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*Who is Your Master?*
*Intro: [OHP]*
- Elijah appears in times of transition, turning people to righteousness, preparing the way - time of crisis and impending judgment.
-End times are the times of Elijah.
- We looked at the man of God who spoke God’s word, heard God’s word, lived God’s word - that is what we must be doing in these end time.
We looked at the one to who the LORD gives life when all around is judgment and death - the one living by faith, not the religious.
How are we to survive the trouble of the end times, not by religion but by living by faith.
The Gospel to the heathen Gentile.
- Now look at the servant of God in the end times.
God has called us all to be servants and we are in the end times.
How is the servant of God to act in the time of crises?
What is required of him?
(*1 Corinthians 4:1,2* /You should think of us as Christ’s servants, who have been put in charge of God’s secret truths.
The one thing required of such servants is that they* be faithful to their master*/).
Before the contest on Mount Carmel we encounter a man called Obadiah - means “servant of יהוה “ and so he was but like us there was the pull to serve others - and the pressure will come on us as the end comes nearer.
Let’s look at some of the characteristics of the servant of God in the end times.
*Read: 1 Kings 18:1-19 [OHP]* - *Servant does what he is told*
*1 Kings 18:1* - Elijah remained with the widow many days - what did he do during that time?
We aren’t told - ? he prayed to withhold the rain (cf.
James 5:17 - he prayed earnestly that it would rain).
Whatever, Elijah did not act until the word of יהוה came.
He did nothing unless יהוה told him to.
We want to be so busy doing יהוה’s business for Him - sometimes the hardest thing is to do nothing - it is dry, people around are perishing and in desperate need but we are to do nothing until יהוה speaks.
Elijah always acted in response to יהוה’s word.
When יהוה spoke it was always a command, never a suggestion: "Go!" (cf. 1 Kings 17:2,3, 8,9).
Everytime the word of יהוה came to Elijah with instruction for him the word was /go/.
Elijah had to wait and be patient a long time but when יהוה said "Go!", he went.
יהוה told Elijah to appear before Ahab - the drought had gone on long enough, Ahab was at last desperate enough to take notice.
יהוה’s promise is that He would send rain on the land.
Elijah went to Ahab with the direction to announce the end of the drought - despite there being no repentance יהוה would make it rain.
There is no mention of the intervening contest on mount Carmel.
יהוה promised to send rain, not fire - He had decided to have mercy on the land, it had suffered enough.
Interestingly in the N.T. Elijah is noted for his association with withholding rain and making it rain, not the more dramatic falling of fire which stands out in human memories (cf.
James 5:17,18).
God was going to send rain - yet there is no mention of repentance or turning to God on the part of Israel - this was pure undeserved mercy.
*1 Kings 18:2 *- יהוה said, "Go show yourself to Ahab."
So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab - just as יהוה said, so he did.
Oh that we were the same.
This characteristic of a servant is seen in Elijah as opposed to Obadiah but he was a servant of God also.
By now the famine was really biting in Samaria, its effects were sorely felt, the situation was getting desperate and Ahab was getting worried.
*1 Kings 18:3 The true servant fears the Lord*- So Elijah was on his way to see the king, meanwhile, back in the palace, Ahab called the overseer of his household, his most trusted servant Obadiah (servant of the Lord).
Obadiah / feared //יהוה// greatly/ - Oh that we were the same.
יהוה has His people strategically placed - His players are in the right place at the right time, ready for the role יהוה has for them to play in His unfolding drama of human history through which He is revealing Himself.
None of His servants are in the position they are by accident or for no purpose.
It may not be easy, you may seem alone, "futilely" holding your position against universal opposition, nothing that you can do about  the overwhelming tide of evil, but maintain your faithful service to יהוה there and you will be ready for the role He has for you to play at the critical moment of His workings.
It cannot have been easy to remain God fearing in the idolatrous environment of the royal house.
Even when evil pervades, יהוה has His faithful ones in key positions as salt and light.
He never leaves Himself without a witness.
*1 Kings 18:4 Places God’s interests above his own*- Obadiah’s fear of יהוה was shown in action.
He feared יהוה more than Ahab - he put his position, not to say his life, on the line in order to preserve the lives of those who were men of יהוה.
The opposition to יהוה grew intense indeed - Jezebel decided to exterminate the prophets of יהוה.
The drought did not make her repentant or acknowledge the superiority of יהוה - in true dualistic mentality she sought to defeat the opposition to Baal so that he would again have supremacy (helping her god out! yet this same concept of spiritual warfare pervades in evangelical churches) and then he could bring rain again.
She pictured the gods at war, in competition to each other and יהוה was giving Baal a beating so it was necessary to wipe out His supporters.
But Obadiah did not compromise because of his high position - he put himself at risk in order to save these prophets (cf. 1 Kings 18:12-14) - opposed the official policy of his employer.
It was known that Obadiah had done this - if you want to get on you don’t do this (Paul Clements).
Just as יהוה had looked after Elijah, so He looked after His other prophets; just as He commanded the ravens and widow to provide (לכלכלה) for Elijah so too He had commanded Obadiah (His servant) to provide (לכלכלה) for these 100 prophets (cf. 1 Kings 17:4, 9).
יהוה had His man in the right place to do the task - Obadiah being over the royal household had the most secure access to food of anyone in the land and from the royal household provided for יהוה’s own.
How ironic when the queen was seeking to destroy them, her food was actually the source of their provision!
Obadiah would receive a reward for his courageous action (Matt 10:40-42).
For Obadiah fearing and serving יהוה took precedence over all other considerations of self interest - oh that we were the same.
His fear of יהוהprompted him into righteous deeds.
It should do the same for us.
*1 Kings 18:5 The true servant can be trusted* - Things had got to a desperate state.
Even the animals of the king were in danger of starvation.
With no war horses or pack mules for provisions the army would be ham-strung.
The country was becoming very vulnerable.
The cattle that provided food were in danger of being cut off.
This task of finding fodder for these animals was no longer an insignificant task assigned to lowly servants - it was the most vital and important task - the king himself and his highest, most trusted servant carried out the search for any remaining grass.
They searched all known springs, valleys and rivers - not that they expected to finde water, that had long since dried up - but where water once abounded there may be that remnant of moisture, enough to sustain grass growth.
this job could not be trusted to anyone else because they were likely to keep their find secret and hog what they found to themselves  - in times of shortage it becomes dog eat dog.
This was not a task given to a lowly slave but to someone who could be trusted.
*1 Kings 18:6 God’s servant is above reproach *- So just the two of them went throughout the whole land - they divided it in two and each searched half by himself.
Interesting when things got desperate the only man Ahab knew he could trust was a servant of יהוה.
He could search the land unsupervised and not exploit the information of where food was to be found.When things were really desperate the only man Ahab knew he could trust not to exploit a find for his own self interest was a man who feared יהוה.
Despite his own rejection of יהוה he knew that a man who feared יהוה was above reproach.
* 1 Kings 18:7 The true servant gives undivided service [OHP]* - Obadiah "just happened" to meet up with Elijah - God is in total control of circumstances, directing the whole drama.
Obadiah did not find a patch of  grass - a temporary solution to stave off the inevitable for a day or two - but he found what no one else had been able to find (cf. 1 Kings 18:10): the man who held the key to the permanent solution to the problem of drought - the man who was in touch with the Water Supplier.
Note the great respect and reverence with which Obadiah held Elijah - he fell on his face and called him "my lord".
Obadiah couldn’t believe his eyes - was this really Elijah?
Ahab had ransacked not only Israel but surrounding nations trying to find him - rumours abounded and legends created but no one had been able to find him because יהוה had concealed His servant until it was the right time for him to be revealed (cf. 1 Kings 18:10-12; *Isaiah 49:2* /He has made My mouth like a sharp sword, In the shadow of His hand He has concealed Me; and He has also made Me a select arrow, He has hidden Me in His quiver.
He said to Me, “You are My Servant/).*1
Kings 18:8* - In response to Obadiah’s incredulous query, Elijah confirms his identity and tells Obadiah to announce his arrival to Ahab.
Is there a hint of rebuke?
- Obadiah called Elijah "his lord", Elijah tells him to tell "his lord" i.e.
Ahab, that he is here - is he implying that he is not Obadiah’s master but that Ahab is?
He has not served him but Ahab, has compromised by giving himself in service to an idolater.
Perhaps Obadiah, well versed in the subtleties of diplomatic language, picked up this message, for he is very keen to defend his case (1 Kings 18:13) and proclaim his loyalty to יהוה .
Can you be Obadiah and Obadahab?
*[OHP]*- look closely at the text you will see this subtle dialogue underneath.
Like יהוה , Elijah’s commands are simple and direct, short and to the point: "Go!" "Say to Ahab, "Behold Elijah."."*1 Kings 18:9 *- For a יהוה fearer to survive in the service of idolatrous Ahab and Jezebel who were militantly opposed to יהוה, one would have to be very careful and wary - Obadiah was obviously well used to reading the implications of actions, and knowing the effect certain things would have on the king.
His life, in his position, was a precarious one and he thought carefully before he spoke or acted.
He could see that the consequence of announcing Elijah to Ahab would be death for him if Elijah failed to turn up.
Ahab was desperate to meet with the cause of this trouble and to promise him and then fail to deliver would be to incur a wrath that showed no mercy.
Obadiah subtly replies to Elijah’s subtle rebuke, calling himself "your servant" - implying he was really Elijah’s servant, not Ahab’s.
Ahab was the enemy into whose hand Elijah was now delivering him.
Like the widow woman (cf. 1 Kings 17:18), Obadiah immediately tied the prospect of death with punishment of his personal sin.
Interesting how, without saying a word about sin, Elijah’s presence immediately convicted people of sin (this is the Holy Spirit at work cf.
John 16:8).
Although he said nothing about it, people were convinced that he had come to execute judgment.
This is the public’s concept of the one preparing the way of the LORD.
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