[Listen to an audio version here].
When we are alone and isolated, it’s easy to miss the amazing things that God is doing. In the midst of crisis, it’s easy only to see the crisis and miss the things that God is doing under, with, and around it. The story of Elijah and Obadiah in 1 Kings 18 reminds us that in times of isolation and times of crisis, God is at work. Here is the story of 1 Kings 18 from the perspective of Elijah and then from the standpoint of Obadiah and back to Elijah again.
Elijah Returns
Elijah had been in relative isolation for a long time. Our text tells us it was three years. He had spent the first few months of the drought crisis in the total isolation of the Kerith Ravine and the next couple years in the foreign town of Zarephath cared for by a widow.
Finally, after three years, he returned to his homeland to speak to King Ahab. King Ahab and his wife Queen Jezebel had led the people of God to turn from the Lord to the false god Baal. But the Lord had not left His people. He confronted them and called them back to Himself by withholding rain. This was the crisis of a severe drought.
The devastation was real. As Elijah entered Israel, he would have seen the barren land from three years without rain. As he headed toward Samaria, he came across Obadiah, the palace administrator. And who better could he have met for his encouragement than Obadiah?
Obadiah means “servant of the Lord,” and that’s what he was. He had served God from his youth. At great risk to himself, he had hid one hundred of the prophets of the Lord from Queen Jezebel who had sought to kill them. Even during this time of drought, Obadiah had clandestinely supplied the material needs of these prophets.
And this was the man whom Elijah met. What a confirmation for him! He must have felt alone and isolated. The first person he met was a man who loved the Lord and had sought to serve him in a time of physical and spiritual drought. It was a reminder to Elijah that God was at work.
And that’s what we need to remember. God is at work. God is doing great things in our day. In reading about the virus, I have seen that churches were sometimes a source of the spread of the virus in East Asia. That’s a challenge, but it’s also an encouragement. There are many, many Christian churches in East Asia! One hundred years ago, there were hardly any.
In our nation, many people thought that churches might not have survived or might have collapsed in this situation. I have seen people rise up in creativity to continue serving their constituents. I have seen the people of the church continue to faithfully participate. I have seen the people of my church keep connecting, keep being active, and keep praying. God is at work.
Obadiah Encounters Elijah
Obadiah is a profile in courage. Here was a man who served in the heart of the opposition to the Lord. He knew that Queen Jezebel was committed to destroying the prophets of the Lord.
In spite of this, he did what was right. True to his name (again, meaning “servant of the Lord”), he served the Lord by hiding the prophets of the Lord.
This work was right but this work was also dangerous. He knew that if Ahab found out about it, his life would be forfeit. He was in constant danger and had to be continually looking over his shoulder.
This work was dangerous and it was also difficult. He had to work out the logistics of feeding over a hundred people in a time of famine. He had to do this while working in the midst of a hostile court.
Then, one day, Elijah showed up. It must have been a relief for Obadiah to see him. Here was the most powerful prophet of the Lord. No one had seen him for a very long time, and he was back. Things would begin to change. God is at work! He must have thought.
Then, Elijah told him to go get Ahab. Suddenly, fear raced through his veins. If he went back to tell Ahab that he had seen Elijah and Elijah wasn’t there, he would be in trouble. Obadiah told him, “there is not a nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to look for you. And whenever a nation or kingdom claimed you were not there, he made them swear they could not find you” (1 Kings 18:10). It’s easy to tell that Obadiah was anxious about his situation in Ahab’s administration.
Elijah reassured him that this was the day that he would confront Ahab. He said, “As the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, I will surely present myself to Ahab today” (1 Kings 18:15). God was at work. Elijah was going to confront Ahab, and he was going to confront the prophets of Baal.
Would this be the turning point? Obadiah might have thought. After all these years, was the Lord going to show up and show that He was the true God? Perhaps this might be the time when Israel turned back to the Lord.
Obadiah had waited a long time for a breakthrough. He went through many hard things and probably many sleepless nights. He surely would have wondered how long he could keep it up. But now God was on the move. God was at work.
And maybe that’s what you are wondering, too. You are wondering if you can hold up. You are wondering if you can keep doing the hard things. Remember! God may bring you through hard times for a while, but eventually He brings deliverance. Be patient. God is at work, and one day soon that work will become as apparent as a rain cloud bursting forth with rain from the sky.
Elijah on Mount Carmel
Elijah told Ahab to meet him on beautiful Mount Carmel with the 450 prophets of Baal that ate at his palace. The people of Israel, the prophets, and King Ahab all came out to meet him, Elijah over against this huge multitude.
When he arrived, he said to them, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him” (1 Kings 18:21).
What a great question for us in every time. We may not be tempted to serve Baal, but we can serve other things as if they provide us our ultimate fulfillment. We can serve other people, our families, our pleasures, our work, our church, or any other number of things as idols. We have to continually stop and ask, am I serving God, or am I serving myself? Am I serving the Lord, or am I serving other people? What am I really living for? How often and how long will I waver between two opinions?
Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to build an altar, call on their god, and see if Baal would consume the sacrifice. Then, he would do the same thing. The prophets of Baal tried everything they could to get Baal to answer them. Elijah was amused and encouraged them to keep trying harder.
Eventually, Elijah’s turn came. He not only repaired the altar and got it ready. He poured water all over it to make it more difficult to ignite. Then, he prayed this prayer, “Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again” (18:36-37).
The Lord heard him, and the altar was completely consumed with fire from heaven! The people were moved to the core of their being. Our text says, “When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, ‘The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!’” (1 Kings 18:39). Shortly thereafter, they saw a rain cloud arising off in the direction of the Mediterranean Sea.
What an amazing day! Elijah was filled with exhilaration. It was clear to everyone that day: God is alive and God is at work!
Conclusion
God is at work. “Even when I don’t feel it, you’re working,” we sing. Most of the time, He’s working quietly behind the scenes, like the work of the roots growing into the soil before the plant shoots upward. At other times, God does dramatic things. When we experience them, we need to hang onto those things. We need to remember the mighty deeds the Lord has done.
It’s good to keep a record of unique times in which God has worked in our lives. It’s good to remember the advances that He has made in us and those around us. Above all, we should remember these great events where God intervened like the time of Elijah at Mount Carmel or the conversion of Saint Augustine or the Wesleyan revival or the forming of the great universities as centers of Christian learning. We should remember above all the greatest sign of all time that God is work: the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. This is the great reminder that God is making all things new. God is at work, and He is bringing healing and restoration to all things.
This is so crucial for us to remember when we are in crisis and feel isolated or discouraged. We must remember the works of the Most High, and then we will remember, God is at work!