1 Kings 18:16

Elijah did not reply to the arguments of poor, trembling Obadiah, but he calmed his fears only this far, with the assurance, "As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today." These were solemn words. They were meant to be solemn for Obadiah's conscience. Before whom did he stand? Before Ahab — every word he had spoken proved it. But to Elijah, who stood before the LORD, Ahab was nothing but the enemy of God. What a contrast between these two servants of the LORD! And Elijah's words condemn Obadiah's whole position! Whether Obadiah felt this we are not told, but he was silenced, and he went and told Ahab the prophet's message.

Elijah's coming, as we shall see in the rest of the chapter, meant deliverance for the little remnant of Israel through the judgment of Baal's priests... "Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth." Could the news of Elijah's coming bring anything but joy to someone who was faithful? How the seven thousand must have rejoiced at this news: "Behold, Elijah is here!" They had never bowed the knee to Baal. For them the news meant the end of long suffering and the sure hope of better times. But it could not be so for Obadiah. He was too entangled with the world to rejoice at seeing its yoke broken.

But where is Obadiah's faith? A believer may fear the LORD greatly and still have an unbelieving heart... When it came to obeying Ahab, Obadiah did not object; but when it came to obeying God, he found objections to His word as the prophet presented it... The man who can fit in with Ahab's plans for finding food and avoiding death cannot rely on the Lord and trust his life to Him. How many souls are in this situation! When the word of God asks for simple obedience from them, they quickly find fault with it.

It may be said by some that Obadiah was as much in his place as Elijah, since he was serving his master. No doubt he was serving his master — but should Ahab have been his master? I believe not... It did not rob him of his name and character as one who feared the LORD greatly, for the Holy Spirit has graciously recorded this about him. But it was a miserable thing for a man who feared the LORD greatly to own the worst of Israel's apostate kings as his master. Elijah would not own Ahab as his master, though he was bound to own him as his king.

When it becomes a question between God and Satan, even neutrality is unfaithfulness. To be identified in any way with the followers of Satan, as Obadiah was, is to stand in open hostility to God.

Ahab goes to meet Elijah; he accuses God's servant of being "the troubler of Israel." This is how the world regards the work of the Lord's witnesses. To announce the judgment that must come is to stir up the world. So is declaring that there is no escape from it except in God Himself. So is standing firm for the Lord in the presence of evil. The world is asleep in false security, and it does not want to be woken.