Eliyahu on His Way to Appear Before Ahav

Why does the text eternalize Ovadyahu's mistake and record his speech in such detail? Ovadyahu's emotional speech is a condemnation of Eliyahu and his approach. It expresses how Eliyahu was perceived by the righteous people of his generation. The parallels that exist between Ovadya’s speech and Eliyahu’s experiences during the drought magnify the destructiveness of Eliyahu’s decree. Eliyahu has chosen the path conflict followed by cutting off contact. Ovadyahu has chosen precisely the opposite path: a path of brave cooperation with the wicked king in an attempt to influence from the inside.