December 12th - Reflection

1 Kings 18:1-18 (NRSV)
Elijah condemns King Ahab

After many days the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year of the drought, saying, "Go, present yourself to Ahab; I will send rain on the earth." So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. The famine was severe in Samaria. Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Now Obadiah revered the Lord greatly; when Jezebel was killing off the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets, hid them fifty to 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 wadis; perhaps we may find grass to keep the horses and mules alive, and not lose some of the animals." 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.


As Obadiah was on the way, Elijah met him; Obadiah recognized him, fell on his face, and said, "Is it you, my lord Elijah?" He answered him, "It is I. Go, tell your lord that Elijah is here." And he said, "How have I sinned, that you would hand your servant over to Ahab, to kill me? As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom to which my lord has not sent to seek you; and when they would say, 'He is not here,' he would require an oath of the kingdom or nation, that they had not found you. But now you say, 'Go, tell your lord that Elijah is here.' As soon as I have gone from you, the spirit of the Lord will carry you I know not where; so, when I come and tell Ahab and he cannot find you, he will kill me, although I your servant have revered the Lord from my youth. Has it not been told my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord, how I hid a hundred of the Lord's prophets fifty to a cave, and provided them with bread and water? Yet now you say, 'Go, tell your lord that Elijah is here'; he will surely kill me." Elijah said, "As the Lord of hosts 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 it you, you troubler of Israel?" He answered, "I have not troubled Israel; but you have, and your father's house, because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals.

Reflection
Ahab, Obadiah, Elijah and a bunch of horses. There was a drought in the land. Ahab, who was king at the time reached out to Obadiah for help. We had to save the horses. These weren't just a few out back, these were maybe a couple of thousand horses furnished by Shalmaneser III to Ahab. Horses that would tax the land for water and food.

Now Obadiah was favorable to God's prophets. When Jezebel was trying to kill all of the prophets, Obadiah hid them in the Mt. Carmel area most likely, which accounts for thousands of caves and Obadiah furnished the prophets with bread and water.

Ahab and Obadiah split up to find springs of water for the horses. Along the way Obadiah ran into Elijah the great prophet. Elijah wanted Obadiah to tell Ahab that he was here. But Obadiah wanted to protect Elijah from Ahab. Obadiah finally concedes to go and tell Ahab about Elijah. And Ahab and Elijah meet.

Sometimes God's plan moves us to face people we would rather not meet. Sometimes God's plan goes to the people that seem to be the most wicked and perhaps are. But sometimes our meeting with these people changes them. They see God active and change. Sometimes they don't. But our call isn't to make this decision. Our call is to go where we are called to go. I'm sure we would, could and will sometimes come up with a million excuses of why we wish not to meet the person we would rather not meet. But in these times we need to reach deep into our hope and faith that God calls us to important tasks. So we go...

Elijah meets Ahab and we meet someone too... maybe it's not someone but rather something... maybe we meet an addiction... maybe we meet a conflict... maybe we meet a broken relationship... Whatever we meet must be deep in our call from God, not just a meeting to further our own agenda. This is God's agenda and God's plan. Think about it.

Prayer
Lord, when you call me to go into difficult situations or to meet someone that is difficult for me to meet, help me follow your plan and not mine. Teach me to listen to your will and your way and obey. For it is you I trust and it is you I obey, it is you I love and all my hope is in you... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen