Mid-Month Blog—Those That Serve—1 Kings 18—October 2016

Vol. 1, No. 10M – 2016

Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. 1 Kings 18:3

The land was in a drought—3-1/2 years. Elijah, through God’s power, drove the rain clouds away from Palestine. No greenery was upon the land; dust blew and blew. It was like the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.

1. No sign of rain
2. No dew upon the land
3. No relief from the heat and dry

Then God sends His man Elijah to speak to Ahab; to tell him it will rain again. Elijah, on his way to speak to Ahab, runs into an old friend, Obadiah, the governor (the number two in rule under the king).

What do you think when you run into a believer, a friend, who is serving or working under someone who is not a God-fearing person? This is clearly a good guy (leader) serving the bad guy! Scripture tells us that Obadiah was a devoted follower of the Lord (vs. 3). He is in charge of the evil house of Ahab. Does Scripture depict others serving evil people? (Joseph in Egypt, Moses in Egypt, Daniel in Babylon, or Nehemiah in Persia)

Note, as Matthew Henry alluded, some strange things about a good person serving in an evil house:

1. Strange that a wicked person would prefer a person that follows a righteous God
2. Strange that a good person would even agree to such a position
3. Strange that a good person would work in buildings containing idols
4. Strange that a good person would walk among people who were ungodly
5. Strange that a good person would associate with the “other party”
6. Strange that a good person did not strive to reform the king
7. Strange that a good person was not corrupted

If your ambition is to avoid the troubles of life, the recipe is simple: shed your ambitions in every direction, cut the wings of every soaring purpose, and seek a little life with the fewest contacts and relations. Tiny souls can dodge through life; bigger souls are blocked on every side. As soon as men and women begin to enlarge their lives, their resistances are multiplied.

God may choose to place us in places of leadership or relationship that are uncomfortable. His intent is for us to bloom where we are planted. We live in a secular society; yet, we are here to accomplish God’s purposes. We are expected to be salt and light. We are to be in the world, but not of the world. We are to live as believers, leaders, and people in such a way that does not allow the world to squeeze us into its mold.

Obadiah never bowed his knee to the god Baal; he kept his heart clean and focused upon Almighty God. He did not allow his circumstances to bring compromise.

Yet I have been a true servant of the Lord all my life. 1 Kings 18:12