Week 18 1 Kings 18
Obadiah’s story is short. About fourteen verses – maybe a little over 300-words. But tucked away in that already short story is an even shorter story – bracketed off to show it isn’t the main story: (Obadiah was a devoted follower of the Lord. Once when Jezebel had tried to kill all the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah had hidden one hundred of them in two caves. He had put fifty prophets in each cave and had supplied them with food and water).
In the main story Elijah comes to Obadiah and tells him he wants to meet king Ahab. Obadiah is reluctant to do that and tries to convince Elijah that he’s already done his share. He tells him his story-in-a-story: has no one told you, my lord, about the time when Jezebel was trying to kill the Lord’s prophets? I hid a hundred of them in two caves and supplied them with food and water.
But Elijah tells Obadiah that saving those people then doesn’t exempt him now.
Both stories are good. The one where Obadiah is liaison between Elijah and Ahab. And the other one about Obadiah – the covert operator – who rescued people from execution.
It’s a toss-up for me to decide which story I like better.
Anyway it’s obvious that the Elijah-Ahab story is the main event. Obadiah only has a small part to play. (But if I was one of the hundred prophets I’d figure Obadiah’s small part was still pretty big.)
Note: quotes from 1 Kings 18:3-4 13 (NLT)