Yes, Another Time

Scripture:

1 Kings 18:7-16

As Obadiah was on the way, Elijah met him; Obadiah recognized him, fell on his face, and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?” He answered him, “It is I. Go, tell your lord that Elijah is here.” And he said, “How have I sinned, that you would hand your servant over to Ahab, to kill me? As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom to which my lord has not sent to seek you; and when they would say, ‘He is not here,’ he would require an oath of the kingdom or nation, that they had not found you. But now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord that Elijah is here.’ As soon as I have gone from you, the spirit of the Lord will carry you I know not where; so, when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have revered the Lord from my youth. Has it not been told my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord, how I hid a hundred of the Lord’s prophets fifty to a cave, and provided them with bread and water? Yet now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord that Elijah is here’; he will surely kill me.” Elijah said, “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.” So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

Observation:

Obadiah had been faithful in serving God, speaking prophetically and protecting many of the other prophets during the reign of Ahab and Jezebel. None of this had been easy and he was weary. Elijah had a bounty on his head and there was nothing more that King Ahab would enjoy, than to put Elijah to death. 

Suddenly Elijah appears to Obadiah and asks him to go and tell the king that he is ready to meet. Obadiah is well aware of what happens to those who tell the king where Elijah is — and then he isn’t! Elijah was asking Obadiah to put his life on the line, and he felt that he had already done this enough. Why would God, by way of Elijah, keep asking him to do more? Surely, he had done enough good works! 

Consecrated obedience required continual and on-going obedience to God. Yes, Obadiah would have to respond yet another time. He went and met with Ahab, risking his life for the prophet. What happens next is the famous scene of Elijah and the Prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel where God is glorified and revealed as the true God!

Application:

There may be times when we feel like Obadiah, growing weary in doing good. He expresses emotions that are normal. We participate in the work of God and sometimes it requires us going out on a limb. There is no promise that following Jesus will be easy. 

Following Jesus is a day by day, step by step journey that requires continual and on-going consecration to his service. We may be challenged to take on a difficult task today, and then a more difficult task tomorrow. That’s part of living wholeheartedly committed to Jesus. It is in this on-going and continual consecration that God works on us. The result for Obadiah, was that God was glorified in an amazing way on Mt. Carmel. Obadiah would have never imagined that was going to happen, but it did, when he was wholeheartedly faithful. Pressing on in continual fidelity results in a reflection of God’s holiness. 

Yes, we are to continue pressing on. Yes, when God asks, we are to respond, one more time. The good news is that it is all leading to a goal and s o, with perseverance, we press on. In the season of advent, when we feel that we only see the tiny lights in darkness, we press on. Yes, one more time, because when one light after another is lit, eventually the darkness is dispelled and the Christ-child revealed. We participate in the mission as we press on, one more time. 

Prayer:

Lord, give us the strength to press on, sharing your light with the world. Amen.