1 Kings 18:1-16

1 Kings 18:1-16

[1] And it came to pass after many  days,  that the word  of the LORD  came to Elijah  in the third  year,  saying,  shew  thyself unto Ahab;  and I will send  rain  upon  the earth.  [2] And Elijah  to shew  himself unto Ahab.  And there was a sore  famine  in Samaria.  [3] And Ahab  called  Obadiah,  which was the governor of his house.  (Now Obadiah  feared  the LORD  greatly:  [4] For it was so, when Jezebel  cut off  the prophets  of the LORD,  that Obadiah  took  an hundred  prophets,  and hid  them by fifty  in a cave,  and fed  them with bread  and water.)  [5] And Ahab  said  unto Obadiah,  into the land,  unto all fountains  of water,  and unto all brooks:  peradventure  we may find  grass  to save  the horses  and mules  alive,  that we lose  not all the beasts.  [6] So they divided  the land  between them to pass throughout  it: Ahab  went  one  way  by himself, and Obadiah  went  another  way  by himself. [7] And as Obadiah  was in the way,  behold, Elijah  met  him: and he knew  him, and fell  on his face,  and said,  Art thou that my lord  Elijah?  [8] And he answered  thy lord,  Behold, Elijah  is here. [9] And he said,  What have I sinned,  that thou wouldest deliver  thy servant  into the hand  of Ahab,  to slay  [10] As the LORD  thy God  liveth,  there is no  nation  or kingdom,  whither  my lord  hath not sent  to seek  thee: and when they said,  He is not there; he took an oath  of the kingdom  and nation,  that they found  [11] And now thou sayest,  thy lord,  Behold, Elijah  [12] from thee, that the Spirit  of the LORD  shall carry  thee whither I know  not; and so when I come  and tell  Ahab,  and he cannot find  thee, he shall slay  me: but I thy servant  fear  the LORD  from my youth.  [13] Was it not told  my lord  what I did  when Jezebel  slew  the prophets  of the LORD,  how I hid  an hundred  men  of the LORD'S  prophets  by fifty  in a cave,  and fed  them with bread  and water?  [14] And now thou sayest,  thy lord,  Behold, Elijah  is here: and he shall slay  me. [15] And Elijah  said,  As the LORD  of hosts  liveth,  before  whom I stand,  I will surely shew  myself unto him to day.  [16] So Obadiah  to meet  Ahab,  and told  him: and Ahab  to meet  Elijah. 

What does 1 Kings 18:1-16 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Elijah would next learn from God how the Israelites would respond to his ministry as God"s servant.
Evidently God made the famine especially severe in Samaria ( 1 Kings 18:2) because Ahab and Jezebel were the causes of it and lived there. As a believer in Yahweh, Obadiah had been a blessing to100 of God"s prophets even in the famine ( 1 Kings 18:3-4). Surveyors have counted over2 ,000 caves in the Mount Carmel area. [1]
When Obadiah met Elijah, he voiced his submission to the man of God and to Yahweh. He did so by calling Elijah his "master" ( 1 Kings 18:7). However, Obadiah served two masters. Elijah pointed this out by referring to Ahab as Obadiah"s master ( 1 Kings 18:8). To rise as high as he had in Ahab"s government, Obadiah had to have lived a double life of external support for Ahab while internally following Yahweh.
Obadiah"s confession that Yahweh lived presents him as a genuine believer ( 1 Kings 18:10). This is exactly the same profession that both the widow ( 1 Kings 17:12) and Elijah had made ( 1 Kings 17:1). Obadiah went to great pains to convince Elijah that he was a believer in Yahweh. He must have felt this explanation was necessary because of his position in Ahab"s cabinet ( 1 Kings 18:13). He obviously struggled with whether he could believe Elijah when the prophet told him he would speak to Ahab ( 1 Kings 18:11-12; 1 Kings 18:14). Having received a second promise from Elijah that he would not disappear ( 1 Kings 18:15), Obadiah finally obeyed the prophet"s command ( 1 Kings 18:8) and went to Ahab ( 1 Kings 18:16).
"Why Obadiah should be so featured Isaiah , at first, puzzling. Yet the episode appears to have two major purposes. First, Obadiah"s speech reveals to Elijah the gravity of the crisis in Samaria during his absence...
"Second, through the use of irony, Obadiah"s scene establishes the unique authority of Elijah." [2]
Obadiah was similar to many believers in Yahweh who were living in Israel then. They had divided allegiances, their faith in God was weak, they were fearful for their own safety, and they were slow to respond to God"s word. What a contrast Obadiah was to the Gentile widow of Zarephath (cf. Matthew 15:21-28)! Elijah saw beforehand, in Obadiah"s response to him, how believers in Israel would respond to what he would soon do on Mount Carmel. Elijah would call on the people to do essentially what he had commanded Obadiah to do: obey the Lord"s word through His prophet.