1. LIFE OF ELIJAH CHAPTER TWO
I KIGS 18 COMMETARY
Written and edited by Glenn Pease
PREFACE
Many other authors are quoted in this study, and some are not named. Credit will be given if the
name of the author is sent to me. Some may not want their wisdom shared in this way, and if they
object and wish it to be removed they can let me know also at my e-mail address which is
glenn_p86@yahoo.com
Don't let my numbering system puzzle you. It is just a way to add new material without having to
change all the numbers each time I add a new paragraph.
ITRODUCTIO
1. Some are prophets of words, and such would be Isaiah, and others are prophets of deeds, and
that would be Elijah. He is the prophet mentioned in the ew Testament more than any other
prophet, and it was not for his writing, but for his deeds. He wrote no books, and left no notes to
inspire us. He left a legacy of miracles and wondrous deeds that capture the mind and motivate
us to act in faith. He promptly obeyed every word of God's guidance, and the result was a life of
one amazing deed after another. This chapter is a highlight in the life of this one of a kind
prophet.
2. “It had been over three years since Elijah proclaimed that a drought and famine would befall
the nation. At that time he said that the drought would not end until he personally gave the word,
so he was a person very much in demand. It was only the protection and provision of the Lord
that kept him from the same fate that befell some of the other remaining prophets of God.
Typical of tyrannical heads of all false religions, the leaders of the land, Ahab and Jezebel,
refused the correction of God and began to focus their anger on the representatives of Jehovah by
systematically purging the land of any remaining influence of the former religion. They refused to
bow their knees to the God who is over all creation, and instead continued to promote and
practice the worship of statues and idols made with the hands of men.” author unknown

2. Elijah and Obadiah
1 After a long time, in the third year, the word of the
LORD came to Elijah: Go and present yourself to Ahab,
and I will send rain on the land.
1. It was after a long time of hiding and isolation that God called him into action again. J R.
MacDuff wrote of this period of inaction, Three of the best years of his life spent in inaction! He
who could exercise (as we shall find afterwards) an almost magic power over multitudes, why
should he be pent up for this protracted period in a cottage of Gentile Phoenicia, when he might
have been doing mighty deeds amid the many thousands of Israel? Why should so noble a vessel
be left lazily sleeping on its shadows in the harbour, when, with all sail set, it might have been out
wrestling with the storm, conveying priceless stores to needy hearts? But it was enough for
Elijah, now as formerly, to feel assured [85] at it was part of the Divine plan.
He felt that he was glorifying his GOD,- just because he was occupying his assigned and
appointed place for the time,- as much in that humble habitation as he did on the heights of
Carmel. The Christian poet represents those angels in Heaven who only stand and wait, as
serving, - doing their Lord's will,- as truly as the swift-winged messengers who carry to and fro
the behests of His pleasure: and of the Church militant on earth, Thus saith the Lord, by the
mouth of His prophet, In returning and rest shall ye be saved: in quietness and confidence shall
be your strength. We can serve GOD in rest and in quietness,- in the noiseless tenor of an
uneventful existence,- as well as in the feverish bustle or prominent position of an active one.
1B. Finally and end to this blasted heat and dust. We say all good things come to an end, but lets
not forget the good news that all bad things also come to an end. Bad things are often judgments
of God, but his anger does not last because he always ends with mercy and grace. The point of the
drought was to wake people up to their folly in not trusting in Jehovah and going after other
gods. The goal was not punishment, however, but restoration. God wanted his people back, and
that is what the whole story of Elijah was about, and the purpose of the great miracle in this
chapter. The bad part of the story is over, and now it is time to get on with the happy ending, and
that has to start where it began, with the meeting of Elijah and king Ahab.
2. Dr. Ray Pritchard, “Elijah was a preeminently a man of action, and I do not doubt that many
nights he must have wondered why he was languishing by the brook and in the widow’s home
while a tide of wickedness swept over his homeland. Surely he must have prayed and asked the
Lord to do something. Perhaps he dreamed up various plans and strategies, but whatever he
thought and however he prayed, it is entirely to Elijah’s credit that he did nothing until God gave

3. him the green light.
We all understand it is difficult for men of action to be removed from the spotlight. Fortune
favors the bold, and the world bends to the man who does not sit and wait but seizes the tide.
Carpe Deum! Seize the day! Surely there was more than a little of this in Elijah’s bold, fiery
nature. Yet when sent into obscurity by the Lord, he instantly and uncomplainingly obeyed. How
few there are who would do that today. The spotlight beckons and we come running. But not
Elijah. He waited until God’s time had ripened, until the fullness of God’s purposes could be
revealed. Only then did he go in search of Ahab.”
3. Bruce Goettsche, “The first verse of chapter 18 says, “after a long time.” Don’t miss this.
Think about all the time that Elijah had to wait on the Lord. As we read these chapters things
looked like they happened quickly. They didn’t. There was a three year period of waiting. When
you think about it, many of the saints had to wait. Abraham waited for a son. Joseph waited in
prison. Moses waited to enter the Promised Land. David waited to be King. Time and again the
children of Israel waited for deliverance. Jesus waited for the “right time”. Paul waited in jail
for two years. And ever since the Lord’s ascension, we have been waiting for the Lord’s return.
Whenever I get a chance to talk to a new Pastor in the area the question is always the same.
What is the key to working in the Midwest? What is the secret to a long term Pastorate? The
answer is PATIECE. It’s not so much because patience is a virtue, but because patience means
we resist the urge to make things happen on our own and instead we wait for God’s leading. o
one likes to wait. Most of us hate hospital waiting rooms because you feel so helpless. We don’t
like to wait for our food because we are hungry. We don’t like to wait for an answer to prayer
because we want to have things resolved.
The President of the University of Southern California, Steven Sample has written in his book
called, “The Contrarian’s Guide to Leadership” that the key to a good leader is not making a
decision until you have to. He advises that we “think gray”. His reasoning is that when we wait,
some things resolve themselves and often in the time of waiting more information becomes
available that will help us make a better decision.
Sometimes in the Christian life God puts us in the waiting room.
 We may need to wait for attitudes to change (ours or someone else)
 We may need to wait for a needed character trait to develop
 We may need to wait for trust to deepen
 We may need to wait for a danger to pass
 We may need to wait for an opportunity to develop
 We may need to wait for more information.
Elijah showed his faith by his willingness to wait. In the book of Psalms you hear a frequent
refrain, “wait on the Lord.” Patience and faith go together.”

4. 2 So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab.
ow the famine was severe in Samaria,
1. He holds no parley with unmanly fears,
Where duty bids, he confidently steers,
Faces a thousand dangers at her call.
And, trusting in his God, surmounts them all. ' — Cowper
2. As always, Elijah does precisely what God asks him to do. We have a severe famine here, and
what else can be expected with over three years without rain? If you get your concordance and
look up famine you will discover it is referred to 94 times, and it ofter refers to a severe famine. It
was a common problem in the Bible world, and people could go for years with terrible struggle to
survive. The people in that part of the world had struggles that most Americans have never
imagined possible. Famines still go on in many parts of the world, but we have been spared.
There are many, however, who are saying our time is coming, and we will be made to endure
what many of God's people did in Old Testament times.
3. John Loweie, “We are not made acquainted with the sad details of these years of calamity in
Israel. We know not the resources of the nation, or the measures adopted to meet this severe
dispensation. Doubtless many of the people became voluntary exiles to lands of greater plenty,
there to remain till the famine had subsided. These famines seem to have been often- times over
comparatively narrow districts of country, and the people often sought refuge in neighbouring
lands. Thus Abraham and Jacob both left Canaan for Egypt by reason of famine; thus aomi
and her husband went to Moab because of a famine that lasted ten years; thus, perhaps, Israel
was drained at this time of much of its population. In any case, the resources of the kingdom
must have been exhausted, though if the drought did not extend to Hermon and Lebanon, the
fountains of the Jordan would not be dried up, and the people might resort thither for relief. Yet
the narrative implies that the Jordan also must finally have been exhausted.”
3B. The above author goes on to deal with one of the mysteries of Scripture and life, and that is
the issue of the innocent suffering with the guilty. A drought and famine does not affect the sinful
only, but the righteous as well. There were 7 thousand that had not bowed the knee to Baal.
There was the poor widow that Elijah stayed with who would have died without his presence and
the miracle of daily supply. There were many who did not have his presence who were just as
needy as she. Innocent people suffered for the sins of the wicked, and it is that way all through
history. The opposite is also true that the guilty often benefit because of the blessings of God on
the righteous. Loweie wrote, “These are mysteries in the government of a righteous God that
force upon us the conviction that in another life he will vindicate and rectify the inequalities here
so often seen in his dealings with man. This is a world where God's people must walk by faith ;
many things remain unexplained. By means of these the hearts of the wicked are often fully set
within them to do evil, yet surely may we know that it shall be well with the righteous it shall not
be well with the wicked.” In other words, life is not fair, but God is, and all will be judged or
rewarded fairly in the end.

5. 3 and Ahab had summoned Obadiah, who was in charge
of his palace. (Obadiah was a devout believer in the
LORD.
1. Ahab was a wicked king, but he had a man in charge of his palace who was a devout believer in
Jehovah. Obadiah was a godly man serving a godless king. This is a paradoxical situation, for it
was the duty of Obadiah to do his job well in serving this wicked king. Can a child of God be a
loyal servant of a man who defies his God? It is a situation in life that happens all the time, for
believers are often servants of unbelievers. Many ungodly people hire godly people to run their
business, or work in their business, for they are the kind of people that can be trusted. They do
not want people like themselves running their business, for they know they will not be honest,
and they will rip him off any chance they get. The ungodly rich want honest godly people in
charge of things, for they feel much safer with that kind of employee. Christians need jobs, and so
they often have to work for people who do not share their beliefs. The paradox arises when the
owner is wicked, and the workers are aiding this person in doing evil with his fortune they are
helping him to earn. This becomes a moral issue that people need to struggle with. Do I keep
working for a person who is profiting by my labor and is using those profits to promote that
which is contrary to the will of God. I am sure this gets very complex in many situations, but the
fact is, here is Obadiah maintaining Ahab's palace, and he is a godly man serving a very ungodly
man. Sometimes life is not easily separated into clear black and white, but see note 1 in verse 4.
1B. Jamison, “Although he did not follow the course taken by the Levites and the majority of
pious Israelites at that time of emigration into Judah (2Ch 11:13-16), he was a secret and sincere
worshipper. He probably considered the violent character of the government, and his power of
doing some good to the persecuted people of God as a sufficient excuse for his not going to
worship in Jerusalem.”
2. Pink, “A few extremists (separatists) have grossly traduced the character of Obadiah,
denouncing him as an unfaithful compromiser, as one who sought to serve two masters. But the
Holy Spirit has not state he did wrong in remaining in Ahab’s employ, nor intimated that his
spiritual life suffered in consequence: instead, He has expressly told us that Obadiah feared the
Lord greatly, (v. 3), which is one of the highest encomiums which could be paid him. God has
often given His people favor in the sight of heathen masters (as Joseph and Daniel), and has
magnified the sufficiency of His grace by preserving their souls in the midst of the most
unpromising environments. His saints are found in very unlikely places, as in Caesar’s
household, (Phil. 4:22).
As the governor of Ahab’s household Obadiah was undoubtedly in a most difficult and dangerous
position, yet so far from bowing his knee to Baal he was instrumental in saving the lives of many
of God’s servants. Though surrounded by so many temptations he preserved his integrity. It is
also to be carefully noted that when Elijah met him he uttered no word of reproach unto
Obadiah. Let us not be too hasty in changing our situation, for the Devil can assail us in one place

6. just as easily as in another.”
3. Howat, “In the case of Obadiah, we are at first amazed to find him — 'one who feared the
Lord greatly* — in the household of Baal-serving Ahab. The two could have had but little in
common. Besides, it would appear that, both before and after this period, the Levites and a large
proportion of pious Israelites in Samaria, had emigrated to the neighboring kingdom of Judah,^
and there in Jerusalem had worshiped the true God. Yet Obadiah remained behind, and no doubt
God's providence was in the matter. A Joseph in the court of Egypt befriends his father and
brothers ; a ehemiah in the court of Persia befriends his countrymen ; a Daniel in the court of
Babylon befriends the three Hebrew youths ; and so an Obadiah, in the court of Ahab, can in a
moment of peril befriend a hundred prophets, and feed them in a season of famine with bread
and water, the very luxuries of the time. We adore a wonder- working God ; we do homage to
boldness and liberality in His cause ; and we rejoice that these Obadiahs, to whom His Church
and His ministers in all ages have owed a deep debt, are still to be found, if not in an idol- serving,
at least in a money-loving and a money-keeping age. “The liberal soul shall be made fat, and he
that watereth shall be watered also himself.”
In the world's broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle.
Be a hero in the strife.'
4. Ron Ritchie has put together these 4 people of God who became servants of pagan kings, and
became saviors of God's people because of their being in places of power. The Bible makes it clear
that believers ought to seek places of service under unbelievers. There are pagan governments in
nations around the world where Christians find jobs where they are able to be a blessing. Thank
God for the godly who work with the ungodly. Ritchie compiled this list:
“Joseph the son of Jacob was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers and ended up in Egypt as a
servant in the household of the captain of Pharaoh's bodyguard, where he was falsely accused of
making a move on the captain's wife. He was jailed but became an administrator and interpreter
of dreams. This gift moved him into the house of Pharaoh, who in time said to Joseph, 'You shall
be over my house, and according to your command all my people shall do homage; only in the
throne I will be greater than you'....And he set him over all the land of Egypt. (Genesis 41:41-
43.)
Pharaoh's daughter found Moses in a basket in the weeds of the ile river, raised him, and had
him educated in all the learning of the Egyptians. ...He was a man of power in words and
deeds.... (Acts 7:22.) However, By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the
son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God, than
to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin.... (Hebrews 11:24-25).
Esther was a humble Jewish girl who by the power and protection of the living God of Israel was
raised up to become the queen of Persia, and within that evil society she was able to save the
Jewish community from death and destruction at the hand of their enemies.
Daniel as a young man was taken as a Jewish slave into the Babylonian captivity, only to be

7. raised by God as a prophet and an interpreter of dreams for the king. He was placed by God in
positions of power and influence in both the Babylonian and the Persian Empires. He lived long
enough to see his people return to Israel after the seventy years of Babylonian captivity.” He
adds, “And then there were all the new Christians in the household of Caesar ero.”
Then he gives us this example outside of Scripture: “President Jorge Serrano of Guatemala was
the first Protestant Christian in history to be democratically elected to the presidency of a Latin
American country. Serrano holds degrees from Stanford, the ACE University of Texas, and the
University of Stockholm. But like politicians everywhere he has his critics, some of the most
outspoken his fellow evangelical Christians. My life was complicated by people who insisted that
I ought to leave politics...but every time I was subjected to this type of pressure I became
conscious of a clear conviction that...being a Christian and being a politician were two perfectly
compatible activities. (ews etwork International, 1992.)”
5. Spurgeon, “We learn further from the narrative before us, that God will never leave himself
without witnesses in this world. Aye, and he will not leave himself without witnesses in the worst
places of the world. What a horrible abode for a true believer Ahab's court must have been! If
there had been no sinner there but that woman Jezebel, she was enough to make the palace a sink
of iniquity. That strong-minded, proud, Sidonian Queen twisted poor Ahab round her fingers just
as she pleased. He might never have been the persecutor he was if his wife had not stirred him
up; but she hated the worship of Jehovah intensely, and despised the homeliness of Israel in
comparison with the more pompous style of Sidon. Ahab must yield to her imperious demands,
for she would brook no contradiction, and when her proud spirit was roused she defied all
opposition. Yet in that very court where Jezebel was mistress, the chamberlain was a man who
feared God greatly. ever be surprised to meet with a believer anywhere. Grace can live where
you would never expect to see it survive for an hour.”
6. Joe Guglielmo, “Obadiah was a believer in the true and living God who was serving a
unbeliever, king Ahab. And some today would see that as wrong, I don't. I think that we, as
Christians, can make an impact on unbelievers. In fact, God called us to go out into the world, as
light, and expel the darkness. He did not say we are to remove ourselves from the world, but to
let our light shine in the world. Obadiah's name means servant of YHWH and he is going to
have a positive impact in this kingdom, as we shall see.”
7. Henry, “There was one very good man, who was a great man at court, Obadiah, who answered
his name--a servant of the Lord, one who feared God and was faithful to him, and yet was steward
of the household to Ahab. Observe his character: He feared the Lord greatly ( 1 Kings 18:3 ), was
not only a good man, but zealously and eminently good; his great place put a lustre upon his
goodness, and gave him great opportunities of doing good; and he feared the Lord from his youth
( 1 Kings 18:12 ), he began betimes to be religious and had continued long. ote, Early piety, it is
to be hoped, will be eminent piety; those that are good betimes are likely to be very good; he that
feared God from his youth came to fear him greatly. He that will thrive must rise betimes. But it
is strange to find such an eminently good man governor of Ahab's house, an office of great
honour, power, and trust. [1.] It was strange that so wicked a man as Ahab would prefer him to it
and continue him in it; certainly it was because he was a man of celebrated honesty, industry, and
ingenuity, and one in whom he could repose a confidence, whose eyes he could trust as much as

8. his own, as appears here, 1 Kings 18:5 . Joseph and Daniel were preferred because there were
none so fit as they for the places they were preferred to. ote, Those who profess religion should
study to recommend themselves to the esteem even of those that are without by their integrity,
fidelity, and application to business. [2.] It was strange that so good a man as Obadiah would
accept of preferment in a court so addicted to idolatry and all manner of wickedness. We may be
sure it was not made necessary to qualify him for preferment that he should be of the king's
religion, that he should conform to the statues of Omri, or the law of the house of Ahab. Obadiah
would not have accepted the place if he could not have had it without bowing the knee to Baal,
nor was Ahab so impolitic as to exclude those from offices that were fit to serve him, merely
because they would not join with him in his devotions. That man that is true to his God will be
faithful to his prince. Obadiah therefore could with a good conscience enjoy the place, and
therefore would not decline it, nor give it up, though he foresaw he could not do the good he
desired to do in it. Those that fear God need not go out of the world, bad as it is. [3.] It was
strange that either he did not reform Ahab or Ahab corrupt him; but it seems they were both
fixed; he that was filthy would be filthy still, and he that was holy would be holy still. Those fear
God greatly that keep up the fear of him in bad times and places; thus Obadiah did. God has his
remnant among all sorts, high and low; there were saints in ero's household, and in Ahab's.”
8. Alexander Maclaren, “This Obadiah is one of the obscurer figures in the Old Testament. We
never hear of him again, for there is no reason to accept the Jewish tradition which alleges that he
was Obadiah the prophet. And yet how distinctly he stands out from the canvas, though he is only
sketched with a few bold outlines! He is the ‘governor over Ahab’s house,’ a kind of mayor of the
palace, and probably the second man in the kingdom. But though thus high in that idolatrous and
self-willed court, he has bravely kept true to the ancient faith. either Jezebel’s flatteries nor her
frowns have moved him. But there, amid apostasy and idolatry he stands, probably all alone in
the court, a worshiper of Jehovah. His name is his character, for it means ‘servant of Jehovah.’ It
was not a light thing to be a worshiper of the God of Israel in Ahab’s court. The feminine rage of
the fierce Sidonian woman, whom Ahab obeyed in most things, burned hot against the enemies of
her father’s gods, and hotter, perhaps, against any one who thwarted her imperious will. Obadiah
did both, in that audacious piece of benevolence when he sheltered the Lord’s prophets—one
hundred of them—and saved them from her cruel search. The writer of the book very rightly
marks this brave antagonism to the outburst of the queen’s wrath as a signal proof of a more
than ordinary devotion to the worship and fear of Jehovah. His firmness and his religion did not
prevent his retaining his place of honour and dignity. That says something for Ahab, and more
perhaps for Obadiah.”
9. J. R. MacDuff, “But a new character here reveals himself in the sacred narrative in the person
of Obadiah, the prime minister or steward of Ahab's palace. We are called to witness in him
another wondrous instance of GOD's sovereign grace. We have had occasion, in a recent chapter,
to refer to a signal example of that sovereignty in the case of a heathen widow - a votary of
Phoenician Baal We have now a miracle and monument of divine mercy in the court of a wicked
and [87] licentious king of Israel - for Obadiah feared the Lord greatly. How, we may ask, could a
worshipper of Jehovah reside in the midst of so much degeneracy, idolatry, and crime? How
could the lily rear its head amid these thorns - this sheep of the fold survive in the midst of
ravening wolves?

9. We answer - just in the same way as divine grace, in the earlier part of this century, moulded and
quickened and sustained such men as Wilberforce, Fowell Buxton, and others, in the midst of the
lax, irreligious society, and the dissolute, licentious court - life of England. Ay, and just as, in the
midst of much obloquy and derision in the present day, there are those in the high places of the
land, who are able boldly to take up their cross, and who count this the brightest gem in their
coronets - We serve the Lord Jesus.
If Obadiah had been a base time-server, his life aim would have been to second and stimulate the
diabolical designs of the royal persecutors. But the grace of GOD and the fear of GOD were in
his heart, and he knew no other fear. Under the insolence of oriental rule, he might well have
dreaded the combined influence of the queen and the idolatrous priests on the despot's will, in
compassing his degradation and ruin; but, sustained by the power of religious principle, this
righteous man was bold as a lion. He gave one specially unmistakable proof of his heroism and
true moral chivalry: [88] for when Jezebel was involving the prophets of Jehovah 1 in an
indiscriminate massacre, Obadiah hid and sheltered them by fifties in a cave, and fed them on
bread and water.”
10. MacDuff continues, “Obadiah, moreover, is a remarkable testimony to that singular respect
which sterling character and worth command, even from irreligious men. Uprightness, purity,
consistency, honesty of purpose, have always an irresistible influence and charm even to base
natures. Bloated vice stands rebuked and abashed in the presence of virtue. The wretched slave of
sin and pollution respects the purity which degrading habit forbids himself to practice.
Herod - the parallel of Ahab in the Gospel history - hated John's religion and that of his Master;
but he could not help admiring and respecting his honesty, self-sacrifice, self-denial, and
boldness. When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh his very enemies to be at peace
with him. As it was with Joseph in the court of heathen Pharaoh, or Daniel in the palace of
heathen Babylon, Obadiah's piety, worth, and goodness exalted [89] him to the highest honors
which his sovereign had in his power to bestow. Ahab may have hated from his heart the Jehovah
worshiper;-but he revered and reverenced the faithful counselor, with his stainless honor and
unblemished life.”
11. F. B. Meyer, “Obadiah was a good man, and did what he could to keep the true light from
utter extinguishment (compare 2 Chron. 11:13, 14). He was in a very abnormal position; but we
must not judge him too harshly for being in Ahab's house, unless he was there at the expense of
his testimony. Our loyalty to God does not involve leaving the service of men like Ahab, unless we
are called upon to violate our conscience. The apostle said distinctly that we were to abide in the
calling in which we were when we became Christians (1 Cor. 7:20). Still, Obadiah was doing what
he could, and used his position as a means of sheltering the prophets.”
12. Tony Baker, “What a place to find such a man: we praise God for devout Christians in high
places that are also tricky places. We think of Joseph in Egypt; we think of Daniel in Babylon; of
Cranmer coping with Henry VIII in 16th century England, before being burnt at the stake by
Henry's daughter. We think of Abraham Kuyper, the Calvinist Prime Minister of Holland in the
early 20th century. Of Kuyper, his biographer Frank Vanden Berg, wrote, 'Or Kuyper was indeed
a controversial figure, in Holland at once the most devotedly loved and the most violently hated
man of his day. Yet, out of the monumental labors and the bitter conflict of fifty years, he
emerged a national figure of commanding stature.' Such men need to be supported and prayed

10. for by other Christians, especially in the local churches to which they still need to belong. We
need to ask the Lord to raise up Obadiahs and Josephs and Daniels for the 21st century.”
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.)
1. Obadiah had a position in the palace that gave him information and opportunity to save the
lives of a hundred of God's prophets. Had he not been in the service of the king, he could not
have done this, and so it was of great value that he kept his position and did not resign because he
refused to work for a godless king. He had the opportunity to have an underground ministry in
saving the lives of the godly believers. Had he refused to work for Ahab and Jezebel, all of these
prophets would probably have been killed by Jezebel. Here we see the value of godly people being
on the inside of a godless administration. It is the same thing as spies going underground to
infiltrate an enemy camp to get vital information that can lead to their defeat. So, in answer to
the question, can a Christian honestly work for a godless non-Christian who is evil, and who uses
his power and wealth to do evil?- yes, such a labor can be a labor for the Lord. Does this justify it
in every situation? It is not likely that it is valid in all cases, but in most cases it probably will not
be known how the godless owner of a business is using his resources for evil. If it is known, and
there is nothing a worker can do to make a positive difference, it would be wise to seek other
employment, for believers are to avoid all appearances of evil.
1B. Prophets: this name is not only given to such as are endowed with an extraordinary spirit of
prophecy, but to such ministers as devoted themselves to the service of God in preaching,
praying, praising God, and the like. (Poole)
1C. Account for it how you may, it is a singular circumstance that in the center of rebellion
against God there was one whose devotion to God was intense and distinguished. As it is horrible
to find a Judas among the apostles, so it is grand to discover an Obadiah among Ahab’s courtiers.
What grace must have been at work to maintain such a fire in the midst of the sea, such godliness
in the midst of the vilest iniquity! (Spurgeon)
1D. That Obadiah would have little difficulty in finding caves fro the sons of the prophets can
bee seen in that over two thousand caves have been counted in the Mount Carmel area.
(Patterson and Austel)
1E. John Steverson, “This reverence for the Lord had been demonstrated when Jezebel, the wife

11. of Ahab, had gone on a search and destroy mission against the prophets of God. Obadiah had
sheltered and provided for a hundred prophets of God. This was treason against the state.
This brings us to a question. At what point should a Christian disobey governmental authority?
At the point where that authority commands that which is sinful. And OLY at that point. This is
reflected in the example of Obadiah. He disobeyed Jezebel by hiding the prophets of God. But
when Ahab gave him an order to survey the land for feed for his animals, he was subservient to
that authority.”
This is a good point in the conflicting views of the character of Obadiah, for it is not a negative
thing for a believer to serve a non believing master, for Christians all through history have been
faithful citizens of many pagan governments, and this is a good thing. They only displease the
Lord if they obey them in doing what is rejected by God as valid behavior for a believer. Obadiah
chose treason to his government because his government expected him to cooperate with them in
doing evil. He did the right and godly thing in his secret disobedience to the will of Jezebel and
Ahab.
2. Jezebel was systematically eliminating the competition. She was having God's prophets killed,
and so we see just how dangerous it was for Elijah, and why he had to be so well hidden to
survive. He would have been on the top of her list, and that is why God sent him into hiding. His
prophecy coming true made her so mad that she wanted to kill all who represented the God of
Israel. On top of all the suffering due to the drought, she added persecution against God's people,
and especially his prophets. Good men died, and so we see that Elijah played a special role in
God's plan that was not the case for all of his prophets. Some were not hidden, and they lost their
lives due to this wicked queen. There is no point in taking the life of Elijah and implying that this
is the way God will work in every life committed to him. Sometimes we take the heroes of the
Bible as examples of how God will work in all of our lives, but the fact is, they were exceptions,
and not the common pattern of God in all of his people. Some of these who were killed may have
been equal to Elijah in every way, but they were not chosen for the role God chose him to play.
3. Ron Ritchie, “It was at great risk to his own life from the hand of Queen Jezebel that he did
this. He was of the same character as Corrie Ten Boom of Holland, who during the second world
war had to make a decision to offer refuge to the Jews in the hiding place on the top floor of her
father's watch shop rather than listen to the orders of the azis or her church to turn them out.”
4. In spite of the fact that neither God nor Elijah have any criticism of Obadiah, there are
preachers who feel compelled to blast him for his compromise in his working with such a godless
king and queen. An unknown preacher wrote, “..it is sad when people serve God in secret! It is a
shame when those who know the Lord sell out to the world, the flesh and the devil. How many in
this very room are guilty of the very same things? Because of a desire to fit in with the crowd,
because of a job, or to keep a friend, we have chosen to keep silent about what we really believe.
Far too often, God's children join the secret service. They conceal their faith in God to save face
with men. That is a tragedy of the highest magnitude! When we consider what Jesus suffered to
redeem our souls from Hell, how could we be ashamed to be identified with Him, Rom. 10:11?
otice Mark 8:38, Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this

12. adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh
in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
When I think of Obadiah, one word comes to mind: Compromise! Obadiah has chosen to live his
life somewhere between God and the world. He has chosen a position that forces him to conceal
who he really is. He has chosen to hide his faith in God to protect his life, satisfy his greed, exalt
his own name and secure his position. He has done what millions are doing today. That is, many
are wilfully hiding their faith in God and the biblical convictions to please a world that does not
know God. They do this for the same reason that Obadiah did it. They do not want to stand out
from the crowd and be labeled different! Even when Christians aren't guilty of committing sins
with their bodies, they sin by not abstaining from the very appearance of evil, 1 Thes. 5:22. This
sin is a wicked as any that can be committed by the believer! Give this world no reason to doubt
your faith in God!”
5. What we have in this record of Obadiah is just enough information that can be read as either
positive or negative depending on what you are looking for. Some find the positive standing out,
and others find the negative to be the key message. This reveals that there is a lot of subjectivity
involved in Bible interpretation. Different personalities will find very different ways of seeing the
same information, and that is why it is so important to keep asking yourself as you study the
Bible, what does the text actually say? We all get into speculation about what is not stated, and
that is valid if we make it clear that it is speculation and not interpretation. The primary goal is
to understand what the inspired text is telling us, and not what interpreters have felt about what
the text does not tell us. Does the text here tell us anything about God's negative attitude toward
Obediah? o it does not! It tells us just the opposite, for it tells us he was a devout believer in the
Lord. That establishes what God thinks about him, for that is what God inspired the author to
write. But men do not always like what God says, and they add their own judgment that is not
inspired but is purely subjective speculation.
6. The unknown pastor quoted in paragraph 4 goes on as he deals with the next 2 verses: “In
these two verses, we find Obadiah actively involved in service to Ahab. Basically, Obadiah is
guilty of two great errors. First, he is employed by the wrong people. He is in a job that requires
him to compromise his beliefs so that he can keep it. Secondly, he is engaged in the wrong activity.
otice that Ahab and Obadiah seem to have no concern for the starving people of the land. They
are out looking for grass to feed some horses. That shows a lack of compassion! Besides that,
Obadiah is helping Ahab do something that was forbidden by the Law of God. The kings of Israel
were not allowed to keep horses, Deut. 17:16. Of course, Obadiah's actions stand in marked
contrast to those of Elijah. You see, Obadiah was busy looking for grass to save a bunch of nags,
Elijah was looking for God to save a nation!” Later this author concludes, “As Obadiah walks
away, he is never heard from again. Did Ahab kill him as he feared? Probably not! Most likely, he
simply faded back into the woodwork and continued to live his live of compromise and
disobedience. His is a life that could have been greatly used of the Lord, but because of his
reluctance, his lack of faith and his compromise with the world, he was a man who never
amounted to much for the glory of God.”
6B. You, the reader, will have to decide if the above writer is being overly critical, or if he has a
valid case for his judgment on Obediah, and especially his judgment on his entire future life
based on silence. His reasoning is that if God does not tell us anything good about his future, then

13. we have a right to assume that it was bad. What ever happened to “Judge not lest you be
judged.” And Rom. 14:4, “Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he
stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” My conviction is that
he is reading too much between the lines, and coming to conclusions that have no basis in what
the text tells us about this devout believer used to save a hundred of God's servants from a violent
death. To me he is one of the great heroes of the Bible. And yet in my research I find another
preacher I love to quote often in my studies saying such nonsense as the following, “Elijah is seen
to be a faithful servant of God, while Obadiah is pictured as a mere hireling, that is, one who
gives lip service to God, but by his life he denies the God he claims to serve. Sadly, there are many
people like Obadiah in the modern church. People who talk about being saved and who claim to
love the Lord, but who by the lives they live deny Him, His power and His presence in their
lives.” I immediately read this chapter again to discover what leads men of God to say such
things about another man of God, and I could again find not a single clue in the text to come to
such slanderous conclusions.
7. Jamison, “As this succor must have been given them at the hazard, not only of his place, but
his life, it was a strong proof of his attachment to the true religion.” The point is, you do not risk
your life for a cause if you are compromising your belief in that cause. He had to go to enormous
trouble to get these men of God into two different caves, and then a great deal more trouble in
getting food to them undetected. These are not the actions of one who has abandoned the faith,
but of one who will die for the faith.
5 Ahab had said to Obadiah, Go through the land to all
the springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grass to
keep the horses and mules alive so we will not have to kill
any of our animals.
1. It was a tremendous battle to keep animals alive with all of the vegetation drying up for lack of
rain. Animals were an important part of wealth and power, and so the king was desperate to try
and spare his horses and mules. Obadiah was his partner in helping then survive, and so here you
have a believer and an unbeliever working together to save the animals. This is a valid role for a
believer, for the goal was good. I have worked side by side with an atheist boss to achieve good
goals for a business, and had no problem in doing so. In fact, it was delightful, for while we
worked we often had very interesting discussions about theology. It motivated me to learn how to
deal with the objections of a unbeliever. I looked forward to working with him, and I would
assume there are believers working with unbelievers all over the world just like Obadiah and
Ahab.

14. 2. When the king has run out of grass you know that most other people have long been out, and
so the animal kingdom suffered great losses, and this meant people lost a great deal of wealth.
This was equivalent to a major stock crash in our day, for people's assets were radically depleted.
The king hoped to find a spring somewhere that would have a little grass surviving the scorching
sun, for that was just how desperate he was. Here is one king who believed in hell on earth, for he
was tasting it, and feeling the pain. But what folly, for he never went seeking his own heart to find
out why this judgment had come upon him and his people. He knew it was because of his
allowing his wife Jezebel to bring in all of her prophets of Baal and set up idolatry all over the
land. We do not see him pleading with God to forgive him, and promise to bring his people back
to the God who was the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and Solomon. ot at all. He just
kept looking for a way out. The upward look was not on his agenda, and that blind spot led him
to face even greater judgment. Pink wrote, “A later prophet in Israel complained of the people in
his day for manifesting this vile temper: O Lord, are not Thine eyes upon the truth? Thou hast
stricken them, but they have not grieved; Thou has consumed them, but they have refused to
receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock, Ahab is one of these rock
faces.
3. Pink, “In the hour of his deep need Ahab turned not in humility unto God, for he was a
stranger to Him. Grass was now his all-absorbing object - provided that could be found, he cared
nothing about anything else. If food and drink were obtainable then he could have enjoyed
himself in the palace and been at ease among Jezebel’s idolatrous prophets, but the horrors of
famine drove him out. Yet instead of dwelling upon and rectifying the causes thereof, he seeks
only a temporary relief. Alas, he had sold himself to work wickedness and had become the slave
of a woman who hated Jehovah. And, my reader, Ahab was not a Gentile, a heathen, but a
favoured Israelite; but he had married a heathen and become enamored with her false gods. He
had made shipwreck of the faith and was being driven to destruction. What a terrible thing it is
to depart from the living God and forsake the Refuge of our fathers!”
4. Howat, “In the case of Ahab himself, what an illustration the mission on behalf of the horses
and mules furnishes of the essentially mean, selfish, cold-blooded, contemptible character of the
man ! We charge it on Ahab as no indignity that he put himself at the head of a foraging
expedition, because such is quite in harmony with oriental ideas, and is done by chiefs in the East
to the present day ; but the idolatrous monarch who could think of his stables and not of his
subjects, only shows how totally unfit he was to wear a crown, and how it is of the essence of
idolatry everywhere to steel the heart against all human sympathy. It is very melancholy, also, to
see in Ahab one who can submit to great personal inconvenience to search for 'grass,' but who
has no desire to inquire after a justly offended God ; while, in his whole conduct in this
transaction, we have the type of all grovelling, sordid souls, who will spend more upon their
kennels in a month than upon their cottagers in a year, and who will lose in a few seconds, amid
the gambling of the turf, what would endow many an orphanage, and establish a hundred
schools.”
6 So they divided the land they were to cover, Ahab going

15. in one direction and Obadiah in another.
1. This was providential, for Elijah wanted to get Obadiah alone and let him convey a message to
Ahab. It might be too great a shock, and carry some risk to just come into the presence of Ahab,
and so he seeks an assistant, and who could be better than Obadiah. He was close to the king, and
could pave the way for a meeting.
7 As Obadiah was walking along, Elijah met him.
Obadiah recognized him, bowed down to the ground, and
said, Is it really you, my lord Elijah?
1. Elijah was obviously directed again by God, for how could he know where Obadiah was
walking without the help of God? Obadiah seems to have known Elijah on a personal basis, and
we have no idea what connections they had before Elijah gave his opening message to Ahab.
There may be a history of these two before that, but we do not have it. It could be that Elijah had
become well known because of the lack of rain, and Obadiah knew him and honored him as a
hero in the eyes of the believers, and not because he knew him personally. There is not way to
know for sure how he so easily recognized Elijah, now why he bowed to him and called him lord.
2. Dr. Ray Pritchard, “As he journeyed from Zarephath to Samaria, Elijah met Obadiah who
was in charge of Ahab’s palace. In modern terms, we would say he was Ahab’s chief of staff, his
right hand man, the one who kept everything running smoothly. He took care of all the details so
that Ahab could busy himself being king of Israel. If you stop to think about it, Obadiah must
have been a man of considerable talent because this was a position with enormous responsibility.
Obadiah was in charge of everything that happened in the palace. He had oversight of all the
servants, the waiters, the helpers, and all the people who came in and out to see the king. This
certainly meant that Ahab must have known him well and placed a great deal of trust in him. Get
the wrong person in such a position and your reign might be very short. Find the right person
and your life suddenly becomes a lot easier. We all understand that there is the man who sits on
the throne, and there is the man behind the throne who makes it all happen. The man on the
throne gets the publicity, but it’s the unseen man who deserves the credit. That was Obadiah.
And it is precisely at this point that the story becomes fascinating because the Bible tells us two
different, and seemingly contradictory facts:
1) Ahab was a wicked man who did more evil than all the kings that preceded him.
2) Obadiah was a godly man who feared the Lord from his youth.
How did it come to pass that a godly man should be in charge of the palace for such a wicked
man? We do not know the answer because the Bible tells us nothing about Obadiah’s family

16. background.”
8 Yes, he replied. Go tell your master, 'Elijah is here.'
1. Elijah wasted no time in giving Obadiah orders. He answers with a quick yes, and then says go
tell your master I am here. He was not being sociable at this point, and talking about old times
when life was better, and I didn't have to live in isolation. There was no information conveyed by
Elijah. He was focused on one thing only, because the biggest contest of his life was about to take
place, and his mind was totally wrapped around that, and getting it to happen.
9 What have I done wrong, asked Obadiah, that you
are handing your servant over to Ahab to be put to death?
1. Pink, “ It was only natural that Obadiah should wished to be excused from so perilous an
errand. First, he asks wherein he had offended either the Lord or His prophet that he should be
asked to be the messenger of such distasteful tidings to the king—sure proof that his own
conscience was clear! Second, he lets Elijah know of the great pains which his royal master had
taken in endeavoring to track down the prophet and discover his hiding place: As the Lord thy
God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee, (v. 10.).
Yet in spite of all their diligence they were not able to discover him: so effectually did God secure
him from their malice. Utterly futile is it for man to attempt to hid when the Lord seeks him out:
equally useless is it for him to seek when God hides anything from him.”
10 As surely as the LORD your God lives, 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. Bob Deffinbaugh, “Obadiah informed Elijah that Ahab had an “all points bulletin” out for
him. Without a doubt, Elijah was Israel’s most wanted fugitive. Ahab not only searched

17. throughout the land of Israel, he pressed the neighboring kingdoms to turn Elijah over to him if
he was hiding out within their borders. Even when a neighboring country assured Ahab that
Elijah was not living there, Ahab was not satisfied. He insisted that they provide him with the
equivalent of a sworn affidavit, stating in writing that they did not know where Elijah could be
found (18:10). Ahab was serious about capturing and killing Elijah.”
2. Henry, “Ahab had made diligent search for him ( 1 Kings 18:10 ), had offered rewards to any
one that would discover him, sent spies into every tribe and lordship of his own dominions, as some
understand it, or, as others, into all the neighbouring nations and kingdoms that were in alliance
with him; and, when they denied that they knew any thing of him, he would not believe them
unless they swore it, and, as should seem, promised likewise upon oath that, if ever they found
him among them, they would discover him and deliver him up. It should seem, he made this
diligent search for him, not so much that he might punish him for what he had done in
denouncing the judgment as that he might oblige him to undo it again, by recalling the sentence,
because he had said it should be according to his word, having such an opinion of him as men
foolishly conceive of witches (that, if they can but compel them to bless that which they have
bewitched, it will be well again), or such as the king of Moab had of Balaam. I incline to this
because we find, when they came together, Elijah, knowing what Ahab wanted him for, appointed
him to meet him on Mount Carmel, and Ahab complied with the appointment, though Elijah
took such a way to revoke the sentence and bless the land as perhaps he little thought of.”
11 But now you tell me to go to my master and say, 'Elijah
is here.'
1. And now after an endless search by many nations ending in futility, you have the audacity to
ask me to tell Ahab I just happened to bump into Elijah on my walk today. He will skin me alive.
This is no Joke Elijah. Ahab is in no mood for any funny stuff. Play with his emotions now, and it
could be a deadly mistake
2. Henry, “He thought Elijah was not in good earnest when he bade him tell Ahab where he was,
but intended only to expose the impotency of his malice; for he knew Ahab was not worthy to
receive any kindness from the prophet and it was not fit that the prophet should receive any
mischief from him. [3.] He is sure Ahab would be so enraged at the disappointment that he would
put him to death for making a fool of him, or for not laying hands on Elijah himself, when he had
him in his reach, 1 Kings 18:12 . Tyrants and persecutors, in their passion, are often unreasonably
outrageous, even towards their friends and confidants. [4.] He pleads that he did not deserve to
be thus exposed, and put in peril of his life: What have I said amiss? 1 Kings 18:9 . ay ( 1 Kings
18:13), Was it not told my lord how I hid the prophets? He mentions this, not in pride or
ostentation, but to convince Elijah that though he was Ahab's servant he was not in his interest,
and therefore deserved not to be bantered as one of the tools of his persecution. He that had
protected so many prophets, he hoped, should not have his own life hazarded by so great a
prophet.”

18. 12 I don't know where the Spirit of the LORD may carry
you when I leave you. If I go and tell Ahab and he doesn't
find you, he will kill me. Yet I your servant have
worshiped the LORD since my youth.
1. Obadiah makes it clear that Ahab is filled with anger at Elijah, and any report of his presence
that does not become a fact will end in his wrath falling on the reporter who proves to be a liar.
He has had it with Elijah, and he will kill anyone, even his best servant, who plays with his mind
about the whereabouts of Elijah.
2. Commentators have mixed emotions about Obadiah. Some think he is a man of compromise,
and worthy of condemnation, while others think of him as an heroic man of God. Dr. Ray
Pritchard gives us some profound and attitude changing insights as he takes his stand on the
positive side. He wrote, “I find myself more in agreement with Charles Spurgeon who called
Obadiah an example of “Early, Eminent Piety.” He means that God ordained that Obadiah be
raised in the fear of the Lord from his youth. And then it pleased the Lord to place this godly
man in a position that must have been very difficult for him, serving a wicked man like Ahab.
Spurgeon also makes a point that, while it cannot be proved, makes sense to me. He suggests that
Elijah probably didn’t have much patience with Obadiah’s hesitation. When Elijah told him to
go tell Ahab where he (Elijah) was, Obadiah was plainly afraid to go. He thought it was a virtual
death sentence for himself because all he knew was that Elijah had shown up at the king’s courts
three years earlier and then suddenly disappeared without a trace. And now Elijah shows up
again. If Obadiah goes to the king and says, “I’ve found Elijah,” how does he know that Elijah
won’t disappear again? To me that’s a perfectly logical question. Obadiah was counting the cost
before opening his mouth, something Jesus himself advised us to do. I think it is clear that
Obadiah doesn’t mind dying for what he believes, but he doesn’t want to be killed for no reason
at all.”
Let me go back to Spurgeon’s point for just a moment. He begins his sermon this way:
I suspect that Elijah did not think very much of Obadiah. He does not treat him with
any great consideration, but addresses him more sharply than one would expect from
a fellow-believer. Elijah was the man of action — bold, always to the front, with
nothing to conceal; Obadiah was a quiet believer, true and steadfast, but in a very
difficult position, and therefore driven to perform his duty in a less open manner. His
faith in the Lord swayed his life, but did not drive him out of the court.
That makes good sense to me. Sometimes our eagerness to judge other believers stems less from
spiritual insight and more from differences in personality. Elijah could never have served in Ahab’s
court. ever! Such a thought would have been abhorrent to him. Why would he, a prophet of
God, serve in the court of a man given to such wickedness? But that was evidently exactly where

19. God had placed Obadiah.
If Elijah didn’t understand Obadiah, and if Obadiah feared Elijah, it is perfectly understandable. I
don’t think Obadiah would have invited Elijah over for a cookout, and if he had, I doubt that
Elijah would have come. Many years ago I heard it explained this way. In the Lord’s army there
are prophets and there are priests. The prophets are called by God to speak boldly, rebuking sin
and calling people to righteousness. The priests are called by God to see the hurting people all
around them and to minister healing in Jesus’ name. We see the dichotomy often in dealing with
moral issues like abortion and gay rights. There are those who are called to denounce these sins,
and there are those who are called to minister to those hurt and ruined by these sins. I have
observed that the prophets rarely understand the priests, and the priests don’t appreciate the
prophets. Prophets often look at the priests as soft and weak, while the priests see the prophets as
harsh and uncaring. But both are called by the Lord and both have important jobs to do.
Someone has to speak out and take the heat.
Someone has to bind up the wounded.
Someone has to declare God’s Word boldly.
Someone has to help the hurting.
Someone has to stand and fight.
Someone has to take care of the causalities.
The army can’t be all fighters and no healers. And it can’t be all healers and no fighters. You
need both, and you need both at the same time even when they don’t always see eye to eye.”
3. Spurgeon has a focus on Obadiah being a believer from youth. He wrote, “ I notice that
these witnesses for God are very often persons converted in their youth. He seems to take a
delight to make these his special standard-bearers in the day of battle. Look at Samuel! When all
Israel became disgusted with the wickedness of Eli's sons the child Samuel ministered before the
Lord. Look at David! When he is but a shepherd boy he wakes the echoes of the lone hills with
his psalms and the accompanying music of his harp. See Josiah! When Israel had revolted it was
a child, Josiah by name, that broke down the altars of Baal and burned the bones of his priests.
Daniel was but a youth when he took his stand for purity and God. The Lord hath to-day—I
know not where—some little Luther on his mother's knee, some young Calvin learning in our
Sunday-school, some youthful Zwingle singing a hymn to Jesus. This age may grow worse and
worse; I sometimes think it will, for many signs look that way; but the Lord is preparing for it.
The days are dark and ominous; and this eventide may darken down into a blacker night than
has been known before; but God's cause is safe in God's hands. His work will not tarry for want
of men. Put not forth the hand of Uzzah to steady the ark of the Lord; it shall go safely on in
God's predestined way. Christ will not fail nor be discouraged. God buries his workmen, but his
work lives on. If there be not in the palace a king who honors God, there shall yet be found there
a governor who fears the Lord from his youth, who shall take care of the Lord's prophets, and
hide them away till better days shall come. Wherefore be of good courage, and look for happier
hours. othing of real value is in jeopardy while Jehovah is on the throne. The Lord's reserves
are coming up, and their drums beat victory.”
4. Spurgeon goes on with the highest regard for Obadiah. “Obadiah could say, I thy servant fear

20. the Lord from my youth. Time had not changed him: whatever his age may have been, his
religion had not decayed. We are all fond of novelty, and I have known some men go wrong as it
were for a change. It is not burning quick to the death in martyrdom that is the hard work;
roasting before a slow fire is a far more terrible test of firmness. To continue gracious during a
long life of temptation is to be gracious indeed. For the grace of God to convert a man like Paul,
who is full of threatenings against the saints, is a great marvel, but for the grace of God to
preserve a believer for ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty years, is quite as great a miracle, and
deserves more of our praise than it usually commands. Obadiah was not affected by the lapse of
time; he was found to be when old what he was when young.
or was he carried away by the fashion of those evil times. To be a servant of Jehovah was
thought to be a mean thing, old-fashioned, ignorant; a thing of the past; the worship of Baal was
the modern thought of the hour. All the court walked after the God of Sidon, and all the
courtiers went in the same way. My lord worshipped Baal, and my lady worshipped Baal, for the
queen worshipped Baal; but Obadiah said, I thy servant fear Jehovah from my youth. Blessed
is the man who cares nothing for the fashion, for it passeth away. If for a while it rageth towards
evil, what hath the believing man to do but to abide steadfastly by the right? Obadiah was not
even affected by the absence of the means of grace. The priests and Levites had fled into Judah,
and the prophets had been killed or hidden away, and there was no public worship of Jehovah in
Israel. The temple was far away at Jerusalem; therefore he had no opportunity of hearing
anything that could strengthen him or stimulate him; yet he held on his way. I wonder how long
some professors would keep up their profession if there were no places of worship, no Christian
associations, no ministrations of the word; but this man's fear of the Lord was so deep that the
absence of that which is usually wanted for the sustenance of piety did not cause him to decline.
May you and I personally feed upon the Lord Jesus in the secret of our souls, so that we may
flourish even though we should be far removed from a profitable ministry. May the Holy Ghost
make us steadfast, unmovable evermore.”
13 Haven't you heard, my lord, what I did while Jezebel
was killing the prophets of the LORD ? I hid a hundred of
the LORD's prophets in two caves, fifty in each, and
supplied them with food and water.
1. Spurgeon, “He was chamberlain of the palace. If he had pleased Jezebel and worshiped Baal
he might have been much easier in his situation, for he would have enjoyed her royal patronage;
but there he was, governor in Ahab's house, and yet fearing Jehovah. He must have had to walk
very delicately, and watch his words most carefully. I do not wonder that he became a very
cautious person, and was a little afraid even of Elijah, lest he was giving him a commission which
would lead to his destruction. He came to be extremely prudent, and looked on things round
about so as neither to compromise his conscience nor jeopardize his position. It wants an
uncommonly wise man to do that, but he who can accomplish it is to be commended. He did not
run away from his position, nor retreat from his religion. If he had been forced to do wrong, I am

21. sure he would have imitated the priests and Levites and have fled into Judah, where the worship
of Jehovah continued; but he felt that without yielding to idolatry he could do something for God
in his advantageous position, and therefore he determined to stop and fight it out. When there is
no hope of victory you may as well retire; but he is the brave man who when the bugle sounds
retreat does not hear it, who puts his blind eye to the telescope and cannot see the signal to cease
firing, but just holds his position against all odds, and does all the damage he can to the enemy.
Obadiah was a man who did in truth hold the fort, for he felt that when all the prophets were
doomed by Jezebel it was his part to stay near the tigress and save the lives of at least a hundred
servants of God from her cruel power. If he could not do more he would not have lived in vain if
he accomplished so much. I admire the man whose decision was equal to his prudence, though I
should greatly fear to occupy so perilous a place.”
“I should not like to try it myself, nor would I recommend any of you to attempt a feat so
difficult. The part of Elijah is much safer and grander. The prophet's course was plain enough;
he had not to please, but to reprove Ahab; he had not to be wary, but to act in a bold outspoken
manner for the God of Israel. How much the greater man he seems to be when the two stand
together in the scene before us. Obadiah falls on his face and calls him My lord Elijah; and
well he might, for morally he was far his inferior. Yet I must not fall into Ellijah's vein myself lest
I have to pull myself up with a sharp check. It was a great thing for Obadiah that he could
manage Ahab's household with Jezebel in it, and yet, for all that, win this commendation from
the Spirit of God, that he feared the Lord greatly. “
1B. Adam Clarke, “He was a sincere and zealous worshiper of the true God, and his conduct
towards the persecuted prophets was the full proof both of his piety and humanity.” “This
persecution was probably during the dearth, for as this bad woman would attribute the public
calamity to Elijah, not being able to find him, she would naturally wreak her vengeance on the
prophets of Jehovah who were within her reach.”
2. After the above very positive view of Obadiah, I want to share an outline from another pastor
that I will not name. It reveals that men of God can look at the same Bible revelation and come to
very opposite conclusion about a man's character. Spurgeon sees him as a wonderful man of God,
and this other pastor sees him as a terrible example of a believer. He is held up as a great example
for believers, and also as an example to be rejected as a bad example. But notice just how
subjective the comments are in this outline, and that they are not based on what the text says, but
on their reading into it what they have determined. Here is the outline:
Obadiah is a picture of the compromising Christian – One who fears the Lord (18:3), but is
unwilling to take a firm stand for the cause of Christ!
• Elijah was serving God publicly without fear; Obadiah was serving Ahab (18:7-8).
• Obadiah had secretly cared for the 100 prophets of God by hiding them in caves and
feeding them bread and water (18:4).
• However, when Obadiah meets Elijah in the way, Obadiah fell on his face before the true
man of God.
• When Elijah told Obadiah to go and tell Ahab that he was here, Obadiah feared for his
own life!
• Obadiah then began to excuse himself by trying to impress Elijah with his own feeble
merits (18:13).

22. • Finally, Elijah convinces Obadiah that he will not deceive him, but that he will remain
there until Ahab comes.
• Alas, we have too many Obadiah’s today, and not enough Elijahs!
3. If you can read that outline and not laugh at the comment on 18:13, then you are very
undiscerning of a personal prejudice. He is saying that the saving of the lives of 100 prophets of
God is his own feeble merits. That is one of the most stupid remarks I I have ever read. I would
like to see the list of the author's merits to compare with that of Obadiah. Few believers in all of
history have ever earned the merits of saving the lives of a hundred other believers, and he calls
them feeble merits. I am sure he would change that wording if he reads this. He has so
determined that this man is bad that he had to minimize anything that gives him credit. In any
other context Obadiah would be considered a hero of the highest degree, but those who have
prejudged him to be the bad guy have tried to poison his image by slanderous remarks to make
people think of him badly. I think this commentator would have a different attitude had he been
one of the saved prophets, or had he been sentenced to die in some foreign land with no Obadiah
in the government to come to his rescue.
In my mind it is scandalous to see a Bible hero have his name reduced to shame with no hint to
support such character assassination. My hope is that by reading this, pastor's will avoid
following negative judgments about this man with nothing to support them but subjective
assumptions. Everything the Bible says of this man is positive, and everything negative said of
him is pure speculation, and that is not valid Bible interpretation. The problem is, if there is a
good sermon by a good preacher in which a false idea is promoted, other preachers will assume
that it is a good idea, and continue to promote the false idea. We need to be more discerning and
recognize that the greatest preachers, who have the greatest sermons, can also miss the boat and
follow ideas that are false to Scripture. If you know of a preacher who never makes a mistake,
and never says anything that is foolish and speculative, let me know, for I would like to get
started on my list of perfect preachers, which, so far, stands at zero. I can't get on the list myself.
14 And now you tell me to go to my master and say,
'Elijah is here.' He will kill me!
1. Obadiah is very close to Ahab, and he knows how the man thinks. He is so angry at Elijah that
he is ready to let his rage loose on anyone who gives him another false lead. He has searches his
whole part of the world to find this man, and has followed many a false lead. Another one will be
the last straw Obadiah fears, and so his resistance is valid. I will say this is where you are, and if
you are not there, he will draw his sword and say this is the last straw, and he will wipe me out of
the picture in fury. He will have no patience with anyone who gives him false information.
15 Elijah said, As the LORD Almighty lives, whom I

23. serve, I will surely present myself to Ahab today.
1. Elijah swears that he will be there, and so Obadiah takes him at his word and delivers the
message. He trusts a man who will swear by the name of the Lord, and so he honors that trust
and does what Elijah commands.
Elijah on Mount Carmel
16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab
went to meet Elijah.
1. Obadiah was a worrier, for he was afraid he would be killed, but it all went fine, and nobody
was being slaughtered because Elijah showed up.
2. Pink, “The very fact that the prophet was seeking him out, yea had sent Obadiah before him to
say, Behold, Elijah is here, must have rendered the king uneasy. Wicked men are generally
great cowards: their own consciences are their accusers, and often cause them many misgivings
when in the presence of God’s faithful servants, even though these occupy an inferior position in
life to themselves. Thus it was with King Herod in connection with Christ’s forerunner, for we are
told, Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy (Mark 6:20). In like
manner, Felix, the Roman governor, trembled before Paul (though he was his prisoner) when the
apostle reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come (Acts 24:25). Let not the
ministers of Christ hesitate boldly to deliver their message, nor be afraid of the displeasure of the
most influential in their congregations.”
3. Bob Deffinbaugh, “From the context, we know that Ahab and Obadiah had gone out in search
of pasture and feed for the king’s livestock. It would seem that they had prearranged to meet at
some designated place when they were finished with their search. I would take it, then, that
Obadiah went to this designated meeting place where he found Ahab. If this were the case, Ahab
would not have been too far off at that moment, and he may very well have gone directly to the
place where Elijah came upon Obadiah. otice that Elijah did not go to Ahab; Ahab came to
him. Perhaps Elijah is attempting to make it very clear to Ahab who is in charge. As the
spokesman for God, Elijah is the higher authority. Furthermore, it was wise for Elijah to choose
a remote and private place. Ahab could not as easily arrest Elijah in such a place, whereas it
would have been relatively easy in the city of Jezreel. And there, in this secluded location, Ahab
and Elijah could talk candidly, without the interference of Jezebel. However it came about, the
king of Israel and Elijah are now “eyeball to eyeball,” as we would say.”

24. 17 When he saw Elijah, he said to him, Is that you, you
troubler of Israel?
1. Everyone who met Elijah asked “Is that you?” He must have looked really rugged after three
years of isolation, and not just the same as he looked before. The king calls him a trouble maker
the first thing he sees him. He feels that Elijah is the problem, and not his wicked acceptance of
idolatry. He is a good example of people who never look at themselves, but see the problem to be
other people. They think they are innocent, and are victims of other people's faults. This
blindness leads them to judgment, as it did Ahab. He casts all blame on Elijah for the problems of
Israel. You wonder why he did not have Elijah killed on the spot, but it is clear to him now that
the drought is under his control, and it will never go away until Elijah prays for it to go away. He
knows he has no power to end this crisis, and so he is fully aware that he is dependent upon this
man he does not like at all. You just don't kill the goose that lays the golden egg, or the prophet
who has the power to restore the rain.
2. P. G. Mathew, “Throughout redemptive history, those who proclaim the word of God have
been seen by many as troublemakers. Jesus said, Blessed are you when people insult you,
persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad,
because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who
were before you (Matthew 5:11-12).
3. Henry, “We have here the meeting between Ahab and Elijah, as bad a king as ever the world
was plagued with and as good a prophet as ever the church was blessed with. 1. Ahab, like
himself, basely accused Elijah. He durst not strike him, remembering that Jeroboam's hand
withered when it was stretched out against a prophet, but gave him bad language, which was no
less an affront to him that sent him. It was a very coarse compliment with which he accosted him
at the first word: Art thou he that troubleth Israel? 1 Kings 18:17 . How unlike was this to that
with which his servant Obadiah saluted him ( 1 Kings 18:7 ): Art thou that my lord Elijah?
Obadiah feared God greatly; Ahab had sold himself to work wickedness; and both discovered
their character by the manner of their address to the prophet. One may guess how people stand
affected to God by observing how they stand affected to his people and ministers. Elijah now
came to bring blessings to Israel, tidings of the return of the rain; yet he was thus affronted. Had
it been true that he was the troubler of Israel, Ahab, as king, would have been bound to
animadvert upon him. There are those who trouble Israel by their wickedness, whom the
conservators of the public peace are concerned to enquire after. But it was utterly false
concerning Elijah; so far was he from being an enemy to Israel's welfare that he as the stay of it,
the chariots and horsemen of Israel. ote, It has been the lot of the best and most useful men to be
called and counted the troublers of the land, and to be run down as public grievances. Even Christ
and his apostles were thus misrepresented, Acts 17:6.”

25. 18 I have not made trouble for Israel, Elijah replied.
But you and your father's family have. You have
abandoned the LORD's commands and have followed the
Baals.
1. Elijah is not going to take any criticism from this wicked king who accuses him of being the
trouble maker. He throws it right back in his face that he and his family are the real
troublemakers by their defying the commands of God.
2. Bob Deffinbaugh, “Elijah was not “troubled” by Ahab’s angry indictment. He knew better.
Quickly turning the tables on Ahab, he informed the king that Israel’s troubles were not due to
any wrong doing on his part, but were the consequence of Ahab’s disregard for God’s
commandments, and particularly his worship of other gods. Omri had acted wickedly (1 Kings
16:25-26), and now his son—Ahab—has surpassed him. o previous king had matched Ahab in
wickedness (16:30, 33). And it was not just Ahab who sinned. Like Omri, Ahab’s “leadership”
encouraged the nation to sin as well (see 16:26).”
3. Pink, “Elijah was not to be intimidated by the wicked aspersion which had just been cast upon
him. With undaunted courage, he first denies the foul charge: I have not troubled Israel.
Happy for us if we can truthfully make the same claim: that the chastisements which Zion is now
receiving at the hands of a holy God have not been caused in any measure by my sins. Alas, who
among us could affirm this? Second, Elijah boldly returns the charge upon the king himself,
placing the blame where it duly belonged: I have not troubled Israel, but thou and thy father’s
house. See here the fidelity of God’s servant: as athan said to David, so Elijah unto Ahab,
Thou art the man. A truly solemn and heavy charge: that Ahab and his father’s house were the
cause of all the sore evils and sad calamities which had befallen the land. The Divine authority
with which he was invested warranted Elijah thus to indict the king himself.”
4. John Loweie has an interesting theory about Baal and the drought that came in judgment for
the worship of the Baal. He wrote, “It is not the unanimous opinion of the learned that Baal is the
sun. Mr. Mede thinks that the Bel of the Babylonians was a deified king of Babel, and that the
Baal of the Zidonians was a deified Phoanician king. Yet Calniet, Bishop Patrick and others,
think that Baal is the sun. Though the plural name of Baalam is applied to other gods, or perhaps
to multiplied images of the same god, yet it explains all the Scriptural references to Baal's
worship to suppose that he is the sun. The Jewish people did worship the sun. Josiah put down
the priests that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun and to the moon and to the planets and to
all the host of heaven, 2 Kings xxiii. 5. So also he took away the chariots given to the sun, and
burned the chariots of the sun with fire.

26. Thus to understand this Baal worship explains the appropriateness of the judgment........ We may
suppose him now to say, Since you will worship the sun, let the sun be your ruler. Let his bright
and unclouded rays beam upon you ; let no storm-clouds obscure his beauty to your admiring
eyes ; let no vapors rise to darken his splendor. The burning sun is Israel's god; let him teach
Israel the folly of exalting the creature into the place of that Creator who alone can make all his
creatures subserve his providential purposes.
5. If the above theory is correct, it becomes another illustration of God's poetic justice. The above
author goes on to give other illustrations: “In the divine administration of earthly affairs, we
often see the punishments of sin so appropriate to the sins that call them forth that men have no
difficulty in discerning why the displeasure of God is upon them. The Scriptures often express
this rule in explicit language : His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself. As she hath
done, so shall it be done to her. Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. The
Egyptians destroyed the male children of the Israelites, and in judgment lose their own first born.
David's sin is followed by like sins in his own household. The Jews rejected their Messiah, and
were rejected by him. So in this great calamity of Israel. The people reap the fruits of their own
devices.” Another great example is Haman building a place to hang Mordaicai, and he ends up
being hanged there himself. God is saying in poetic justice, if you want something that is bad real
bad, then he will allow you to have it, for that will be your punishment. Israel wanted to worship
the sun God, and so God says I will give it to you three and a half years straight, and see how you
like it.
19 ow summon the people from all over Israel to meet
me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and
fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of
Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table.
1. Elijah throws down the challenge to bring all of the false prophets to Carmel to face a
showdown as to who the people of Israel should be following. Dr. Ray Pritchard gives us some
valuable information on Mt. Carmel and on the worship of Baal. He wrote, “If you ever go to the
Holy Land, your guide will take you to Carmel. It is an enormous mountain by the seacoast
overlooking the modern day city of Haifa. From the top of Mount Carmel you have a
commanding view in all directions. Carmel was important in the Old Testament for military and
geopolitical reasons. Whoever held Mt. Carmel controlled the northern half of the nation. And
whoever controlled the worship that took place on Carmel controlled the nation spiritually. The
priests and the prophets of Baal knew that. That is why years earlier they had built an altar to
Baal on top of Mount Carmel. We know from history that Baal worship was a particularly
degrading religion. It was a bizarre mixture of idolatry, perverted sexuality and child sacrifice.
The pagans believed Baal controlled the rising and the setting of the sun. He was also considered
the god who brought forth the seasons, and the god who brought forth or withheld the rains.
Because ancient Israel was an agricultural nation, Baal was an extremely powerful deity. Men

27. and women who came to worship Baal would offer a sacrifice and then engage in some sort of
sexual activity with the priests and priestesses. They believed that if you were joined physically to
one of those priests or priestesses of Baal, the power of Baal would be transferred to you. Thus
Baal worship appealed on one level to the mind, on another level to their economic well-being,
and on a deeper level to the desires of the flesh.”
1B. Gill, “the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal, but not the four hundred prophets of the
groves; for of them we have no account afterwards, only of the former; it may be they were not at
the command of Ahab, only of Jezebel, at whose table they ate, who would not suffer them to go.”
2. Pink, “Very remarkable is this: to behold Elijah alone, hated by Ahab, not only charging the
king with his crimes, but giving him instructions, telling him what he must do. eedless to say, his
conduct on this occasion did not furnish a precedent or set an example for all God’s servants to
follow under similar circumstances. The Tishbite was endowed with extraordinary authority
from the Lord, as is intimated by that ew Testament expression, the spirit and power of
Elijah (Luke 1:17). Exercising that authority Elijah demanded there should be a convening of
all Israel at Carmel, and that thither should also be summoned the prophets of Baal and
Ashtaroth, who were dispersed over the country at large. More strange still was the peremptory
language used by the prophet: he simply issued his orders without offering any reason or
explanation as to what was his real object in summoning all the people and prophets together.”
3. Roger Hahn, “The choice of Mount Carmel as the location of the confrontation may be
significant. Mt. Carmel is on the only jut of land breaking the straight Israelite Mediterranean
coastline. Present day Haifa is located on the northern slopes of Mt. Carmel. At Elijah's time it
was near the border between Israel and Phoenicia. Possession of it had fluctuated between Israel
and Tyre through the previous centuries. Since it had been possessed part of the time by the
Phoenicians it was the one of the first places Baal worship had been introduced to Israel. Thus
Elijah picks the most Baalistic territory in Israel for the contest between Yahweh and Baal. In the
minds of the people the home court advantage would belong to Baal.”
4. Howat, “To the present day all travelers speak of the loveliness of Carmel. * Long before we
got to the summit,' says Dr. Wilson of Bombay, in his Lands of the Bible, “we were in a thick
jungle of brushwood, principally of oak, mountain juniper, and grasses, intermixed with many
beautiful odoriferous plants and flowers growing most luxuriantly.' And a more recent author.
Lieutenant Van de Velde, quite breaks out into rapture, as he writes : “What a memorable
morning in this flower garden ! Yes, Carmel is indeed Carmel — the fruitful, the graceful, the
fragrant, the lovely mountain that he was in the days of old.
Recent discovery has fixed upon El Mukhrakah or Maharrakahy at the eastern extremity, the
highest point of the whole range, and commanding a full view of the Mediterranean, as the
modern representative of the scene of Elijah's contest. The evidence of tradition is confirmed by
the meaning of the word, which signifies ' the burning,' the sacrifice,' and by the natural features
of the spot itself, which exactly correspond with the sacred narrative. It is a spacious terrace or
esplanade of rocky soil, and capable of accommodating on the neighboring slopes assembled
thousands. Here, in the better days of. Israel, had been a sanctuary devoted to God, but which
had probably been destroyed during the persecution by Jezebel. It was among the ruins of this '

28. Sitting on that commanding height, on a bright spring evening, I felt persuaded I was upon the
scene of Elijah's great sacrifice Beside and under me were probably the very stones of which
God's altar was built, and over which played the heavenly flame. A few paces beneath me was the
well from which the water was drawn There, stretching out before me, was the plain across which
Ahab dashed in his chariot ; and yonder, on its eastern border, I saw the little villages which
mark the sites and still bear the names of Jezreel and Shunem. Is it strange that when one thus
visits the holy and historic places of Palestine, the grand events of Bible history should appear to
be enacted over again, and should become living realities ?' — PROFESSOR Porter's Giant
Cities of Bashatty p. 238.”
5. We are not to take this table of Jezebel literally, for that would call for a table to seat 400 plus
her and her family, and some other guests. This simply means that they were supplied from her
kitchen, and so we can assume that she had quite a crew preparing a great deal of food every day.
This was all the more depressing to Ahab and Jezebel that Elijah had made food so much more
scarce because of the drought. All of these people were forced to go on a much slimmer diet due
to the crops that would not grow. They were doubtless delighted that they could get a chance to
meet this meal spoiler in a contest.
6. Clarke, “The king and queen had different religious establishments; the king and his servants
worshiped Baal, the supreme lord and master of the world, the sun. For this establishment four
hundred and fifty priests were maintained. The queen and her women worshiped Asherah, Astarte,
or Venus; and for this establishment four hundred priests were maintained. These latter were in
high honor; they ate at Jezebel's table; they made a part of her household. It appears that those
eight hundred and fifty priests were the domestic chaplains of the king and queen, and probably
not all the priests that belonged to the rites of Baal and Asherah in the land; and yet from the
following verse we learn that Ahab had sent to all the children of Israel to collect these prophets;
but Jezebel had certainly four hundred of them in her own house who were not at the assembly
mentioned here. Those of Baal might have a more extensive jurisdiction than those of Asherah,
the latter being constantly resident in Samaria.”
7. Bob Deffinbaugh, “Elijah also instructed Ahab to assemble the 450 prophets of Baal and the
400 prophets of Asherah. I am not convinced that the 400 prophets of Asherah showed up. When
the people and the prophets arrive at Mount Carmel, Elijah refers only to the 450 prophets of
Baal. In verse 22, Elijah indicates that the odds are 450 to 1—450 prophets of Baal to 1 prophet
of God, himself. In verse 25, Elijah speaks to the prophets of Baal, but no mention is made of the
prophets of Asherah. In verse 40, Elijah orders the Israelites to seize the prophets of Baal. Again,
there is no mention of the 400 prophets of Asherah. I am therefore inclined to think that Jezebel
and the 400 prophets of Asherah stayed behind, and did not accept the challenge. As someone
remarked, for the Prime Minister of Israel to meet with Palestine Liberation Organization
Chairman Yasser Arafat is to give him a certain legitimacy. It is to officially recognize him and
the organization which he represents. I do not think that Jezebel was willing to recognize Elijah
as a prophet. If Ahab was willing to take orders from this fellow, let him, but not Jezebel.”

29. 8. Gill, “o doubt but more discourse passed between Ahab and Elijah, though not recorded,
before he made this motion to him; it is very probable, that after some dispute between them,
who was the true God, and about idolatry, as the cause of want of rain, Elijah proposed to the
king what he afterwards did to the people, to which he could not object; and being desirous of
gratifying his curiosity, and especially of having rain, which the prophet might promise him in
the issue of this affair, he agreed unto it; and therefore Elijah desired that all Israel might be
convened, that it might be openly and publicly done, and to the conviction and reformation of
them, which was what was chiefly designed; and he chose Carmel, a mountain in the tribe of
Issachar, well situated for the people that came from all parts; and the rather this than Samaria,
that he might meet with no obstruction from Jezebel, and from whence: he might be able to see
the rain when coming, as he did.”
20 So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled
the prophets on Mount Carmel.
1. Great Texts. “How the pulse quickens as we read the story ! In his splendid isolation stands
Elijah against king, court, and nation. For three years he has been a hunted fugitive ; for three
years Jezebel has enjoyed her wicked triumph; but this one man is unsubdued and unsubduable.
At last he comes forth from hia desert, and he comes like a thunderbolt. He bars the way of the
king s chariot with a gesture, and silences him with one stern accusation: Thou and thy father s
house have made Israel to sin ! ever was the fearlessness of right so splendidly illustrated, or
the impotence of evil so conclusively exposed. The hunter is dumb before his prey; the tyrant
quails before his victim. There is a royalty in righteousness before which all other royalty is but
tinsel ; there is a supremacy in goodness which strikes the wicked dumb. Are you armed with that
supremacy ? Dare you stand fearless in the right though the heavens fall ? Only then is man
invulnerable. o one can defeat a man who is in the right. He may be a wild man of the desert
and stand in tattered garb, but the chariots of wrong stop at his signal, and kings fear his face.
When Elijah says, Gather to me all Israel unto Mount Carmel, Ahab knows he must obey. So
to Carmel Israel is gathered; there the broken altars are rebuilt, and there the pregnant question
of the text is put to the vast multitude, who at last, when the fire of God descends, cry in fearful
acquiescence not less than profound conviction, The Lord, he is the God ; the Lord, he is the
God.
2. W. A. Criswell, “I can see them making their trek up to the top of Mount Carmel by the
thousands and by the thousands. From the north, they come from Dan. And, from the south,
they come from Bethel. And, from the east, they come from Gilead. And, from the west, they
come from Sharon. And, from the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, there do they gather, there
do they gather on the top of Mount Carmel. And, I can imagine that no tiger ever more fiercely
watched and stalked his prey than Ahab looked upon Elijah, as that great concourse of people
assembled on the top of the Mount, next to the Mediterranean Sea.
Then, when they were gathered, Elijah spoke seven times. First, he flung out a great challenge.
“How long halt thee,” he says, “between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow Him. But if
Baal be god, then follow him.” Same thing that the Lord said about the Laodicean church:

30. “You're not hot and you're not cold. And, you're not for and you're not against. And, you're
lukewarm, and just middlin' and tolerable and in between.” “How long,” says Elijah, “are you
going to beat the thing in your heart. If God is God, follow him. If Baal is God, then follow
him.” And, the people answered not a word, not a word. They were ashamed and conscience-stricken
before the great prophet Elijah.”
3. Imagine the scene. A national holiday has been declared. People from all over Israel begin to
gather to Mount Carmel with its commanding view of the Mediterranean Sea. They have come to
see the battle of the Gods - 15 rounds, winner take all. On one side the bleachers are packed. A
total of 450 prophets are gathered. Around the neck of each of these prophets hangs a piece of
metal designed to reflect the rays of the sun, for they are sun worshipers. Sitting in the best seat is
King Ahab himself amid all of his servants and royal retinue.On the other side stands Elijah. He
is dressed in simple clothes, his hair blown in the wind. He is alone.” author unknown
4. Many years ago I preached a sermon on verses 20 to 40, and rather than incorporate that
message into the commentary, I am putting the entire message in Appendix A for an example how
the content of this passage can be used for a sermon on Elijah.
21 Elijah went before the people and said, How long will
you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God,
follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.
But the people said nothing.
1. Pink, “Behold the sea of upturned faces as every eye is focused on this strange and stern figure,
at whose word the heavens had been as brass for the last three years. With what intense interest
and awe must they have gazed upon this lone man of sinewy build, with flashing eyes and
compressed lips. What a solemn hush must have fallen upon that vast assembly as they beheld
one man pitted against the whole company. With what malignant glances would his every
movement be watched by the jealous priests and prophets. As one commentator puts it, o tiger
ever watched its victim more fiercely! If they may have their way, he will never touch yonder
plain again, As Ahab himself watched this servant of the Most High, fear and hatred must have
alternated in his heart, for the king regarded Elijah as the cause of all his troubles, yet he felt that
somehow the coming of rain depended upon him.”
It is unspeakably solemn to note that he said not a single word to the false prophets, making no
attempt to convert them. They were devoted to destruction (v. 40). o, instead he addressed
himself to the people, of whom there was some hope, saying, How long halt ye between two
opinions? (v. 21). The word for halt is totter : they were not walking uprightly. Sometimes
they tottered over to the side of the God of Israel, and then they lurched like an intoxicated
person over on the side of the false gods. They were not fully decided which to follow. They
dreaded Jehovah, and therefore would not totally abandon Him; they desired to curry favour
with the king and queen, and so felt they must embrace the religion of the state. Their conscience