A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                              THE RUNAWAY PROPHET PART VII

"I, Elijah, the prophet of God, have been staying with a widow and her son at Zarephath in Sidon.... I knew, however, that eventually I would leave.... That day finally came when the Lord spoke to me and told me to go and present myself to king Ahab.... I said goodbye to the widow and her son....I thanked her for her hospitality and made my way to king Ahab.... On the way I met a man named Obadiah.... He is in charge of king Ahab's palace.... He is a good man.... He has been protecting one hundred prophets from king Ahab's wife, queen Jezebel....I asked him to arrange a meeting between king Ahab and me....He was very reluctant to do so in case the Lord would take me to another place.... But I promised him that the Lord would not carry me anywhere.... So I gave him my word that I would meet with king Ahab today.... Obadiah has now gone to speak to king Ahab."... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn about the prophet Elijah's encounter with Obadiah so that a meeting between him and king Ahab can be arranged....


            ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; OLD TESTAMENT STORIES

                              THE RUNAWAY PROPHET PART VII

We may well want to say to James, "James, have you read what the prophet Elijah did do next?" This is recorded in I Kings 18:1-2

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." So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria.

The meeting between Ahab and Elijah is arranged by a man named Obadiah. He is in charge of the palace and is  devout man who has been able to protect one hundred prophets from Ahab's wife, queen Jezebel.Apparently, she does not like God's prophets very much  and has shown that by having them killed off as you can read in I Kings 18:3-16

And Ahab had summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace (Obadiah was a devout believer in the Lord. 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). Ahab had said to Obadiah, "Go through the land to all the springs and valleys. May be we can find some grass to keep the horses and mules alive so we will not have to kill any of our animals. So they divided the land they were to cover, Ahab going in one direction and Obadiah in another. As Obadiah was walking along, Elijah met him. Obadiah recognised him, bowed down to the ground and said, "Is it really you, my lord Elijah?" "Yes," he replied. "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? As surely as the Lord your God lives, there is not a nation or a kingdom that my master has 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. But now you tell me to go to my master and say, "Elijah is here."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. Yes I your servant have worshipped the Lord since my youth. 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. And now you tell me to go to my master and say, "Elijah is here." He will kill me!" Elijah said, "As the Lord Almighty lives, who I serve, I will surely present myself to Ahab today." So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

Obadiah is very reluctant to do what Elijah asks of him and that is not surprising. After all, Ahab is very angry with Elijah, blaming him for the famine. Nevertheless, Obadiah does go and tell king Ahab that Elijah is back in the land and wants to meet with him.