Watching the Eternal

15 And Elijah said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely shew myself unto him today.

16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him: and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?

18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim.

I Kings 18:14-18

Here we see one of the most familiar and comforting texts in all of Scripture. For those of you who do not know, Elijah was a prophet of God. He not only testified of God, he was also famous for the signs and wonders which accompanied him. His ministry then came at a time of great national confusion. See, the people knew not what they believed. A certain man and woman, Ahab and Jezebel were set over the people. But they too worshipped Baal, a god who as yet was unfamiliar to them. Herein can be found the danger of worshipping the unknown. Thankfully though, these knew Elijah, the servant of the Lord quite well for they had sat in on his ministry. How many of you know that knowing God is worth more than anything else this old world has to bring. God was not hiding nor even gone from the people as some were want to the think. Regardless, he stood waiting with his arms stretched open wide as he had been all along. I can almost hear him now, ‘child, come home.’ Here Elijah shows up on the scene from which he too had been absent bearing the name of the Lord. How many know when you represent that name, his is the most sacred of all. So it follows to represent him well. Just as the Lord was, so the was servant. For the servant is not above his master or even his magnifying glass. So too the matter of the servants remains to be seen. Elijah is speaking to one Obadiah, a servant of Ahab known for hiding the prophets well. Life in Ahab’s court was not all fun and games and doing as was pleased, we see. It came to the attention of Abah then that Elijah still wandered free. In his deepest heart, Ahab had no one left to blame for the prophets destruction and his own people’s that followed after. Could it be the reason then that Elijah had to hide until the time had come to tell him such. See, sometimes when you are stuck between two places, the Lord’s way and your own, he has to let you go awhile to see what comes of the path you are on. At no time has God ever made his servants helpless, unable yet to choose. His people also do not wander alone and far away from home or even yet himself. Some have liked to call it a simple matter of free will. Yet the matter then of what the prophet spoke was simply this and nothing more. Those who wish to go their own way shall of it find themselves also swallowed up. Surely it is not so strange to hear. So Ahab found though, when he sought to follow only his own way. When it’s not God’s you’re standing in, there is sometimes a delay between your choice and when the fire falls. But just remember, that through it all, the only one who has ever been there is God. In all the bad things that follow after, is it not nice to know the One who has never changed nor yet left you there alone. Notice how in the text it seems to be some power behind Elijah of which the people are afraid. Even the servant fears for his life straightway as he sees Elijah. But here the real threat to be found lies not in Elijah’s appearance nor yet the power he might have possessed. Rather it is in the people who wandered off from God’s way to serve their own. So then these have caused their own trouble as seen in the text. So often we like to speak of the days of Elijah and his soon promised return. But when it comes right on down to it, how many really know what he had to say. Still, how many more like hearing it