Ahab-Obadiah Afraid to Go Before the King

By Mary Vee
I Kings 18

From Obadiah's, Keeper of King Ahab's Palace, Journal

I have served king Ahab of Israel for some time. He selected me to be in charge of his palace. 

Despite the king's choice to worship other gods, I could not follow in his path. I didn't worship Baal or the Asheroth poles or any of the other gods brought into Israel. My work kept me busy and gave me an excuse to not participate in worshipping those new gods. 

My heart has been devoted to the Lord. When queen Jezebel started killing the Lord's prophets, I sneaked out and gathered a hundred prophets and took them to two caves. Fifty hid in one and fifty in the other. I've worked hard to take them food and water whenever possible, the king's spies roamed everywhere.

One day a servant reported to Ahab the horses and mules had eaten the last of the grass in the nearby fields. Ahab turned to me and said, "Go through the land to all the springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grass to keep the horses and mules alive. I'd rather not kill any of our animals."

We divided the search area. Ahab went one direction and I went in the other.

As  was walking, I met the prophet Elijah. Of course I recognized him right away and bowed all the way to the ground. "Is it really you, my lord Elijah?"

"Yes," he replied. "Go tell your master, 'Elijah is here.'"

How could he expect me to do that? To take such a message before the king would guarantee my death. "Elijah, as surely as the Lord your God lives, there is not a nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to look for you. Whenever a nation or kingdom claimed you were not there he made them promise they could not find you.

"And now you expect me to go before Ahab and say, 'Elijah is here?' What if the Spirit of the Lord carries you to another place when I leave? If I tell Ahab you are here and he doesn't find you, he will kill me. 

"I have worshiped the Lord since I was young. Didn't you hear what I did while Jezebel was killing the prophets of the Lord? I hid a hundred of the Lord's prophets in two caves, fifty in each, and supplied them with food and water. And after doing this, you expect me to go to my master to deliver your message? He will kill me."

Elijah nodded. "Obadiah, listen to me. As the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, you can know for sure I will present myself to Ahab today."

This story will continue next time.

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1. Who is Obadiah? What is his job?
2. Who is Ahab?
3. What did Obadiah put in the cave? Why did he do that?
4. King Ahab asked Obadiah to go about the country and look for ___________?
5. While he looked Obadiah met ________________
6. What did Elijah tell Obadiah to do?
7. Did Obadiah want to do the job? Why or Why not?