Obadiah adjusted his turban against the harsh winds.Even the air was dry, perhaps dryer than the ground if such a thing was possible. It was painful to breathe in and felt like tiny needles in his throat. As he took step after step, the sound of his own footsteps echoed loudly in his ears.

Three years.

There had been no rain in the land for three years and the earth was parched. The streams and brooks had dried out and there was hardly any vegetation to be seen for miles. It was the worst famine that they ever had.

“Oh Lord, have mercy.” Obadiah muttered under his breath. This was all happening because of one man. One prophet.

One Elijah.

As Obadiah trudged on in search of something other than the stretch of dry land, his mind wandered back to that single moment in the palace three years ago – the day Elijah cursed the Kingdom with a famine.

They were all suffering for the sins of King Ahab yet the whole of Israel remained unrepentant including the King.

Elijah had stormed onto the palace grounds that day and declared angrily, “As surely as the Lord lives, there will be no rain or dew except by my command because you have abandoned the Lord.” Then he had disappeared just as suddenly as he came.

Ahab laughed off the strange encounter with his wife. All his officials had laughed too. Obadiah heard them from the corridors during one of his routine checks.

“A complete mad man!” They had declared.

No rain? Until he says so? Who was he, God? Of course no one took seriously the words of a man who wore the same dirty cloak for years on end and wandered around from place to place like a beggar. But days turned into weeks, weeks into months and months into years, still there was no rain. Not even a single rain cloud graced their skies.

Who was laughing now?

With another heavy sigh, Obadiah continued his futile search for vegetation. He was the King’s trusted official, so much so that they began this water-hunt together. Only when they realized they were getting nowhere did they take different paths.

“You go this way and I’ll go the other way.” Obadiah had silently obeyed. He was a believer himself and understood the consequences of sinning against the Lord as much as Ahab had done.

This was a mere glimpse.

The wind continued to whip his turban against his face and again he began to secure it properly around his head. Just then, he noticed a figure walking towards him. Could it be King Ahab? Had he returned with good news? No. Ahab wore more elaborate clothes and his jewelry could be spotted from a distance. This person walked barefoot and wore a…dirty ragged cloak.

Was it possible – ?

Obadiah threw all status to the wind and fell with his face to the ground. Prophet Elijah was standing before him. Or was he? Maybe the heat was finally getting to him and he was starting to see things.

He needed to be sure, but he didn’t want to look up.

“Is it you, my lord Elijah?” His voice quivered more than he expected but he held his breath and waited for an answer.

“It is I.”

All the air was sucked out of Obadiah’s lungs with the realization that he really was in the presence of Elijah – the Great Prophet of the Lord. What could he possibly want with him?

“Go. Tell your lord, ‘Elijah is here.’”

Obadiah finally lifted his head from the ground just enough that he was no longer tasting the dust, but not enough to meet Elijah’s gaze.

The prophet’s request left his mouth dryer than before and his face pale. All the joy and excitement he felt was now replaced with fear.

He should tell King Ahab that Elijah was here? The same Elijah that sent the whole Kingdom into famine then disappeared? The Elijah that King Ahab and Queen Jezebel so despised? It was a death sentence.

Obadiah immediately began to think of all the things he had done wrong. This had to be a punishment for something he had done. He summoned the courage to ask, “What sin have I committed, my lord? Why are you handing me over to Ahab to kill me?”

Obadiah was close to tears. What had he ever done to this man to deserve this? This was the first time they were meeting!

The prophet said nothing so Obadiah continued. “King Ahab has been looking for you.” He sat up a little and nodded half to himself, half to Elijah. “He has. There is no nation or kingdom that he has not turned upside-down looking for you, and whenever they say ‘We don’t know where he is’, Ahab made them swear that they really hadn’t seen you.”

Obadiah laughed at the sheer ridiculousness of it all. “Now you want me to tell him that while I was casually walking around and looking for grass like he ordered me to, I just happened to see this very same Elijah?!”

He was kneeling on his haunches now, with his hands closed into fists and resting on his thighs. He shook his head as though he couldn’t believe it himself. “No. Before I even come back here with the King, the spirit of God might have led you away to someplace I don’t know. What will become of me then? Ahab will think I decieved him and kill me!”

Elijah still stood saying nothing. Did he not hear a word of what was said?  The ground beneath his legs was beginning to dig into his skin but Obadiah didn’t you, he had to let this man know that he couldn’t possibly do what he was asking.

“Does my lord not know what I did when Jezebel slaughtered the Lord’s prophets?”

Still no answer.

“I hid them. Right under Ahab’s nose, 100 prophets escaped and I hid them all. I even gave them food and drink. Now on top of that you want me to go and say to him ‘Elijah is here', he will kill me!”

 Obadiah was frantic, beside himself with fear and close to tears, but he saw the corner of Elijah’s mouth twitch as though the whole thing was amusing. Finally, he spoke.

“As surely as the Lord lives before whom I stand, today I will present myself to Ahab.”

A single tear slid down Obadiah’s face. He swore by the Lord! That was all the assurance he needed.

Scrambling to his feet, Obadiah quickly ran back down the road he came from till he reached where he and the King parted ways.  He stopped to catch his breath and looked into the distance to see if he could spot Ahab.

The sun was shining furiously down and he soon saw the glint of what could only be the gold adornments on King Ahab’s body. He hurried after him, calling out as he ran.

Ahab heard him coming and turned in confusion. “Have you found something?” he asked as soon as Obadiah caught up to him.

What a terrible understatement.

Obadiah didn’t stop to catch his breath this time. “I have found Elijah.” He breathed.  

Ahab’s eyes first narrowed in suspicion then widened in realization and not another word was said before they both ran down the road again.

Could it really be true? Elijah whom he had diligently and thoroughly searched for all these years? Why would he suddenly show up now? Was Obadiah lying? Ahab had seen the fear and desperation in the other man’s eyes. He was telling the truth. Besides, what reason did he have to lie? It would only mean his death.

Obadiah’s heart was pounding in his chest as they ran on. He prayed to God that Elijah was still there. Sure enough, as they came closer, he saw Elijah standing in the very same spot where he had left him. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the King slowing down and did the same.

“Is that really you, Oh Destroyer of Israel?” Ahab called out. How very much like him to belittle the prophet of the Living God. Elijah only shook his head. He truly was a marvel. His entire appearance was disheveled and he was the kind of person you wouldn’t look at twice when walking down the street, but he had so much authority in his voice. So much power in his stance.

“I have not destroyed Israel, that is all your doing.”

Obadiah winced. Nobody spoke to Ahab like that. Just ask all the dead prophets.

Elijah wasn’t finished. “You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and followed false idols, so here’s what you are to do – summon all of Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel.” He turned around and began to walk away.

“Come along with the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah who eat at your wife’s table.” Elijah said over his shoulder, and just like that, he was gone again.

Ahab stood staring long after Elijah had gone, his jaw clenching and unclenching in anger and frustration.

How he hated that man.

“Come, Obadiah.” He instructed as they walked in the opposite direction. “We’re going to Mount Carmel.”