In our last study we began to look at Obadiah.
Is there anything wrong with the advice that Christians should stay in the world - joining in its activities; going to its places of amusement; taking the lead in fashion and its direction, hoping that by our example we can influence it for good?
It is a lovely dream and we find it very attractive. But there are some problems in accepting this theory of changing the world from within:
- It is in direct opposition to the teaching of scripture. 2 Corinthians 6:17 Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.
- There is no record in scripture of anyone who overcame evil from within. Instead there is a constant stream of martyrs, priests, prophets, and saints, of whom the world was not worthy (Hebrews 11:32-38), who were prepared to stand against the sin they saw around them – in the world, but not of it (1 Peter 2:11-12).
- The theory will not work. The person who goes deliberately into the world to raise it up will soon find himself brought down. We see this in action in Obadiah: Instead of getting Ahab to stop and consider the error of his ways, Ahab told him to "Go through the land to all the springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grass to keep the horses and mules alive" (v5). Surely this was a miserable errand for one who was a devout believer in the Lord (v3). And this is only a sample of the kind of things that happen when we try to serve two masters.
The safest and strongest position is outside the camp. Archimedes said that he could move the world, if only he was given a fixed point outside the world from which he could apply a lever.
Let’s look at Genesis 13:10-18
10 Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, towards Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out towards the east. The two men parted company: 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.
14 The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. 15 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring for ever. 16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. 17 Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.”
18 So Abram moved his tents and went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the Lord.
Remember that it didn’t take long for Lot, having pitched his tents near Sodom, to actually go to live inside it. Then when Sodom was overrun and Lot was taken captive, it was Abraham who was able to rescue him. Note too that when Abraham pleaded for the Lord not to destroy Sodom, no other righteous people could be found there besides Lot’s family – his presence there seems to have had no effect. (Genesis 18:22-33).
The same principle applies today. (Use the next paragraphs sensitively)
If Christians marry unbelievers in clear violation of scripture: what is easier – to be led away from their Christian faith, or for them to lead their partner to Christ?
Or if a Christian enters into partnership with a person of the world – is it not likely that he will find his business standards starting to drift?
The church that admits the world into its practices will find that it will get worldly quicker than the world will become Christian.
But does that mean then that we simply walk away from evil? Should we not try to take some sort of stand against it?
What’s the difference between those who choose to live amongst evil – and those who are directed there by God, against their natural desire?
Obadiah's aim was simply to prevent harm being done. He shielded the prophets from the evil of Jezebel, and from the effect of the famine; and what he did was good.
There are many charities working in the world today to bring just such relief to hungry, thirsty, persecuted and threatened people. But they have to leave the solution of the underlying problem to someone else.
Who is that then? Who is the ‘They’ who ought to do something about it?
Who is prepared to come out from the shelter of ‘Charitable Status’ and take a stand against the evil that is often behind the national tragedies?
There is always a desperate shortage of men like Elijah and John the Baptist, who dare to oppose wicked men, accusing them openly of the evil they have committed and demanding that they bow before the offended majesty of God.
But you can’t just decide to have a go yourself. For this there is needed an outpouring of God's power. Power that does not seem to be available to the half-hearted, but which is given freely to those who, without reservation, are servants of God. Obadiah had no power of this kind. How could he have? On the other hand, Elijah was full of it; and it was only because of this that he succeeded in standing against the tides of sin when they were in full flood.
It was not enough to shelter the prophets; someone had to go and confront Ahab. We must be sweet like sugar; but we must also be like salt, that halts the spread of corruption. Preventative medicine is good, but if Gangrene has already become established, drastic measures are required to cut it out. We need more people who are prepared, like Elijah, to meet Ahab face to face, and to confront him with his sin. So we come to the final contrast: between the caution of expedience and the fearlessness of faith.
When Elijah suggested that Obadiah should effectively bring the king to him, the astonished man was incredulous. He knew how incensed Ahab had been, and it seemed madness for the prophet to expose himself to the king's fury. Actually, he thought either that the prophet didn’t know the way in which the king had searched for him; or that the Spirit of the Lord would carry him off before they could meet. It never occurred to him that Elijah would actually dare to meet the king if he really knew how things were. Even supposing that he was foolish enough to do it, surely God would prevent him from stepping into the lion's den.
In any case, Obadiah really wanted to have nothing to do with it. Obadiah also had another problem. He was literally afraid for his life: (V8-9) 'Go tell your master, "Elijah is here."' "What have I done wrong," asked Obadiah, "that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to be put to death?' He was afraid that all the years of service he had given to Ahab would count for nothing and Ahab would have him dispatched as a nuisance.
More than this - he was afraid that all the good works he had done for the Lord would also count for nothing and he wouldn’t be missed: (1 Kings 18:12-14) 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 worshipped the LORD since my youth. Haven't you heard, my lord, what 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. And now you tell me to go to my master and say, 'Elijah is here.' He will kill me!"
Obadiah's name literally means 'servant of Yah(weh)' and at enormous personal risk he had done more than most to live up to his name. Yet he was also servant of Ahab and as Jesus said 'No servant can serve two masters' (Matthew 6:24).
Now he was acutely aware that there was a very real danger that half-hearted allegiance to two masters was no substitute for whole hearted allegiance to one. It was possible that neither of his masters would lose much sleep over him. Look at the last phrase of v14: 'Ahab will kill me'. This also implies 'and God won't save me'.
How could Elijah demonstrate an attitude so different to that of Obadiah? Elijah too would say he was a servant of God. But Elijah's name means 'Yah(weh) is my God'. What is the difference?
A servant treats his master with respect. We should treat God with reverence and awe.
Masters can tell us what to do, but God is the one supreme being in total control.
What was the sin of Jeroboam and the specific command which he had disobeyed? Look at Deuteronomy 5:6-7: 'I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.' This was also Ahab's sin and to a lesser degree it was Obadiah's sin.
Is it our sin too?
Now look at Deuteronomy 6:5: ' Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.' This, confirmed Jesus, is the first and greatest of all commandments.
Have we broken that one as well?
Perhaps we need to return to the Lord and give him whole-hearted allegiance and place our faith and trust in him and him alone.
Elijah believed that the Lord was his God, and there was nothing and no-one that could possibly stand in the way of God’s purposes.
Read 1 Kings 18:15-20
15 Elijah said, “As the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, I will surely present myself to Ahab today.”
16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. 17 When he saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”
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. 19 Now 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.”
20 So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel.
God had told Elijah to present himself to Ahab and so he would do just that. To Obadiah this was madness. Even in good times you would seek an audience with the king, and if he deigned to see you it would be when and where the king decreed. You would never dream of sending for him! Not unless, of course, you represented a kingdom that was infinitely more powerful; and the threat of the army at your disposal was sufficient to cause any opponent to treat you with respect.
This then was the reason for Elijah's fearlessness. God was more real to him than Ahab was. Elijah was the servant of the King of Kings. How could he be afraid of a mere man? Faith sees the mountain full of horses and chariots of fire (2 Kings 6:17). Faith can detect the outlines of the almighty hand that holds us fast (Psalm 139:10).
Poor Obadiah. His faith would go so far and no further. He had learned from experience the power of King Ahab, but he had not yet learnt from experience the power of God. Three times he told Elijah that Ahab would kill him. And it was only when Elijah appealed to God as the witness of his solemn oath, and assured him that he would show himself to Ahab before the day was out that Obadiah reluctantly went to find him. He was quite unable to understand the fearlessness of Elijah.
We too have a choice: we could live like Elijah, confident in our God, or we can be an Obadiah, fearful of the world and the threats it holds. Believing in God’s power in our heads, but unable to put that belief into practice.
