1 Kings 18:1-19
Elijah
senses in his spirit that God is about ready to make it rain on the
country after three years of extreme drought. He also senses that he
needs to meet Ahab face to face to deliver the message. King Ahab has
carried out massive manhunts for Elijah ever since their last meeting
three years ago, and would want nothing more than to have Elijah's head
on a platter. After all the manhunts though, Elijah has disappeared and
all the countries have sworn they haven't found him.
Obadiah - the officer in charge of running Ahab's palace - is out mapping out possible water sources, when he suddenly runs into Elijah on the road. He can't believe his eyes. He realizes that he's looking at the man who Ahab is after, and he's afraid that he's now an accomplice. Elijah tells Obadiah to go back and tell Ahab, "I found Elijah." Obadiah is freaking out because Ahab will kill him if he finds out that through all the massive manhunts, Elijah just pops up out of nowhere right in his own backyard. It would mean that Obadiah failed to accomplish the mission Ahab assigned him.
Elijah knows that it could be bad news for Obadiah, so he tells him to get Ahab to come out and meet him. They're going to have a face-to-face conversation. It's about to get ugly, because Ahab's built tons of shrines and temples to the god Baal, and he's about to hear a word from Elijah's God. There's about to be a collision of god-conceptions, a clash of truth.
Elijah senses that God wants him to confront Ahab about his wicked ways. Elijah steps up to the plate. However, Ahab is just as convinced that his gods want him to continue doing what he's doing. Who's right? Who's got the truth?
When we look at the world around us, and see things that just make us want to throw up, how do we come to the conclusion that the thing inside of us is God's voice telling us to speak truth into the matter? When we see people claiming to be followers of Jesus, and they're doing the opposite of what we think Jesus says to do, do we become Elijah's and confront them?
I'm tired and stuck this morning. This passage is gonna have to simmer in my mind for awhile. Maybe you can find the nugget of truth this morning and let me know.
Obadiah - the officer in charge of running Ahab's palace - is out mapping out possible water sources, when he suddenly runs into Elijah on the road. He can't believe his eyes. He realizes that he's looking at the man who Ahab is after, and he's afraid that he's now an accomplice. Elijah tells Obadiah to go back and tell Ahab, "I found Elijah." Obadiah is freaking out because Ahab will kill him if he finds out that through all the massive manhunts, Elijah just pops up out of nowhere right in his own backyard. It would mean that Obadiah failed to accomplish the mission Ahab assigned him.
Elijah knows that it could be bad news for Obadiah, so he tells him to get Ahab to come out and meet him. They're going to have a face-to-face conversation. It's about to get ugly, because Ahab's built tons of shrines and temples to the god Baal, and he's about to hear a word from Elijah's God. There's about to be a collision of god-conceptions, a clash of truth.
Elijah senses that God wants him to confront Ahab about his wicked ways. Elijah steps up to the plate. However, Ahab is just as convinced that his gods want him to continue doing what he's doing. Who's right? Who's got the truth?
When we look at the world around us, and see things that just make us want to throw up, how do we come to the conclusion that the thing inside of us is God's voice telling us to speak truth into the matter? When we see people claiming to be followers of Jesus, and they're doing the opposite of what we think Jesus says to do, do we become Elijah's and confront them?
I'm tired and stuck this morning. This passage is gonna have to simmer in my mind for awhile. Maybe you can find the nugget of truth this morning and let me know.
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