1 Kings 18:12

He knew that Ahab had hunted for Elijah in every nation and kingdom to kill him. And he feared that once he had delivered the message, the Spirit of Jehovah might carry the prophet away.

Going along with the world is harmful to the soul at all times. So Obadiah feared the wicked Ahab, while Elijah did not. He grovelled before Elijah instead of giving him a warm welcome as a valuable witness for God and His truth. Worse than all, he even hinted that the Holy Spirit might act unworthily! ... Elijah was completely straightforward in the path he was taking. He was charged by Jehovah to see Ahab, and he intended to do so. The Holy Spirit, who delights to guide the servants of God, would never lead him to be false to a divine commission.

But where is Obadiah's faith? A believer may "greatly fear the Lord," and have an unbelieving heart. Obadiah is filled with dismay and terror... When it came to obeying Ahab, Obadiah did not object. But when it came to obeying God, he found objections to His word presented by the prophet... The man who can fit in with Ahab's plans for finding food and avoiding death cannot rely on the Lord. He cannot entrust his life to Him. How many souls are in this situation! When the word of God calls for simple obedience on their part, they quickly find fault with it.

It is very humbling to read all this eloquence. Its only aim was to keep himself out of danger, and to prove that no one should judge him by his circumstances... In other words self, and self alone, was the burden of his speech. He had no zeal at all for the Lord God of Israel in a day of ruin and turning away from God. There was not even a trace of confidence in the protection of Him whom he claimed to serve.

Obadiah pleaded that he had feared the Lord from his youth, and that he had hidden a hundred of the Lord's prophets from Jezebel when she killed others of them. He asked if Elijah had not heard this. But if it was common knowledge, why did Jezebel not know it? More than this, the Lord knew, and that should have been enough for Obadiah. There was no reason for him to tell Elijah of his good deeds. We may be too ready to think that some good things we do will excuse walking in wrong company.

Human expediency, however, might have advised Jonathan to stay in Saul's house, and Obadiah to stay in Ahab's house, as "the sphere in which Providence had placed them" — and no doubt it would have. But expediency is not faith. It will not help a man in his path of service, whatever that path may be. Faith always leads a man to break through the freezing rules of human expediency. It breaks through so that it can show itself in a way no one can mistake.

Was it wrong in Obadiah to wish not to throw away his life needlessly? Did not the Lord Jesus say to His disciples, "When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next"? And let us not forget this. Elijah assured him that he would certainly show himself to Ahab that day. Obadiah obeyed, and at once "went to meet Ahab, and told him." It would be better to have Obadiah's care for God's people and his obedience to His word through the prophet, than to be quick to find fault with the servant.