Session 2 Sermon 4

Thanks to all who made it out in the rain and in the middle of a three-day weekend.

Message

"And Ahab called Obadiah, which was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly:" (1 Kings 18:3).

Review

The major points to date:

1. Sermon 1—Elijah enters his work of reformation (restoration)
   
   1. The transition found in 1 Kings 17:1 and 1 Kings 18:15—"As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand" to "As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand"
      
2. Sermon 2—Command and promise
   
   1. The "I am" and the "I will"
      
3. Sermon 3—Sore famine in Samaria
   
   1. By definition: Great hunger in the watch-station
      
   2. There are times when the Lord's visitation results in famine versus plenty
      
      1. By the way, most people think God visited Israel at Mount Carmel when Elijah prayed over the waterlogged sacrifice and fire fell from heaven, consuming the sacrifice and the altar. But God's visitation had actually happened three and a half years earlier when Elijah appeared before Ahab. God's visitation was the famine. The fire of God consuming Elijah's sacrifice was but the imminent outflow of God's visitation. Sometimes we pray for a visitation from God, expecting for fire to fall.
         
      2. When a famine hits our life, we don't realize God has just answered our prayer. Circumstances suggest that God has forsaken us, but in actuality He has just visited us. Let's not be like the Jews of Jesus' day who came into judgment because they did not know the time of their visitation (Luke 19:44). God's visitation does not always come packaged the way we would have expected. Sometimes His visitation is a famine. The famine is His way of bringing us to desperate dependence and great spiritual thirst. So if you're in an especially dry time spiritually, perhaps it's because God has visited you! Here's a word of encouragement: If God has visited you with famine, get ready, fire's a-comin'! (Bob Sorge, The Fire of Delayed Answers, Oasis House)
         

Introduction

In my preparation time I simply could not embrace the continual commentary that labeled Obadiah as either a weak follower of Yahweh or a type of a backslidden believer. Such remarks unsettled my spirit based on what was written of him in the inspired Word.

Obadiah was:

1. The governor of the king's house (like Joseph was over Potipher's)
   
   1. Trust to be sent out looking for water and pasture
      
2. Obadiah by definition, serving the Lord
   
3. He feared the Lord greatly (v. 3)
   
4. Respected and reverenced the prophet Elijah (v.7)
   
5. A concern for personal sin (v.9)
   
6. A personal testimony of a fear of the Lord (v. 12)
   
7. Hid 100 prophets (v.13)
   
   1. 50 per cave; fed bread and water
      

Working out our salvation

I believe the downbeat definitions of Obadiah are attributed to a wrongful comparison with Elijah. Paul plainly states it is not wise to compare ourselves among ourselves (2 Corinthians 10:12) and that we are to exercise our gifts according to the grace given us in proportion of our faith (Romans 12:6).

1. For the Romans hearing Paul's letter it meant they were not to usurp apostolic authority or to personally attempt to exercise their special function;
   
2. for Obadiah it was to function as a trustworthy governor and hider of prophets, not to usurp the authority of Elijah the prophet;
   
3. for us it means we are to confine ourselves to our functions according to the measure of faith; that is, according to the extraordinary endowment of confidence in God that has been given each of us.
   

In these first three verses of First Kings eighteen we see in Elijah, Obadiah, and Ahab the three offices created by God to meet the spiritual and material needs of his chosen people: the prophet, priest, and the king.

1. The prophet was one who represented God before man
   
   1. Hindsight, insight, and foresight
      
2. the priest was one who represented man before God
   
   1. compassion for other men
      
3. the king was one who ruled for God
   
   1. a follower of God's laws who enabled men to do so as well
      

Thus, to define Obadiah through the definition of a different office (gifting) cannot accurately portray his life. As we continue to study the spirit of Elijah this session and make the appropriate applications that does not mean each of us will individually operate as Elijah did. Just as both Obadiah and Elijah had specific roles in God's plan for that day, so too each of us have specific plans and general practices (humility and love/service and their techniques) as outlined by the Word—Romans 12:6-21.

1. How to deal with one's friends (12:9–13, 15–16)
   
   1. Love and honor them (12:9–10)
      
   2. Show them your zeal and joy (12:11–12)
      
   3. Share with them (12:13) 
      
   4. Mourn and weep with them (12:15)
      
   5. Live in harmony with them (12:16)
      
2. How to deal with one's foes (12:14, 17–21)
   
   1. Bless them when they persecute you (12:14)
      
   2. Let God repay them for the evil done to you (12:17–19) 
      
   3. Give them food when they are hungry and water when they are thirsty (12:20–21).
      
      

Wuest Translation of Romans 12:9-21

"Love, let it be without hypocrisy. Look with loathing and horror upon that which is pernicious. Stick fast to that which is good. In the sphere of brotherly love have a family affection for one another, vying with one another in showing honor; with respect to zeal, not lazy; fervent in the sphere of the Spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in the sphere of hope; patient in tribulation; with respect to prayer, persevering in it continually; with respect to the needs of the saints, being a sharer with them, eager for opportunities to show hospitality. Be constantly blessing those who are constantly persecuting you; be blessing and stop cursing. Be rejoicing with those who are rejoicing, and be weeping with those who are weeping; having the same mind towards one another, not setting your mind upon lofty things, but associating yourselves with lowly things and lowly people. Stop being those who are wise in their own opinion, requiting to no one evil in exchange for evil, taking thought in advance with regard to things that are seemly in the sight of all men. If it is possible so far as it depends upon you, with all men be living at peace. Do not be avenging yourselves, beloved ones, but give place at once to the wrath, for it stands written, To me belongs punishment, I will repay, says the Lord. But, if your enemy is hungry, be feeding him. If he thirsts, be giving him to drink, for doing this, you will heap burning coals of fire upon his head. Stop being overcome by the evil, but be overcoming the evil by means of the good."

Close

Remember that none of these services and techniques, none of these gifts given by the Lord can be accomplished outside of Jesus Christ. Just as He fulfilled all three of the Old Testament offices of prophet, priest, and king so too does He enable us to fulfill all He has given us: "I can do all things through him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).