The Prophet Returns (1 Kings 18:1-19)

Introduction

· Please turn to 2 Kings 18.

· Have you ever had to take a stand on something you knew was right, even though it might cost you? Maybe as a teenager it was saying no to drugs or refusing to look at porn, even though you might lose a friend. Maybe you refused to participate in some unethical behavior at work, even though it might cost you your job or a promotion. Maybe it was taking a stand for Jesus, even though it could cost you mockery or scorn. But out of a sense of obedience to God, you chose to do the hard thing, because it was the right thing.

· In a sense, these are moments that test the authenticity of our faith. This morning, we will see how both a prophet and a government official were willing to do hard things, even when they were unpopular or could cost them dearly. But out of their love for God, they did them anyway.

· This morning, we pick up our story again in 1 Kings 18. The prophet Elijah has been staying with a widow and her son in the village of Zeraphath, and the Lord has miraculously provided oil and flour to get them through the famine. Then the son became ill and died, and Elijah raised him from the dead, proving he is a true prophet whose words are true.

Verses 1-8

· Read verses 1-8

· These things happened “after many days” (1). In the “third year” (1) of the famine. Days, months, even years had passed, and the world grew drastically worse.

· These intervening months were a long season of silence from God. The people endured drought, famine, and judgment. Meanwhile, apostasy had grown, and the true prophets were being hunted down and killed. Elijah was a fugitive. But God remained silent. It might have appeared to the faithful remnant in that day as though God was losing, and that wickedness was prevailing. But now the prophet returns, and we learn that God has been fully aware of everything going on. Nothing had escaped his notice, and now he is ready to act.

· Elijah tells Obadiah, a royal official, to go inform his master, that “Behold, Elijah is here.”

· We have been considering a number of life lessons throughout this series, and this is our first life lesson for today...

· LIFE LESSON #8 - Seasons of silence are followed by swift, divine intervention.

· Perhaps the people in Elijah’s day felt like Habakkuk 1:13 “Why do you…remain silent when the wicked swallow up those who are more righteous?”

· I am amazed at how patient our God is, and how long he tolerates sin before taking action. Consider the story of Noah. “a righteous man, blameless…walked with God” (Gen. 6:9). Nevertheless, he lived in a day when “the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth…” (6:5-6). It goes on to say “the earth is filled with violence” (6:13). So God told Noah to build an ark, because he was going to send a flood. We could call it a boat, but it was really more of just a big rectangular, waterproof box.

· Do you know how much time passed? 100 years from the time Noah first received instructions to build the ark until the time that it was finished, and rain began to fall. (Remember, men lived much longer back then). The Book of Genesis makes it sound so short and simple. “Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him” (22). But that verse took approximately 100 years to complete. Noah was 500 years old when he fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth (5:32), and now he is 600 when the flood came (7:6). And all of this time, God remained patient, seemingly silent against the wickedness of the age.

· 1 Peter 3:20 says, “God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared.”

· 2 Peter 2:5 says Noah was a “herald of righteousness,” implying that he explained to the people why he was building the ark, and urged them to repent while there was still time and before destruction came.

· How patient our God is! But his patience will not last forever. 2 Peter 3:8–10 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.

· Think also of the many parables of Jesus. The king who returns from a far away land to take an account from his stewards. The farmer who waits, then harvest comes and he gathers the wheat and burn the chaff. The shepherd who separates the sheep and banishes the goats. The bridegroom returns suddenly collect his bride and bless those who are ready while cursing those who are unprepared. There is a common theme in many of these stories that long periods of “silence” will be followed by swift, divine intervention.

· God may seem to be silent, be he is not. The heavens announce his glory. And his word is being preached right now, in this pulpit, and thousands of others across this nation and around the world. He may be silent, but the day is coming where there will be swift and severe judgement.

· Jesus is coming again. His first coming was in “the fulness of time” some 2,000 years ago. And so his second coming will be at just the right time as well. Many of us sense it may be coming soon.

· Invitation: Why not get right with God right now? What are you waiting for? Why delay any longer? Do you realize Christ could return at any moment? Do not be lulled into a spiritual sleep, or assume this life and health will last forever.

· Ahab had been running the show for a long time, but now Elijah returns, and the apparent silence of God is suddenly interrupted by a prophetic message. A divine reckoning and epic battle is about to take place.

· >>Elijah gives a simple instruction to Obadiah, but notice how he is reluctant to obey…

Verses 8-19

· Read verses 8-16

· We’ve been introduced in this passage to a new character, Obadiah. You may recognize his name from the name of a book of the Bible. A different man. That one was a prophet, who would not even be born for another 300 years. This man is described as “over the household” of Ahab, which means he is one of the highest officers of the land, a chief of staff over the royal palace.

· And here we are told an interesting episode. It is actually mentioned twice – once as a parenthetical comment by the author in vv. 3-4), and then reported by Obadiah himself. It is a heroic deed in the midst of a national tragedy.

· In v. 13, Obadiah recounts how Jezebel ordered the execution of all the remaining prophets of God. But Obadiah disobeyed that order, and secretly hid 100 of them. It is an act of holy defiance against a wicked political regime. And it brings us to our next life lesson…

· LIFE LESSON #9 – When forced to choose, we obey God rather than man.

· Jezebel is not an Israelite. She is a Sidonian, and when Ahab marries her, she imports her pagan gods of Baal and Asherah. Then she goes a step further, and issues a decree: all the remaining prophets of God be rounded up and executed. Dozens, maybe hundreds, must have been killed in this process.

· Obadiah has a choice to make. Will he obey the queen, in order to save his life. Or will he risk his life to protect the lives of these true prophets? God gives him courage to do the latter. He risks his life and saves many other lives in the process.

· Obadiah joins a long line of courageous men and women over the centuries who have stood up against evil and corruption. Rahab harboring Hebrew spies in Jericho. The Hebrew midwives protecting innocent children against Pharaoh. Samuel sneaking past Saul to anoint King David. Daniel praying three times in spite of a royal degree. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refusing to bow before down and worship the statue of Nebuchadnezzar.

· Romans 13 tells us to submit to our leaders. To pray for them, to pay our taxes, to obey the law. Even when we disagree with them or they are corrupt. Christians should make good, moral, law-abiding citizens. But there is an exception. When the government commands us to disobey the revealed word of God.

· Obadiah disobeyed the queen, but it was counted as an act of great courage and faith. “he feared the LORD greatly. (18:3).

· In a perfect world, there would be no need to disobey authority. But in a world where institutions are led by fallen human beings, sometimes, those leaders go outside the bounds of their God-given authority and must be disobeyed.

· But realize that even this is obedience. Peter and the other apostles were told to stop preaching in the temple in Acts 5:29, but they responded, “we must obey God rather than man.” In such cases, they obeyed the higher authority of King Jesus. When a political leader, or any other human authority, set themselves up against God, and command people to reject Christianity or not walk in God’s ways, we must count the cost and obey God rather than man, even being willing to suffer the consequences. It is not complete mutiny or defiance. It is obedience to the highest authority.

· Some believe we are coming close to such a scenario in our nation today. I have been thankful for our government during this horrible pandemic. To date, more than 300,000 people have died worldwide as a result of COVID19. More than 4,000 died yesterday alone. I do not envy the tough decisions our leaders have to make. They need our prayers. We can thank God that human life is being treated as precious right now, and that extra precautions are being taken to save lives.

· But could the day could come where the government has gone too far in exercising their power? Some believe they already have.

· It does sadden me that marijuana dispensaries are allowed to stay open, while churches are still closed and told to meet online. Abortion clinics are still performing deadly procedures, while churches are told their services are “non-essential.” This shows something is drastically wrong with the priorities of our culture.

· God or government. No Christian wants to have to choose between the two. But when forced between them, our consciences are bound, and like Obadiah, we will obey God rather than man.

Conclusion

· Everything in this story is leading up to an epic battle, which we will study next week. The great confrontation between Elijah, prophet of the one true and living God, against 850 prophets of Baal and Asherah.

· Review: Seasons of silence are followed by swift, divine intervention. And when forced to choose, we obey God rather than man.

· Is it possible to be thankful in a situation like we find ourselves today? God says, “in everything, give thanks.” He did not say, “Give thanks all the time. Except in a pandemic. Then it’s OK to worry and complain.”

· (Share my conversation with Ales of CEF). Philippians 4:6–7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. We are moving forward with plans to have VBS this year as neighborhood clubs. I was talking with Ales to get her insight. She said at first, I wasn’t sure how to give thanks. I knew I was supposed to, but I didn’t know how. Schools were shut down, and our Good News Clubs had to be cancelled. But then we began to provide online good news clubs, and now more children than ever are watching. Even parents are sitting down with their children and watching. There is much reason to give thanks. And we are thankful for you, even as you watch from home today!