Faithfulness in Dark Places: God's Purpose Revealed
Summary
In today's exploration of 1 Kings 18, we delve into the surprising places where God places His people, as exemplified by the stories of Elijah and Obadiah. God often positions His servants in unexpected and challenging environments to fulfill His purposes. Elijah, a prophet called to confront the idolatry of Baal worship, finds himself in the heartland of this idolatry, Sidon, where God provides for him through a widow. This narrative sets the stage for understanding how God uses His people in dark places.
Obadiah, a new character introduced in this chapter, serves as the chief of staff to King Ahab, a king who did more evil than any before him. Despite the darkness of Ahab's palace, Obadiah is a man who fears the Lord greatly. His position allows him to protect and provide for a hundred prophets of the Lord, hiding them from Jezebel's campaign of persecution. This story highlights the theme of God placing His people in positions of influence, even in the darkest of places, to accomplish His purposes.
The message today is an encouragement to Christians who find themselves in difficult and dark places. Whether in challenging workplaces or ethical dilemmas, God has a purpose for placing His people where they are. The examples of Joseph, Esther, Daniel, and others throughout the Bible show that God often uses His people in high places of influence for His purposes. The call is to remain faithful and to trust that God can sustain and use His people wherever He places them.
Key Takeaways:
- God's Surprising Placement: God often places His people in unexpected and challenging environments to fulfill His purposes. Just as Elijah was sent to Sidon and Obadiah served in Ahab's palace, God positions His servants in dark places to be a light and to accomplish His will. [01:42]
- Faithfulness in Dark Places: Obadiah's story teaches us that faithfulness to God can be maintained even in the darkest environments. Despite working in Ahab's palace, Obadiah feared the Lord greatly and was used by God to protect His prophets. This encourages us to remain faithful wherever God places us. [05:03]
- The Role of Influence: God uses His people in positions of influence to accomplish His purposes. Obadiah's position allowed him to save a hundred prophets, showing that God can use us in our workplaces and communities to make a significant impact. [16:26]
- Expect Challenges and Misunderstandings: Serving God in dark places will come with challenges and misunderstandings. Obadiah faced risks and was misunderstood by others, yet he remained faithful. We should expect similar challenges and trust God to sustain us. [27:37]
- Different Callings, Same Purpose: Elijah and Obadiah had different callings, yet both served God's purposes. This reminds us that God uses different people in different ways, and we should not judge others based on their calling. Instead, we should support and value each other's contributions to God's work. [26:26]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:17] - Introduction to 1 Kings 18
- [00:47] - Elijah's Surprising Mission
- [01:23] - God's Provision in Sidon
- [02:15] - Obadiah's Introduction
- [03:11] - Obadiah's Position and Faith
- [04:07] - The Darkness of Ahab's Palace
- [05:03] - Encouragement for Christians in Dark Places
- [06:26] - Biblical Examples of Influence
- [09:51] - God's Purpose in Placing His People
- [10:41] - The Challenge of Ethical Dilemmas
- [13:23] - The Importance of Christians in Every Sphere
- [16:26] - Obadiah's Risk and Impact
- [19:07] - Elijah and Obadiah's Meeting
- [26:26] - Different Callings, Same Purpose
- [35:12] - Cautions for Culture Warriors
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: 1 Kings 18
Bible Reading:
- 1 Kings 18:1-16
- Psalm 23:5
- Romans 14:4
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Observation Questions:
1. What surprising location did God send Elijah to, and why was it significant? ([01:23])
2. Who was Obadiah, and what was his role in King Ahab's palace? ([03:11])
3. How did Obadiah demonstrate his faithfulness to God despite his challenging environment? ([16:26])
4. What was the nature of the relationship between Elijah and Obadiah, and how did their callings differ? ([22:36])
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the story of Elijah being sent to Sidon challenge our understanding of where God might place His servants? ([01:42])
2. In what ways does Obadiah's position in Ahab's palace illustrate the theme of God using His people in positions of influence? ([16:26])
3. How might the tension between Elijah and Obadiah reflect the different ways God calls His people to serve? ([26:26])
4. What does the sermon suggest about the importance of remaining faithful in difficult environments, and how does this apply to modern-day challenges? ([05:03])
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Application Questions:
1. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you felt God placed you in a challenging environment? How did you respond, and what did you learn from that experience? ([05:03])
2. Obadiah was able to protect and provide for a hundred prophets. In what ways can you use your current position or influence to support others in your community or workplace? ([16:26])
3. Reflect on a time when you faced misunderstandings or challenges because of your faith. How did you handle it, and what would you do differently now? ([27:37])
4. Elijah and Obadiah had different callings but served the same purpose. How can you appreciate and support the diverse callings of others in your church or community? ([26:26])
5. Consider the ethical dilemmas you might face in your workplace. How can you remain faithful to your values while navigating these challenges? ([10:41])
6. How can you be a light in a dark place, as Obadiah was, without compromising your beliefs? What practical steps can you take this week to live out your faith in your current environment? ([28:34])
7. Think about a person in your life who has a different calling or approach to faith than you do. How can you better understand and support their journey? ([26:26])
Devotional
Day 1: God's Strategic Placement in Our Lives
God often places His people in unexpected and challenging environments to fulfill His purposes. Elijah, a prophet of God, was sent to Sidon, a center of Baal worship, where he was sustained by a widow. This story illustrates how God positions His servants in dark places to be a light and to accomplish His will. Similarly, Obadiah served as the chief of staff to King Ahab, a king known for his evil deeds. Despite the darkness surrounding him, Obadiah feared the Lord greatly and was used by God to protect a hundred prophets from Jezebel's persecution. These narratives encourage believers to trust that God has a purpose for placing them in difficult situations, whether in challenging workplaces or ethical dilemmas. [01:42]
"And the word of the Lord came to him: 'Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.'" (1 Kings 17:8-9, ESV)
Reflection: In what unexpected or challenging environment has God placed you, and how can you be a light in that place today?
Day 2: Faithfulness Amidst Darkness
Obadiah's story teaches us that faithfulness to God can be maintained even in the darkest environments. Despite working in Ahab's palace, Obadiah feared the Lord greatly and was used by God to protect His prophets. This encourages believers to remain faithful wherever God places them, trusting that He can sustain and use them for His purposes. Obadiah's example shows that even in the most challenging circumstances, one can remain true to their faith and make a significant impact. [05:03]
"Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land and said, 'Mark now, and see how this man is seeking trouble. For he sent to me for my wives and my children, and for my silver and my gold, and I did not refuse him.'" (1 Kings 20:7, ESV)
Reflection: How can you demonstrate faithfulness to God in your current environment, even if it feels dark or challenging?
Day 3: Influence in Unexpected Places
God uses His people in positions of influence to accomplish His purposes. Obadiah's position as chief of staff to King Ahab allowed him to save a hundred prophets, showing that God can use believers in their workplaces and communities to make a significant impact. This narrative encourages Christians to recognize the influence they have in their respective spheres and to use it for God's glory. It is a reminder that God can work through His people, even in the most unlikely of places, to bring about His purposes. [16:26]
"And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14, ESV)
Reflection: What unique position or influence do you have in your community or workplace, and how can you use it to further God's purposes today?
Day 4: Embracing Challenges and Misunderstandings
Serving God in dark places will come with challenges and misunderstandings. Obadiah faced risks and was misunderstood by others, yet he remained faithful. Believers should expect similar challenges and trust God to sustain them. This narrative encourages Christians to embrace the difficulties they encounter while serving God, knowing that He is with them and will provide the strength needed to persevere. [27:37]
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." (James 1:2-3, ESV)
Reflection: What challenges or misunderstandings are you currently facing in your service to God, and how can you trust Him to sustain you through them?
Day 5: Diverse Callings, Unified Purpose
Elijah and Obadiah had different callings, yet both served God's purposes. This reminds believers that God uses different people in different ways, and they should not judge others based on their calling. Instead, Christians are encouraged to support and value each other's contributions to God's work, recognizing that all are working towards the same purpose. This narrative highlights the importance of unity and collaboration among believers, despite their diverse roles and callings. [26:26]
"For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." (Romans 12:4-5, ESV)
Reflection: How can you support and value the diverse callings of others in your community, recognizing that you are all working towards the same purpose?
Quotes
Elijah must have said a widow where I mean of all the unlikely places for God to have a servant uh Jezebel's backyard I mean that that uh is quite extraordinary uh I can imagine Elijah just wondering Lord You've you've called me to confront the idols and the Bales and uh now you send me to the very place that they come from. [00:01:36]
Obadiah, we're told verse three feared the Lord greatly verse 12 pH out the picture where Obadiah tells Elijah um I uh your servant have feared the Lord from my youth so here is a Godly Man and he's in the most extraordinary place he is in the palace and he is right next to Ahab and in a country that is being swept by idolatry. [00:03:21]
The Bible speaks to every circumstance of life and the testimony of Obadiah as a person who was thrust into the uh difficulties of the political realm uh speaks powerfully into our lives today if you have a difficult boss imagine what it would be like working for Ahab just think about it. [00:05:14]
It is a remarkable thing throughout the Bible that for for the purposes of his grace God often finds a way to put people who honor him quietly into places of very high influence indeed think about Joseph and he's at the right hand of pharaoh in um Egypt what a what an uncomfortable place that must have been for anyone who was a Believer. [00:06:28]
God prepare places his people in surprising spheres of influence and he does it for surprising purposes of Grace now Obadiah fits exactly into uh this story line uh remember that the king any king of Israel's first calling was to fear the lord the king of Israel was to write out a copy of the scriptures for himself as his first act so that he would fear the lord. [00:09:51]
If you are looking today for a career in which you will not experience conflicts of conscience you will have a very limited Choice indeed because that sphere is getting narrower and narrower and narrower you just think across the professions here's a Christian teacher and she's saying how can I work with this Godless curriculum. [00:11:11]
God places his people in every sphere and in every level of life and I I I want to encourage younger folks as you're thinking about a choice of career and how can you be most useful to your God don't shy away from spheres of influence simply because they will be difficult we need Christians who will be lights in the darkest Place places across every profession. [00:13:45]
The best that Obadiah can do for his God is not to abandon his job and go and become the1st preacher best thing that Obadiah can do for his God is to persevere in the a high pressure difficult political position in which he finds himself and it must often have torn him apart and I want to give you that encouragement that if you are in a place of difficulty you are not there by accident you are there by the design of God. [00:15:17]
From his position of influence Obadiah had been able to do a great deal of good verse four when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord Obadiah took a 100 prophets and hid them by 50s in a cave and led fed them with bread and with water he could not possibly have been able to do that apart from information that presumably he gleaned um from uh his position in the palace. [00:16:18]
Elijah is called to a Ministry of Confrontation he's the man who stalks into the palace announces the word of God and walks right out again you can do that everything in Elijah's life is leading up to this moment of Confrontation at Mount nor that we'll come to next week where where the word of God will confront the vested interests and idolator of the people. [00:21:12]
Obadiah's Ministry is not a Ministry of Confrontation it is a Ministry of influence he he stays in the palace and he has to be very careful about what he says he's not like Elijah who comes in and goes out he has to work from the inside and everything about his life and about his ministry is to do with staying faithful in a situation that often must have felt as if it was tearing him apart. [00:22:00]
God has other servants beside you so that was this was an Achilles heel for Elijah I even I only am left I'm the only one that's doing any good around here nobody else is doing what we're doing in our ministry know this kind of spirit that was the danger for Elijah and God is clearly reminding Elijah here in his great kindness that God has other servants be beside Elijah. [00:39:30]
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