◄ 1 Kings 18:4 ►
for when Jezebel had slaughtered the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty men per cave, providing them with food and water.)
Study Bible
Jezebel had slaughtered
The name "Jezebel" is synonymous with idolatry and persecution of God's people. Historically, Jezebel was a Phoenician princess who married King Ahab of Israel, bringing with her the worship of Baal. The Hebrew root for "slaughtered" (טָבַח, tabach) implies a ruthless and deliberate act of killing. This highlights the severity of Jezebel's actions against the prophets, reflecting her deep-seated animosity towards the worship of Yahweh and her determination to eradicate His influence in Israel.

the prophets of the LORD
The "prophets of the LORD" were those who spoke on behalf of Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel. In a time when Israel was steeped in idolatry, these prophets were the remnant who remained faithful to God's commandments. The Hebrew term for "prophet" (נָבִיא, nabi) signifies one who is called or appointed to proclaim God's message. Their slaughter underscores the spiritual battle between the worship of Yahweh and the pagan practices introduced by Jezebel.

Obadiah had taken
Obadiah, whose name means "servant of Yahweh," is portrayed as a man of great courage and faith. Despite serving in Ahab's court, he remained loyal to God. The act of "taking" (לָקַח, laqach) the prophets indicates a deliberate and risky decision to protect them, showcasing his commitment to preserving the true worship of God amidst widespread apostasy.

a hundred prophets
The number "hundred" signifies completeness and sufficiency in biblical numerology. Obadiah's protection of "a hundred prophets" suggests a significant effort to preserve a remnant of God's messengers. This act of preservation is a testament to God's sovereignty and His ability to sustain His people even in the darkest times.

hidden them
The act of hiding (חָבָא, chaba) the prophets reflects a strategic and protective measure taken by Obadiah. In the context of persecution, hiding was necessary for survival. This action symbolizes God's providential care and the idea that He often works through human agents to accomplish His purposes.

fifty men to a cave
The division of the prophets into groups of "fifty" and placing them in a "cave" (מְעָרָה, me'arah) suggests a methodical approach to their protection. Caves were natural places of refuge and concealment in ancient Israel. This imagery evokes the idea of God as a refuge and fortress for His people, providing safety and shelter in times of trouble.

provided them with food and water
The provision of "food and water" (לֶחֶם וּמַיִם, lechem u'mayim) by Obadiah is a practical demonstration of God's care and sustenance. In a time of drought and famine, this provision is miraculous and underscores the theme of divine provision. It serves as a reminder that God meets the needs of His faithful servants, even when resources are scarce.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jezebel
The wife of King Ahab, known for her idolatry and persecution of the prophets of Yahweh. Her actions were a direct challenge to the worship of the true God in Israel.

2. Obadiah
A devout believer in Yahweh who served as the palace administrator under King Ahab. Despite his position, he remained faithful to God and took great personal risk to protect the prophets.

3. The Prophets of the LORD
These were the true prophets who remained faithful to Yahweh amidst widespread idolatry and persecution. Obadiah hid them to protect them from Jezebel's wrath.

4. Caves
Natural hiding places used by Obadiah to shelter the prophets. These caves symbolize refuge and protection in times of danger.

5. Food and Water
Basic provisions that Obadiah supplied to the prophets, demonstrating his commitment to their survival and God's provision even in dire circumstances.
Teaching Points
Faithfulness in Adversity
Obadiah's actions remind us of the importance of remaining faithful to God even when it is risky or unpopular. We are called to stand firm in our beliefs, trusting in God's protection.

Courageous Leadership
Obadiah's leadership under a corrupt regime shows that God can use us in any position to accomplish His purposes. We should seek to influence our environments positively, regardless of the challenges.

God's Provision
The provision of food and water to the prophets illustrates God's care for His people. We can trust that God will meet our needs, even in difficult times.

The Cost of Discipleship
The persecution faced by the prophets highlights the cost of following God. We must be prepared to face opposition for our faith, knowing that our reward is eternal.

Community and Support
The hiding of the prophets in groups emphasizes the importance of community and mutual support among believers. We should seek to support and encourage one another in our faith journeys.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Obadiah's faithfulness in a hostile environment challenge us in our own workplaces or communities?

2. In what ways can we provide support and refuge to fellow believers who are facing persecution or hardship?

3. How does the account of Obadiah and the prophets encourage us to trust in God's provision during times of scarcity or danger?

4. What are some modern-day examples of individuals or groups who have shown courage and faithfulness similar to Obadiah and the prophets?

5. How can we cultivate a community of support and encouragement within our church or small group, similar to the community Obadiah created for the prophets?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Hebrews 11
This chapter highlights the faith of those who stood firm in their belief in God despite persecution, similar to the prophets hidden by Obadiah.

Matthew 5:10-12
Jesus speaks about the blessedness of those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, which can be related to the prophets' situation.

Psalm 46:1
This verse speaks of God as a refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble, paralleling the protection and provision experienced by the prophets.
Sermons
The Cry for LifeJ.A. Macdonald 1 Kings 18:1-6
Ahab, Obadiah, and ElijahJ. Parker, D. D.1 Kings 18:1-18
Elijah and the Prophets of BaalE. De Pressense 1 Kings 18:1-46
People
Ahab, Elijah, Isaac, Jacob, Jezebel, Jezreel, Obadiah
Places
Jezreel, Kishon River, Mount Carmel, Samaria, Zarephath
Topics
Bread, Cave, Caves, Cut, Cutting, Destroyed, Fed, Fifties, Fifty, Hid, Hidden, Hideth, Hole, Hundred, Jezebel, Jez'ebel, Jezebel's, Kept, Killing, Lord's, Maintained, Obadiah, Obadi'ah, Pass, Prophets, Provided, Rock, Secretly, Supplied, Sustained, Taketh
Dictionary of Bible Themes
1 Kings 18:4

     4218   cave
     4293   water
     7775   prophets, lives
     7778   school of prophets

1 Kings 18:1-4

     4816   drought, physical

1 Kings 18:1-5

     4823   famine, physical

1 Kings 18:1-6

     5092   Elijah

1 Kings 18:3-4

     7105   believers
     8265   godliness

Library
Obadiah
To the Young '... I thy servant fear the Lord from my youth.--1 KINGS xviii.12. This Obadiah is one of the obscurer figures in the Old Testament. We never hear of him again, for there is no reason to accept the Jewish tradition which alleges that he was Obadiah the prophet. And yet how distinctly he stands out from the canvas, though he is only sketched with a few bold outlines! He is the 'governor over Ahab's house,' a kind of mayor of the palace, and probably the second man in the kingdom. But …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Trial by Fire
'And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose yon one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under. 26. And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made. 27. And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Elijah's Appeal to the Undecided
Now, we have these three classes here this morning. We have, I hope, a very large number who are on Jehovah's side, who fear God and serve him; we have a number who are on the side of the evil one, who make no profession of religion, and do not observe even the outward symptoms of it; because they are both inwardly and outwardly the servants of the evil one. But the great mass of my hearers belong to the third class--the waverers. Like empty clouds they are driven hither and thither by the wind; …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 3: 1857

Obadiah; Or, Early Piety Eminent Piety
The Lord does not love that his servants, however great they are, should think lightly of their lesser comrades, and it occurs to me that he so arranged matters that Obadiah became important to Elijah when he had to face the wrathful king of Israel. The prophet is bidden to go and show himself to Ahab, and he does so; but he judges it better to begin by showing himself to the governor of his palace, that he may break the news to his master, and prepare him for the interview. Ahab was exasperated …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 30: 1884

The Prophet Hosea.
GENERAL PRELIMINARY REMARKS. That the kingdom of Israel was the object of the prophet's ministry is so evident, that upon this point all are, and cannot but be, agreed. But there is a difference of opinion as to whether the prophet was a fellow-countryman of those to whom he preached, or was called by God out of the kingdom of Judah. The latter has been asserted with great confidence by Maurer, among others, in his Observ. in Hos., in the Commentat. Theol. ii. i. p. 293. But the arguments …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

But Some one Will Say, Does He not Know Without a Monitor Both what Our...
But some one will say, Does he not know without a monitor both what our difficulties are, and what is meet for our interest, so that it seems in some measure superfluous to solicit him by our prayers, as if he were winking, or even sleeping, until aroused by the sound of our voice? [1] Those who argue thus attend not to the end for which the Lord taught us to pray. It was not so much for his sake as for ours. He wills indeed, as is just, that due honour be paid him by acknowledging that all which …
John Calvin—Of Prayer--A Perpetual Exercise of Faith

Selfishness and Prayer. A Contrast.
"So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel, and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees."--1 KINGS xviii. 42. WHAT A CONTRAST! And yet, both men were perfectly consistent. It is in each case what you would expect, and yet how differently it might have been. What a different story it would have been if only Ahab had listened to the teaching of God! How often we see men having chances of turning round and beginning a new …
Thomas Champness—Broken Bread

The West Coast of Galilee-Carmel.
The people of Issachar had "Carmel and the river for their bounds in length": the people of Zabulon, "Carmel and the sea." Carmel was not so much one mountain as a mountainous country, containing almost the whole breadth of the land of Issachar, and a great part of that of Zabulon. It was, as it seems, a certain famous peak among many other mountain tops, known by the same name, lifted up and advanced above the rest. The promontory Carmel, in Pliny, and in the mountain a town of the same name, heretofore …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

Ninth Sunday after Trinity. How Long Halt Ye Between Two Opinions? if the Lord be God, Follow Him; but if Baal, Then Follow Him.
How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him. Was kinket ihr betrognen Seelen [106]Lehr. 1733. trans. by Catherine Winkworth, 1855 Why halt thus, O deluded heart, Why waver longer in thy choice? Is it so hard to choose the part Offered by Heaven's entreating voice? Oh look with clearer eyes again, Nor strive to enter in, in vain. Press on! Remember, 'tis not Caesar's throne, Nor earthly honour, wealth or might Whereby God's favour shall be …
Catherine Winkworth—Lyra Germanica: The Christian Year

Fall of the Western Empire (Ad 451-476)
The empire of the West was now fast sinking. One weak prince was at the head of it after another, and the spirit of the old Romans, who had conquered the world, had quite died out. Immense hosts of barbarous nations poured in from the North. The Goths, under Alaric, who took Rome by siege, in the reign of Honorius, have been already mentioned (p 93). Forty years later, Attila, king of the Huns, who was called "The scourge of God," kept both the East and the West in terror. In the year 451, he advanced …
J. C. Roberston—Sketches of Church History, from AD 33 to the Reformation

Will the Knowledge that Some of Our Own are Lost, Mar Our Happiness in Heaven?
This is a difficult question to answer satisfactorily, on account of our instinctive feelings of natural affection, which arise, and, like a mist, obscure our judgment. Nevertheless, the difficulty is much lessened, and even entirely removed from some minds, at hast, by the following considerations. 1. Our happiness, even in this world, does not depend on the happiness of those who are bound to us by the ties of kindred or of friendship. This is especially the case when their unhappiness proceeds …
F. J. Boudreaux—The Happiness of Heaven

Of Prayer --A Perpetual Exercise of Faith. The Daily Benefits Derived from It.
1. A general summary of what is contained in the previous part of the work. A transition to the doctrine of prayer. Its connection with the subject of faith. 2. Prayer defined. Its necessity and use. 3. Objection, that prayer seems useless, because God already knows our wants. Answer, from the institution and end of prayer. Confirmation by example. Its necessity and propriety. Perpetually reminds us of our duty, and leads to meditation on divine providence. Conclusion. Prayer a most useful exercise. …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

This was Antony's First Struggle against the Devil...
7. This was Antony's first struggle against the devil, or rather this victory was the Saviour's work in Antony [1005] , Who condemned sin in the flesh that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit.' But neither did Antony, although the evil one had fallen, henceforth relax his care and despise him; nor did the enemy as though conquered cease to lay snares for him. For again he went round as a lion seeking some occasion against him. But Antony …
Athanasius—Select Works and Letters or Athanasius

Upon Our Lord's SermonOn the Mount
Discourse 7 "Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: And thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly." Matthew 6:16-18. 1. It has been the endeavour of Satan, from the beginning of the world, …
John Wesley—Sermons on Several Occasions

Subterraneous Places. Mines. Caves.
Thus having taken some notice of the superficies of the land, let us a little search into its bowels. You may divide the subterraneous country into three parts: the metal mines, the caves, and the places of burial. This land was eminently noted for metal mines, so that "its stones," in very many places, "were iron, and out of its hills was digged brass," Deuteronomy 8:9. From these gain accrued to the Jews: but to the Christians, not seldom slavery and misery; being frequently condemned hither by …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

The First Commandment
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.' Exod 20: 3. Why is the commandment in the second person singular, Thou? Why does not God say, You shall have no other gods? Because the commandment concerns every one, and God would have each one take it as spoken to him by name. Though we are forward to take privileges to ourselves, yet we are apt to shift off duties from ourselves to others; therefore the commandment is in the second person, Thou and Thou, that every one may know that it is spoken to him, …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Prayer
But I give myself unto prayer.' Psa 109: 4. I shall not here expatiate upon prayer, as it will be considered more fully in the Lord's prayer. It is one thing to pray, and another thing to be given to prayer: he who prays frequently, is said to be given to prayer; as he who often distributes alms, is said to be given to charity. Prayer is a glorious ordinance, it is the soul's trading with heaven. God comes down to us by his Spirit, and we go up to him by prayer. What is prayer? It is an offering …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Of Passages from the Holy Scriptures, and from the Apocrypha, which are Quoted, or Incidentally Illustrated, in the Institutes.
TO THE AUTHORS QUOTED IN THE INSTITUTES PREFATORY ADDRESS TO HIS MOST CHRISTIAN MAJESTY, THE MOST MIGHTY AND ILLUSTRIOUS MONARCH, FRANCIS, KING OF THE FRENCH, HIS SOVEREIGN; [1] JOHN CALVIN PRAYS PEACE AND SALVATION IN CHRIST. [2] Sire,--When I first engaged in this work, nothing was farther from my thoughts than to write what should afterwards be presented to your Majesty. My intention was only to furnish a kind of rudiments, by which those who feel some interest in religion might be trained to …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

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