Text:
1 Kings 18:1-7,17&18
Memory Verse:
“Now as Obadiah was on his way, suddenly Elijah met him; and he recognised him, and fell on his face, and said, ‘Is that you, my lord Elijah?’”(1 Kings 18:7).
A greeting is a word of welcome or expression of goodwill, especially at a meeting. We usually exchange greetings daily at home and at work as we meet people. It was, therefore, no surprise that Obadiah and Ahab had words of greetings for Elijah, especially after not having seen him for about
three and half years. Greetings many times expose the feelings that people have towards each other.
There are friendly greetings and hostile greetings. Obadiah’s joy at seeing Elijah was expressed by his prostrate posture, and his words, ‘my lord’. Ahab, on the contrary, had no regard for the prophet, who he felt had inflicted needless pains and sufferings on him. He called him the ‘troubler of Israel’. Their last meeting in 1 Kings 17:1 had not been a friendly one. Understanding that “… Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him”, Elijah had cursed the land (1 Kings 16:33b)! So Ahab, and not Elijah, was the troubler of the land.
How do you assess yourself and your contribution to situations? Are your greetings truly from a pure and honest heart? The scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ time were condemned for loving loud greetings in the marketplace. They loved recognition. Do you? Judas’ greeting was an insincere one from a traitor (Matthew 26:48&49). Are you sincere when greeting people? Do you pretend to be a friend and then backstab them? God hates backbiters. Ensure you are not one.
Prayer Points:
1. Lord, I realise my sins now, please forgive me.
2. Cleanse my heart of all backbiting and show me my errors, O God.
