A Servant of the LORD
10/15 Reading Portions: 1 Kings 18; 1 Thessalonians 1; Ezekiel 48; Psalm 104
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10/15 Reading Portions: 1 Kings 18; 1 Thessalonians 1; Ezekiel 48; Psalm 104
1 Kings 18:3
Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly,
OBADIAH
Obadiah, עֹבַדְיָהוּ (ō-vad-YA-hoo) in Hebrew, means “servant of the LORD,” or literally, “he serves YAH”; and he truly was a faithful servant of YHVH God. He hid one hundred prophets in two caves and sustained them with bread and water. It is interesting that his employer is the most wicked of Israel’s kings, Ahab. Sometimes, in God’s wisdom and providence, serving in the kingdom of Christ means living and working in dark times and, at times, for some pretty unsavory unbelievers. Although Ahab sought Elijah out, the king did not seek him to hear the Word of the LORD. He wanted to destroy Elijah—like the Pharisees and religious leaders sought not salvation in Christ nor from Christ but only wanted to destroy our Lord. Likewise, were we once, before the Lord Jesus sought us, found us, and saved us by abounding grace; for every sin we committed against God was a fist strike, palm slap, rod blow, scourge lash, thorn prick, nail piercing, or mocking sneer against our Savior.
Obadiah was also a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. Obadiah’s name could also be translated “YAH, He is a Servant”; and we know that the Lord Jesus Messiah is Yehovah’s anointed Servant (Isa 52:13; Phil 2:5-8). Obadiah hid the fruitful, faithful prophets of God from the wicked, destroying hand of Ahab, just as your life and mine…
…is hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:3
While the world around us seems bleak, and the cave-like circumstances of our lives may not be comfortable, Yehovah’s crucified, risen, ascended, and faithful Servant, the Lord Jesus Messiah, continues to nourish us with the bread of His incarnation and the water of His crucifixion (John 6:55). Hallelujah! What a faithful Savior!
We are servants of God Most High,
For Christ Himself has serv’d:
He came to earth to live and die
And free us from sin’s curse.