THE CHALLENGE OF FAITH. 1st Kings 18 The people of God have varying degrees of faith. Even a very little act of faith can please God, but it is not uncommon for people of faith to hide that when there is serious opposition. Ridiculous, angry opposition united against us is often why we do not come out into the open about our faith compared to other believers who are not intimidated by opposition and can endure conflict.
It is not difficult to understand why some of the prophets during Ahab's reign were hidden in caves and fed by Obadiah. After many of their fellow prophets were killed by Jezebel's people, they were likely marked men. Obadiah reminds us of Christians who want the benefits of the world system so they can be comfortable and accepted by most people.
Those who live godly lives do not fit in well with the ungodly lifestyle of people around them. One or the other will have to change to be compatible. And the Christian usually backs away from full commitment to God and His word. They often seek to excuse their choice of being like the world by saying they want to be like them and “win them for the Lord.” Separation from sin and its practices will make those who do not want anything to do with God separate themselves from you.
There are a lot of counterfeit Christians today who take a position in religious activities, but their hearts are not right before God. One’s position does not reveal one’s condition. Respectability and honor can be only an outward show for personal reasons and advantages. “God looks on the heart.” It is futile to pretend to be a Christian before people if one’s heart is not right with God.
Three years of drought caused by the Israelites' sins brought famine to them, but Ahab still had feed for his animals, and Jezebel could feed eight hundred and fifty false prophets of Baal. It wasn’t only because of Ahab and Jezebel’s sin that disaster came to the people. They wanted the pleasures and evil of idolatry as much as their leaders. National sin demands national repentance. About halfway through what was usually a seven-year drought, Elijah got a specific message from the Lord. Even though there had been no repentance on the part of Ahab or the whole nation, God moved in grace toward them.
In contrast to Elijah, the man of God, Ahab was wicked, and his wife Jezebel was more wicked than him. He occupied a throne that should have been filled with a God-fearing man like David. He was a traitor to his position and false in his profession. His heart was corrupt, and his actions reflected the condition of his sin-benighted soul. Ahab was a lost soul.
However, there were still those who feared God among the people, and Jezebel killed as many of the Lord's prophets as she could find. Obadiah, a God-fearing man in the king’s service, had refused to separate himself from the evil in the king’s palace, but he had enough concern for the Lord’s people that he fed one hundred and fifty prophets who were kept hidden.
Ahab was fearful that his army would become weak and the nation would become vulnerable to attack from the enemies of Israel. His many horses to pull his chariots and the mules needed to support his troops were essential to his defense. He was more concerned about his kingdom's political situation than the people he was responsible for. Obadiah ("servant of the Lord") was in a dangerous position because, even though he was in charge of Ahab's palace, if Jezebel knew he was a devout believer in the Lord, she would have had him killed.
To go public without faith is not popular among those who live for the world, the flesh, and the devil. Elijah's boldness and faith and Obadiah's faith are contrasted, but both were real. God's people are not all alike. We do not need to criticize each other or make comparisons. We are responsible for doing what the Lord has placed in our hands in the best possible way. The Spirit of the Lord was in control of the whole event. Grace is not something that is earned or deserved in any way. It is an act of benevolence by God to bring about something delightful and good for us.