1 Kings 18:10
As the LORD thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not. As the LORD thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom, whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee: and when they said, He is not there; he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they found thee not.
During the drought and famine Ahab sent messengers to seek Elijah in every nation and kingdom, and when they said he was not there he required the rulers to swear that they had not found him and did not know where he was. The search was urgent, broad and relentless, driven by hatred and fear toward Elijah because he had declared that heaven would be shut against rain. Despite all that malice and effort Elijah remained hidden and beyond their reach, for there was no safety for him in Israel and God sent him to find refuge in Zarephath. This is why Obadiah feared that carrying Elijah's message to Ahab could cost him his life if Elijah then disappeared, and Elijah answered that fear by swearing that he would meet Ahab that very day before his stand against idolatry on Mount Carmel.
Ahab's Widespread Search
During the drought and famine Ahab sent messengers to seek Elijah in every nation and kingdom, leaving no nation or kingdom unsearched in his effort to find him. The search went out from nation to nation and throughout the kingdom, reaching both nearby and distant nations. It belonged to the account of the hunt for Elijah throughout the kingdom while Obadiah feared for his life at being sent to tell Ahab that Elijah was there.
When the messengers reported that he was not there, Ahab took an oath of the kingdom and nation, requiring its rulers to swear that they had not found him. They were made to swear that they did not know where he was and that he was not in their territories. The demand for an oath followed every report that Elijah had not been found, so that each kingdom and nation was bound by oath over the failure of the search.
The search was urgent, broad, and relentless, reflecting how widely and determinedly Ahab sought to locate the prophet during the drought. It was driven by Ahab's hatred and fear of Elijah, whom he hated and feared. Jezebel and the prophets of Baal also hated Elijah and sought to seize him, and for that reason the search continued while he remained beyond their reach. Elijah had thus been hated and hunted from place to place for three years, with the whole nation swearing that he could not be found. He could not be found because he had declared that the heavens would be shut against rain.
Danger and Divine Protection
There was no safety for Elijah in Israel, so God sent him to find refuge in Zarephath. His ministry unfolded amid national idolatry and a three-and-a-half-year famine, while he waited for signs of repentance.
Ahab sent messengers throughout nearby and distant nations to find Elijah, whom he hated and feared, and required the kingdoms and nations to swear that they did not know where he was. During the drought he sent throughout nations and kingdoms, and their rulers swore that the prophet was not in their territories. He searched widely, sending throughout every nation and kingdom, and the rulers swore they had not found him when he was absent. The search continued because Jezebel and the prophets of Baal hated Elijah and sought to seize him, yet he remained beyond their reach. Despite the king's efforts and malice, the search failed and Elijah remained hidden and safe.
Ahab had searched throughout every nation and kingdom for Elijah, and when people said he was not there, Ahab made that kingdom swear they had not found him. The search was so widespread that Obadiah feared Ahab would kill him if Elijah disappeared after Obadiah reported where he was. Obadiah feared that reporting Elijah's presence would put his own life in danger if Ahab later could not find him. This explains why Obadiah feared that delivering Elijah's message could cost him his life.
Obadiah feared for his life when Elijah sent him to tell Ahab that Elijah was there, but Elijah swore that he would meet Ahab that day. This search took place during the famine and before Elijah's stand against idolatry on Mount Carmel and the return of rain. At Mount Carmel his faith helped overthrow idolatry, and the rain testified to blessings awaiting Israel.