Sermon Tone Analysis

*Elijah and Elisha 4.*

Can you turn in your Bibles to 1 Kings 18.

We have been looking at the story of Elijah *[P]*.

Elijah appears in times of transition, turning people to righteousness, preparing the way for the new dispensation.

He comes at a time of crisis and impending judgment.

He came at a significant turning point in the life of the nation of Israel.

In the person of John the Baptist, he was there at the transition from the old covenant to the new covenant; and he will again come heralding the impending reign of Jesus at the Second coming.

A big part of the motivation in doing this series is that Elijah comes in the in End times and I believe we are approaching those times.

We need to be prepared for Elijah, know about him; so that we recognize him when he comes.

End times are the times of Elijah.

We looked at the man of God *[P]* who spoke God’s word, heard God’s word, lived God’s word – that is what we must be doing in these end time.

Last time we looked at the widow: *[P]* the one to whom יהוה gives life when all around is judgment and death; the one living by faith, not religion.

How are we to survive the trouble of the end times?

Not by religion but by living by faith.

The Gospel came to us heathen Gentiles.

Now, today, we are going to look at the servant of God in the end times *[P]*.

God has called us all to be servants and we are in the end times.

How is the servant of God to act in the time of crises?

What is required of him?

[*1 Corinthians 4:1-2* /You should think of us as Christ’s servants, who have been put in charge of God’s secret truths.

The one thing required of such servants is that they* be faithful to their master*/] [GNB].

Before the well known contest on Mount Carmel we encounter, a story not so often told, you will see that I have n kiddies’ pictures this week.

It is the story of a man called Obadiah – his name means “servant of יהוה” *[P]* and so he was; but like us there was the pull to serve others – and the pressure will come on us as the end comes nearer.

Let’s look at some of the characteristics of the servant of God in the end times.

*[P]* [*1 Kings 18:1-19*/ //Now it happened after many days that the word of יהוה came to Elijah in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth.”

So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab./ (always, he simply does what יהוה tells him)/ Now the famine was severe in Samaria.

Ahab called Obadiah who was over the household./

(that is the king’s household, he was chief servant of wicked king Ahab)/ (Now Obadiah feared יהוה greatly; for when Jezebel destroyed the prophets of יהוה, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave, and provided them with bread and water.)

Then Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys; perhaps we will find grass and keep the horses and mules alive, and not have to kill some of the cattle.”

So they divided the land between them to survey it; Ahab went one way by himself and Obadiah went another way by himself.

Now as Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him, and he recognized him and fell on his face and said, “Is this you, Elijah my master?”

He said to him, “It is I. Go, say to your master, ‘Behold, Elijah is here.’

” He said, “What sin have I committed, that you are giving your servant into the hand of Ahab to put me to death?

“As יהוה your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my master has not sent to search for you; and when they said, ‘He is not here,’ he made the kingdom or nation swear that they could not find you.

“And now you are saying, ‘Go, say to your master, “Behold, Elijah is here.”

’ “It will come about when I leave you that the Spirit of יהוה will carry you where I do not know; so when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have feared יהוה from my youth.

“Has it not been told to my master what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of יהוה, that I hid a hundred prophets of יהוה by fifties in a cave, and provided them with bread and water?

“And now you are saying, ‘Go, say to your master, “Behold, Elijah is here” ’; he will then kill me.”

Elijah said, “As יהוה of armies lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today.”

So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is this you, you troubler of Israel?”

He said, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, because you have forsaken the commandments of יהוה and you have followed the Baals.

“Now then send and gather to me all Israel at Mount Carmel, together with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”/]

*Servant does what he is told [P] [1 Kings 18:1*/ //Now it happened after many days that the word of יהוה came to Elijah in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth.”/]

This characteristic of a servant is seen in Elijah.

Elijah remained with the widow many days – what did he do during that time?

We aren’t told – maybe he prayed to withhold the rain (cf.

James 5:17 says he prayed earnestly that it would rain).

Whatever, Elijah did not act until the word of יהוה came.

He did nothing unless יהוה told him to.

We want to be so busy doing יהוה’s business for Him, sometimes the hardest thing is to do nothing; it is dry, people around are perishing and in desperate need we should be doing something!

But we are to do nothing until יהוה speaks.

Elijah always acted in response to יהוה’s word.

When יהוה speaks it is always a command, never a suggestion: "Go!" (look at 17:2,3, 8,9).

Every time the word of יהוה came to Elijah with instruction for him the word was /go/.

Elijah had to wait and be patient a long time but when יהוה said "Go!"; he went.

He obeyed.

He did what he was told.

יהוה told Elijah to appear before Ahab; the drought had gone on long enough, Ahab was at last desperate enough to take notice.

יהוה’s promise is that He would send rain on the land.

Elijah went to Ahab with the direction to announce the end of the drought – יהוה would make it rain.

There is no mention of the intervening contest on Mount Carmel.

יהוה promised to send rain, not fire – He had decided to have mercy on the land, it had suffered enough.

Interestingly in the N.T. Elijah is noted for his association with withholding rain and making it rain, not the more dramatic falling of fire which stands out in human memories.

God was going to send rain – yet there is no mention of repentance or turning to God on the part of Israel – this was pure undeserved mercy.

[*1 Kings 18:2*/ //So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab.

Now the famine was severe in Samaria./]*

*– יהוה said, "/Go show yourself to Ahab/."

So Elijah /went to show himself/ to Ahab.

Precisely what יהוה said, that’s what he did.

Oh that we were the same!

We no longer have servants – but we know the deal: if you ask a servant to prepare a meal, they do not say: “I’ll think about it”, “I don’t want to”, “I don’t feel led”!

A servant does what they are told.

If they don’t serve, obey, they are not a servant; and they are given the boot.

This characteristic of a servant is seen in Elijah as opposed to Obadiah but he was a servant of God also.

By now the famine was really biting in Samaria, its effects were sorely felt, the situation was getting desperate and Ahab was getting worried.

*The true servant fears יהוה **[P]* [*1 Kings 18:3*/ //Ahab called Obadiah who was over the household.

(Now Obadiah feared יהוה greatly/)] So Elijah was on his way to see the king, meanwhile, back in the palace, Ahab called the overseer of his household, his most trusted servant Obadiah.

Obadiah / /feared יהוה greatl/y/ – Oh that we were the same.

If you fear יהוה, you will obey Him.

He is great, mighty!

He is Lord, Master, He has the authority to judge.

A right concept of His supremacy and greatness causes a response of fear.

Many are the blessings in Scripture that result from the fear of יהוה.

Obadiah was over the royal household – יהוה has His people strategically placed – His players are in the right place at the right time, ready for the role that יהוה has for them to play in His unfolding drama of human history through which He is revealing Himself.

None of His servants are in the position they are by accident or for no purpose.

It may not be easy, you may seem alone, "futilely" holding your position against universal opposition, nothing that you can do about the overwhelming tide of evil, but maintain your faithful service to יהוה there and you will be ready for the role He has for you to play at the critical moment of His workings.

It cannot have been easy to remain God fearing in the idolatrous environment of the royal house.

Even when evil pervades, יהוה has His faithful ones in key positions as salt and light.

He never leaves Himself without a witness.

*Places God’s interests above his own [P]* [*1 Kings 18:4*/ //for when Jezebel destroyed the prophets of יהוה, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave, and provided them with bread and water./]*

*If you fear יהוה you place His interest before your own.

Obadiah’s fear of יהוה was shown in action.

He feared יהוה more than Ahab.

He put his position, not to say his life, on the line in order to preserve the lives of those who were men of יהוה.

The opposition to יהוה grew intense indeed.

Jezebel decided to exterminate the prophets of יהוה!

The drought did not make her repentant or acknowledge the superiority of יהוה; rather she sought to defeat the opposition to Baal so that he would again have supremacy and then he could bring rain again.

She was helping her god out!

If your god needs your help he is not much of a god!