). Ahab’s true trouble was not his lack of rain, but repentance.
As God indicated to Elijah at the start of the passage, it is time for the rain to come and the suffering to end. However, note after identifying sin as the source of his suffering, Elijah doesn’t simply tell Ahab all is forgiven, or that in his suffering he has served the sentence for his crime and the rain would be along shortly. No. Elijah instead tells him, ‘Now therefore send and gather all Israel to me at Mount Carmel, and the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table.’ Elijah demands that the nation that had turned away from God under Ahab’s reign, and those prophets who had led them astray, be gathered to him at Mount Carmel. There we shall see there will be a reckoning for their sin. God’s enemies must be dealt with. Before forgiveness can come, justice must be done. There has been no repentance, therefore there must be judgement. Before the rain descends from the sky, fire must fall from heaven. Before there can be blessing, the curse must be dealt with. If there is to be any salvation for God’s people from the drought, an alter must be built. For suffering to end, a sacrifice must be made. Justice requires somebody to suffer the sentence of sin.
The way that this specific suffering is brought to an end is of course a shadow of how God brings all suffering to an end. The source of all suffering is sin. The sin of Adam, like the sin of Ahab, caused suffering for all those under his authority. As sons and daughter of Adam, we all suffer as part of this fallen creation. Not only that, but we have all sinned. Like Ahab, we have all turned away from God and unless we turn back, repent, there must be judgement. The good news of Christianity, the gospel, is that Jesus bore that judgement for all who turn from their sin and trust in him. He is able to save, for he suffered the sentence of sin on the cross and rose three days later. Forgiveness can come, for justice has been done. In Jesus we see a far better king than Ahab. Ahab brought suffering to his people; Jesus bore suffering for his people. For ‘he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.’ (Isaiah 53:4) When we become Christians, which anyone can do through faith and repentance, we receive the eternal blessing of God, for on Jesus the eternal curse was spent.
Jesus brings an end to all suffering for those who believe in him. However, this end is not immediate. Trusting in God doesn’t mean that we won’t suffer in this life. We see this clearly in the suffering of the faithful prophets of God. There is no end of suffering this side of death. While we are in this world, we are still part of fallen creation, suffering for Adam’s sin. If we are within a kingdom like Ahab’s, we may suffer for Ahab’s sin. And yet, the Bible tells us that for Christians, one day all suffering will come to an end. One day not just one nation, but all nations will be assembled. On that day, those who have rejected God and refused to turn back to him, will receive the full sentence for their sin – eternal suffering. But those who have trusted in Jesus Christ, who suffered and died for us, we will enter into an eternity free from all suffering.
On that day, as we stand on the brink of eternity and look over the suffering we have faced in our short lives, how much better will it have been to have lived like the prophets of God rather than the prophets of Baal. To have trusted in a heavenly king rather than an earthly one. O it may mean that we suffer here and now, facing persecution, living in hiding, feeding on bread and water in a cave rather than at Queen Jezebel’s table. But on that last day, when the nations are assembled together, no matter what manner of suffering we have passed through – whether persecution or plague, whether nakedness, famine or sword – we will pass into eternal joy and gladness, all tears will be wiped away and we will suffer no more.
As we emerge from dark days, see here a glimpse of the end of all suffering for those who trust in Jesus. As Peter puts it, in this may we greatly rejoice, though now for a little while we may have to suffer grief in all kinds of trials (1 Peter 1:6).
ALEXANDER ARRELL