The scripture for today is 1 Kings chapter 18, 1 through 16. After many days of 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. So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria. And Ahab called Obediah, who was over the household. Now Obediah feared the Lord greatly. And when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, Obediah took 100 prophets and hid them by 50s in a cave and fed them with bread and water. And Ahab said to Obediah, go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys. We might find grass and save the horses and mule the life 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 Obediah went in the other direction by himself. And as Obediah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him. And Obediah recognized him and fell on his face and said, Is it you, my Lord Elijah? And he answered him, it is I. Go tell your Lord, behold, Elijah is here. And he said, how have I sinned that you would give your servant into the hand of Ahab to kill me? 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. And now you say, go tell your Lord, behold, Elijah is here. 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 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 men of the Lord's prophets by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water? And now you say, go tell your Lord, behold, Elijah is here and he will kill me. And Elijah said, as the Lord of host lives before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today. So, Obediah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. May the Lord add a blessing to the Word today. You know, there is a popular TV series called Kids Say The Darnest Things. And some of you may be familiar with it, it is a comedy show based on the original and spontaneous answers of small children, to a series of questions asked by the host. In recent years, you might have seen it hosted by Bill Cosby and of recent days Tiffany Haddish. Back in the fifties and sixties, there was a version of this that was hosted by Art Link Letter. And the show has become popular because children and kids really do say The Darnest Things. Art Link Letter once asked one of the children who had come down to the station to film the program. He said, did your parents give you any instructions for being on TV today? And the kids say, yeah, my mother told me not to pay attention to the crazy things my daddy told me. He asked another kid, did your dad tell you anything before you came down here today? He said, yes, he said no matter how much it is, don't you scratch anything. Those who have served, that's pretty good. I can take a look at that one too. Those who served in VBS this week can testify. Kids really do say and do the Darnest Things. You see that title and you hear that word Darnest and you ask yourself, what does that mean? Darnest. Well, obviously it's a euphemism for another word, but even more than that, the meaning is often lost on us. It means utmost. It means best. It means most wonderful. In other words, kids say some of the best and most wonderful things. And in the same way, I want to suggest to you this one, that it could be said of God, that God does the Darnest Things. Seriously think about it, beloved. The majesty and the wonder, the splendor and the mercy of God. And all the wonderful things he does is awe-inspiring and fear-producing, like the things that kids say, God often leaves us speechless. I can't speak for everyone this morning, but I know that whenever I get in a down-mood or get frustrated with life or home or church, yes, the pastor gets frustrated or feeling sorry for myself, most of the time those frustrations are because I cease to be amazed by God's grace or to count and consider his mercy. I forget God has done wonderful things. And if the Psalmist would have us to remember that this morning in Psalm 75 and 1, the Bible says we give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks for your name is near, we recount your wondrous deeds, we recount them in Psalm 143 and verse 5. The Bible says I remember the days of old and I ponder all your great works and think about what you have done. Consider what God has done. You contemplate what you have to do. This is what David did when he was about to face the greatest challenge of his young life. And about to go into battle against Goliath, the Bible says in 1 Samuel 17 and verse 37, David said the Lord who delivered me from the part of the lion and from the part of the bear will deliver me from the hand of the Philistine. He did it before. He'll do it again. I think that's what tied your best. If he did it before, he'll do it again. Same God now. Same God then. If he did it before, he'll do it again. How often, beloved, how often, how often do you recall the wonderful things God has done? God has done it darn it. Children of Israel at the Red Sea. Joshua at Jericho. Gideon in the million nights. David from the Alaya Elijah at Mount Carmel. God does darn this thing. In fact, the wonderful and marvelous deliverance, the unforgettable deliverance of Elijah out Mount Carmel is where we are in our text, more accurately we find ourselves in the preparation in the run-up to what God is going to do in the confrontation at Carmel. So what we have in 1st Kings 18 is one of those times, those wonderful, most remarkable times. When God is going to demonstrate and display His unmistakable power and mercy to the world, there is a great battle that is brewing. It is the battle between Elijah and Ahad. But more importantly, it is the battle between Jehovah and Bale. And it is coming. The main event is coming. But before we get to the main event, there are some preliminaries. There are some important lessons to be gleaned from the run-up to the battle. In the 1st half of chapter 18, God is setting the stage to do the darn this thing. But before He does it, He has to set it up. And He sets it up. He sets it up this morning by reminding us of the coming of Elijah, the courage of Obediah and the comfort of the Word of God. He sets the stage with the coming of Elijah. There had been a drought in Israel, if you might recall, that was prophesied by Elijah in chapter 17. Three years, the land of Israel had been without rain. No rain, no dew. And because there was no rain, and because there was no dew, there had been a famine. No rain, no crops, no crops, no food. But the thing to remember this morning, beloved, that the famine that had come upon the Israel was not just a famine from food. There was an even greater problem. There was a famine from hearing the Word of the Lord. Not only had the Brooks and the Wales run dry, but so too had the Word of God in the land. As God promised in a chapter 8 and verse 11, there was a famine from hearing the Word of the Lord. And that famine came because Elijah had gone in hiding. Elijah had been in hiding as the Word, as the Lord had told him, and because Elijah had been in hiding for these past three years, so too, had the Word of the Lord been in hiding. But for the first time in many years, God sends Elijah back. And by sending Elijah back, he sends back his Word. And it would be a Word of judgment, yes. But beloved, it was not just a Word of judgment. It was also a Word of confirmation and assurance. It was a Word confirming and assuring Elijah that he was God's man, that he was, that he carried God's Word. This is so important, beloved, because Elijah is about to be in the battle of his life. And before he goes into battle, God assures him. Elijah, you are my man. Elijah, you have my Word. In chapter 17, verse 24, the last Word we have from chapter 17 is the widow's Word. And these are the words reminding Elijah of who Elijah was. Then the woman said to Elijah, now I know that you are a man of God and that the Word of the Lord from your mouth is true. This reminds us. This reminds us that the Lord was with Elijah. This reminds us that the Lord was working through Elijah. But more important than reminding us, it reminded Elijah. Through the mouth of that widow, the Lord was assuring Elijah. I am with you. He was assuring Elijah that I am going to work through you. His time in hiding was not in vain. And it could feel like that, beloved. Imagine Elijah in hiding doing what? Nothing. Hanging out with a widow and her son, the great prophet of God, listen, was not there just for the widow and her son. God had him there because he was preparing Elijah for the next battle in his life. Just because it's quiet, beloved. It doesn't mean that God isn't working. He's preparing you, preparing you for the next matter in your life. It's coming. It's coming. And God is preparing you for the next matter. Like he did in Moses. When he sent him out into the desert, he was shaping him. Like he did Joseph. When he sent him in the prison, he was getting him ready. Like he did with David. When he sent him out and left him in the fields, because he was gearing him up. God was preparing Elijah, getting him ready, nourishing him, strengthening him, encouraging his spirit for the next battle in his, encouraged him, encouraged him by the provisions of God. In the midst of the drought, the Bible says in 17 and 6 that God had provided bread and meat every morning, every evening, every morning, every evening. In the midst of his temptation, God was doing, as the Psalmist says in Psalm 23 and verse 5, God was preparing a table in the presence of the enemy. Elijah was in waiting, but he was not idle. God had been encouraging him with his provisions, but not only had God been providing for him, God had also been reminding Elijah of his power. Elijah had not only seen God provide bread and seen God provide meat, but Elijah had also seen God raise the debt. Now, this is the same power that Elijah would need if he was going to faithfully fight the enemy. This is the power that Elijah would have, because this is the power at work in all of us. This is the power of God, it is resurrection power, it is the power of the resurrection. Don't miss that. Elijah witnessed God raising that little son from the dead so that he might know that that is the power with which now he would faith down the enemy. I don't think we understand that. That is resurrection power. That is the power we all have. The Bible says in Ephesians chapter 1, in verse 19, Paul says, also pray that you will understand the greatness of God's power for us who believe. This is the same power that raised Christ from the dead. Listen, beloved. I know it is not comfortable. It is not common amongst proper reform folks to speak in such ways, but I want to suggest, no, I don't want to just suggest, I want to press upon you this morning that within every believer of Jesus Christ there is power. You have been given resurrection power, but in most of us, it lies dormant. It is untouched, unutilized, unaccessed, and you know why? Because we would rather live and do battle in the flesh rather than live and do battle in the spirit. We would rather use the weapons of our flesh, and their beloved is no power in the flesh. The Bible says that the power is in spiritual weapons mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. Let me tell you something this morning. In case you didn't know it, there are strongholds in your life. I don't care who you are. There are strongholds in your life. And one of the reasons that they are not relieved is because we fight them in the flesh with anger and bitterness and jealousy when the weapons of our warfare are not kernel. They are mighty through God, and they will pull down strongholds. That is the power of God that rests in every believer of Jesus Christ. That's what Elijah saw. That's what Elijah saw when that boy was raised from the dead. And that's the power in which he's coming for a half. That's the confidence. That's the power with which he is walking back in the Israel looking for a half prepared and equipped by God. Because he came, we also learned of the courage of Obediah. Isn't it interesting that while God was providing for the prophet Elijah, he was also protecting the other prophets in the land through the faithful courage of his servant, Obediah. The name means servant of the Lord. And yet the irony of it is that he was not just the servant of the Lord, but the Bible says that he was also a servant in the house of a half. In fact, he was the chief of servants. First King, chapter 18, verse 3, the Bible says in a half called Obediah who was over the household. Now, Obediah feared the Lord greatly, and when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, seeking to kill them, beloved, seeking to end the line of prophets in Israel, Obediah took 100 prophets and hid them by 50 in a cave and fed them with what? Bread and water. While God was providing for Elijah, God was also protecting the prophets. The prophets with bread and water. The interesting thing is that the Bible says that in the household of a half, Obediah feared the Lord greatly. Now here, beloved, here is the point. In fact, I want to suggest to you that here is the most important point. Here is the key point of our text this morning. What motivated Obediah to do what he did in protecting and providing for the prophets? The fear of the Lord. What moved him to go against the evil intentions of Jezebel and a half? The fear of the Lord. What made him desire to be faithful in a faithless house, the fear of the Lord? The fear of God. That is the issue. That is the issue. That is always the issue. That is going to be the issue when the battle ensues. The fear of God. Now what is the fear of God? Well beloved, it is not being afraid of God. Like you are afraid of the dark or like you are afraid of the boogeyman. God is not a boogeyman. You are not afraid that he is going to come and get you. Okay? We don't treat God like the hyenas treated Mufasa. Mufasa Mufasa Mufasa. No. No. The fear of God is much more sublime. It is much more wonderful. It is the acknowledgment that he is God. It is the acknowledgment that he has done great things. It is the acknowledgment that he will do great things again. This is the point. This is the point of all the great works that God has ever done. Why? The Bible says in Joshua, chapter 4, verse 23 and 24. For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan when he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all of the peoples of the earth might know the hand of the Lord is powerful so that you might always fear the Lord your God. The fear of the Lord is the foundation for right living. Proverbs chapter 1 and verse 7. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge but foes despise wisdom and instruction. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The fear of the Lord leads to justice, equity and righteousness. Second Chronicles, chapter 19 and verse 7. Now let the fear of the Lord be on you. Just carefully. For with the Lord our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery. This, this, this is what moved over diet. He was devoted to God. It caused him to put God first. So let me just put it as plainly as I can. Here is what the fear of the Lord is as simple as I can put it. The fear of the Lord is putting the Lord first. It is putting the Lord first. The fear is devotion to God first. Now most of us, they say all of us know some idea of what devotion is. Because we devote ourselves to many things. Many things. You see it all the time. People love to post it on the internet. Let them post it on their Instagram and Twitter and Facebook. Why? Because they devoted to these things. They devoted to art and crafts, devoted to their profession, sports and golf and their family and their jobs and exercising, weightlifting, outdoors, camping, co-making, devoted to these things. And you see their devotion because it comes through and everything that they desire to do. Now I love it. Being devoted to these things is not wrong. God forbid you could ever be wrong for being devoted to golf. Okay, that's just not possible. Okay, so it's not wrong to pass the field to be devoted to golf. In fact, there is good in being devoted to something. Being devoted in the fear of God is being devoted to God first. Devoted to God first, the Bible says and Jesus says and Matthew chapter 6 and verse 33. But seek first the kingdom of God. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you. Seek first the things of God. Be properly devoted first to the things of God. Then devote yourself to improving your golf swing. Then devote yourself to your photography. Then devote yourself to your art and your craft. Then devote yourself to exercise. But make sure you devote yourself to God first. With open diet devoted to the household of a half. Yes. Yes. But he was devoted to God first. That's why the Bible says he feared the Lord. He feared the Lord. And it takes wisdom beloved. It takes courage to be faithful in an unfaithful context. It takes the fear of the Lord. It takes the fear of the Lord. Overdire feared God in a fearful place. That's what it means to be a Christian in this world, isn't it? To be in the world but to not be of the world. It is fearing God and putting God first. Putting God first. What does that mean? That means for a Christian to be in politics, he must put God first. Doesn't mean that the Christian can't be in politics. It just means that the Christian has to walk the line where he or she is putting God first. I mean the Christian in higher education. The Christian can be in higher education. The Christian just has to walk in fear of the Lord and with them knowing how and when to put God first. The Christian can be in the movie industry. Just knowing the need to put God first. And it is not easy beloved. It is not easy being a Christian in an anti-Christian world. Fearing God where there is no fear of God. This is overdire. This is overdire. He is fearing God in a household where there is no fear of God. It takes wisdom. This is why I beloved that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. This is why I beloved that the fear of God is life because it takes the fear of God to stay alive in a home that has no fear of God. This overdire was the epitome of the fear of God. A-hab was the epitome of one who had no fear of God. And therefore instead of wisdom, A-hab was foolish. Instead of life, A-hab brought death. Instead of peace, A-hab brought destruction. Why? Because this is what the Bible says when there is no fear of God. Their feet are swift to shed blood. The Bible says in Romans 3 and verse 15. In their past are ruined and misery and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes. This was A-hab. This was Jezebel. They were dangerous. And they were depraved people. And it is important to understand that overdire was courageous. But he was also careful. careful. Obedire was faithful. But he was not foolish. And living in this world takes courage. But beloved, we also must be careful. We are faithful. But beloved, we don't flaunt our faith and people's faces. Listen to me this morning. The freedom and often arrogance of American Christians is to think that we can just flaunt our Christianity. And think that that is the courageous, the God-faring thing to do. Well, you try that in North Korea. You try that in Somalia. You try that in Saudi Arabia or Yemen. You try that in other parts of the world, beloved. They are not fraughting their Christianity. And yet they're faithful. They are courageous. But yet they're careful. That's Obedire. He's courageous. When Jezebel wants to kill the prophets, he takes the prophets and hides them and feeds them. Why? Because he's courageous and he fears God. But he's careful. He's not flaunting it to Jezebel and they have. He's not pushing it in their face. He's being faithful, but not foolish. Courageous and careful. Why? Because he was not interested in tempting A-Hap. Why? Because A-Hap and Jezebel weren't playing. They weren't playing. And therefore, when Elijah comes to Obedire, and he tells Obedire, to go and tell A-Hap that I have come. Obedire pauses. And so let's think about this. I've been courageous, but I've been careful all these years.
I've been faithful, but I'm alive because I'm not foolish. I've been faithful, but I just need to know something, Elijah, that if I go back and tell A-Hap, I got to know that you're going to be with me. That you're not going to leave me hanging out the dry. When Elijah told Obedire to go and tell A-Hap that Elijah had come, Obedire wanted assurance that Elijah had really come to stay.
Because he's not interested in tempting A-Hap. In verse 9 of chapter 18, he says to Elijah, what have I done wrong? I mean, I've been faithful. I've been feeding these prophets. I've been hiding them. I've been fearing the Lord in this wicked house. I've been trying to be faithful. What have I done wrong that now all of a sudden you want to hand me over to A-Hap to be put to death? Are you trying to get me killed? When I go back, are you just going to run and hide again? Beloved, the world is not always welcoming or comfortable for those who are seeking to be faithful. It gets difficult. It gets hard. It gets testing. It gets trying. And to the faithful in a faceless world, God has a comforting word. And this is what Elijah brought to Obedire. I like to think that this is his reward for being faithful these past years. When Elijah met and spoke with Obedire, he assured him that everything would be all right. Verse 15, Elijah said, as the Lord Almighty lives whom I serve, I will surely present myself to A-Hap today. In other words, Obedire, God had protected you before. Obedire, God was going to protect you again. This beloved is the promise of God to his people. This is always the promise of God to his people. This is the promise of Jesus to his disciples beloved. In John chapter 17 and verse 15, Jesus said, my prayer is not that you would take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one while they are in the world. This is the promise of God. Obedire, you're going to go back to the household of A-Hap but God had protected you before. God is going to protect you now. This is the promise that Jesus makes to his people because this is the promise of the cross. The promise is not that the world won't threaten us. Because it will. The promise is not that the enemy can't hurt us because it can but the promise is that we will not be overcome. The promise is that through it all it can and it will be well with your soul. So go back, Obedire, go back and speak these words. Have courage. Where does the courage come from? When beloved it doesn't come from within the courage comes from the cross. That's where the courage comes from. Because he lives, I can face them out. Because he lives of fears gone. Jesus says in John 16, verse 33, I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble but take heart I have overcome the world. This is what Obedire needed. This is the comfort of the words Obedire. Elijah wanted to reassure Obedire. He hadn't come to hide. He had come to fight and he was going to fight on behalf of Jehovah. But not only was he going to fight on behalf of Jehovah but he had come there to fight on behalf of Obedire. Jehovah had a champion. You and I, beloved have a champion. Beloved this is the glory of our Savior this morning. Christ came into the world and coming into the world has fought sin, has fought devil, has fought death and he has overcome them. And because he has overcome them, because our champion had been raised victorious this morning. The Bible tells us in Romans 8, verse 37, that we are more than conquerors this morning. More than conquerors. Why? Because we are in Christ. That is the comforting words with which you leave this place this morning. That is the comforting word with which you go out into the world this week. You are more than a conqueror because you are in Christ. Luther reminded us. Though this world with devils field should threaten to undo us, we will not fear for God has wielded his truth to triumph through us. The prince of darkness grim. We tremble not for him. His rage we can endure for low his doom is sure. Little Beloved, we will see that next week. Let's pray.