1 Kings 18:1-16
"18 After many days the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth.” 2 So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria.3 And Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly, 4 and when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water.) 5 And Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys. Perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, and not lose some of the animals.” 6 So they divided the land between them to pass through it. Ahab went in one direction by himself, and Obadiah went in another direction by himself.
7 And as Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him. And Obadiah recognized him and fell on his face and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?” 8 And he answered him, “It is I. Go, tell your lord, ‘Behold, Elijah is here.’” 9 And he said, “How have I sinned, that you would give your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me? 10 As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent to seek you. And when they would say, ‘He is not here,’ he would take an oath of the kingdom or nation, that they had not found you. 11 And now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, “Behold, Elijah is here.”’ 12 And as soon as I have gone from you, the Spirit of the Lord will carry you I know not where. And so, when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have feared the Lordfrom my youth. 13 Has it not been told my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord, how I hid a hundred men of the Lord's prophets by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water? 14 And now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, “Behold, Elijah is here”’; and he will kill me.” 15 And Elijah said, “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.” 16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him. And Ahab went to meet Elijah."
The figure of Obadiah in this passage presents us with a perplexing problem. It is said of him that he feared the Lord greatly (3), and he was doubtless one of the seven thousand in the land who had not bowed the knee to Baal (19:18). He was also able, during one of Jezebel's criminal purges of the prophets of the Lord, to preserve a hundred of them from her wrath (4). But what are we to say of his association with the wicked king? It will clarify the issue for us when we ask ourselves if we can imagine Elijah working thus with Ahab, especially on this particular mission to find water and provender for the royal stable. It would not matter to Ahab that the people were dying of thirst, if only his horses could have water! (What a contrast to Elijah's tender ministrations to the unknown widow woman of Zarephath!). No, we cannot see how Obadiah can avoid the charge of compromise in his association with the corrupt court, and the pusillanimous spirit which he showed on meeting the prophet seems to indicate something wrong with his spiritual life. No man walking close with God would behave in such a fashion, or have such a hangdog look. Fellowship with God imparts stature to the personality, and stature is what Obadiah lacked. Jesus said, 'By their fruits shall ye know them', and the fruits of holy character and integrity seem conspicuously absent in a man who was too weak to take a stand for righteousness.