And he had his great
household of slaves, men-servants and maidservants, guards and
footmen, singing men and singing women--perhaps a hundred souls and
more eating and drinking in his house day by day for many a year. A
great man; full of wealth, and pomp, and power. We know that it
must have been so, because we know well in what luxury those great
men in the East lived. But where is it now?
Where is it now? Vanished and forgotten. Be not thou afraid,
though one be made rich, or if the glory of his house be increased.
For he shall carry nothing away with him when he dieth; neither
shall his pomp follow him.
See--of all Obadiah's wealth and glory, the Bible does not say one
word. It is actually not worth mentioning. People admired Obadiah,
I doubt not, while he was alive; envied him too, tried to thrust him
out of his place, slander him to King Ahab, drive him out of favour,
and step into his place, that they might enjoy his wealth and his
power instead of him. The fine outside of Obadiah was what they
saw, and coveted, and envied--as we are tempted now to say in our
hearts, 'Ah, if I was rich like that man. Ah, if I could buy what I
liked, go where I liked, do what I liked, like that great Lord!'--
and yet, that is but the outside, the shell, the gay clothing, not
the persons themselves.
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