And now thou sayest, Go, tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here.
The words are Obadiah's fearful repetition of Elijah's command to go tell Ahab that Elijah is present. The summons meant that Ahab was to come to meet Elijah, not that Elijah would go to Ahab. In this Elijah insisted on the respect due to his office as God's messenger. Obadiah feared that if Elijah disappeared before they met, Ahab would kill him, since Ahab had searched widely, even throughout the kingdoms, for Elijah. Elijah reassured him by promising to meet Ahab himself that day.
The exchange took place during Israel's apostasy and idolatry, in the time of drought and famine. It was also the time of Jezebel's persecution of the Lord's prophets. Within that dark setting the verse highlights Obadiah's faithfulness to God, shown when he hid and fed a hundred of the Lord's prophets.
The verse belongs to Elijah's return to confront Ahab before Mount Carmel, when his presence was to be reported to the king. The surrounding account presents Elijah as faithfully warning Israel against idolatry and standing for God, though weariness and fear later led him to flee. After years of warning and waiting for repentance, he stood alone for God on Mount Carmel, where faith overthrew idolatry and brought rain testifying to the blessings awaiting Israel.
The words are Obadiah's fearful repetition of Elijah's command to go tell Ahab that Elijah is present. The summons meant that Ahab was to come to meet Elijah, not that Elijah would go to Ahab. In this Elijah insisted on the respect due to his office as God's messenger. Obadiah feared that if Elijah disappeared before they met, Ahab would kill him, since Ahab had searched widely, even throughout the kingdoms, for Elijah. Elijah reassured him by promising to meet Ahab himself that day.
The exchange took place during Israel's apostasy and idolatry, in the time of drought and famine. It was also the time of Jezebel's persecution of the Lord's prophets. Within that dark setting the verse highlights Obadiah's faithfulness to God, shown when he hid and fed a hundred of the Lord's prophets.
The verse belongs to Elijah's return to confront Ahab before Mount Carmel, when his presence was to be reported to the king. The surrounding account presents Elijah as faithfully warning Israel against idolatry and standing for God, though weariness and fear later led him to flee. After years of warning and waiting for repentance, he stood alone for God on Mount Carmel, where faith overthrew idolatry and brought rain testifying to the blessings awaiting Israel.