v3 Obadiah - a little background.
Be careful not to judge a man's character by his association with godless people.
v7 Elijah finds Obadiah and asks him to get him a meeting with Ahab.
v9-14 Obadiah is afraid of working with Elijah. He knows the Lord could hide the prophet, and then Ahab would blame him.
v17-18 Ahab calls Elijah a trouble maker. Political blame shifting.
v19 There's going to be a showdown at Mt Carmel.
v21 "How long will you hesitate between two opinions?" Choose a side. Live for it.
v22-24 The terms of the contest.
v26 For hours the pagan prophets called, leaped, cut themselves, cried out, and raved to their gods, but "no on paid attention." (v29)
v30 Elijah wants the people close. They can watch that he doesn't pull any tricks.
v31 He might have used the stones as an opportunity to teach them, or remind them, of the history of the Lord's covenant.
v34-35 The people will have no room to doubt this miracle. Remember there had been a long drought. These 12 pitchers of water were a commodity.
v38 the Lord's consuming fire. Everything is "whooshed" up. Everything is gone--meat, wood, stones, dust, and water.
v39 The people are convinced. And probably terrified. Rightly so.
v40 The pagan prophets pay.
v41 A storm is coming.
v45-46 Elijah outran Ahab's chariot to Jezreel. (We are all subject to the laws of nature, but God isn't!)
Wondering what "girded up his loins" looks like? Here's a bad illustration:
Even Esther's laughing at my doodle. But it still helps my visual mind.
v2 Jezebel is furious upon hearing what happened to her prophets. She threatens Elijah's life.
v3 Elijah runs for his life. Even prophets have moments of fear.
v4 Tells God he's prepared to die for Him.
v8 The Lord's food provision sustains him for 40 days and nights.
v9,13 When the Lord asks questions like this, it assures me that what He's after is relationship and conversation. He knows what is going on in my life, but He still wants me to tell Him about it.
v11 "Go stand over there and let me show you something."
v12 Sometimes the Lord makes himself known in unexpected ways.
v15 Elijah may be prepared for death, but his work on earth is not yet finished.
v20 This question is very similar to one asked of Jesus...Matt 8:21 Luke 9:61
v21 The sacrifice of these working animals seems symbolic. The time for plowing and working the fields is over. By offering the animals to the Lord, he seems to be saying, "There's no turning back. I'm willing to let you change my life so that it will never be the same."
Is there something keeping you from making Jesus your life's work? What offering can you make to the Lord that makes this kind of statement? There's no turning back.
Next time: I Kings 20-22 (It's three chapters! And the end of this book!)
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