Episode Transcript
[00:00:09] Hey, everybody. Pastor Chuck here and Happy Wednesday. So glad you joined me for another weekday podcast. And we're continuing our series this week on unsung heroes. So the last couple of days, we've talked about some people you may have never heard about. We talked about Shama, and Shama is a guy who fought in a bean field. Then we heard about Jehoshapha, who was a woman who held a promise and saved King Joash when he was a baby. And today we're going to talk about Obadiah, faithful in the palace of a really bad king. The story is found in 1st Kings 18.
[00:00:45] Welcome again to the weekday podcast. I'm so glad you're here. So today's hero had what a lot of us believe is the hardest job in the Bible. His name is Obadiah, and it's not the prophet who wrote the Little book of Obadiah. This is Obadiah, who worked in the palace of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. Yikes.
[00:01:04] If you know anything about Ahab and Jezebel, you know they weren't easy people to work for or be around. They led Israel into idol worship, and Jezebel was actively hunting down the Lord's prophets. Now, you'd think a guy of faith wouldn't last a day in that environment, but listen to how First Kings describes Obadiah. Ahab summoned Obadiah, who is in charge of the palace. And Obadiah was a devoted follower of the Lord.
[00:01:29] Once, when Jezebel had tried to kill all the Lord's prophets, Obadiah had hidden 100 of them in two caves. He put 50 prophets in each cave and supplied them with food and water. Now, I just think that's pretty stinking awesome. The man running the king's household was secretly running a rescue operation. And remember, this was during a drought and a famine. Food and water were scarce. Obadiah was feeding 100 people in hiding right under the nose of the people who wanted them dead.
[00:01:58] That took planning and resources and a whole lot of courage. I think a lot of us can relate to Obadiah more than we realize. A lot of us are working in places where faith isn't valued. I think I heard Amen all the way through the stream. Maybe your boss doesn't share your convictions. A lot don't. Maybe the culture in your office puts you in directions you want to go to. Maybe your job site or where you're at, you're tempted to think, I can't really serve God here. I'll wait until I'm in a better situation.
[00:02:27] But Obadiah shows us that you can be a devoted follower of the Lord right where you are, even in the palace of Ahab. Now, here's the part of the story that should really encourage all of us. Later in the chapter, Obadiah runs into the prophet Elijah. And Elijah says, go and tell your master Elijah is here. And Obadiah gets frightened. He says, in effect, if I tell Ahab you're here, then the Spirit carries you away. Ahab's going to kill me, dude.
[00:02:53] Then he says something tender. He says, but I have been a true servant of the Lord all my life. And he reminds Elijah, I hid a hundred of them in these two caves and supplied them with food and water. I think it's super cool that the Bible tells us this. Obadiah was a hero, and Obadiah was afraid. He was frightened. Both were true at the same time. He risked his life for God's people, and he still felt fear when he faced the next hard assignment.
[00:03:21] Some of us think that if we really had faith, we'd never feel afraid. Y'. All. That's just not how it works. Faithful people get frightened and scared as well. The question isn't whether you feel fear. The question is, what do you do with it? Elijah reassures him, saying, I swear by the Lord Almighty, in whose presence I stand, that I'll present myself to Ahab this very day. And then the Bible simply says, so odiah went, and he told Ahab. He went. He told Elijah exactly how afraid he was. He listened to God's word through the prophet, and then he obeyed y'. All. That's pretty. That's pretty solid. It isn't the absence of fear that makes courage. What courage is. It's choosing to trust God while your knees are still shaking.
[00:04:04] So let me speak to you today. If you're serving God in a really difficult place, you are not forgotten.
[00:04:11] You're just out of position.
[00:04:14] God may have you in that office or in that workplace or in that job site or in that classroom so that you can quietly care for people that everybody else overlooks. Your influence may be hidden like those caves, but it's real. Keep being a devoted follower of Jesus where you are, and if you're afraid of the next step, you're in really good company. Be honest with God about it. Obadiah was.
[00:04:40] Tell him what. What's bothering you? What worries you? What frightens you? Remember how he's been faithful before and then take the next step anyway and trust the Lord Almighty in whose presence. We all stand.
[00:04:51] So today, just take moment, a moment and thank the Lord, the one that you serve, that you faithfully serve in any place.
[00:05:01] And ask him to give you courage to care for others, even when it costs you something.
[00:05:06] And when we're afraid. When you're afraid, let the Lord help you. Remember that his faithfulness will help you take the next step. And your faithfulness in him will allow him to carry you through it.
[00:05:20] Let that be your prayer. Have a great day, friends. I'll see you tomorrow on another weekday podcast. Bye now.
