1 Kings 18:1–16
INTRODUCTION
The person we will study appears on the stage of history during a time of national apostasy in Israel. Under the influence of Jezebel, wife of King Ahab, the king begins to promote throughout his kingdom the worship of the Canaanite god Baal, a god of rain and fertility. Israel is losing its identity and becoming just another Canaanite nation. In an effort to halt the apostasy, God sends Elijah to proclaim judgment against the nation: a drought is coming that will last three and a half years (1 Kgs 17:1). The message is that the God of Israel controls nature, not Baal. At the end of the period, King Ahab goes out to look for food for his animals accompanied by his most trusted servant, the palace administrator. Who is this man? He has a name, he has a job, and he fears the Lord. He is a person of unbending will whose identity as a true Israelite is not negotiable.
I. HE HAS A NAME
Names are important. In a sense, the mystery of our identity is contained in our name. Names define us and make us accessible to others. Through our names we are touched by others, forming a bridge for communication. When we meet someone, one of the first questions we ask is, “What is your name?” Then the dialogue begins. Something happens when someone pronounces your name: Everything stops, your senses go on the alert, and you search for the person who invoked your name. Your name pulls you out of the shapeless crowd, and you stand up as unique and singular among them.
The person in our story has a name. His name is Obadiah. He knew who he was. In Hebrew his name is Obad-yahu. It is a composite name formed by the combination of two nouns: Obed, meaning “servant,” and Yahu, a shortened form of the name Yahweh. His full name is “Servant of Yahweh”! His name identifies his mission, which is to serve, and the person he serves—Yahweh. He belongs to God, and his mission in life is to serve Him. We come to know who we are after realizing that we belong to the Lord. We need a center that will orient us and determine who we are. Many people lack that specific center, and they live disoriented, asking themselves, Who am I, and what am I doing here? Our identity is deeply connected to our mission in life.
It is a wonderful thing to know who we are. We have a name, and the question for you is: What is your name? Perhaps today your name should be Obadiah (Obad-yahu), “Servant of the Lord.” That is who you really are. This identity comes to us from above. The name Obad-yahu points to the MessiPreserving Our Identity in a Hostile Environment anic Servant mentioned in Isaiah 52:13 and 53:11. He is the Servant of the Lord who gave His life for us (53:12). There is no one like Him! Our identity, our uniqueness is derived from His identity and comes to us as a gift. We are “Servants of the Lord” because He is the “Servant of the Lord.”
II. HE HAS A JOB
There is something perhaps unexpected about the person of Obadiah. Although he is a servant of the Lord, he is at the same time a servant of the apostate King Ahab (1 Kgs 18:3). We too need a job in the corrupt world in which we live. The truth is that we live in two worlds. Occasionally our social duties and responsibilities are in conflict with our true identity as servants of the Lord. At that moment we are challenged to take sides.
I imagine that it was quite difficult for Obadiah to preserve his identity in the midst of national apostasy, particularly when his job was to serve in the palace. The king and the queen were promoting the worship of Baal to make all the Israelites servants of Baal. I can only imagine that the king and the queen, out of consternation, may have had some private conversations with Obadiah, trying to persuade him to support their religious agenda. Perhaps he was asked to change his name—a small compromise— and instead of Obadiah (Obad-Yahu) to become Obad-Baal. He could retain his first name but change his last name. A very simple thing! He did not change his name. You have to wonder, why was he not deposed from his office? The most probable reason is that he excelled in the performance of his job, and it would have been difficult to find a more trustworthy person to replace him. The servants of the Lord do their best for others! Right in the palace, this person became a silent witness for the Lord. Every time he went to the palace, people would greet him, “Good morning, Servant of Yahweh”! Everyone knew that in the midst of apostasy there was in the palace a servant of the Lord.
The early Christians bore a name that was directly connected to the shame of the cross and many, under the pressure of society, were tempted to change their name. We too are tempted to change our name in order to retain our job or to achieve certain personal goals in life. The pressures of society may tempt us to change our identity, to set aside our true identity. To you I say today, “Do not change your name!” Be yourself!
III. HE FEARS THE LORD
In order to preserve our identity as servants of the Lord living in a society that promotes the values of the kingdom of darkness, we are expected to be courageous and faithful. The source of such courage is located, paradoxically, in the fear of the Lord. To fear the Lord is to respect and honor Him as Saviour and Lord. In our story, Obadiah is described as a person who greatly fears the Lord, not Baal or the king (1 Kgs 18:3). This aspect of his identity is manifested through courageous actions.
Many in the world are weak and cowards while claiming to be brave and powerful. They are in fact unwilling to stand alone for what is right and good and are willing to surrender all they have to the transient. They are dragged along by a “nameless” crowd of rebellious people; they lack a true identity. Those who fear God become His instruments even under difficult circumstances.
Obadiah feared the Lord, and God used him to preserve the life of one hundred prophets (1 Kgs 18:4). He risked his life by providing for the enemies of the apostate state shelter, food, and water at a time when food, and particularly water, were scarce. Obadiah feared the Lord more than the king. God also used him to do something that no one else had been able to do: find the prophet Elijah. The king had sent messengers throughout the kingdom to find and arrest the prophet (1 Kgs 18:10). It was to Obadiah that the prophet “surrendered.” If at first the servant was unwilling to comply with the request of the prophet (1 Kgs 18:12), it was not because he was afraid of the king, but because he loved life and was not willing to unnecessarily risk it. It is only through the Spirit of Christ that we are empowered to preserve our Christlike identity in courageous service to others.
CONCLUSION
Those who have been redeemed through the sacrifice of Christ have a new name, a new identity. This identity has been shaped by the values and teachings of the One who died for us—the magnificent Servant of the Lord. We are unique because we derive our identity from Him. The character that we develop is not synchronized with a sinful world, but rather is in conflict with it. Hence, we need to rely on Christ to protect our holy way of life and to be gracious to us in moments of weakness. Can you answer our question today: What is your name? What is your job? Do you fear the Lord? Would you like to re-consecrate your life to the Lord today, relying always on His forgiveness and grace?
Ángel Manuel Rodríguez, ThD, is a retired director of the Biblical Research Institute at the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States.
INTRODUCTION The person we will study appears on the stage of history during a time of national apostasy in Israel. Under the influence of Jezebel, wife of King Ahab, the king begins to promote throughout his kingdom the worship of the Canaanite god Baal, a god of rain and fertility. Israel is losing its identity and becoming just another Canaanite nation. In an effort to halt the apostasy, God sends Elijah to proclaim judgment against the nation: a drought is coming that will last three and a half years (1 Kgs 17:1). The message is that the God of Israel controls nature, not Baal. At the end of the period, King Ahab goes out to look for food for his animals accompanied by his most trusted servant, the palace administrator. Who is this man? He has a name, he has a job, and he fears the Lord. He is a person of unbending will whose identity as a true Israelite is not negotiable. I. HE HAS A NAME Names are important. In a sense, the mystery of our identity is contained in our name. Names define us and make us accessible to others. Through our names we are touched by others, forming a bridge for communication. When we meet someone, one of the first questions we ask is, “What is your name?” Then the dialogue begins. Something happens when someone pronounces your name: Everything stops, your senses go on the alert, and you search for the person who invoked your name. Your name pulls you out of the shapeless crowd, and you stand up as unique and singular among them. The person in our story has a name. His name is Obadiah. He knew who he was. In Hebrew his name is Obad-yahu. It is a composite name formed by the combination of two nouns: Obed, meaning “servant,” and Yahu, a shortened form of the name Yahweh. His full name is “Servant of Yahweh”! His name identifies his mission, which is to serve, and the person he serves—Yahweh. He belongs to God, and his mission in life is to serve Him. We come to know who we are after realizing that we belong to the Lord. We need a center that will orient us and determine who we are. Many people lack that specific center, and they live disoriented, asking themselves, Who am I, and what am I doing here? Our identity is deeply connected to our mission in life. It is a wonderful thing to know who we are. We have a name, and the question for you is: What is your name? Perhaps today your name should be Obadiah (Obad-yahu), “Servant of the Lord.” That is who you really are. This identity comes to us from above. The name Obad-yahu points to the MessiPreserving Our Identity in a Hostile Environment anic Servant mentioned in Isaiah 52:13 and 53:11. He is the Servant of the Lord who gave His life for us (53:12). There is no one like Him! Our identity, our uniqueness is derived from His identity and comes to us as a gift. We are “Servants of the Lord” because He is the “Servant of the Lord.” II. HE HAS A JOB There is something perhaps unexpected about the person of Obadiah. Although he is a servant of the Lord, he is at the same time a servant of the apostate King Ahab (1 Kgs 18:3). We too need a job in the corrupt world in which we live. The truth is that we live in two worlds. Occasionally our social duties and responsibilities are in conflict with our true identity as servants of the Lord. At that moment we are challenged to take sides. I imagine that it was quite difficult for Obadiah to preserve his identity in the midst of national apostasy, particularly when his job was to serve in the palace. The king and the queen were promoting the worship of Baal to make all the Israelites servants of Baal. I can only imagine that the king and the queen, out of consternation, may have had some private conversations with Obadiah, trying to persuade him to support their religious agenda. Perhaps he was asked to change his name—a small compromise— and instead of Obadiah (Obad-Yahu) to become Obad-Baal. He could retain his first name but change his last name. A very simple thing! He did not change his name. You have to wonder, why was he not deposed from his office? The most probable reason is that he excelled in the performance of his job, and it would have been difficult to find a more trustworthy person to replace him. The servants of the Lord do their best for others! Right in the palace, this person became a silent witness for the Lord. Every time he went to the palace, people would greet him, “Good morning, Servant of Yahweh”! Everyone knew that in the midst of apostasy there was in the palace a servant of the Lord. The early Christians bore a name that was directly connected to the shame of the cross and many, under the pressure of society, were tempted to change their name. We too are tempted to change our name in order to retain our job or to achieve certain personal goals in life. The pressures of society may tempt us to change our identity, to set aside our true identity. To you I say today, “Do not change your name!” Be yourself! III. HE FEARS THE LORD In order to preserve our identity as servants of the Lord living in a society that promotes the values of the kingdom of darkness, we are expected to be courageous and faithful. The source of such courage is located, paradoxically, in the fear of the Lord. To fear the Lord is to respect and honor Him as Saviour and Lord. In our story, Obadiah is described as a person who greatly fears the Lord, not Baal or the king (1 Kgs 18:3). This aspect of his identity is manifested through courageous actions. Many in the world are weak and cowards while claiming to be brave and powerful. They are in fact unwilling to stand alone for what is right and good and are willing to surrender all they have to the transient. They are dragged along by a “nameless” crowd of rebellious people; they lack a true identity. Those who fear God become His instruments even under difficult circumstances. Obadiah feared the Lord, and God used him to preserve the life of one hundred prophets (1 Kgs 18:4). He risked his life by providing for the enemies of the apostate state shelter, food, and water at a time when food, and particularly water, were scarce. Obadiah feared the Lord more than the king. God also used him to do something that no one else had been able to do: find the prophet Elijah. The king had sent messengers throughout the kingdom to find and arrest the prophet (1 Kgs 18:10). It was to Obadiah that the prophet “surrendered.” If at first the servant was unwilling to comply with the request of the prophet (1 Kgs 18:12), it was not because he was afraid of the king, but because he loved life and was not willing to unnecessarily risk it. It is only through the Spirit of Christ that we are empowered to preserve our Christlike identity in courageous service to others. CONCLUSION Those who have been redeemed through the sacrifice of Christ have a new name, a new identity. This identity has been shaped by the values and teachings of the One who died for us—the magnificent Servant of the Lord. We are unique because we derive our identity from Him. The character that we develop is not synchronized with a sinful world, but rather is in conflict with it. Hence, we need to rely on Christ to protect our holy way of life and to be gracious to us in moments of weakness. Can you answer our question today: What is your name? What is your job? Do you fear the Lord? Would you like to re-consecrate your life to the Lord today, relying always on His forgiveness and grace?
