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Category: Personal Study
Thread: Enigmatic Bible Characters Who Changed the World
Post Topic: Devout Palace Administrator Thwarts Evil Queen
Post in Thread: #3
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Scripture: I Kings 18:1-16
Key Verses: (but read entire passage!)
I Kings 18:3-4
Ahab had summoned Obadiah, his palace administrator. (Obadiah was a devout believer in the Lord. 4 While Jezebel was killing off the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.)
Enigmatic, Obscure Bible Characters
An enigma is a person that is mysterious or puzzling to understand. The Bible contains many such characters. The writer will drop a name or describe a nameless person, and tell a story about them. As a writer, it always makes me wonder – what makes them tick? Why was that particular name dropped? What’s their backstory?
In this series, I put you in their situations, and describe what we know and what we speculate about these obscure characters from history.
Observations
Context
After the reigns of King David and his son King Solomon, sadly, the kingdom split in two – Judah to the south (where Jerusalem sat), and Israel to the north. The kings of Israel did not serve God. In fact, the Bible emphasizes how evil they were, worshipping idols and false gods. One such evil king was King Ahab, who married Jezebel from the pagan land of Tyre. Jezebel was a fierce worshipper of Baal. She steered the wimpy Ahab even deeper in rebellion to the one true God.
In spite of this opposition, godly men prophesied and taught against the abominations of Ahab and Jezebel. We suddenly meet one of the greatest of these prophets, Elijah, in the chapter prior to our passage (I Kings 17). In that chapter, Elijah tells Ahab that God is going to send a severe drought across the land for an unspecified length of time.
Hiding Prophets
- Who Was Obadiah?
- He is identified as a palace administrator under King Ahab
- He is a different person than the prophet Obadiah. A book of the Bible is named after this 4th of the 12 minor prophets, but it is a different man.
- Ahab was one of the worst kings ever in the sight of God, but Obadiah remained faithful to God in spite of his position. He is described as a “devout believer.”
- Protecting God’s prophets
- Obadiah had access to inside information about Ahab and Jezebel’s plans.
- He knew Jezebel was on a rampage, probably angry about the drought, and was systematically killing off God’s prophets.
- Obadiah hid 100 prophets from her, divided among two caves.
- Having access to supplies in the palace, Obadiah provided them with water and food. As the drought raged, even the royal supplies ran out, so how he managed to care for so many prophets we can only imagine.
Elijah Finally Appears
The prophet Elijah had predicted an extended drought across the land. The story picks up three years into the drought. King Ahab and Obadiah split up in a desperate effort to find grass or water. They planned to check all the known springs and wells and towns. During his journey, Obadiah encountered the prophet who’d launched the entire thing.
Elijah told Obadiah to tell Ahab that Elijah has appeared. Knowing that Ahab and Jezebel have been searching everywhere for Elijah, and making people swear they don’t know where he is, Obadiah feared for his life. Elijah assured Obadiah that he would indeed meet with the king that very day.
Interpretation
Setting
This story takes place in Samaria, within the northern kingdom of Israel. Samaria was located in the hill country of Ephraim about 30 miles north of Jerusalem.
Genre
Historical narrative, with the intent of recording the history of the kings of Israel and Judah within the context of what was supposed to be a theocracy.
Takeaways
- Obadiah had been faithful to the Lord since his youth. Even in the most hostile of work environments, he remained true to the one true God.
- The king and queen were furious at Elijah for declaring the drought. They were searching everywhere for him. When they couldn’t find him, they took out their anger on the prophets of God, systematically hunting them down and killing them.
- Obadiah, because of his position as palace administrator, had a first-hand view of these atrocities. He could have backed down and done nothing to save his own skin. But he decided to secretly hide as many prophets as he could in caves. Not only that, he sneaked food and water to them, which would have been extremely scarce during this time. What bravery!
- Courage does not mean a lack of fear. Instead of relief at encountering Elijah, Obadiah had a breakdown, trembling in fear. He wailed that he was going to be put to death, which he didn’t deserve. After Elijah encouraged him, Obadiah overcame that fear and delivered the message to Ahab.
- By one man’s brave actions, hundreds of other men of God were spared.
Imagine
The lack of moonlight ensured he wouldn’t be followed, but it made the trip hazardous. Twice, Obadiah stumbled off the overgrown path and had to reorient himself and the loaded-down mules. How much time had passed? He needed to be back to the palace before daybreak. If Jezebel ever gained the slightest idea what he was doing…
Finally, he reached the opening. “Hail,” he called softly.
“Locusts,” came the prophet Micaiah’s reply.
The seventh and eighth plagues. Obadiah breathed out in relief. They still hadn’t been discovered. Next time, they’d use the ninth and tenth plagues as code words.
Micaiah helped tug the mules into the cave. He began tugging at the ropes on the supply bags.
“Not so fast!” Obadiah said. “You can’t take as much this time. They changed the guard at the storehouse.”
“What? What happened to Reuben?”
“I don’t know. Didn’t want to ask. Thought it might raise suspicion. But if I don’t return with most of these supplies… what if they’re on to me?”
Micaiah put a hand on his shoulder. “If they were on to you, my friend, you never would have made it this far. We need these supplies. The water, especially.”
“Our cisterns have long been dry, and the wells… they’re turning brackish. Ahab will start to ask questions. And with Reuben disappearing… he was a man of God we could trust. I hope I didn’t cause his demise.”
“You have 100 men praying for you,” Micaiah said. “We will add Reuben to our prayers. You have come this far safely. God will not abandon you.”
“I hope you’re right,” Obadiah said. “Take half then. I’ll manage some excuse. But please hurry.”
“I will.”
“And Micaiah? Pray for Elijah to return and the drought to end. The king and queen are not repenting. They are like Pharaoh, hardening their hearts with every day that passes.”
“And what happened to Pharaoh? What happened to his mighty armies? The Lord will have his day, my friend. Come, let us pray over you.”
Ten prophets surrounded Obadiah. Laying hands on him, they lifted their praises to the Lord. Obadiah sensed the spirit of the most high surrounding them in this remote hideout. His fear hadn’t disappeared. But his determination was back.
Correlation
Esther
Esther 4:14 – For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
“Such a time as this…” These famous words of Mordecai exhorted Queen Esther to risk her life to save the Jews from annihilation. The king had not called for her in at least a month, and anyone who approached him uninvited was in danger of being put to death. Mordecai’s exhortation encouraged her to overcome her fear. He was right. God had placed her in that position at that time for a reason. And it was time for her to act.
How did Obadiah end up as the head administrator in Ahab’s palace? A God-fearing man in the midst of that idolatry and wickedness? Ahab must have seen something in Obadiah to promote him and keep him in that position. More importantly, God was at work, placing him there. And Obadiah overcame his fear to do what God asked of him. For such a time as that drought.
Words of Isaiah
Isaiah 55:8-9 – Obadiah couldn’t know how God’s plan would play out, but he trusted that God had him in the palace for a reason.
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Application
Generic Applications
Serving God in a secular world
Do you get discouraged by your work environment? It can be difficult to live out our faith in a secular world. Sometimes those around us get promoted when they don’t deserve it. Or conduct themselves in a manner distasteful to us.
We need to ask ourselves, and ask God, why he placed us in this position at this time. It probably won’t be to save a nation or to save 100 prophets. But rather than harboring a spirit of bitterness or disappointment, let’s ask God to open our eyes to what he has for us. It doesn’t mean we can’t look for other opportunities. If God opens a door, we should run through it. But if the doors are closed, what might he have for us at this time and this place?
Trusting God’s Timing
Those three years must have seemed like an eternity to Obadiah. The lack of food and water, the hostility of Ahab and Jezebel toward the men of God, and 100 men totally dependent on him for security and provisions… day after day. And he was caught in the middle.
When Elijah finally appeared, Obadiah fell on his knees with a wild mixture of emotion. He was afraid, he was relieved, he was angry… but through it all, God sustained him.
We will often go through droughts in our own life. It might not be an actual drought, like in this story. But spiritual droughts can be just as difficult. Where is God? When will he make himself known? Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to trust God’s timing. Just as Obadiah did what he could for God during his drought, so do we need to continue serving God even when it seems that he is far away.
Personalize it
The Rest of the Story
What happened in the rest of the chapter is one of the great stories of the Bible. To summarize, Ahab and the hundreds of prophets of Baal had a showdown against Elijah and God on Mt. Carmel in front of the people. After the power of God was clearly demonstrated (read the chapter to learn how), the people turned on the prophets of Baal, putting them all to the sword at Elijah’s command.
A resounding victory! Or was it?
When Jezebel learned what happened, she turned livid. She swore to kill Elijah that day. Shockingly, this great prophet lost all courage and ran for his life. Deep into the wilderness, as far away as he could get. When he finally stopped running, God came to him and asked “What are you doing here?” Elijah claimed he was all alone. That he was the last prophet remaining, soon to die as well.
God responded gently. In I Kings 19:15-18, He told Elijah that there were 7,000 faithful servants whom God had protected. Among them, surely, were the 100 prophets that Obadiah saved. In how many other ways must God have protected 7,000 faithful men under Jezebel’s onslaught?
God is working in ways we can’t imagine
Elijah thought he was alone. Obadiah knew only about the 100 prophets that he was protecting. But God knew about the 7,000. His plans are so much bigger than our thoughts.
We can’t always see God’s bigger plan. Sometimes we do see it, and it can be glorious. But when it is hidden from us, we can become discouraged, feeling alone. In a drought. Be encouraged by Obadiah, this little-known man of God. Remain faithful, like Obadiah, trusting that God has a bigger plan.
Am I trusting God to use me as he sees fit? Today I acknowledge that his ways are higher than our ways; his thoughts higher than our thoughts.
Bible study methodology adapted from Searching the Scriptures with permission from Tyndale House:
Swindoll, Charles, Searching the Scriptures. Tyndale House Publishers, 2016.
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